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 could not see a belt without hitting below it.”
—Margot Asquith (1864–1945)
“Our system is the height of absurdity, since we treat the culprit both as a child, so as to have the right to punish him, and as an adult, in order to deny him consolation.”
—Claude Lévi-Strauss (b. 1908)