Karate Belts Information

Karate is a popular sport that was developed upon the same principles as another sport, judo. Judo developed during the Ming dynasty in ancient China when weapons were banned and people developed artful, hand-to-hand combat instead. People can take karate lessons for exercise, as a hobby or to learn self-defense techniques. From beginner to expert, karate skill levels are shown by the color or stripes on the belt worn.

  1. Function

    • The karate belt is used to tie the karate outfit, called a gi, shut. It also holds a lot of significance with regards to the progress of the student.

    History

    • The use of colored belts in karate comes from the same usage in the martial art of judo, where it is used to show what skill level a participant or student is at. This use of the belt began in the late 1800s, while the use of a color system came much later, around the early 1900s.

    Colors

    • Beginners start out with a white belt, while karate experts or teachers have black belts, of which there are several degrees. Belt colors usually go in order of the color spectrum: white, yellow, green, blue, purple, red, brown and finally, black. Some different karate styles may omit certain colors. Some karate clubs may have nine colors, while others may have only five. A common misconception is that the black belt rank is the highest ranking in karate, but in actuality there are degrees of black belt once the student reaches black belt. In most forms of karate, there are six degrees.

    Stripes

    • Some karate systems use stripes to identify how far along a student is in her learning. Certain belts may require a student to learn three new skills or routines in order to advance, and each of these skills is denoted with a small black stripe on the end of the belt. When the student is ready to take their test to move on, the instructor may place a red stripe at the end, resulting in a student with three black stripes and one red stripe. In many karate dojos, these stripes are pieces of electrical tape wrapped around the belt. These stripes may also be called "bars."

    Testing

    • When the student feels they are ready, they may undergo an exam that lets them test for the next belt level. This may include performing the routines learned for each skill set along with other students in front of their teachers (or senseis) or alone as individuals. When the student passes, they begin the next color rank.

      Students generally keep their old belts after achieving their new colors, and there are many rack-like displays available.