Karate

Black belt is the highest. Though traditional Okinawa karate uses a red and white belt to indicate 7th and 8th degree black belt and solid red for 9th and 10th. Many American schools use the red belt as a kyu level below black belt.

Karate was the original "cop's" martial art; according to Okinawan tradition, it was invented for the purpose of maintaining peace, and order. Mostly, it was to enforce the weapons ban decree by one of Okinawa's ancient kings, and to protect the royal family, during the first Samurai invasion it was used to fight Samurai.

Most schools, or types, of Karate use the Kyu/Dan levels that started with Judo. The colors of the belts indicate what level the student is at. Most schools use the following colors - White, Yellow, Red, Green, Blue, Brown, Black. Once you reach Black, you then move to the Dan system. It then becomes Black Belt Dan 1st, Black Belt Dan 2nd, Black Belt Dan 3rd, up to Black Belt Dan 10th. So, to answer your question, technically the highest level belt would be Black Belt Dan 10th. In reality, each level that you attain is the highest because you have surpassed your previous best.

its spelled shotkan

the belts in order are as follows:

white

yellow

orange

green

2nd degree green

blue

purple

2nd degree purple

red

2nd degree red

brown

2nd degree brown

black

it takes about 3 or 4 years to receive a black belt maybe even 5 sometimes

You would find the listings in many of the karate histories.

The book Okinawan Karate: Teachers, Styles and Secret Techniques by Mark Bishop provides hundreds of senior practitioners and their lineage.

There is a difference between the percentage of possible techniques taught, and the percentage used in street self defense application, or in sport competition.

The strategy of Karate is to use the hands, elbows, and knees as highly damaging techniques to block, counter-stike, and quickly render an attacker incapacitated. The kicks of Karate are effective, but remain basic and number about one-third, while the hands number about two-thirds. In application, the hands might typically be used 75% to 90% of the time (your usage might vary!).

Although Taekwondo has a reputation for kicking due to its tactical preference for using the legs as the primary weapon, there is actually a balance of other strikes (hand, elbow), pressure points, joint locks, some throws, and a variety of holds and controls that can be used in close-quarter combat and ground-fighting. The content of Taekwondo's total curriculum is closer to 50/50 of hand strikes and kicking techniques, with the controls, throws, and ground-fighting taking an important, but secondary supportive roll (note: not all modern Taekwondo schools represent authentic Korean Taekwondo accurately).

It can be deceiving to the onlooker since a large portion of many Taekwondo classes are often focused on the kicking in order to hone that skill to perfection, and demonstrations often show off the advanced kicking skills as a unique aspect, yet there still exists a balance in quantity of techniques taught in Taekwondo's curriculum. However, even though Taekwondo itself has a balance of techniques, the choice of what is used might often reflect a higher percentage of kicks in performance. For instance, most Taekwondo tournaments are geared toward showcasing and encouraging the kicking skills, so this is mostly what is seen in Taekwondo competitions.

In self defense, each situation is different, and a Taekwondo fighter could use the majority of defensive blocks, and hand strikes until the rare opportunity to use a kick presents itself. At that time, the kick becomes the predominant tool, and will probably be used to not only damage the opponent, but as a finishing technique - - especially when a smaller or weaker person is defending against a larger or stronger opponent.

In training, the percentage of kicks practiced might far out-number the many other possible techniques, but it would be a mistake to ignore the others in practice or self defense application. In real-life self defense, the kicks might actually be the smallest number of techniques used - - but they will likely be the most devastating and effective.

