Color Belt Curriculum Breakdown

[Montana]

As always, I'm the oddball in the group. I've taught hundreds of "kids" between 6 and 17 years of age. Classes ran 2 hours long, twice/week. No water breaks, bathroom only if they couldn't wait.

My curriculum was the same in both the adult class, and children's class, regardless if you were first day white belt, or 20 year black belt. We ALL did the same thing.

Essentially, the first 20 minutes consisted of basics, warmup exercises, and stretches. By the time we were done, you should be sweating pretty darn good! lol

Then we'd work on several things, from practical self-defense techniques, to 1 steps, 2 steps, combinations, etc.

Then we'd do kata, starting with our first kata, all the way thru the highest any of my students knew.

Lastly, we'd spar until class ended.

My students knew the routine, knew what was next, and worked hard. The only testing requirements I had as white belt, basic kicks, blocks, stance, walking and first kata. After that it was based on attendance, effort and skills improvement since their last test. They all knew what they needed more work on, and if they didn't fix it, they didn't test. Period.

That's the way my sensei taught us. That's the way his sensei did it in his dojo in Okinawa, and it's good enough for me.

I've always worked on the KISS method.

Keep It Simple Stupid

[Spartacus Maximus]

For some reason that isn’t quite clear, it seems like there is much less organized curriculum requirements in Okinawan dojos. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that the number of belts/grades was very small before Sho Dan. White, blue, green, then brown.

Everyone was expected to learn the Naihanchi and Pinan within the first year and every one trained those according to their level of understanding of the bunkai/application. 

From Sho Dan onwards in no specific order each person learned Passai Sho/dai, Kusanku Sho/dai, Chinto, Seisan, Gojushiho and Teisho 

[Montana]

On 2/17/2026 at 6:08 AM, Spartacus Maximus said:

For some reason that isn’t quite clear, it seems like there is much less organized curriculum requirements in Okinawan dojos. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that the number of belts/grades was very small before Sho Dan. White, blue, green, then brown.

Everyone was expected to learn the Naihanchi and Pinan within the first year and every one trained those according to their level of understanding of the bunkai/application. 

From Sho Dan onwards in no specific order each person learned Passai Sho/dai, Kusanku Sho/dai, Chinto, Seisan, Gojushiho and Teisho 

My sensei used just 4 colored belts when I was with him, with 3 levels for each of the green, blue and browns. A number of years after I started teaching, I added some colored belts mixed in just to add a little more color to the group.  We teach Pinan 1-3, then Nahachin 1-3, then Pinan 4-5, then Passai Sho and Di, then Chinto. 1 kata per belt. As for less organized curriculum? Perhaps, but we don't put a lot of emphasis on belt ranks. As for specific techniques, 10th kyu white belts, other than a kata, are the only ranks that have specific skills needed to advance to the next belt. All students, regardless of rank, work on all of the techniques together. I try to pair a lower belt with a higher belt, generally try not to pair women together, and require them to punch/kick their opponent as hard and fast as they are capable of dealing with.

[Furinkazan]

On 2/17/2026 at 9:08 AM, Spartacus Maximus said:

For some reason that isn’t quite clear, it seems like there is much less organized curriculum requirements in Okinawan dojos.

I’ve seen Wastelander’s videos on social media.  He’s wearing a Shorinkan patch, but doesn’t teach the Pinans to adults.

I could never see JKA, ISKF, or SKIF allowing any of its member dojos to not teach the Heians.

So this definitely checks out.

[bushido_man96]

8 hours ago, Furinkazan said:

I’ve seen Wastelander’s videos on social media.  He’s wearing a Shorinkan patch, but doesn’t teach the Pinans to adults.

I could never see JKA, ISKF, or SKIF allowing any of its member dojos to not teach the Heians.

So this definitely checks out.

When the mainland Japanese got a hold of the styles coming in from Okinawa, they were really big on getting things codified into formal rank systems.  They seemed to not like the lack of structure and more "open and free" training approach the Okinawans used.

[Furinkazan]

5 hours ago, bushido_man96 said:

When the mainland Japanese got a hold of the styles coming in from Okinawa, they were really big on getting things codified into formal rank systems.  They seemed to not like the lack of structure and more "open and free" training approach the Okinawans used.

I've never been to Japan or Okinawa, but if what everyone is saying online is to be believed... Okinawan culture is significantly more relaxed and less formal than Japanese culture.  And, as a result, Okinawan hombu dojos are probably far more likely to adopt a laizzes faire style of leadership than Japanese ones.