Karate Belt Grading System

The karate belt grading system is a unique way to identify skill level among karateka. As karate students move up through the levels of karate by taking examinations, they move forward in ranks, or Kyu, which are designated by various colors.

The color order for karate belts is white, yellow, orange, green, blue, brown black. This color order is speculated by some to be the color order a karateka's belt would go through as it was dyed from level to level going from lighter colors to darker colors during the dying process. It is cheaper to dye one belt darker colors than to buy new belts, and it became an effective and visible way to mark rank.

A legend for the birth of colored belts is the idea that all karateka start out with white belts, and as they practice and become more skilled an advanced, their belts become dirtier. Never washing the belts shows the experience of a karateka, their belt slowly going from white to black.

The corresponding levels and colors are:

9th Kyu -- White Belt (+1 black bar)

8th Kyu -- White Belt (+2 black bars)

7th Kyu -- Yellow Belt

6th Kyu -- Yellow Belt (+1 black bar)

5th Kyu -- Green Belt

4th Kyu -- Green Belt (+1 black bar)

3rd Kyu -- Brown Belt

2nd Kyu -- Brown Belt (+1 black bar)

1st Kyu -- Brown Belt (+2 black bars)

1st Dan -- Black Belt

2nd Dan -- Black Belt

3rd Dan -- Black Belt

4th Dan -- Black Belt

5th Dan -- Black Belt

6th Dan -- Black Belt

» posted in Karate Gear

| 2142 reads | 1 comment |

0 votes:

Comments:

by nicolejankowski - 12 months ago
Mount Pleasant United States

Member Since: Aug 2009
Member Points: 20

My husband is in Tang Soo Do.  They do not have a brown belt