Karate Belt Order – All Ranking Systems Explained

karate belt order lg

Just as many martial arts use a belt ranking system to rate students’ progress and knowledge, Karate is no exception. But if you are just starting out, or your child is, what is the Karate belt order?

The Karate belt order is: 

  • 8th kyū: White belt
  • 7th kyū: Yellow belt
  • 6th kyū: Orange belt
  • 5th kyū: Green belt
  • 4th kyū: Blue belt
  • 3rd kyū: Purple belt
  • 2nd kyū: Red belt
  • 1st kyū: Brown belt
  • 1st dan: 1st-degree black belt

But there are several systems of Karate and subtle belt order variations among them.

The belt ranking system was invented by Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, in the late 1880s. And by the early 1900s, Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan Karate, adopted the kyū/dan system (as created by Jigoro Kano) for Karate.

The belt ranking system is an effective grading system that uses colored belts to show the skill level and expertise.

The colored belts are handed out at different stages as martial artists progress in that practice.

By glancing at the color of the belt tied around the waist of a martial artist’s uniform, you can denote their skill level and level of expertise and also estimate how long they have persisted in that martial arts practice.

If you are curious about this martial art’s ranking system, you are in the right place. In the rest of this article, I will explain Karate’s belt ranking system and tell you how much time it may take you to earn a black belt.

What are the belts in Karate from lowest to highest?

Karate belts progress from the lightest color to the darkest color as students advance in practice. The first colored belt given to new students is the White belt.

No matter the variation in belt system standards, there is a consensus that new students start with a white belt. And the highest belt level is a 10th-degree black belt.

Karate has two sets of belts —the kyū system and the dan system.

The kyū system consists of all the colored belts, starting from the white belt. Kyū (級) is a Japanese term meaning grade, level, or degree.

The grades start from a higher number and advance to lower ones. It usually starts from the 8th kyū (although it could be different for some schools) and advances to the 1st kyū (the brown belt— the highest color belt karate students can receive before getting a black belt).

Some Karate styles use 6, 8, 9, 10, and even 12 kyū systems.

A black belt rank is very prestigious and shows that the wearer has mastered all the skills. After getting your first black belt (referred to as a first-degree black belt), you will realize there are still higher degrees of black belts (called Dans).

The dan system consists of the different black belt degrees. Dan means degree.

There are ten black belt ranks in Karate. The degrees start with the lowest number (1st dan or 1st-degree black belt) and reach the final, 10th dan (10th-degree black belt). The dan is represented by a white stripe on a black belt; each stripe represents one dan.

The different colors in the belt ranking system, from lowest to the highest, are:

  • 8th kyū: White belt
  • 7th kyū: Yellow belt
  • 6th kyū: Orange belt
  • 5th kyū: Green belt
  • 4th kyū: Blue belt
  • 3rd kyū: Purple belt
  • 2nd kyū: Red belt
  • 1st kyū: Brown belt
  • 1st dan: 1st-degree black belt.
  • 2nd dan: 2nd-degree black belt.
  • 3rd dan: 3rd-degree black belt.
  • 4th dan: 4th-degree black belt.
  • 5th dan: 5th-degree black belt.
  • 6th dan: 6th-degree black belt.
  • 7th dan: 7th-degree black belt.
  • 8th dan: 8th-degree black belt.
  • 9th dan: 9th-degree black belt.
  • 10th dan: 10th-degree black belt.

The kyū ranks are considered lower ranks, while the dan ranks are higher. The dan ranks are for advanced students. A practitioner holding a dan level is called Yudansha.

To graduate to a new color belt, Karate practitioners must pass specific tests that prove they have mastered the required skills in their current belt rank.

It is a proven fact that Karate improves one’s stamina, coordination, and flexibility and helps quicken reflexes. It also has tons of health benefits.

If you want to know more about these advantages, I wrote about them in a recent article. I also talked about how it helps your mind.

Click on that link to read it on my site.

Do all forms of Karate use the same belt order?

