Belts / Degrees

When you start karate, you start with a white belt. In karate, the kyu grades correspond to the coloured belts. Each step is completed with an exam, and there is normally a period of 3-6 months between each step. The entire kyu process takes approximately 8 years.

• 10th Kyu - White belt (Jūkyu / 十級)
• 9th Kyu - White belt with 1 stripe (Kukyu / 九級)
• 8th Kyu - White belt with 2 stripes (Hachikyu / 八級)
• 7th Kyu - Yellow belt (Shichikyu / 七級)
• 7th Kyu (I) - Yellow belt with 1 stripe
• 7th Kyu Kari (II) - Yellow belt with 2 stripes
• 6th Kyu - Orange belt ( Rokkyu / 六級 )
• 6th Kyu (I) - Orange belt with 1 stripe
• 6th Kyu Kari (II) - Orange belt with 2 stripes
• 5th Kyu - Green belt ( Gokyu / 五級 )
• 5th Kyu (I) - Green belt with 1 stripe
• 5th Kyu Kari (II) - Green belt with 2 stripes
• 4th Kyu - Blue belt (Yonkyu / 四級)
• 4th Kyu (I) - Blue belt with 1 stripe
• 4th Kyu Kari (II) - Blue belt with 2 stripes
• 3rd Kyu - Brown belt (Sankyu / 三級)
• 2nd Kyu - Brown belt with 2 stripes ( Nikyu / 二級 )
• 1st Kyu - Brown belt with 3 stripes ( Ikkyu / 一級 )

After all kyu grades, come the dan grades, the black belts.

• 1st Dan ( Shodan / 初段 )
• 2nd Dan (Nidan / 弐段) - Minimum 1 year after 1st Dan
• 3rd Dan (Sandan / 参段) - Minimum 2 years after 2nd Dan and minimum age of 18
• 4th Dan (Yondan / 四段) - Minimum 3 years after 3rd Dan
• 5th Dan (Godan / 五段) - Minimum 4 years after 4th Dan
• 6th Dan (Rokudan / 六段) - Minimum 6 years after 5th Dan
• 7th Dan (Shichidan / 七段) - Minimum 7 years after 6th Dan, minimum age 50
• 8th Dan (Hachidan / 八段) - Minimum 7 years after 7th Dan, minimum age 60
• 9th Dan (Kudan / 九段) - Minimum 8 years after 8th Dan
• 10th Dan (Jūdan / 十段) - Minimum 9 years after 9th Dan