GRADING INFORMATION

The Karate Grading System (FAQs) Basic Techniques To Be Tested For ALL Gradings
Like all karate clubs, GKR has a grading system that allows Yellow Belt (8th Kyu) And Above
all students to proceed through levels, or grades, signifying Strikes Blocks
their growth and development. Whilst it is not mandatory
Stomach level punch (Chudan Tsuki) Head Level Block (Jodan Age Uke)
for students to go through the grading system, we have
found it is a great way for both adults and children to have Head Level Punch (Jodan Tsuki) Inside Hooking Block (Uchi Uke)

their progress recognised. Forward Back Fist (Ura Uchi) Outside Block (Soto Uke)

Side Back Fist (Yoko Ura Uchi/Uraken) Downward Block (Gedan Barai)

Short Punch (Shita Tsuki) Groin Sweeping block (Gedan Uke)

What Does A Grading Mean?
Rising Elbow Strike (Hijiate) Kicks
The coloured belt gradings are like stepping-stones on the
path to a students goal of Black belt. A grading represents Round Elbow Strike (Mawashi Empi) Front Kick (Mae Geri)

that a student has reached a competent level with their Stances Round Kick (Mawashi Geri)
current techniques and are ready to move on to learn and Long Forward Stance (Zenkutsu Dachi) Side Kick (Yoko Geri)
develop more advanced techniques and skill-sets.
Horse Riding Stance (Kiba Dachi) Back Kick (Ushiro Geri)

Sumo Stance (Shiko Dachi)

What Is Involved?
When a student has completed their minimum time period
Advanced Techniques To Be Tested For ALL Gradings
and lessons on a particular belt, and have gained a strong Green Belt (6th Kyu) And Above
grasp of the technical requirements for their current grade,
Strikes Blocks
their instructor will book them in to attend a Regional
Grading. Outside Knife Hand Strike (Outside Shuto) Double Block (Chu-ge Uke)

