In the martial arts, different colored belts are worn by students to signify their level of knowledge and skill. In 1964, the Federation of All-Japan Karatedo Organizations, or FAJKO, attempted to unify the varied belt ranking systems that had developed across the many karate schools and styles that had emerged in Japan, and those standards have been accepted by the International Traditional Karate Federation and generally around the world. Still, there is significant variation between particular schools and styles in what color belts they use. Many don’t even offer a purple belt, and those that do establish their own performance criteria and standards.
Belts
In most current karate styles, students pass through nine or 10 stages of kyu before they reach the dan, or black belt level. Some schools offer white, yellow, green and brown belts, with two levels within each belt except for the brown belt, which can have up to three levels. However, variations abound. For example, the Keichu Ryu school offers seven levels of colors, with students progressing from a white belt through yellow, green, purple, brown, black and red. Even within karate styles, the belt systems can vary. For example, in the Stanford Kenpo Karate Club, Kenpo karate students start with a yellow belt and move through orange, purple, blue, green and then three levels of brown belt, while at the International Kenpo Karate Academy students move through the same sequence except achieve a blue belt after the purple belt. Across programs, the purple belt is consistently an intermediate belt.
Advancement
To advance to a purple belt, students participate in a training session supervised by an experienced karateka, or expert, who typically is a black belt. The kareteka evaluates the students’ techniques and knowledge. By the intermediate level, students are expected to demonstrate greater precision, coordination, timing, concentration and discipline than beginning students. Purple belt students are expected to demonstrate a fighting spirit, appropriate karate etiquette and a growing grasp of Japanese or Okinawan karate terminology. Students might be expected to spar, depending on the school. Many schools require a minimum amount of time of study at the school before advancement to purple is allowed.
Techniques
Each school provides its own list of specific techniques the purple belt student must know. The number of techniques required varies by school, but can range from 10 to 20 or more. Some schools focus on defensive techniques, such as twirling wings, leaping crane, crushing hammer and captured hammer, while others also require offensive techniques, such as side, crescent, scoop, spinning and lunge kicks. Some schools require the student to demonstrate competency in combination techniques, such as a crescent/rear kick combination or crescent/spinning rear kick combination.
Further Requirements
Many schools require purple belt candidates to demonstrate competency in kata, or choreographed patterns of movements. Students might be required to demonstrate specific sets of moves and techniques and they also might be expected to demonstrate their own self-devised sets of techniques. Some schools have additional requirements, such as specific reading assignments, writing assignments and written tests. The karateka also considers students’ attitude, as demonstrated in attendance, behavior during instruction and etiquette during the advancement training session.
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