Karate originated in Ryuku, Japan, and is one of the most highly practiced of the martial arts. Karate means the Art of the Empty Hand. It is a sport that has many ranking levels. The brown belt is the highest student level an athlete can achieve. However, several levels are within the brown belt category and several instructor levels are above the student level.
American Karate Ranking System
In the majority of American karate systems, nine student rankings can be achieved. The beginner starts off at the white belt level. The progression for students is as follows: Yellow, Orange, Purple, Blue, Green, 3rd Class Brown, 2nd Class Brown and 1st Class Brown. After the student has reached a level of achievement that enables him to wear the 1st class brown belt, he then moves on to the instructor level. Instructors wear black belts and there are 10grades within the black belt classification. The lowest rank within that classification is the 1st black and the highest is the 10th black. A karate instructor who has reached 10th black is then eligible to become a grandmaster.
3rd Class Brown
To earn the 3rd class Brown belt, you must know the diamond stance, you must execute the one-leg positional block, you must be able to use four parries to stifle your opponent's attack and you must be able to execute the inverted vertical punch and the inward blocking punch. You must know four strikes, six finger techniques, six kicks and two foot maneuvers.
1st Class Brown
The highest level of the Brown Belt requires full functional knowledge of karate. To reach that level, you must have previously demonstrated your knowledge of the major stances, blocks and parries. You must also have mastered the double punch and the U-punch. You must know the shoulder, hip and head strikes. and know how to execute the finishing holds. You have to know the tornado kick and the jump spinning crescent kick as the twisting fulcrum body maneuver. You must also have proved you can defend yourself from a serious of knife attacks.
1st Degree Black
The 1st degree black belt requires previous knowledge of all stances, blocks and parries, and the addition of one new stance, four blocks and four parries. You must demonstrate the shoulder, hip and head strikes, and the ability to use finger techniques to perform neck, arm and leg finishing holds. The 1st degree black belt must be able to easily move from one move to the next. It is not simply a matter of performing each move independently, you must be able to combine them in a match or self-defense
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