Gradings are held in each Region once per month, Inside Knife Hand Strike (Inside Shuto) Open Hand Hook Block (Kake Uke)
generally on a Sunday afternoon. If a student has Ridge-Hand Strike (Haito) Open Hand Round Block (Mawashi Uke)
commitments and is unable to attend the grading, they
Stances Knife Hand Block (Shuto Uke)
can be booked in for the next month.
Back Leaning Stance (Kokutsu Dachi)
Students from numerous dojos (training halls) attend this
and grade as a collective group. Students are only tested on Hour Glass Stance (Sanchin Dachi)
the techniques required for their belt grade. Immediately Cat Stance (Neko-Ashi Dachi)
after the grading, a formal presentation occurs where
students are awarded Grading Certificates.
KATA GRADING CRITERIA
How Long Will It Take Me To Reach Black Belt? Grade Level Belt Kata To Be Peformed
As your journey through the Grading system is a personal From 10th Kyu to 9th Kyu Yellow tip N/A
one, there is no definitive answer for how long it takes a From 9th Kyu to 8th Kyu Yellow N/A
student to reach his or her Black belt. The average time From 8th Kyu to 7th Kyu (ho) Orange tip N/A
however would be around 5 years. From 7th Kyu (ho) to 7th Kyu Orange Taigyoku Sho-dan & Ni-dan
Considering there are 10 kyu grades up to Black belt, From 7th Kyu to 6th Kyu Green Saifa
From 6th Kyu to 5th Kyu Blue Saifa
this means a student who grades to Black belt in 5 years
From 5th Kyu to 4th Kyu Red Bassai-Dai
is grading every 6 months on average. Having said that,
From 4th Kyu to 3rd Kyu Brown Bassai-Dai
gradings occur more frequently as a beginner and the time From 3rd Kyu to 2nd Kyu Brown Seiunchin
between gradings increases as you progress. From 2nd Kyu to 1st Kyu Brown Empi
From 1st Kyu to Shodan-ho * Black (Prov) Sanseru / Sepai
From Shodan- ho to Sho-dan Black Sepai / Hangetsu
From 1st to 2nd Dan Black Kanku-Dai / Kururunfa
From 2nd to 3rd Dan Black Shisochin / Kanku-sho
From 3rd to 4th Dan Black Seisan / Sochin
Factors That Determine How Fast A Student
May Grade
There are three major factors that determine how quickly
a student grades.
1) The students frequency of training: Training more
frequently not only means a student is getting to more
classes in a shorter time frame, but less time between
training means muscle memory (technical habits and
mastery) is developed far sooner. Frequency of training
also includes practising at home.
2) The students intensity at training: Getting to classes
is just one part of the equation. Once there, the student
also needs to push themselves physically. This does not
mean they need to train like a super-athlete, it merely
implies they need to be constantly pushing their comfort
zone. If your fitness is a 4/10, then training at a 4/10 or
even a 5/10 will ensure you develop faster results. By
contrast, a student who is a 7/10 but trains at a 5/10 will
fail to make progress.
Part of our karate progress includes our physical
development. Unless a student has a physical ailment
preventing them from this, a student should develop
faster, stronger and snappier technique as they progress
through the grades.
3) The students focus during training: Getting to class
and giving your physical all makes up only two thirds
of the equation. As karate is a mind and body pursuit,
the final component needed is focus. Focusing on each
technique not only develops correct technical habits
in a shorter period, it also prevents bad habits from
slipping in. Students who develop their focus generally
fix their poor technical mistakes quickly while those who
lack focus will find their instructor correcting the same
techniques week-after-week, month-after-month.
Grading Is A Personal Journey
The karate journey is a personal one. Each of us develops in
our ability and/or understanding at a different rate. When
it comes to gradings, while there is a criteria students must
learn and develop in, ultimately each person is graded, or
held back from grading, based on their own progress.
To offer a simple example, Johnny can kick head level
and is relatively fast. Sue struggles to kick waist level and is
quite slow in her movements. Despite the vast difference in
ability between the two, both grade on the same day and
are thrilled with their achievement.
Months pass and Sue can now kick comfortably above
her waist and is moving a little faster. She has shown small
improvements in her over ability and knowledge and her
instructor sends her to the next grading. Meanwhile Johnny
has not shown any improvement over the past few months
and his instructor therefore chooses not to send him to
grading. Despite the fact that Johnnys ability is still much
better than Sues, their instructor is sending Sue to grade
based on her progress. It does not matter that Johnny is
better than Sue, what matters is that Johnny is not better
than the Johnny of 6months ago. Ultimately to grade, your
instructor is looking for you to be your best, not the best
Grading With Physical Limitations
As we have already discussed, the karate journey is a
personal one and each student is judged and graded
according to their own potential. No student is expected to
do anything beyond their physical capabilities, and as such,
students who have physical limitations are not persecuted
against in terms of grading.
Do you ever get concerned about doing a particular
technique or kata because of a physical restriction?
Perhaps your stances suffer because of an old knee
injury, a lack of flexibility or simply old age?
Perhaps you have a lingering back injury that prevents
you from getting low in long forward stance?
Perhaps you have sore ankles and find it hard to make
sanchin datchi?
Perhaps an old shoulder injury prevents you from doing
techniques that involve you raising your arm above
shoulder height (such as a head level block)?
Any student who has a physical limitation should
communicate this with their instructor so the instructor
knows exactly what they are and are not capable of. This is
not only to help them with grading, but so their instructor
knows what to expect of them and how much they can
