Karate Belt Ranking Order – Top 20 Styles With Times to Black Belt

There are over 20 distinguishable styles of Karate. All come with variations in kata, organizations, sparring rules, and for our interests here, belt rankings. It is not enough to speak of Karate in general terms when listing belt ranking orders and colors.

There are 20+ styles of Karate, each with slightly different Kyu and Dan rankings that range from 6 to 20 color belt levels. There is not one answer that can encompass all of these varying systems. Each have similar roots, but hold uniqueness in technique and belt progression.

The name for color belt ranks is Kyu. There are different color and ordering systems for the Kyu ranks. Keep in mind, most Karate styles consider all the Kyu ranks to be variant levels of white belt.

Due to this fact, some schools will change the order and color variations from the style’s national or international forms to fit their specific situations. Though these charts have been thoroughly compiled with 25 hours of research, there can be slight variations from dojo to dojo in each of these Karate styles. These are the common practices.

The Japanese names of the dan ranks (black belt levels) for all Karate styles are as follows:

Order Number	Japanese Name of Rank	Number of Stripes
Preliminary	Shodan Ho	1 Horizontal
1st dan	Shodan	1
2nd dan	Nidan	2
3rd dan	Sandan	3
4th dan	Yondan	4
5th dan	Godan	5
6th dan	Rokudan	6
7th dan	Nanadan	7
8th dan	Hachidan	8
9th dan	Kyudan	9
10th dan	Judan	10

One further note: Today there four styles of Karate that are considered by most to be ‘main’ styles. Some would like to argue the point, but for the purposes of this article I have colored their names in red for your reference.

What is the History of Belt Colors and Rankings?

Most uniforms or Gis you see today are simple adaptations of normal fashions of generations ago in specific Asian cultures. These types of clothing were not specially designed at first to be used as workout or martial arts training attire.

Yet over the centuries, developments in the materials used, thickness of collars, and fit of the jackets and pants have tailored them into precise training gear.

Even the thickness of the material will determine what style of martial training it should be used for. Though there was no uniformity, most began to utilize similar clothing like you would see at a health club today.

For the belt though, the legend goes like this…

The same sort of evolution happened with the belt over time. From the beginning the belt was a simple tool to keep a robe or jacket closed. Depending on the clothing option for training in the specific training hall or area, belts were sometimes used and sometimes not.

Though through constant training, they became symbols of time in the art or effort in the pursuit of perfection simply by the wear and tear that they displayed.

Eventually, advanced students would be known by the state of their obi (Japanese term for belt). Did it happen this way? Probably not, but it makes for good story for instructors to tell their students. What did happen then?

Jigoro Kano needed a way to distinguish between advanced students who could help with instruction and lower more novice ones. If you want to see the belts I use for my little ninjas, check them out on Amazon at this link.

He was establishing a codified throwing and grappling system called Judo when he came up with a brilliant idea in the late 19th to early 20th century. He developed at first a three colored belt design. Black would be for instructors, brown would designate advanced students, and white would signify a novice practitioner.

Thus in the year 1907, Judo officially had a belt ranking system that would soon change the face of most of the martial arts world. What comes next here in this article is the results of this grand plan as it invaded the styles of Karate that were forming in the same time in the Japanese culture.

If you want to see what are the best kicking bags for Karate styles, check out my article here.

Fasten your seat-belt (I have many Little Ninjas that start off calling the Karate belt a seat belt) and lets dive right in…

Ashihara Karate

This is a hybrid self defense oriented style that was derived from a combination of Kyokushin Karate and adding elements from many others and was founded in 1980 by Hideyuki Ashihara. It emphasizes the Sabaki style which is focused on multiple attackers and real world self defense situations.

The association for students seeking rank to belong to started by Ashihara for his new style was called NIKO (New International Karate Organisation). Its headquarters is located in Matsuyama City, Japan.

The minimum age to achieve the black belt level in this Karate style is 12 years old. A black belt takes a minimum of 4 years to achieve in Ashihara Karate.

Check out my post on the legitimacy of child black belts here.

Budokan Karate

This style of Karate-do was founded by the Malaysian Chew Choo Soot in 1966. He learned the style from a military officer who practiced Shotokan Karate and others during the Japanese occupation of Malaysia.

