Belt Order
Each martial art style typically chooses the sequence of colors for their students. Many patterns are accepted but they typically follow a similar order.
Below are two examples of belt order:
| Lowest | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10th Kyu | white | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 9th Kyu | Yellow Belt | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 8th Mon Kyu | Orange With Green Stripe | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 8th Kyu | Orange With White Stripe | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 7th Mon Kyu | Orange With Red Stripe | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 7th Kyu | Orange Belt | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 6th Mon Kyu | Blue With Green Stripe | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 6th Kyu | Blue With White Stripe | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th Mon Kyu | Blue With Red Stripe | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th Kyu | Blue Belt | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 4th Mon Kyu | Purple With Green Stripe | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 4th Kyu | Purple With White Stripe | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd Mon Kyu | Purple With Red Stripe | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd Kyu | Purple Belt | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd Mon Kyu | Brown With White Stripe | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st Kyu | Brown Belt | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st Dan | Black Belt 1st Dan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd Dan | Black Belt 2nd Dan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd Dan | Black Belt 3rd Dan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 4th Dan | Black Belt 4th Dan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th Dan | Black Belt 5th Dan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 6th Dan | Black Belt 6th Dan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 7th Dan | Black Belt 7th Dan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 8th Dan | Black Belt 8th Dan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 9th Dan | Black Belt 9th Dan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 10th Dan | Black Belt 10th Dan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Amongst some systems, 10th Dan is recognized not with stripes, but with a solid red belt and gold embroidery (Grandmaster). There are systems who use 12 - 15 Dan for the founder/Great-Grandmaster.
| Lowest | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mukyu | White | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 10th Kyu | Yellow Belt | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 9th Kyu | Orange Belt | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 8th Kyu | Blue Belt | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 7th Kyu | Purple Belt | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 6th Kyu | Green With White Stripe | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th Kyu | Green Belt | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 4th Kyu | Green With Black Stripe | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd Kyu | Brown With White Stripe | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd Kyu | Brown Belt | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st Kyu | Brown With Black Stripe | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st Dan | Black Belt 1st Dan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd Dan | Black Belt 2nd Dan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd Dan | Black Belt 3rd Dan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 4th Dan | Black Belt 4th Dan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th Dan | Black Belt 5th Dan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 6th Dan | Black Belt 6th Dan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 7th Dan | Black Belt 7th Dan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 8th Dan | Black Belt 8th Dan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 9th Dan | Black Belt 9th Dan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 10th Dan | Black Belt 10th Dan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Again, many systems use a solid red belt with gold embroidery for 10th Dan (Grandmaster). There are also systems that use 12-15th Dan for the arts Founder/Great-Grandmaster(or Senior GM). Even within a particular style, there are many variations between schools. However, there is a general trend in most schools and styles to work up from a white belt to a black belt in gradually darkening colors.
Read more about this topic: Karate Belts
Famous quotes containing the words belt and/or order:
“He cannot buckle his distempered cause
Within the belt of rule.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“In order to exist just once in the world, it is necessary never again to exist.”
—Albert Camus (1913–1960)