No. There are slight belt order variations among the various styles of Karate and even among schools within the same style. Some Karate styles use 6, 8, 9, 10, and even 12 kyu systems.

The colors of the belt in each kyū system are typically the same, but in some, the colors go in a different order, and some systems drop a color or two.

Shotokan Karate belt ranks go in this order:

  • 9th Kyū: White belt
  • 8th Kyū: Yellow belt
  • 7th Kyū: Orange belt
  • 6th Kyū: Green belt
  • 5th Kyū: Purple belt
  • 4th Kyū: Purple and white belt
  • 3rd Kyū: Brown belt
  • 2nd Kyū: Brown and White belt
  • 1st Kyū: Brown and white belt
  • 1st Dan: Black belt

Shorin Ryu karate belt ranks go like this:

  • Beginner: White belt
  • 8th Kyū: Yellow stripe belt
  • 7th Kyū: Yellow belt
  • 6th Kyū: Orange belt
  • 5th Kyū: Green belt
  • 4th Kyū: Purple belt
  • 3rd Kyū: Brown belt
  • 2nd Kyū: Brown belt
  • 1st Kyū: Brown belt
  • 1st Dan: Black belt

The colors of the belt ranking order in Wado Ryu are:

  • The white belt for beginners
  • 8th Kyū: Yellow belt
  • 7th Kyū: Orange belt
  • 6th Kyū: Green belt
  • 5th Kyū: Blue belt
  • 4th Kyū: Purple belt
  • 3rd Kyū: Brown belt with one stripe
  • 2nd Kyū: Brown white belt -2 stripes
  • 1st Kyū: Brown-black belt -3 stripes

Followed by the 1st to 10th-degree black belt dan level.

Kyokushin Karate belt order goes in this order:

  • Mukyu: White belt
  • 10th Kyū: Orange belt
  • 9th Kyū: Orange belt with blue stripe
  • 8th Kyū: Blue belt
  • 7th Kyū: Blue belt with green stripe
  • 6th Kyū: Yellow belt
  • 5th Kyū: Yellow belt with orange stripe
  • 4th Kyū: Green belt
  • 3rd Kyū: Green belt with brown stripe
  • 2nd Kyū: Brown belt
  • 1st Kyū: Brown belt with black stripe

Then it has 1st to 10th-degree black belt levels.

Chito Ryu karate has 13 Kyūs, while Shuri Ryu has seven kyus. From this, we see that different karate styles have slightly varying belt orders.

A lot of people start training in Karate and then take a break. They don’t always return to the same karate dojo they started in.

So they wonder if their Karate belts can transfer between dojos. 

In a recent article of mine, I answered this question and many more. Click on the link to read the full article on my site.

Korean Karate belt order

A quick google search of Korean Karate will bring out Taekwondo (태권도). This is understandable because the original Taekwondo masters were Karate instructors who wanted their discipline to be more Korean in nature out of a sense of nationalism.

They changed some of the basics of Karate, like altering the kata.

Although there are similarities between Taekwondo and Karate, such as using the laws of physics and natural forces to defeat larger foes, the significant difference is that Taekwondo emphasizes kicking while Karate focuses on hand techniques.

On the other hand, Tang Soo Do (당수도) is very similar to Karate. In fact, it was used by some Kwans to identify their Karate-derived martial arts style.

Tang Soo Do has ten Geup (student) levels:

  • 10th Geup: White belt
  • 9th Geup: White belt with stripe
  • 8th Geup: Yellow belt
  • 7th Geup: Yellow belt with stripe
  • 6th Geup: Orange belt
  • 5th Geup: Orange belt with stripe
  • 4th Geup: Green belt
  • 3rd Geup: Green belt with stripe
  • 2nd Geup: Blue belt
  • 1st Geup: Red belt
  • Black belts (or midnight blue belts)

Some schools adopt the midnight blue belt for dan ranks because of the belief in Korean culture that black symbolizes perfection. And since no one is perfect, the belt for the dan rank is a midnight blue color.