While all four styles incorporate moves that utilize the entire body, they each have specific functions and restrictions and have origins in different countries. * Tae Kwon Do is a Korean martial arts that places emphiasis on the legs. While it does incorporate punches, it focuses mainly on kicking your opponent. It has incorporated many aspects of Karate and uses almost identical forms. * Karate is an Okinawan style which places emphiasis on strikes. It is often viewed as a very basic style, which it is, but if used correctly it can produce some of the most powerful attacks that can be performed with a fist. It's based on a combination of Chinese styles and Okinawan fighting arts. * Kung Fu is not a style. It is often misunderstood to be a style because it is so loosely used as a general term for Chinese martial arts. What it means is similar to saying "achievement through great effort". A style that most are looking for when they think "Kung Fu" is "wushu". Wushu utilizes strikes, kicks, locks, throws, and the use of weaponry. * Ninjitsu is not necessarily a martial art either. Many believe it to be because of what they read or see on TV. The name itself also sounds like a really cool style of fighting. But truth have it, the way of the "ninja" isn't to stand and fight (though they can and will if needed). Rather, they incorporate matial arts and unconventional warfare tactics in espionage. The term comes from Japan and is was applied to people who performed these acts of espionage because they were considered below the social classes or non-human.

{| |- | Because each individual is different, what is perfect for one person, doesn't work well for another. In general, low fat and high protein is important. Proper hydration is also important. And the diet will vary based on whether you are working out on a specific day. |}

It is called a Choku tsuki. (T is silent, of course.)

No, they are not the same. Taekwondo is a martial art. Other martial arts are karate, jujitsu, kendo, kung fu, boxing, fencing, shooting, archery, etc., anything associated with preparing individuals for combat.

Karate gives your body hard and regular exercise. It trains you mentally and physically. The regular training helps to tone your body and increases your strength. All this teaches you self-defense.

Grand Master's Rhee Ki Ha, Hae Man Park, Edward Sell (founder of U.S. Chung Do Kwan), Charles Serriff, Hwang Kwang Sung, Jhoon Rhee,

Nam Tae Hi, Kong Young Il, Park Jhoong Soo, Bin Sing Huan, Kim Bok Man, Hwang Chae Pok, Lee Beom Jhoo - to name just a few, there are many, many others.

Absolutely! Many experts have used it many times, and continue to do so. Even many color belt students have successfully defended themselves in dangerous situations before even becoming experts. The thing to remember is that part of your Taekwondo training is about learning the basics in segments, then putting it together as a whole. The higher rank you become, the more time should be spend on reality training with pads and heavy contact (with the safety of your partners in mind), and re-creating real-life scenarios.

Too many advance Taekwondo students do not make this complete transition. They have good technical knowledge, but fail to convert it into street application under stress, and pressure of fighting someone who does not fight like them. Street fighters fight dirty, and do not follow any rules, therefore in order to win the fight in the street and survive, a Taekwondoist must be ready to apply the correct techniques in an aggressive and adaptable way that does not fit the mold of forms, one-steps, or free sparring under restrictive rules.

You do learn to defend yourself, but remember that one of the goals of TaeKwon Do is to defend yourself to the point that you can live for another day.

The best thing is not to get yourself in a bad situation that would require physical force. If you can't avoid it, use what you have been taught, and if that doesn't work, use whatever comes to mind to end the situation.

That will take some finding. There are places and schools that don't charge for lessons. Check with churches and youth centers, they sometimes have no cost programs. If you have financial issues, some schools have scholarships.

You can learn karate anyplace. But the key is a qualified instructor. It is virtually impossible to learn a martial art without hands on instruction. You can certainly learn various techniques, but putting it all together into a martial art requires study with a senior practitioner.

There is more than one person who created the original karate. It evolved over centuries.

Now there have been more different styles of karate made by different people. Here are some of the key teachers:

-Sakukawa Kanga

-Matsumura Sokon

-Itosu Anko

-Arakaki Seisho

-Higaonna Kanryo

-Gichin Funakoshi

-Motobu Choki

Karate was originally called To De (Chinese hand) and was developed by several masters in the course of time. No specific person invented it but it was invented for self defense.

Karate uses the entire body. The core muscles are key to balance and focus. Strength in the arms in legs help with balance and power.

