Japanese Judo was the first martial art to introduce the colored belt ranking system as a visible indication of the students’ progress. The colored belt ranking system soon was adapted for Karate, and was first used by Sensei Gichin Funakoshi and his Shotokan Karate schools. Click here to learn about the Goju-Ryu Karate belt ranking system. As students pass through the ranks taking grading examinations they are awarded with different colored belts. The color order and which colors are used varies from school to school, as does the relationship between belt color and rank (= Kyu). However the Kyu or number/rank always starts at 10 and ends at 1. Black belts ranks then increase normally, from 1st Dan to 10th Dan. In most Karate schools beginners are automatically considered a 10th Kyu (wearing a white belt). Some schools are known to grade beginners for their 10th Kyu, which may have its reason in being able to collect an extra grading fee. In fact, I remember when I had my first grading for 10th Kyu. I had to demonstrate that I could punch and yell (the famous Ki-Ai!) at the same time. That was in Germany. As a reward, I could continue to wear my white belt, BUT I received a pretty grading book and a stamp. Very efficient and organized,Today most Karate students buy a new belt after they have been awarded a higher kyu and thus require a differently colored belt. Most people have no more use for their old belts and may give it to junior club members for free. It is definitely worth enquiring. Colored belts and how they came to beIn the old days the white belt was simply dyed to a new color. This repeated dying process dictates the type of belt color and the order of the colors!. The standard belt color system is white, yellow, green, brown, and black. In some Karate school and styles, the color order is white, yellow, orange, green, blue, brown, black. Due to the dying process, it is practical to increasingly use darker colors. All of this came about shortly after the second world war, when Japan was a very poor country, and dying the belts to a new color was a cheap way to have a visible, simple and effective ranking system. The dying of the belts became part of the Karate tradition and was also adapted in other countries. In Australia, Sensei Terry Lyon of Lyon-Karate.com reports that in the early 70s, Australian Karate students also dyed their belts to their new color. The “White-Belt-Getting-Dirtier” TheoryAnother explanation for the colored belts, that appears more like a Karate myth than reality, is the notion that the belts simply went from white to black because the original Karate founders never washed their belts. The
y started off with white belts and after years of training ended up with black belts. The proponents of this theory assert that the belt, which was initially white, gets gradually dirtier and dirtier and so goes from white to yellow to green to brown to black in that way. Many people argue that this theory is cute but has little truth. The dirtiest belt will never go black, and although the color change from white to yellow to brown can easily be imagined, other colors like green would be harder to achieve, unless the belt is host to a culture of particularly nasty and colorful bacteria, not unlike those that live in the back of my fridge. Repeated sweat and dirt from the typically wooden floors can indeed make the whole Gi become yellow and eventually brown. However, it is pretty tough to actually get a significant amount of sweat into the belt, which is more evidence against the “White-Belt-Getting-Dirtier” theory. There is also real evidence FOR this theory. Many Karate dojos in Japan have a change room where students are able to leave their Gi ready for when they return to train again. As a consequence they don’t get washed and end up very dirty and smelly with sometimes years of not being washed. These Gi go through the same color change as the colored belts. This practice might have been born from either laziness, cost-cutting, and perhaps also a bit of male machoism. After all, an old and dirty Gi must mean that its owner has used it a lot, and thus must be highly skilled. In that sense, the yellow/brown Gi functions exactly like a colored belt! the colored belt system was created with the color change of dirty Gi in mind. But maybe the colored belt system was just well thought-out and used because dying the belts was a simple, cheap and effective way of displaying rank.