The dan system in Tang Soo Do is:

  • 1st Dan to 4th Dan
  • 4th and 5th Dan are considered Master Dan grades
  • The 6th and 7th Dan are considered Senior Master Dan grades
  • The 8th and 9th Dan are called Grandmasters.
  • The 10th dan is a special title awarded to true legends in the art.

National Karate belt order

The belt order for National Karate is:

  • White belt
  • Gold belt
  • Green belt
  • Purple stripe belt
  • Purple belt
  • Blue stripe belt
  • Blue belt
  • Red stripe belt
  • Red belt
  • Brown stripe belt
  • Brown belt
  • Black stripe belt
  • Double-black stripe belt

Learning Karate is fun, and the martial art itself has several benefits.

If you can’t afford to go to a Karate dojo or prefer to learn at home, I shared some online resources you could use to learn on your own in a recent article. I also shared tips you can use to progress better and be well on your path to a first-degree black belt.

Kenpo Karate belt order

Kenpo Karate, also commonly referred to as “American Kenpo” or even sometimes “Kempo Karate”, is stylistically similar to many forms of Karate. American Kenpo is more practical than Japanese Kenpo (Okinawan Kenpo) in terms of offering a self-defense combat situation.

This martial art form was founded and codified by Ed Parker.

He had learned the original art of Kenpo and then spent the rest of his life making significant modifications to it. He changed some of its existing theories, principles, motion styles, and terminologies and introduced new ones.

The belt ranking system of Kenpo Karate, from lowest to highest, is:

  • A white belt
  • A yellow belt
  • An orange belt
  • A purple belt
  • A blue belt
  • A green belt
  • A 3rd-degree brown belt
  • A 2nd-degree brown belt
  • A 1st-degree brown
  • 1st Dan Shodan: 1st-degree black belt
  • 2nd Dan Nidan: 2nd-degree black belt.
  • 3rd Dan Sandan: 3rd-degree black belt.
  • 4th Dan Yondan: 4th-degree black belt.
  • 5th Dan Godan: 5th-degree black belt.
  • 6th Dan Rokudan: 6th-degree black belt.
  • 7th Dan Nanadan: 7th-degree black belt.
  • 8th Dan Hachidan: 8th-degree black belt.
  • 9th Dan Kyudan: 9th-degree black belt.
  • 10th Dan Judan: 10th-degree black.

It will take a practitioner about 4-5 years to achieve a black belt in American Kenpo Karate. To promote to the next dan or next degree black belt, a Karate practitioner must pass a prescribed black belt degree test.

The rank designations for black belts are denoted by red stripes and bars at each end of the belt. Each red stripe indicates a single degree.

Each bar represents five degrees.

Which belt is the highest in Karate?

The highest rank is a 10th degree black belt. The wearer is referred to as a grandmaster. The 10th dan is called the Judan. The 9th and 10th degree black belts are honorary titles.

A practitioner holding a black belt level is called Yudansha.

Yudansha is a Japanese word meaning “person who holds a dan grade”. Karate is heavily influenced by Japanese culture, but it is not surprising since Karate originates from Japan.

A lot of martial arts look alike. This is why to the untrained eyes, Karate and Kung Fu might look the same. However, there are several differences between them.

In a recent article, I compared both and listed their differences. I even wrote about our favorite Kung Fu legend, Bruce Lee, and shared fun facts about him. Click on the link to read the full article on this website.

How Many Belts Are In Karate?

Conclusion

Karate, just like many other martial arts, uses a belt ranking system to rate students’ progress and knowledge. The belts progress from the lightest color to the darkest color as students advance in training.

No matter the variation in belt system standards, there is a consensus that new students start with a white belt as their first belt.

And the highest belt level is a 10th-degree black belt. In this colored belt system, Karate students must pass tests that prove they have mastered the required skills to move to the next rank.


Photo which requires attribution:

Karate belts at testing by SpaceAgeSage is licensed under CC2.0 and was cropped, edited, and had a text overlay added.

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