There are many different "styles" or "schools" of karate, and each can have its own belt system. In some of them it cannot even be said that white is the lowest and black is the highest. So it is really more important to understand what Kyu (Japanese/Okinawan) or Gup (Korean) a student is to understand where they are in the progression.

One school of thought is that there are really only two belts - white and black. It was a western invention to add a number of stages between them, though other views believe it was modeled after the Judo levels.

The original belts were created by the Judo founder, Kanō Jigorō, and started with a light blue for a beginner or un-ranked student. White was next, followed by brown and then into black. For a junior (non-adult) student, the belt was purple rather than brown. Red and White were used for 7th and 8th degree and solid red for 9th and 10th. All other system originated out of this system and most know have a specific color for each kyu ranking.

Tang soo do-

White
orange
green
red
Chodonbo (red belt with 2 white lines and one black)
black
master-black and red

The traditional Okinawan pattern is:

White
Yellow
Green
Brown
Black
Red/White Stripe
Red

Typically there is a half way point between each of the colors. My style of Shidokan Shorin Ryu uses a color on the last three to six inches of the belt to separate these steps.

White - 8th Kyu
Yellow Tip - 7th Kyu
Yellow - 6th Kyu
Green Tip - 5th Kyu
Green - 4th Kyu
Brown Tip - 3rd Kyu
Brown - 2nd Kyu
Black Tip - 1st Kyu
Black - 1st Dan through 6th Dan
Red/White - 7th/8th Dan
Red - 9th/10th Dan

Isshin Ryu. Each belt has divisions, marked by one or two stripes on the end of the belt in the color of the next belt. For example, a white belt in the second stage of progress toward a yellow belt would get one yellow stripe around the end of his white belt. But I don't know if that is an official part of the Ishin Ryu belt system, or just something the sensei of that dojo does so the kids feel like they are making SOME kind of progress.

Keichu Ryu karate, and it went:

White
Yellow
Green
Purple
Brown
Black
Red/white

I took Kyokushin Karate and this is there belt order:

Black belt- 1st Dan(highest)
Brown senior- 1 Kyu
Brown belt- 2rd Kyu
Green senior- 3th Kyu
Green belt- 4th Kyu
Yellow senior- 5th Kyu
Yellow belt- 6th Kyu
Blue senior- 7th Kyu
Blue belt- 8th Kyu
Red senior- 9th Kyu
Red belt- 10 Kyu
White belt- Beginner

Wado Ryu. The belts are:

- White belt (ungraded)(10th Kyu)(9th Kyu)
- Red belt (8th Kyu)
- Purple belt (7th Kyu)
- Green belt (6th Kyu)(5th Kyu)
- Brown belt (4th Kyu)(3rd Kyu)(2nd Kyu)
- Black belt (1st Kyu)

For Wado-Ryu The Colors Are...

White
Blue
Green
Purple
Brown
Black

Each belt has 5 kyus.Black has 10 levels.

In CKD it has 13 belts an starts with white then yellow then purple then orange then blue then a blue with a black strip in the middle running all the way through it then its green then a green with a black strip through it then brown then brown with a black strip going through it then red then red with a black strip going through it then last but not least BLACK then there are 10 degrees of that!

Presti Karate I go to Presti Karate and am currently a yellow belt the belt goes from white to black

White
Yellow
Orange
Purple
Green
Red
Red with a black stripe
Black

White

Yellow

Orange

Green

Blue

Purple

Brown

Black,

one you have then gotten through dan grades, 4th and 5th dan would be red/black block belt. 6th and 7th dan would be red/white block belt. 8th would be a red belt with a stripe of gold and 9th/10th dan would be totally red belt.

To signify the circle of life.

I have been taking Isshin-Ryu for a long time now, and the system I have been in has always Gone From 1st Kyu, to 10th Kyu, then 1st Dan, To 10th Dan

White
Yellow
Gold
Orange
Green
Blue
Purple
Brown 3rd Degree
Brown 2nd Degree
Brown 1st Degree
Black

Once you had gotten to 7th Dan, you'd receive a Red/White belt, then when, If you get to 10th, You received a Red Belt

The art I studied, was Ryuku Kempo Karate, and it originated in Okinawa. The Belt System, went White, Yellow, Orange, Green, Blue, Purple, Brown, Adv. Brown, Red, Adv. Red, Black. 1st degree black etc.

