Belt Ranking & Grading System

Belt Ranking

MayoShinDo Karate, like most martial arts, measures progress through a series of coloured belts. Students start from the beginning “White Belt” and work up through the grades as they progress. Each style of karate has similar colour belts, but are not all the same. We have a progressive karate grading system, by which we mean that at each new grade we not only learn new techniques but are expected to practice and get better at the ones we already know. Each grade requires a greater number of hours trained than the previous one in order to accommodate this. For example, to gain an orange belt we have to know the orange belt techniques well enough, but we are also expected to perform our yellow belt techniques to an orange belt standard.
All new students start at white belt, the graphics below show our belt ranking and the additional number of hours required to be eligible to grade to each belt, for example an orange belt would usually be expected to complete a minimum of 60 hours of training at orange belt in order to grade to their green belt.
Below outlines the belt ranking system used for all MayoShinDo karate clubs and a guideline for the minimum numbers of hours trained for before a student can be considered to take their grading. There are several factors that we take in to consideration when grading a student, hours trained is just one of them.
Yellow Belt (40 Hours)

Orange Belt (60 Hours)

Green Belt (70 Hours)

Blue Belt (80 Hours)

Brown Belt (90 Hours)

Black Belt (100 Hours)

Gradings

Local Gradings

Local gradings are usually held 3 times a year and last approximately 2-3 hours depending on grade. Local gradings are usually run by the clubs instructors and may be overseen by the area head coach. During a local karate grading students are tested on their understanding and knowledge of their techniques and how well they apply themselves on the day.

A student can earn Tags and new coloured belts at local grading sessions. New belts have to be earned, so students are expected to work hard and perform to an appropriate standard. Nevertheless, gradings are not boot camps and we hope that everyone will enjoy being there.

Black Belt Gradings

Karate gradings for black belt and above are longer and more intensive than those for coloured belts and also require students to pass a short written exam covering first-aid knowledge, nutrition, anatomy and origins of the style. They are held over a weekend once a year in Cornwall or Oxford, and are supervised by the National Coach, assisted by other senior grades.

It is a myth that a black belt is an expert! There is a long road ahead yet. Being awarded a black belt simply means that students know the basics and can start to teach whilst keeping far enough ahead of their own students as they progress.