Kantetsu Ryu Karate Belt System
| White Belt | 10th Kyu | Absence of knowledge, innocence in the art |
| Orange | 9th kyu | The dawning of new knowledge and the beginning of understanding |
| Green | 8th kyu | The growth of the student in the art |
| Blue | 7th kyu | The expansion of the student's mind to encompass the horizon |
| Purple 2 stripes | 6th kyu | The art is now a part of the student; it is beginning to be "in their blood." The two stripes symbolize that the student is still a beginner in many respects, at times filled with doubt and uncertainty. |
| Purple | 5th kyu | The student is beginning to understand the significance of being a martial artist, realizing that their life's journey and entire perspective may be changed. |
| Brown (4 stripes) | 4th kyu | A return to the earth as the student seeks to solidify and stabilize their knowledge. The four stripes symbolize the student is still very much a beginner and vulnerable to forces from all directions. |
| Brown (3 stripes) | 3rd kyu | The student has moved farther away from the mindset of a beginner and is beginning to forge mind, body and spirit into one. |
| Brown (2 stripes) | 2nd kyu | The student continues to mature, yet still retains vestiges of immaturity in technique and understanding. |
| Brown | 1st kyu | The student is now deepening their understanding as the art is beginning to be rooted in them. |
| Black | Shodan |
The color of void, an absence of pretensions. In time, if the student redoubles their efforts in training, after realizing that this is but the first step in a never ending journey, the belt (obi) will eventually return to white. This symbolizes a return to the innocence of a beginner, indicating that one's journey in the martial arts is not from one point or goal to another; rather it is a circle that inevitably leads back to the beginning of understanding and truth.
|