The Karate Belt (帯) Grades and Colors

Karate (空手) along with Jūdō (柔道) applies the belt/obi (帯) grade and color-codes the belt as a measure of student’s achievement. I was told once, long long time ago there were no colors for the Karate practice. The karate practitioners (空手家) were all wearing white belt, with a purpose of the belt solely serves the very fundamental function, to hold the pants. Nothing more.

Over time, the white belt they were wearing started changing color and got darkened. At one time, the belt became blackened because they never washed it. Of course, that may be just a story or a myth, or maybe the story tells some extent of the truth.

There are slight differences practiced from one country to another in color-coding the belt. For example, in the North America and some other countries, the belt color after green is purple. Whilst in some other countries especially in Asia regions, the belt color after green is dark blue. Some Karate dōjōs (道場) apply the rank of the belts differently. For example, there are karate dōjōs whose not using the yellow belt after white belt, instead the next rank is orange belt. The next belt color from green may be purple or blue or even another kind of color.

The practice for belt promotion also varies from one dōjō to another and one affiliation to another affiliation. It depends on the policies and considerations from the prefectures and the honbu dōjōs (本部道場). For a smaller scale in the lower rank (usually KYŪs), the promotion depends on the chief instructor in the related dōjō. Regardless the color-coding system, the KYŪs (級) and DANs (段) rank stay universal and standard in the Karate world. One thing that applies the same to all Karate dōjōs everywhere is KYŪs and DANs rank, with exceptions for some dōjōs in the United States.

In the United States like everywhere in the western world, martial art is a viable business. That condition creates a drawback in achievement quality where belt promotion up to black belt level becomes loose. That loose practice of belt grades and colors in America reaches to a dubious level to any serious knowledgeable Karate practitioners around the world. There are stripes, black or white stripes and even some black belts apply to put gold stripes to their black belt. Maybe that practice happens out of the worries that common people cannot recognize their seniority with the other lower rank of black belt. For the sake of progressivism, the belts also come in more variety in colors, there are American Karate dōjōs even apply a pink belt for some reasons. In an endeavor to sign up more students and be fashionable, furthermore make Karate more marketable, even Karate-gi now is available in colors and motifs.

Following my home dōjō in Asia and my own dōjō in the United States where I am however holding onto the old fashioned practice of belt grades and colors. In the contrast with the comparison to the staunch belt grades and colors of dōjōs here in the United States.

In the modern world, everything progresses. Karate is unexceptional. The Karate-gi (空手着), the belt, the grading system, the certificate, the dōjō, everything has progressed. Regarding the color-coded belts in Karate, some people come with stories how to interpret each color in Karate belt (帯). They try putting a meaning into it. The belt does not always qualify anyone must be good, how vigorous the person trains and the developing character show how good that person becomes.

A belt or a certificate does not necessarily measure the greatness in a person. Just like some people out there with a college diploma yet cannot read and write properly. In the Karate world today, with 60 minutes once a week, one can attain a black belt within one year of training. As long the person pays dues, the testing fees, and be nice to the instructors. If a person cannot hold up to the degree of that person’s belt color, nothing is important. The belt, the Karate-gi, the certificate, and everything about the training can help boost the morale. However, if those outer elements are exploited, the true achievement in the real training becomes futile. As Bruce Lee said, “Belts are only good for holding up your pants.”

There is a question ever asked, “how long an average man can achieve a black belt?”. The answer to that question is, “no average man can achieve black belt.”

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