The belt system in karate is relatively new, dating back less than 100 years to 1916. Gichin Funakoshi, a man widely credited with introducing karate to Japan, initiated the belt system as a way to distance karate from its Chinese roots and appeal to Japan's growing sense of national pride. Today, karate schools all over the world use the system of colored belts as a practical way to measure progress and recognize individual skill.
About
Many schools use white, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple and brown belts to measure progress through the 10 kyu, or junior levels, of karate. However, the belt system is extremely variable, with individual schools deciding on the colors they use to represent each level and the steps necessary for students to progress through those levels. Some schools, like the Liberty Karate Club in Orlando, Florida, use as few as four different belt colors, while schools like the Brighton Shotokan Karate Club in Hove, United Kingdom, use as many as 10.
Beginner
In the past, karate students used the same belt throughout training, dyeing it a progressively darker color as they moved through the various skill levels. Today, students receive a new belt with each level, starting with the white, or beginner belt. According to the World Martial Arts Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the white belt is akin to a seed buried under the winter ground—ready and waiting but not yet ready to bloom. The yellow and orange belts represent the sun as it grows in intensity. As you progress through these belts, you, too, are growing and starting to develop in mind and body.
Intermediate
The green, blue and purple belts are intermediate belts. The green belt symbolizes the transition from seed to plant. With the green belt, you continue to develop new skills and refine your technique. West Island Karate of Beaconsfield, Quebec, identifies the blue belt as a symbol of fluidity and a turning point for the student. The blue belt requires that you push through personal resistance and grow stronger in body and mind. The purple belt represents change and progress. You are on the threshold of more advanced training, and with this belt you gain a deeper understanding of karate and what it means to achieve a black belt.
Advanced
With the brown belt, you begin to ripen and mature as a karate student. The brown belt is still a beginner belt, but it represents a significant achievement on the part of the student. With this belt you start to develop your own personal style and continue to grow in your knowledge and mastery.
Black Belt
The black belt remains a symbol of excellence for karate students worldwide. With the black belt, you move beyond the junior, or kyu levels, and into the dan, or senior levels. The belt usually remains the same as you progress through your 10 dan levels, though some schools mark your progress with stripes and symbols. It is important to remember that the black belt does not represent a destination, but another step along the journey to mastery.
Considerations
Keith Yates, a 10th-degree black belt and president and founder of the American Karate and Tae Kwon Do Organization, says that the huge differences in colors and ranks among schools can lead to confusion. One teacher may award a black belt to a child as young as 10, while another teacher would not consider a black belt for anyone under the age of 18. With little consensus regarding the meaning of the individual colors and belts, he argues that the colors lack meaning outside the individual school. For this reason, some tournaments rank participants according to the number of years practiced, rather than belt color.
References
- "Advanced Shotokan Karate Bible: Black Belt and Beyond"; Ashley P. Martin; 2008
- Liberty Karate Club: System of Ranks/Belts at Liberty Karate Club
- Brighton Shotokan Karate Club: Belt System
- World Martial Arts Center: The Purpose of Color Belts and Sashes
- West Island Karate: What Does the Belt Colour Signify?
Member Comments
missho_m September 3
Gichin Funakoshi did not initiate the "belt system". Funakoshi borrowed the idea from the founder of Judo Jigoro Kano. Kano had borrowed the Kyu/Dan system from the board game GO. I doubt Funakoshi?s reasons for implementing the belt system had anything to do with distancing karate from Chinese martial arts. Now in Japan the Kyu/Dan system is used in everything from flower arranging to calligraphy. In modern martial arts in America, the colors are mostly used to make people feel special, and give instructors a reason to collect testing fees.