The order of the belts depends on which school and style you practice as there are a lot of different types. I practice Shorin-Ryu Okinawan style.

There are 3 different classes for juniors- 5-13 year old.

Beginner/Intermediate:

White
Yellow
Orange
Orange and White
Blue

Lower Advanced:

Blue and White
Green and White
Purple
Purple and White
Brown and White
Red

Blue and whites have to learn one kata and certain blocks to advance

Green and White through Red have to learn one empty hand kata, one Bo kata ( the weapon Donatello has in TMNT) Purple and Whites also have to learn the Tonfa Kata (wooden weapon kinda like a side handled police nightstick), Brown and Whites have to learn the Nunchucku Kata, and Red belts have to learn the Sai Kata(raphael's weapon)

Starting at Green and White, you learn Fixed kumites as well, all of this is needed to advance in belt rank.

Upper Advanced:

Red and White
Jr.Black Belt (Black and White)
Jr. Black Belt 1 orange loop
Jr. Black Belt 2 orange loops
Jr. Black Belt 3 orange loops
Jr. Black Belt 4 orange loops
Red and Black
Red and Black 1 loop
Red and Black 2 loops
Red and Black 3 loops
Red and black 4 loops
Probational Black Belt- Black and Gold (if under 15)

If you have the Probational black belt, when you're 15, you can test for the 1st Dan Black Belt. In this class you learn more fixed kumites, katas and start using Kamas along with the other weapons.

Then there's the adult classes: 14- really no age limit

they learn the same things, there's just more than one kata to one belt

White- in kids class equal to white -blue
White with Green Tip-equal to blue and white-purple
Green-equal to purple and white-red and white
Green with Brown tip-equal to Jr. black- jr. black 2 loops
Brown- equal to jr.black 3loops- red and black
Brown with Black Tip red and black 1-4loops
1st Dan Black Belt

There are 9 or 10 degrees of black belts in this style- my sensei is an eighth degree black belt.

In order of ascending rank, the usual belts used are white, yellow, orange, green, blue, brown, and black. Some dojos use red for junior white-belt holders and others use a combination of red and white for higher rank black-belt holders.

There is no typical color grading in karate, nor any martial arts. It depends on the dojo itself, on the federation the current dojo is in or the like. What is typical though is that whilst a kid you start at 10th mon going down towards 1st mon. After this you go from 10th kyu to 1st kyu (kyu grades are for none blackbelt "adults"), After this you progress in dan grades from 1st to 10th.

It depends upon the school and style of karate that you are studying. Most places go to yellow. My school goes to orange. We start with white and get orange stripes and then go to orange and go to yellow stripes and then to yellow.

Also some place go 1st degree white belt then 2nd then 3rd

the order is white yellow green purple brown black

the order of belts for Shotokan karate is red, orange, yellow, green, purple, purple and white, brown, brown and white and black although not many reach 10th dan, 10th dans hold a red belt

Takewondo is white, orange, yellow, camo, green, purple, blue, brown, brown, red , red , black-red, and then black.

I do Tae Kwondo, this is the belt system

White
Yellow
Orange
Green
Blue
Purple
Brown
Red
Red 2 (one stripe)
Red 3 (two stripes)
Black
Black 1st Dan to 8th Dan

There is no typical color grading in karate, nor any martial arts. It depends on the dojo itself, on the federation the current dojo is in or the like. What is typical though is that whilst a kid you start at 10th mon going down towards 1st mon. After this you go from 10th kyu to 1st kyu (kyu grades are for none blac kbelt "adults"), After this you progress in dan grades from 1st to 10th.

Also some place go 1st degree white belt then 2nd then 3rd

The order is white yellow green purple brown black

The order of belts for shotokan karate is red, orange, yellow, green, purple, purple and white, brown, brown and white and black although not many reach 10th dan, 10th dans hold a red belt

Some school of Takewondo is white, orange, yellow, camo, green, purple, blue, brown, brown, red , red , black-red, and then black.

I do Shudo Kan Karate and the belt order is white, yellow, orange, blue, purple, green, 3rd brown, 2nd brown, 1st brown, transitional black (white stripe), black belt-10 degrees.

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