The Karate belt system explained

If you’ve just started Karate then you may be wondering how long it will take until you earn your black belt. Whilst this may be the end goal, there are many belts in between that you will need to obtain in the meantime. Like many traditional martial arts, Karate has a ranked belt system. In this article, we shall go through the belt order used in Karate.

Before continuing though, it’s worth noting that Karate dojos aren’t always the same. As Karate is pretty huge in terms of its reach, there are some dojos that may have their own belt system which is down to the interpretation of belts by the main sensei. Similarly, the belt order in Kyukoshin may be slightly different compared to the belt system used in Shotokan. Regardless, most Karate gyms will begin with the white belt and end at black belt. Here’s how it works in most places.

The Karate belt order

• White belt

• Yellow belt

• Orange belt

• Green belt

• Blue belt

• Purple belt

• Brown belt

• Black belt

• Red belt

Yes, that’s right. Technically, Karate’s last belt is actually the red belt – and it isn’t the black belt. However, for most people the red belt is not obtainable. There are reasons for this which means that the sight of a Karate red belt is incredibly rare. For more information on the Karate red belt, check here.

What each Karate belt means

– In Karate, the beginning belt is the white belt. In this sense, it is no different from other martial arts. Typically, a practitioner will be at this rank for a couple of months and it means that they’re still very new.

– The yellow belt is next up. Whilst this is still a beginner’s rank, it still demonstrates at least some understanding compared to the white belt.

– After a year or so, you may have earned the orange belt. Although this is still new, it should still show a complete improvement compared to your white belt days. In all areas of Karate (kumite and kata), everything should be performed better.

– Green belt is the last ‘beginners’ belt and represents a transformation in maturity as your Karate really starts to blossom. After this belt, things begin to get a lot more serious and it shows that you’re in Karate for the long run.

– Blue belt is considered as the middle belt in your Karate journey. Whilst you’re still not considered an expert (or even close), you’re still more senior than the beginner phases and should be treated with more respect as a result.

– After the blue belt is the purple belt. At this point, you should have trained Karate for a few years and although you won’t be the best in the dojo – you should still be able to handle yourself against new, untrained opponents.

– Seen by many as the penultimate belt, the brown belt is greeted with respect. Although you may not quite be ready for black belt – the chances are that you will achieve it soon. Sometimes, there’s nothing in it when comparing the technical abilities between a Karate brown belt and a black belt.

– Black belt is the final Karate rank for most people. This shows that you’ve trained Karate for several years and should be comfortable with your skills. At the same time, it also represents the beginning of the journey, as opposed to the end.

Remember, there’s a big difference between a brand new black belt and one that has several dan and has been a black belt for years or decades. Often, the black belt also means the beginning of the transition between being a student and becoming a teacher.

How much time is spent at each Karate belt

How long is a piece of string? Seriously though, everyone is different. Someone that trains Karate under a strict teacher may get promoted at a much slower pace compared to someone who is naturally gifted with a more lenient teacher. Ultimately, every promotion is different.

Some gyms do have general rules though. For instance, usually you’re held at brown belt for at least a year before you’re awarded your black belt. Typically in Karate, you will get promoted quicker during the beginner belts. As mentioned, some of these belts can be held for months at a time. Arguably, this is to keep students enthusiastic and stop them from getting bored. So, you could potentially get promoted through the first three belts quicker than you would go from brown to black belt.

What striped Karate belts mean

In some Karate dojos, they will also include ‘in between’ belts that are a bridge between two different colors. For instance, instead of going from blue to purple belt, you will get a belt in between which is a purple belt with a white line running through it. This shows that you’re somewhere in between and that you’re going through a transition phase.

Arguably, this is down to the taste of the gym owner and most places don’t do this. Nonetheless, it’s not too uncommon. Perhaps this is down to teachers trying to keep the retention of students going and to keep them happy. Alternatively, it could also be due to having a large gym where it’s hard to keep a track of many students and their skill level. With this in mind, striped belts don’t sound like such a strange idea.

Explaining the Karate Dan system

As the Karate black belt often means the start for many students, there are still many ranks on the ladder to climb. Typically, the first black belt in Karate is called the Shodan. This is when you receive your first dan. This will be a yellow tab placed on the end of your black belt. After this, the second dan takes at least two years of consistent training to achieve. This means that there’s typically a big knowledge gap between a new Shodan and a second dan in terms of years of training.

From here, you can get to the ninth dan in Karate. This takes around 40 years in total as each dan takes years to obtain, with the last few taking over five years each. As you can imagine, this takes a long time. If you’ve trained long enough, you can then obtain your red belt. This typically shows a life time of dedication to Karate. Because of this, red belts are incredibly rare and held in very high regard.

Can you skip Karate belts?

Some people believe that you can skip belts in Karate if you’re deemed good enough. For instance, a black belt in Taekwondo would naturally be much better than most colored belts in Karate. However, the belt system in Karate is based on the journey, as opposed to technique. Although technique is undoubtedly a big part of Karate grading, it’s not the only thing.

It’s also worth noting that you can’t buy your way to a black belt (at least from any self-respecting, legitimate Karate dojo you can’t anyway!). In other words, it doesn’t matter who you are, or what your status is – you can’t just skip any of the Karate belts.

Having said this, there are certainly cases of skilled Karateka being fast-tracked through the belts if they’re very good. Returning to the Taekwondo example, if someone turns up and they’re already on the same level as the teachers and other black belts then it may take them a couple of years, as opposed to five or more to obtain the black belt. In fairness, it seems pointless holding someone back for years if they’re already technically good enough.

Do you need a belt test for each Karate belt?

Although every dojo is unique, most places will involve some form of grading ceremony. This goes back to Karate’s traditional, Japanese roots that are steeped in hierarchy and tradition. At the same time, you shouldn’t be too intimidated about the prospect of doing a belt grading test.

The reason for this is that often, they’re seen as a formality and more of a celebration as opposed to a rigorous test. Of course, every place is different and it depends on what you’re teacher thinks. Usually, they will only put you forward for a belt test if they think you’re good enough. Nonetheless, if you got nervous and froze then you’ll probably fail. If this happens, don’t worry as your time will come again. Normally, this isn’t the case though.

Usually, a Karate belt test involves performing specific kata to show what you’re capable of. Here, your sensei can observe how good your technique is. At the same time, you can sometimes be asked to perform certain techniques with an uke if required. In some cases, you may even be asked to pay for a grading test. Although this can be seen as a cash grab, some places do still do this.

Conclusion

Technically, there are nine belts available to achieve when training in Karate. Of course, the red belt is mostly off-limits for ordinary Karateka. This means that for most people, the black belt is the final goal.

At the same time, you should always appreciate the journey. Sometimes, people lose the excitement of getting a new belt around the blue belt phase. Overall, this is quite sad and hopefully as a Karate practitioner, you can keep the same enthusiasm for belt promotions as you did back when you were brand new.

If you’re a Karate black practitioner then check out this beautiful satin Karate black belt on Amazon.