push them.
This may even result in you altering a kata out of physical
necessity (such as removing the jump from kata Empi).
A person should never be concerned about failing a grading
because of a physical limitation they have. Remember, the
karate journey is a personal one, therefore you are judged
according to what you can do, not what Bruce Lee could
do.
Communicating with your instructor will bring peace of
mind knowing you will only be judged according to your
physical ability.
Is It OK To Ask About Grading?
You should not be afraid to speak with your instructor
about grading. You might be a little nervous that you will
receive a lot more constructive feedback than you hoped,
or that your grading is further away (in your senseis eyes)
than you had hoped, but you should never be nervous or
afraid to ask for fear of displaying bad etiquette.
Asking your instructor how you are doing and what you
need to focus on for your next grade is not considered bad
etiquette. It is only when a student may display attitude
and expect that they are good enough to grade that it
becomes an etiquette problem.
GKR promotes and endorses goal setting. And, part of
goal setting is constantly receiving feedback to help you
keep a good direction towards your goals.
Asking about what you need to work on to grade will
give you the feedback you need to go and practise at home
so you may refine your technique sooner, and ultimately,
grade sooner.
Grading Misconceptions
Throughout your karate journey you will inevitably see some
students grade ahead of you, and while this is sometimes
obvious and justified, there may also be times where many
students feel and display frustration or anger over this -
largely because they do not believe another student should
be grading ahead of them. This demonstrates ignorance
towards grading. Below are five types of misconceptions
that exist on the topic of grading.
Its YOUR Journey!
Weve heard it a thousand times; your grading is a
representation of your own journey. Despite this, its still
common that people compare themselves to others.
Have you ever sat on the sidelines of a grading and
heard someone else say, Im better than that person. If
they are grading I certainly should be grading!
These comments clearly illustrate that someone has not
grasped the concept that each persons journey is their
own. It doesnt matter whether or not you are better or
worse than someone else. It only matters whether or not
you are as good as you can be.
William Faulkner (an American author awarded the
1949 Nobel Prize in Literature) wrote, Dont bother to be
better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be
better than yourself. In terms of karate gradings, perhaps
you are better than the person grading. But the instructor
can see that you (on your journey) could be better.
Perhaps you are fitter, more coordinated etc and
therefore your instructor expects more from you. Perhaps
the other person has trained longer or has had to overcome
challenges. Regardless of the answer, the point is that
person has been sent to grade because their instructor
sees, on their journey, they are ready to proceed ahead.
And it has nothing to do with you, or whether or not they
are the best person out there
Self-Awareness
Perhaps this point should be called grading arrogance
rather than misconception. So often a student who shows
frustration towards anothers grading (because they feel
they are better) lacks self-awareness.
At the recent Black belt grading, one teenager exclaimed,
My kata Sepai is way better than theirs. And, They cant
even do sumo stance properly. What this person could
not see was that while their Sepai may have been better,
their kata Bassai-dai and Seiunchin maybe werent. Equally,
they referred to the persons sumo stance (a stance that
they themselves do well) but they neglected to refer to the
grading persons forward stance (which was sound) unlike
their own which is usually short, high and has the back leg
bent.
Rather than focusing on the shortcomings of someone
elses karate, focus on your own. If you really were so great
you would be grading, so some self-awareness would go a
long way.
For example:
You may be sharper than the person grading, but
perhaps you make more technical errors.
You may be technically cleaner than the person
grading, but perhaps your attitude is holding you back
(comparing ones self to others is the wrong attitude to
begin with).
Perhaps you have trained longer than the other person
but your training ethic is poor.
Perhaps you have a great back stance. But while you
focus on your better back stance you forget that the
other person has a better sumo stance.
Perhaps you could whip the person in kumite, but you
have messy kata
So often people who compare themselves to others focus
on their own strengths and show a complete lack of
awareness for their own shortcomings.
This same attitude often shows up at tournaments
when they dont receive a medal. They are mystified that
the judges gave a medal to someone who they believe they
are better than.
Your goal in karate is to get better (not get belts) and a
lack of self-awareness is the first thing that will prevent you
from getting better.
Compare Yourself With The Right End Of
The Spectrum
When someone sits back at a grading and says, Im better
than him or her they are generally comparing themselves
to the students with the lowest standard at the grading.
Maybe they are older, weaker, smaller, less coordinated,
less flexible, have balance issues, an injury etc. Or maybe
they have none of these.
At the end of the day, why are you comparing yourself
with the lowest common denominator? People who
compare themselves with the bottom of the barrel never
end up becoming great martial artists or champions in
any field for that matter.
You should be comparing yourself with the best people at
the grading. Would you stand out as the top person there?
Would everyone be watching and saying, Amazing! Or
would you simply not be the worst there. Who wants to be
not the worst?
And you cant answer the question above with a lack