Of course it isn't too late! Some of the best martial artists I know did not start their journey until they were in the 30's and 40's. The teenage years are an execellent time to begin, they usually have very good focus and undertstanding of what they are looking for. Jet Li stated in his website, that if its for a hobby, or just self defense, then there is no real age limit provided the person is in good physical condition. If all they are in for is a hobby, a sport, whatever, then no, its not too late. There other issues regarding schools though; namely the fact that not all schools are good with dividing age groups. I've seen places where supposedly adult time slots have 10 year old in them. Some places are so poorly run, they just bunch everyone there together, and the adults spend most of their time babysitting rather than learning martial arts. If you are concerned that they are "too old" it means the school is packed with little kids I take it? If that's the case, then they will probably need to train in the adult time slot if there isn't one for teens.

{| |- | The art is only as good as the practitioner. Okinawa Karate is where karate originated. It combined local fighting skills with Chinese Kung Fu to create what we study today. It changed when it moved to Japan and Korea. |}

You do not play karate. Karate is a martial art. Today you can find karate studios or dojo in just about every city and country.

That will depend on the style and school that you go to. In general the colors are white, yellow, green, brown and black, but there are various grades in between and many have added additional ranks.

Taekwondo is a Korean Martial Art that is popular all around the world. Some of the main benefits of Taekwondo are improving your health, becoming physically fit, developing good balance and coordination, increasing your self confidence, learning good manners and respect, and instilling the positive attributes of setting and attaining goals.

While there are many books on the subject, and a lot of information on the internet, there is also a lot of misinformation by pseudo-experts, and internet warriors. The best thing to do is to find a good school near you where the instructor is a legitimate Black Belt, properly trained in the Korean Art, specifically certified to teach Taekwondo, and has a good reputation in the community, and among his or her clients.

Taekwondo classes involve physical conditioning exercises, stretching, and cardio vascular development. A student learns the customs and courtesies of traditional Korean Martial Art, such as bowing at appropriate times, respect for seniors and instructors, and the importance of ethical and moral conduct in everyday life which is guided by a list of tenets (usually 5 important rules of behavior including: Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self Control, and Indomitable Spirit).

Students learn how to defend themselves if attacked or assaulted in real life. Part of these scientific principles based on natural movements of the human anatomy consists of good stance and footwork for balance, power, and mobility. The hands and arms are trained in specific movements which will effectively block or deflect a strike, and a variety of open and closed hand strikes (linear and circular) are used as counter-strikes.

One of the key aspects to Taekwondo practice is becoming adept at using the legs for kicking based on the advantages of reach, power, variety, and element of surprise. Students stretch their legs for flexibility to kick their opponent's legs, knees, groin, abdomen, or even head. Many of the well-known high kicks, and fancy spinning, jumping, or flying kicks are examples of more advanced practitioners demonstrating the far reaches of human capabilities, and are not required of all students. Many of these more flashy techniques would not be employed in self defense, but help to make the basic skills easier, and more reliable in a street fight.

Practice in Taekwondo includes drilling on blocks, punches and kicks, either in the air or on a striking bag for solo practice, or with a partner. Another solo practice is the memorization of prearranged movements called forms (in Korean, the terms Poomsae, Hyung or Tul are used to describe this). Partner drills are also important, such as one-step sparring where a prearranged 'challenge' is followed by a basic attack, which is defended and counter-attacked while the partner remains stationary for controlled practice. More advanced training includes Free Sparring (like boxing using kicks and punches), board breaking (important to be taught and supervised by a qualified instructor), joint locks, pressure points, take-downs, throws, and grappling skills that are an important, but supplemental sub-set of Taekwondo's techniques.

A belt ranking system is usually used in most Taekwondo schools where the student begins at a white belt (novice), and works toward the permanent rank of Black Belt (expert of basics). Color belts are galled geup (grade) and Black Belts are called Dan (degree). The order and number of color belts may vary in different organizations, but are intended to give a visual cue as to the grade level of the student on their path toward the Black Belt. The individual increments between the starting grade and the level just before Black Belt are usually numbered in reverse order from Gu geup (9th grade), to the highest color belt of Il geup (1st Grade). Some schools use black tape stripes on belts to indicate grade changes, or as an indication of outstanding performance at a test.

