Purple belt???

[Karate-addict]

When I went to a seminar in Germany a few years back, everyone was looking at me a little bit strange because i wore a blue belt, then I noticed that germans had a sistem of white, green, brown (green and brown belts also had 1,2, or 3 brown or black stripes so they had 8kyu ranks before a BB), and black belts, so some of them especially the lower rankes have never seen a blue belt before. So it depends on the organization or school which colors they're gonna have, but the kyu ranks are more or less the same 8 or 10.

Edited May 13, 2005 by Karate-addict

[Neddo]

There should be same rules for everyone...

My dojo (and whole country of Bosnia, as well as most dojos in Southeastern Europe):

White

Yellow

Orange

Green

Blue

Brown

Black

I think it's best... Simple,and yet very good combination of natural colors without "BROWN WITH BLACK LINE" ,and than again, with 7 levels, enough for separate karatists by its experience and knowledge...

[Psilokan]

harleyt26 - You must be taking very traditional Karate, as that is a very basic colouring scheme. From what I've been told, this is how it was long ago, before all of the coloured belts were added in (I believe TKD was the first to use coloured belts). I like the white/brown/black idea, however it takes a while to get your first belt that people may become discouraged (which is why the coloured belts were added).

In any case, the belts dont really mean much. They're more an indication of how long you've trained rather than how good you are.

[CapitalKarate]

Judo was the first style to use the belt system at all. It really should be just one stage for beginner (white), one stage for intermediate (brown), and one stage for advanced (lower dan ranks of black). Unfortunately my school is white-yellow w/ stripe- yellow-orange with stripe-orange-blue with stripe-blue-green with 2 stripes- green with 1 stripe- brown with 2 stripes-brown with1 stripe-black

[CapitalKarate]

But, I there's three stages to any learning, beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Therefore, at least three belts. IMO of course.

[aefibird]

When I trained in Aikido we only had 2 belt colours - white and black.

In my karate club we have 8 colours (including white and black), but there's 3 levels of brown and 2 levels of purple. Personally, I think that's too many. I'd like for us to get rid of about 3 or 4 kyu levels, but it ain't up to me or even up to my Sensei - it's our parent organisation that sets the kyu and dan levels and decides on the grading system.

I also train in Wing Chun and we have 4 sash colours (including black, but there's no white sash level, a beginner is just a beginner until they grade for red sash). Having four or five belt colours is a good maximum number IMO.

[harleyt26]

Psilokan,yes my school is primarily a very traditional Okinawan style of kobudo.I have found that if a person needs that kind of incentive to continue training then they are not there because of their love for the art,and they will not be there long anyway.Also I do not teach children,I can see that more belts would be necessary to keep their attension for a short goal curriculum.I must also say my dojo is not a business that I run to make money I charge just enough to support my own training but my main concern is to promote the art as my sensei wants it to be and keep it as close to the way he was taught as I possibly can.In actuality it is white belt then black belt,the brown belt is used when someone tests for the black belt but just does not quite make it,then they are given the brown to show that they have progressed beyond the beginner level.

[3DFIGHTER]

Taiyo Wasin Ryu at my dogo belts are:

White,Yellow,Purple,Green,Brown,Black

[Koji-Kabuto]

Could you explain me...

In my karate club and in every karate club that I know there are:

White belt (beginner), Yellow (5 kyu), Orange (4 kyu), Green (3 kyu), Blue (2 kyu), Brown (1 kyu), Black (1 DAN ++)...

Purple is...where...

Wait... where is everything between 10th and 5th kyu?

[parkerlineage]

White,Brown,Black at our dojo.

Old school - rad. I'd like to do it that way, too...save a lot of money one belts, too, eh?

As for purple, I've always found it an odd color to have in martial arts belts. Same with orange. They just don't seem - martial artsy to me.

But, as...somebody I don't feel like referencing to quote said:

To each his/her/its own.

Peace;

Parkerlineage

PS. Purple is 6th kyu in AK.