y started off with white belts and after years of training ended up with black belts. The proponents of this theory assert that the belt, which was initially white, gets gradually dirtier and dirtier and so goes from white to yellow to green to brown to black in that way. Many people argue that this theory is cute but has little truth. The dirtiest belt will never go black, and although the color change from white to yellow to brown can easily be imagined, other colors like green would be harder to achieve, unless the belt is host to a culture of particularly nasty and colorful bacteria, not unlike those that live in the back of my fridge. Repeated sweat and dirt from the typically wooden floors can indeed make the whole Gi become yellow and eventually brown. However, it is pretty tough to actually get a significant amount of sweat into the belt, which is more evidence against the “White-Belt-Getting-Dirtier” theory. There is also real evidence FOR this theory. Many Karate dojos in Japan have a change room where students are able to leave their Gi ready for when they return to train again. As a consequence they don’t get washed and end up very dirty and smelly with sometimes years of not being washed. These Gi go through the same color change as the colored belts. This practice might have been born from either laziness, cost-cutting, and perhaps also a bit of male machoism. After all, an old and dirty Gi must mean that its owner has used it a lot, and thus must be highly skilled. In that sense, the yellow/brown Gi functions exactly like a colored belt! the colored belt system was created with the color change of dirty Gi in mind. But maybe the colored belt system was just well thought-out and used because dying the belts was a simple, cheap and effective way of displaying rank.Belt Meanings
In Songahm Taekwondo, our belts reflect a student’s proven level of competence and (just asimportantly) the progression of colors reflects an inner journey that never truly ends. Each beltachieved is truly an accomplishment worthy of respect.
White Belt
"Pure and without the knowledge of Songahm . Aswith the Pine Tree, the seed must now be planted and nourished todevelop strong roots."The student has no knowledge of Songahm the begins with a clean (pure) slate. Purity is oftensignified by the color white.
Orange Belt
"The sun is beginning to rise. As with the morning's dawn,only the beauty of the sunrise is seen rather than the immense power."The beginner student sees the beauty of the art but has not yet experienced the power ofthe technique. Orange is found among the many colors of the sunrise.
Yellow Belt
"The seed is beginning to see the sunlight."The student begins to understand the basics of karate. The sun appears to be yellow.Camouflage (Camo) Belt: "The sapling is hidden amongst the taller pinesand must now fight its way upward."The student begins to realize his/her place in the world's largest martial art. The student must now begin tospar in order to promote in rank. Camouflage (greens) is used to hide among the trees in the forest.
Green Belt
"The pine tree is beginning to develop and grow in strength."The student's technique is developing power. The components of the basic techniques arebeginning to work in unison. As the pine tree develops, it sprouts green pine needles.
Purple Belt
"Coming to the mountain. The tree is in the mid-growth andnow the path becomes steep."The student has crossed over over into a higher level of Songahm . The techniques, poom-sae(forms), and level of gyeo-roo-gi (sparring) becomes more difficult, creating a "mountain" that must beovercome. Mountains are often depicted as being purple.
Blue Belt
"The tree reaches for the sky toward new heights."Having passed the mid-way point, the student focuses his/her energy upward toward black belt. The skyappears as blue.
Brown Belt
"The tree is firmly rooted in the earth."At this point the student has mastered the basics and developed deep roots in karate. Brown is knownas an earthy color, such as dirt.
Red Belt
"The sun is setting. The first phase of growth has beenaccomplished."The first day (the period of time from white belt to red belt) of growth is coming to an end. The physical skillhas been developed but lacks control; therefore, physical and mental discipline must now be achieved.Variations of red are found among the many colors of the sunset.
Red/Black Belt
"The dawn of a new day. The sun breaks through thedarkness."The previous day has ended, giving way to a new dawn. The student must begin a new phase of training;that of being a black belt. The red is the sun (in a sunrise) as it breaks through the black of night.
1st Degree Black Belt
"The tree has reached maturity and has overcomethe darkness...
it must now 'plant seeds for the future.'"The color black is created when all the colors of the light spectrum have been absorbed into an object.That object has "taken control" of the colors and retained them. If one color was to "escape", the objectwould no longer be black but would appear as that color. The student has mastered the nine geup(grades) of karate. He/she has "absorbed" all the knowledge of the color ranks and overcome or"mastered" that level or training. The colors of the spectrum are bound together and are not reflected offan object, resulting in the absence of color which we call black.
2nd Degree Black Belt
“With your noble character, you will develop anew permanence in your life.”
3rd Degree Black Belt
“Peace of mind and tranquility.”
