Karate Belts in Order: Colors, Kyu and Dan
Karate belts go from white to black through intermediate colors: first kyu — student ranks, counted down to the first, and then dan — counted up from the first. The colors and number of kyu vary by school. In Kyokushin — white, orange, blue, yellow, green, brown and black from the first dan, while in Shotokan under the JKA there are noticeably fewer colors, and adjacent kyu are distinguished by stripes on the belt.
A belt in karate is not just a fabric color, but an immediately visible measure of experience: how many years a person has trained and what level they are. But there is no single scheme — each school has its own colors and its own number of kyu. Let's look at the general logic of ranks using Kyokushin and Shotokan as examples, where the kyu and dan system came from, and why the first black belt is called "initial" rather than simply "first".
Belt Order: From White to Black and Beyond
The general logic is the same for all karate schools: student kyu ranks are counted down — from a higher number to a lower one, while master dan ranks are then counted up — from the first onward. A white belt always means the start without a rank; a black belt does not appear before the first dan. Beyond that, schools diverge: the colors between white and black, the number of steps, and the conditions for advancement are set by each school itself.
| Kyu and Dan | Belt Color in Kyokushin |
|---|---|
| No rank | White |
| 10–9 kyu | Orange |
| 8–7 kyu | Blue |
| 6–5 kyu | Yellow |
| 4–3 kyu | Green |
| 2–1 kyu | Brown |
| From 1st dan | Black |
Why Shotokan Belts Look Different
The JKA (Japan Karate Association) — the largest organization of the Shotokan style — uses a much more modest palette: fewer colors than Kyokushin, and the difference between adjacent kyu is often shown not by a new shade but by stripes on the belt. The exact set of colors varies between branches in different countries and different dojo. This is not the only approach even within Shotokan: other associations of the same style have more colorful schemes.
Why a Black Belt Is Not the End of the Path
The first black belt is called 初段 (shodan) — "initial dan", not simply "first". The name says it directly: a black belt is a starting point for further study, not a finish line. After that, dan ranks continue for another nine steps up — how they are awarded is a separate conversation.
What Kyu and Dan Are and Where This System Came From
級 (kyu) means "step, rank", and 段 (dan) means "step, level": different kanji for the same idea of mastery, but with opposite counting. A beginner's kyu numbers are high, and with experience they become smaller: the tenth kyu is the very first step, the first kyu is the threshold before the black belt. With dan it's the opposite: the higher the number, the higher the mastery.
From Judo to Karate: How the System Was Brought into the Dojo
The kyu and dan system was not invented for karate. In 1882, Kano Jigoro founded the Kodokan dojo and introduced a rank system for judo modeled on go, and already in 1883 he first awarded the first dan to his students. In karate, the system was adopted by Funakoshi Gichin, the founder of the Shotokan style: on April 12, 1924, he awarded dan ranks to his students for the first time in karate history, using judo as the model.
How Many Dan Are There in Karate
In most schools, dan ranks go up to the tenth. The first few are taken in an exam before a commission — with kata, sparring, and sometimes a written assignment. The highest dan ranks in many organizations are no longer taken but awarded as an honorary title — for years of service, contribution to the development of the school, and reputation in the karate world. The exact threshold at which a dan becomes honorary varies by federation.
帯: How One Character Became the Word for Belt and Status
帯 — значение: belt, sash, to wear on oneself, strip, zone — онъёми: タイ — кунъёми: お.びる、おび — 10 штрих(ов). 帯 — "belt": the training uniform item itself and the measure of level in one character. The same kanji is in 黒帯 (black belt) and in the verb 帯びる "to wear, to be invested with".
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 帯 | obi · obi | Belt |
| 黒帯 | kuroobi · kuroobi | Black belt, also an experienced karateka |
| 白帯 | shiroobi · shiroobi | White belt — beginner level without rank |
| 級 | kyū · kyū | Student rank, counted downward |
| 段 | dan · dan | Master step, counted upward |
| 初段 | shodan · shodan | First dan, literally "initial dan" |
Why the First Dan Is 初段, Not 一段
The number "one" in Japanese is 一 (ichi), but the first dan is not called 一段. Instead, 初 "beginning, first time" is used — the same character as in 初心者 "beginner" and 初日 "first day". The difference is in meaning: 一段 would sound like "dan number one", just a position in a list, while 初段 is "initial dan", that is, only the entrance into a system where dan ranks continue. The same logic applies in judo, kendo, and other schools that count dan: 初 emphasizes the beginning of a long path, not a finished count.
Write 帯 along the guides — the character for belt, which in karate denotes both the clothing item and the level of mastery.
Myths About Belts: Experience, Washing, and Samurai
- "A black belt means master". A black belt is 初段, the initial step of master ranks, not the summit: there are still nine more dan, and experienced karateka often repeat that real learning begins precisely with the black belt.
- "Belt colors are the same everywhere". No: even the color for the same rank differs from school to school — in the example above, Kyokushin and Shotokan diverge almost completely, and there are dozens of karate federations and styles.
Legends About Washing and Samurai
- "A belt must not be washed, otherwise you wash away all the experience". A household dojo legend, not a rule: it rests on respect for the belt as a symbol of effort, but has nothing to do with hygiene or textiles — the belt is washed just like the rest of the uniform.
- "Samurai had belts". No: the warrior class managed without a belt rank system — it appeared only at the end of the 19th century together with judo and passed into karate in the 1920s, decades after the samurai as a class had disappeared.
FAQ
- What belts in karate go in order?
- From white without rank through several colored kyu to black from the first dan. The specific colors and their number depend on the school: in Kyokushin these are usually white, orange, blue, yellow, green, brown and black, while in Shotokan under the JKA there are fewer colors, and the exact set depends on the country and dojo.
- How many dan are there in karate?
- In most schools, dan ranks go up to the tenth. The first few are taken in an exam, while the highest are usually awarded as an honorary title — for years of service and contribution to the development of the school, not for technique in a specific exam. The exact conditions vary by federation.
- What do kyu and dan mean?
- 級 (kyu) — student rank, counted downward: the smaller the number, the higher the level. 段 (dan) — master step, counted upward from the first. The system was invented for judo in the 1880s, and in karate it was adopted by Funakoshi Gichin in the 1920s.
- What are the belt colors in Kyokushin?
- White — no rank, then orange, blue, yellow, green and brown as mastery grows, and from the first dan — black. Within each color there are usually two kyu, senior and junior: for example, blue covers both the eighth and seventh kyu.
- How many years does it take to get a black belt in karate?
- There is no single timeframe: everything depends on the school, the student's age, and the frequency of training. Federations formulate this cautiously — as a minimum length of service and number of training sessions, not guaranteed years, so different people take very different amounts of time to reach a black belt.
- How do you say "belt" in Japanese?
- 帯 (obi) — "belt, sash". The same character is in the words 黒帯 (kuroobi, black belt) and 白帯 (shiroobi, white belt), as well as in the verb 帯びる "to wear, to be invested with something". The word "karate" itself does not contain this kanji: it means "empty hand".
Sources
Updated: 2026-09-14