Colour and Black Belts in Karate
Disclaimer: Many martial arts systems have belt grading, I will restrict my story to ‘Karate’ version and even within karate every style will have its own way of grading/qualifying students, awarding them different colour belts. What I am trying to put here is a general overview of the karate grading system and belts in specific.
We see karate practitioners (also called as Karate Ka) wear lot of colour belts from white to black. Let me try to explain what I know of it from my masters and some googling.
What is the significance?
Given a belt colour a student wears one can easily judge the level of expertise in karate. The colour of the belt shows the progress and proficiency of the students.
Belts are earned through their proven dedication to training in combination with an examination (grading). Typically a white belt will be given for students @ starting level, and Black belt for a true expert with maturity. Yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, brown represent intermediate stages and the ordering of these colour belts varies in many style of karate.
A bit of History
Coloured belt system was started by Dr. Jigoro Kano also known as ‘Founder of Modern Judo’. Gichin Funakoshi also known as ‘Founder of Modern Karate’, who is a contemporary and friend of Dr.Kano adopted this belt grading system of him.
Meaning of the Colours
At the end of second world war, Japan is a poor country. Typically they dye the same belt to a new colour for grading. Because of the dying process, it was only practical to increasingly use darker colours.
Students start with white belt then yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, brown and black.
White Belt − Student who starts to learn karate.
Yellow Belt − Student’s mind is open to accept techniques and methods.
Orange Belt − Student is expanding its knowledge in the field.
Green Belt − Student is developing new skills and learning new techniques.
Blue Belt − Student is going deeper to understand each move in karate and differentiating each to gain more knowledge.
Purple Belt − Student is very serious about acquiring new belts that is coming across next.
Brown Belt − Student has gained adequate knowledge about the skills and now he is ready for the combat.
Black belt − Person wearing it has mastered all the skills and he poses a great ability within him to enlighten others with his knowledge.
Is Black belt the End?
Most people think that ‘Black belt’ is like becoming master and an end in Karate training i.e. all black belts are ‘Karate Masters’.
It is not true.
After your last brown belt, you’ll achieve your first black belt, or dan belt. Your first degree black belt earns you the title of “sempai” or assistant teacher. There 10 dan levels or black belt degrees to achieve.
1–5 Dan Levels
Black belt Dans — 1 to 5 levels are named in order as shodan, nidan, sandan, yodan and godan. Each of these levels is achieved through continual training.
It may take ~30 years training for one to reach 5 Dan level.
6–9 Dan Levels
Black belt dan — 6 to 9 are named in order as rokudan, nanadan, hachidan and kyuudan. These levels of dan include continued practice of your martial art skills as well as the practice of the tenets of the martial arts for the betterment of mankind. These tenets include secrecy, humility of the heart, courtesy in all matters, charity in giving, high moral character, martyrdom — or sacrifice directed to the right causes — unconquerable spirit and certain victory.
Getting to a ninth level black belt can take up to 40 more years of training and following of the martial arts tenets.
Dan Level Ten
Achieving the final dan level of judan is an exceptional accomplishment. You must first gain your ninth dan belt and then be chosen by a group of ninth- and eighth-degree belt holders for the final belt.