How to Identify Karate Belts

Modern students of karate display their rank by a system of different colored belts, or obi. As students advance in their training, they swap out their previous belt for one of a new color to signify their progress. Each karate style has its own ranking system and within those are variations between organizations and even individual dojo. However, there are some general rules one can learn to get a better idea of what a particular karate belt may mean.

Part1

EditKnowing the Basics

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   Understand the karate ranking system. In karate, there are 10 levels of basic training called kyu, which are followed by expert rankings called dan. The lowest level kyu is the 10th kyu, while the highest is the 1st kyu. Some schools break up these kyu into further sections. Many schools assign different colored belts to each level of kyu. After kyu, students achieve successive dan or degrees. So, in a reverse from kyu, someone with a 2nd dan is at a more advanced stage in training compared to a 1st dan. In order to advance between ranks, students typically must spend a certain amount of time at that level before passing a formal exam.^[1]
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   2
   Know the universal colors. A white belt always signifies a beginner, typically the 10th or 9th kyu. A practitioner with black belt is someone who has achieved 1st dan or greater. Many schools follow a general color scheme where the earliest kyu are the lightest colors which progress to darker colors as the student moves toward achieving 1st dan. The belts signifying kyu levels are collectively called "colored belts."^[2]
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   Find out which color order the practitioner's school follows. Knowing the practitioner's home dojo is often required to understand what their belt signifies. It is also important to keep in mind that each school has their own requirements and standards for moving along in rank; a student considered a 7th kyu at one dojo may have actually studied longer than a 5th kyu at a different dojo. Talk to the instructors, also called sensei, who teach at the dojo to find out more.^[3] Many schools and organizations explain their ranks and belt colors on their websites.
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   Notice any stripes. Some schools use striped belts in addition to solid colors. These stripes typically signify that a student is further along in their training than a student with a solid version of that belt but has not yet attained the next color level. These stripes are usually either white or the next highest color in the ranking system.

   • For example, if a student belongs to a school where the color order goes from yellow to orange, they may have a solid yellow belt. A few months later they may attain a yellow belt with orange stripes.
   • Some dojo signify dan levels with white or red stripes on the black belt. White or red tips or ends are also sometimes used.

Part2

EditLearning the Belts of Popular Karate Styles

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   1
   Memorize the Wado-ryu style color order. The general Wado-ryu color order is: white, red, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, brown, brown-white, brown-black, black. However, many alternate ranking systems within the style omit particular colors while maintaining the same general order. The only colors constant across ranking systems are white, green, brown, and black.
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   2
   Know the Shotokan style color order. The International Shotokan Karate Federation's color order is: white, yellow, orange, green, purple, brown, black.^[4]However, there is no standardized order among dojo that practice this style while not belonging to this organization. Some colors may be skipped at certain schools, while others may include additional belt colors, such as blue.
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   Remember the Isshin-ryu style color order. This third popular style has yet another general order followed by most schools: white, yellow, orange, blue, green, purple, brown, black. Some schools of this style omit either the purple or brown belts.^[5] Others skip the orange belt. Regardless, when a belt is omitted the general order remains the same.^[6]

Resource: wikihow.com