How many years to black?

[Lupin1]

For us it's different for adults and kids. Kids used to average about 9 or 10 years. Pretty much the rule of thumb was if you started when you were between 8 and 10, which almost everyone did, and stuck with it, you'd get your black belt around the time you graduated high school. Of course now we have a new ranking system with junior black belts, but I think it's still set up that you'd get your adult black belt at around 18.

For adults it's about 4 years of classes twice a week and practicing on your own in between, but it really depends. I can't really look at my journey because it was so weird (I got to 6th kyu as a child, which took me 4 years and I just got 4th kyu a week ago, which took me an additional six months of adult study plus five months of training on my own). Right now I can only train in the summer and am training on my own the rest of the year, so at this rate I'll probably never get my black belt until I find a school I can train at full time. But it's not really bothering me right now.

Off topic to unknown style-- Neshamat Elohim Yad Reyqa -- is that Hebrew?

[bobo]

years ago when I studied goju ryu karate I got a brown belt in 6 months. A few more and I probably would have got my black belt.

[WolverineGuy]

Took me about three years. I've seen it take more, and a few have taken less.

[FangPwnsAll7]

In Tang Soo Do it takes 4 years.

[Dobbersky]

In Tang Soo Do it takes 4 years.

that's the good schools, but I have seen BB in 18 months in some TSD schools

[tallgeese]

It took me somewhere around 5 years to get black in my first art, Bujin. My second art was heavily related to my first so it ran around 2.5 years.

Now, I'm coming up on 5ish in BJJ and am around purple. It's a much longer progression; however, your depth of understanding of the art is far greater by the time you start hitting the high kyu equivalents.

[JohnnyB]

We have it like this:

Coloured belts (8th to 4th kyu) gradings every 3 months.

Brown belt (3rd 2nd and 1st kyu) gradings every 6 months.

Effectively 3 grading times per year excluding Dan examinations that coincide with Karate seminar dates. (usually in July)

Dojo is closed for July and August.

So if u never fail a grading u should be reaching an adult Shodan rank in 3-3.5 years.

[SimonAsh86]

In the classes im in atleast it will take approx 4.5 years to reach black belt, an that is providing the student grades at every opportunity which is every 4 months, plus the extra months between the 3rd, 2nd, 1st kyu grades, an then finally getting to shodan.

[darksoul]

It took me 7. Or 6 and a half. I just say 7

[DoctorQui]

years ago when I studied goju ryu karate I got a brown belt in 6 months. A few more and I probably would have got my black belt.

A brown belt in 6months from no previous experience?

I switched styles with a 12 months break inbetween so I have been training on and off since 2008 and will be taking my 1st kyu in a few weeks. Unfortunately, the mandatory 6 months between 1st Kyu and 1st Dan means that I miss the only Dan grading of the year which is December, so I will be 1st Kyu for 16months.