Chew wanted to travel the world and spread his Karate style to many nations before his death in 1995. Today, the Karate Budokan International association is reaching out globally to nations around the globe. Its headquarters is in Noosa, Queensland, Australia.

Budokan Karate takes a minimum of 4.5 years earn a black belt.

Chito-ryu Karate

This Karate system was founded by Dr. Tsuyoshi Chitose in 1946. Chito-ryu is classified as Japanese, but many consider it an Okinawan style. Like the other Okinawan systems, Chito-ryu ultimately can trace its beginnings back in time to ancient China.

This is evident in its name. Chito-ryu translates to mean “1000 year old Chinese style”. Yet, since Chitose lived in Kumamaoto Japan when he formulated the style, it is overwhelmingly considered a Japanese system.

Chito-ryu Karate requires around 4 to 5 years to earn a black belt.

Enshin Karate

With an emphasis on using the Sabaki Method, Enshin (meaning ‘inner circle’) Karate was founded in 1988 by Joko Ninomiya. The Sabaki Challenge is a full-contact, no pads annual karate tournament utilizing traditional strikes from other Karate systems along with throws and take-downs from Judo.

In the beginning Ninomiya was a part of the Kyokushin system and an instructor for many years. Once Hideyuki Ashihara left the style in 1980, he joined him in forming the Ashihara system, and headed up the style in the United States.

Ninomiya then decided to leave Ashihara, and taking many of the instructors and students with him, began his new Enshin style of Karate.

To earn a black belt in Enshin Karate a student usually trains 4-5 years.

Gensei-ryu Karate

Gensei-ryu Karate was founded in 1950 by Seiken Shukumine. This Japanese style of Karate spread throughout Japan and out of its boarders to nations around the world. The name means the pursuit of subtle deep truths.

The belt ranks here are used by students pursuing a black belt in Gensei-ryu, but their founding master Shukumine moved on to form another martial arts style called Taido. Though there are similarities, they large differences kept the two styles split and the original students upholding the original style.

It will take approximately 4 to 5 years to earn a black belt in Gensei-ryu Karate.

Goju-ryu Karate

Go meaning hard and ju meaning soft gives this Karate style its name which translates to ‘hard-soft’ Karate. These two refer mainly to the closed hand techniques considered hard and the open hand techniques considered soft. The closed hand refers more specifically to striking techniques and the open hand refers mostly to grappling and throwing techniques. The founder of the system was named Higaonna Kanryo.

As students progress through the ranks, a major component of their training is concentrated on correct breathing. Just over the half way mark in their black belt journeys is the Sanchin kata. This is a major focus on the breathing control exercises.

It can take on average 3 to 4 years to earn a black belt in Goju-ryu Karate.

Go-Kan-ryu Karate

GKR Karate was established in 1984 by Robert Sullivan in Adelaide, South Australia. After teaching in both Japan and the United States he introduced the system to Australia.

The system centers around the normal three pillars of Karate-do practice and training. The first is kata, the second is kumite, and the third is self defense. In the GKR system there is a fourth component as well. The sense of inner development is strong and being a positive force in your community is also a goal of students moving through the ranks.

The minimum time it takes to reach a black belt in Go-Kan-ryu Karate style is 4 years.

Gosoku-Ryu Karate

This form of Karate was founded by Takayuki Kubota in Tokyo, Japan in 1953. It was started with influences from both Shotokan and Goju-ryu styles of Karate. Gosoku means ‘the style of force and speed’ and also included techniques from the styles of Judo, Aikido, and Jujitsu.

Black belts in Gosoku-ryu style of Karate take between 4 and 5 years to earn.

Isshin-ryu Karate

Master Tatsuo Shimabuku started the Isshin-ryu World Karate Association in 1974 one year before his death. This style of Okinawan Karate is an amalgamation of Shorin-ryu and Goju-ryu Karate styles along with kobudo. Isshin-ryu means ‘one heart method’.

Master Shimabuku stressed the need for students climbing the Kyu ranks to master the basics of the techniques over sport kumite and kata. His idea was that most of the beginning years should be spent perfecting these foundational techniques so that when kumite and kata were attempted, the student would have much greater success at mastering those in the future.

This is a very popular style of Karate in the United States with many service men learning while stationed in Okinawa and returning with their new passion ready to delver it to a waiting U.S. population.

