Green Belt

Once the orange belt begins to refine the basic skills they’ve learned so far, they can graduate to a green karate belt. The very basic steps of their journey are complete and they can begin to work toward the intermediate belts. The green color is representative of the seedling itself as it starts to break through the ground and grow.

Jr. Blue Belt

 Sr. Blue Belt

Just like a plant reaching up toward the sky as it grows stronger, the green belt builds upon the lessons and techniques that they have already been taught and continues to strive for more knowledge, skill, and ability to control their mind and body in the ways of the art. The blue belt represents the growth toward that sky as the student is fed more and more difficult techniques in order to nurture their growth.

Brown 4 Belt

Brown 3 Belt

Brown 2 Belt

Brown 1 Belt

Just like the ripening seed that is ready for harvest, the brown belt is a student who is ready to mature into the higher ranks. Like a plant that will be cultivated for the next step in its life cycle, the brown belt will begin to reap the benefits of all of their hard work from their first steps as a white belt to this current stage in their journey.

Black Belt

In many ways, the black karate belt symbolizes the end. The darkness that exists after a sun has set and a plant has been harvested. The student who has completed their transformation from unknowing and unskilled white belt into a mature and wise black belt. As with any journey, though, the end is only the beginning of something new. As many karateka will tell you, your martial arts evolution truly begins when you earn your black belt. While it does signify your mastery of karate fundamentals it also, more importantly, represents that you are ready to share what you’ve learned with others and continue to grow and seek both skill and enlightenment from your training.