Promotional tests are often held at regular intervals throughout the year (two to three months apart) allowing lower belts to test often, and higher belts to wait and test every 6 months to a year between advancements. Tests are usually performed in front of one or more high ranking Master Instructors as judges, and are graded on individual performance according to requirements set forth by the promoting organization. Requirements usually include a demonstration of basic or advanced techniques, forms, one-steps, self defense scenarios, board breaking, free sparring, knowledge, a positive attitude, and proper respect.

Like most Asian Martial Art, Taekwondo is more about self defense, and learning to avoid conflicts, rather than just a way to fight, or win fights. A Taekwondo student is more a student of life, and the philosophies of Asian culture that teach appreciation for the value of life, the harmony of nature, and seeking the enlightenment of the spirit. While religion is not taught in connection with Taekwondo, the art should be used to enhance, strengthen, and explore one's own personal religious beliefs to become a more advanced and well-balanced individual in body, mind, and soul.

There are many Martial Arts that use a blue belt to rank (generally) lower ranking practitioners (along with white, yellow, green, orange, etc.). There is no Martial Art based on a "blue belt" rank after all isn't what should matter as skill, understanding, and performance under pressure is what matters.

The "Midnight Blue Belt" in Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan is the closest you'll get to a "high rank that even has the English equivalent name of "blue" in any form within the ranking structure. It will look "black" but they believe there is always room for improvement as it is effectually the color of the darkness of midnight.

[Note: While debates can rage on with personal opinions, these are best served on the discussion page for this question.]

The answer to this question might be expressed in personal opinions by many students of various skill levels in a variety of Martial Art systems. Nevertheless, the facts can be supported by scientific testing, however there has been no conclusive, scientific tests that verify which kick is the most "powerful", but an experienced Master will know what results come from each kick. The question can be misleading since "power" deals more with the science of physics where power is the rate of work done, or force applied as energy is transferred over a distance in a specific amount of time. In other words, fast kicks might have power, but could lack in the total force penetrating the target. The important factor is not so much the "power" of the kick as it is the maximum total force generated.

Some kicks increase their applied force through rapid acceleration in a short time. This results in a greater impact, and extensive visible damage to a target. However, all kicks are either linear or circular, and use one of three hip positions: Front, Side, or Back. For example, a front kick can be thrust on a straight line into the mid-section while using a front hip position (kicker's abdomen facing the target). A crescent kick also uses a front hip position, but travels on a circular path. The side kick follows a linear path with the hips facing to the side. The roundhouse kick and hook kick also uses the side hip position, but they both travel on a circular path.

While the circular kicks can deliver a great deal of force through rapid acceleration, and a somewhat pendulum like pivot with added extension or retraction of the knee joint, the applied force is not supported by the bone structure which considerably reduces the amount of reaction force capable of returning into the target. This can cut the potential total force nearly in half.

The side kick is the only kick (regardless of which Martial Art system employs it), that uses the most sound geometric shape and structure of the human anatomy to reinforce the applied force. The side kick can be applied numerous ways, and some are more suited for taking advantage of the rapid acceleration, mechanics of the muscles and joints, and the reinforced locking of the body which is supported by the rear foot securely planted on the floor.

The basic rotation of a front leg, or back leg side kick contains good reinforced position, but is not able to utilize the greatest amount of acceleration and mechanics. The skipping side kick has a better rotation of the hips from the beginning of the kick, and adds the momentum of the body to help reinforce the initial impact. The flying side kick can be equally as forceful with the forward motion of the body to support the kick, however the body is not planted on the ground, thus some initial applied force dissipates.

Probably the most powerful kick able to be delivered by the human body, when all kicks are mastered, is the spinning (or turning) side kick. This kick uses the most ideal hip position, mechanics of combining hip and knee extension simultaneously, the necessary acceleration as the kick progresses, and is the still supported by a firmly planted rear foot for maximum use of the reaction force. Even this kick must be mastered to combine all proper alignment, timing of muscle contractions, targeting, and a forward thrust of the entire body which is supported by the rear foot and floor.

[please see the discussion page for personal experience and opinions of contributors]