The minimum amount of time it takes to get an Isshin-ryu black belt is 3.5 years. The minimum age for a full black belt ranking is 15 years old. Below this age a Junior Black Belt is awarded.

Kyokushin Karate

This style of Karate is a full contact system founded in 1964 by Masutatsu Oyama. The name means ‘the ultimate truth’ and was formed by combining elements from the styles of Shorin-ryu, Shotokan, and Goju-ryu.

The self defense side of the style is also known as Goshin Jitsu. It is heavily based on Aiki-jujutsu. Because of the emphasis on sport kumite, the self defense elements not only were not included in the belt grading system, but are noticeably absent from many dojo training regimes.

It takes a minimum of 5 years to earn a black belt in Kyokushin Karate.

Matsubayashi-ryu Karate

Matsubayashi-ryu is a form of Shorin-ryu Karate founded in 1947 by Shoshin nagamine. The name was derived from the name of two influential Karate masters Sokon Matsumura of Shuri-te and Kosaku Matsumora of Tomari-te. Students and fans of the style use this name or Shorin-ryu interchangeably.

A Matsubayashi-ryu Karate black belt can take an average of 4 to 5 years to earn.

Seido Juku Karate

Kaicho T. Nakamura founded Seido Juku Karate in 1976 after withdrawing from the Kyokushin Karate style. Seido means “sincere way” in Japanese which points to the inner development Nakamura wanted to include in his martial arts system.

Typical time to black belt in Seido Juku Karate is 5 years.

Shidokan Karate

This Karate style was instituted by Yoshiji Soeno in 1980 as an amalgamation of full contact Karate styles, Muay Thai kickboxing, and various grappling based martial arts. Though there is a full contact tournament system, usually held in boxing rings, practitioners consider their style a martial art based system rather than a sport.

Shidokan Karate black belts can take as long as 5 to 6 years to earn.

Shindo Jinen-ryu Karate

Now under the Japan Karate-Do Ryobu-Kai, Shindo Jinen-Ryu Karate was founded in 1933 by Yasuhiro Konishi. The name means “Divine, natural empty hand way”. It incorporates techniques from Shotokan and Shito-ryu Karate styles, Aikido, Jujitsu, and Kendo. It has an emphasis equally on philosophy, education, and physical training.

Students earning Kyu ranks will begin to notice the emphasis on practical techniques and applications. Strikes will often be coupled with controlling and throwing techniques that lead in to finishing moves. Self defense tends to be highlighted rather than the sport side of kumite.

Black belts can be earned in Shindo Jinen-ryu in approximately 3 to 4 years.

Shito-ryu Karate

Founded in 1934 by Kenwa Mabuni, this style takes techniques from many Okinawan styles of Karate. Mabuni was a friend of Chonjun Miyagi, the founder of Goju-ryu and was greatly influenced by his style. The name was derived from a combination of the names of his two primary Karate-do teachers.

Students will notice that elements from most of the major branches of Karate can be found within Shito-ryu Karate. There are the deep stances and strong linear elements of a style such as Shotokan.

There are also techniques as progression moves forward that has the circular motions of the Uechi-ryu bent. This combination gives Shito-ryu a wide audience that can fit their personal style to its offerings.

A black belt in Shito-ryu Karate can be attained in between 4 to 5 years of training.

Shorei-ryu

The name Shorei-ryu means “the style of inspiration”. It came from the Naha-te style of Okinawan Karate with original Chinese roots. The two main styles of Shorei-ryu Karate today are Goju-ryu Karate and Uechi-ryu Karate.

The development of Shorei-ryu Karate originally was influenced by the Okinawan Shuri-te style that has its roots deep in the Chinese fighting arts.

It takes approximately 5 to 6 years to earn a black belt in Shorei-ryu Karate.

Shorin-ryu Karate

Being one of the oldest and most known of the Okinawan Karate styles, it has wide representation throughout the world. It received its name in 1933 from Choshin Chibana, but it is reported to be much older and deriving its roots from Shuri-te and ultimately Chinese fighting systems.

The student learning and rising through the ranks of this system will notice its emphasis on narrow, naturally high stances, and natural breathing patterns. The low deliberate stances and forces breathing patterns are foreign to this style. There is still a great emphasis on a strong frame and posture for effective blocking.

Another feature that is also shared by Isshin-ryu Karate is the vertical positioning of the fist in the punch. It is claimed by many instructor and student alike that utilize this method of punching to align the bones in the arm to create more power and deliver faster hand strikes.

A black belt normally takes between 4 and 6 years to earn in Shorin-ryu Karate.

Shotokan Karate

Gichin Funakoshi popularized the study of Karate-do throughout Japan by establishing many clubs in Universities and holding public demonstrations. As arguably the most widely practiced style of Karate, Shotokan has many variations and followers of all types.

Though Funakoshi never officially gave his style a name, his students used his pen name Shoto (“waving pine needles”) and Kan (“house”) to name his former dojo in Mejiro before it was destroyed by allied bombing in 1945. He simply called his style Karate.

Many Shotokan schools still use the original white, brown, black belt system devised by Judo’s Jigoro Kano in the early 20th century. Depending on the student and instructor Shotokan black belts can be earned in 3.5 to 5 years.

Uechi-ryu Karate

Originally the style of Uechi-ryu Karate was called Pangai-noon, a southern Chinese Kung Fu which means ‘half hard – half soft”. Later the style was renamed after its founding grandmaster Kanbun Uechi. He had originally went to China to study the martial arts and medicine.

Uechi-ryu differs from many of the other Okinawan and mainland Japanese influenced linear styles of Karate. It takes much of its influence from the circular movements and motions of Kung Fu. Like its Chinese ancestors movements are based loosely on animal motions.

There are three animals that mainly are the focus of Uechi-ryu: the crane, the dragon, and the tiger.

Note: the traditional colors for belts are white, green, brown, and black. Some schools still use this simplified order with variations of stripes.

A black belt in Uechi-ryu Karate can be reasonably achieved in 3 to 5 years of regular training.

Wado-ryu Karate

Wado-ryu is considered one of the four major styles of Karate today. This doesn’t mean better than others, but simply leading in popularity, lineage documentation, contribution to the Japanese culture and people, usefulness, etc. Its founder Hironori Ohtsuka, already a renowned Jujutsu grandmaster, established this hybrid Karate style with techniques from other Karate styles blended with Jujutsu.

The name Wado-ryu means the ‘way of peace’ referring to yielding to aggression to use the force against the aggressor.

It is practical to plan on 3 to 5 years of training to achieve the black belt level in Wado-ryu Karate.

Order	Color	Stripe Number	Stripe Color
9th – 10th Kyu	White Belt	0-1	Blue
7th – 8th Kyu	Blue Belt	0-1	Yellow
5th – 6th Kyu	Yellow Belt	0-1	Green
3rd – 4th Kyu	Green Belt	0-1	Brown
1st – 2nd Kyu		0-1	Black
Shodan Ho		1	White Horizontal
1st – 10th Dan	Black Belt	1-10	Gold

Order	Color	Stripe Number	Stripe Color
10th Kyu	White Belt
9th Kyu	Yellow Belt
8th Kyu	Orange Belt
7th Kyu	Green Belt
6th Kyu	Blue Belt
5th Kyu	Purple Belt
4th Kyu – 1st Kyu	Brown IV, III, II, I
1st – 10th Dan	Black Belt	1-10

Order	Color	Stripe Number	Stripe Color
10th – 12th Kyu	White Belt	1-3	Black
8th – 9th Kyu	Yellow Belt	0-1	White
6th – 7th Kyu	Orange Belt	0-1	White
4th – 5th Kyu	Green Belt	0-1	White
1st – 3rd Kyu	Brown Belt	0-2	White
1st – 10th Dan	Black Belt	1-10

Order	Color	Stripe Number	Stripe Color
10th Kyu	White Belt
9th Kyu	Orange Belt
7th – 8th Kyu	Blue Belt	0-1	White
5th – 6th Kyu	Yellow Belt	0-1	White
3rd – 4th Kyu	Green Belt	0-1	White
1st – 2nd Kyu	Brown Belt	0-1	White
1st – 10th Dan	Black Belt	1-10

Order	Color	Stripe Number	Stripe Color
	White Belt
7th – 9th Kyu	Purple Belt
4th – 6th Kyu	Green Belt
1st – 3rd Kyu	Brown Belt
1st – 10th Dan	Black Belt	1-10