of self-awareness, focusing only on your strengths. For
example:
You cant answer, Yes, when they saw my high side-
kick they would say amazing!
And you cant say, Yes, when they saw my kumite they
would say amazing.
Or, Yes, the crowd would say amazing if they watched
my Saifa. (your favourite kata).
Because what about the rest of the grading?
Champions always compare themselves with the best
people at a grading. They look at the best person and say,
Ok, thats the standard I have to meet. Got it! I will start
working towards that standard. A champion would say,
Ok Im not the worst person here but Im also not the
best, and Im nowhere near my best so Im glad Im not
grading.
Karate is about achieving excellence. Champions dont aim
for a pass mark of 51/100. They aim for 100/100!
Your Instructor Has High Standards
Everybody is different. Therefore different people respond
with being held back from a grading differently. One
students mind will say, Im better than that person, I
should grade. My instructor has no idea. Meanwhile
another student (who has great karate) will say, My sensei
has held me back, I must be hopeless at karate.
Both of these statements show ignorance because there
are so many factors that decide whether a person grades
or not and nobody has hopeless karate!
Very often students get down on themselves, but the
only reason they are not grading alongside other people
(of similar or lesser standard) is because their instructor
holds them to higher standards.
Sometimes you might (key word is might) have a better
attitude than the person grading. And you also might be
better technically. And you might also have been training
for longer on your current grade and still someone
is grading ahead of you. This may simply be that your
instructor has higher standards.
Its not saying that the other persons instructor has low
standards, only that your instructor has higher standards.
Does this mean you should bad mouth other dojos claiming
they have low standards? Certainly not! So long as they are
meeting the Regional Instructors standards (ie the students
are passing their gradings) then that is fine.
Does this mean you should bad mouth your own
instructor for expecting too much from his or her students?
Certainly not! You should be thankful that they are holding
you to such high standards, as ultimately it will make you a
better karate-ka.
So what should you do? You go with it. If you are only
doing karate to move up the belts then maybe you should
go to another dojo. But if you are training in karate to
become the best you can be, then be happy training
regardless of what belt you are.
Grades Do Not Symbolise Abilities
Grade level is not symbolic of ability. They are merely a
symbol of where a person is on their own journey.
So what does this mean? It means that someone who is
a red belt is not necessarily better than someone who is a
blue belt, or even a green belt. It merely indicates that they
are further on their own personal journey of which ability
is one small part.
When you understand this concept you let go of the
fact that people (whom you believe you are better than)
grade ahead of you. Their grading is not the instructors
way of secretly having a dig at your karate. Its not saying
they think that person is better than you. Its just their way
of saying that person is moving ahead on their journey
nothing more nothing less.
Equally, when you understand this concept you stop
looking down on people who are lower grades than you.
You realise that a lower grade may indeed be much better
than you and that you are simply further ahead on your
own journey. Olympic great, Jesse Jackson said, Never
look down on someone unless you are helping them up.
Goju karate did not introduce belt grades in Okinawa until
after the death of its founder, Chogun Miyagi, in 1956. Up
until that point no belts existed because Miyagi believed
they sidetracked a person from what karate is all about.
Having a belt system is a fantastic thing. It gives us
a map to navigate our way through our karate journey.
But we must remember that its OUR journey and not be
concerned with others. We must remember that its not a
statement that we are better than others or they are better
than us. Ultimately we should exercise self-awareness and
focus on our own development and let the belts show up
in our journey when they do.
Anthony Ryan, GKR National Squad Coach wrote on the
subject:
One of the things I love about GKR is that we dont put
stripes (indicating dan levels) on our Black belts. At the
end of the day if you are a Black belt then youre a Black
belt. If someone asks me, Are you a Black belt? I simply
say Yes, I dont say, Well actually, Im a blah blah dan
because its just not important! My dan is my own business
and its my own journey. Its not a secret but its a statement
about me, not you! At the end of the day Im simply a
Black belt. What my dan level is should mean nothing to
someone else. Your dan certainly means nothing to me!
Im not saying Im not happy for you if you grade, I am.
But its about you, and how you feel about it should be
dictated by you not me.
When I run seminars I dont ask all the Black belts what
dan level they are. Im sure Kancho, Shihan, Sensei Gavin
and all the Zone Instructors are the same. They dont
go asking everyone what grade they are. If they were
interested they would probably introduce the concept of
putting stripes on your belt like so many other styles.
I like this system because your current ability is your
current ability. You cant hide behind stripes on your belt and
you cant hide behind your tournament medals (especially
ones that you won years ago). All I see is a person in a gi
and a Black belt. If you want to impress me you have to do
it with your current work ethic, your current etiquette, your
current attitude and your current ability.
With kyu grades, the same ideology applies - only I do
know what grade you are. But I can look at a Blue belt (for
example) and be completely impressed by them (their work
ethic, etiquette, attitude and ability) and then be completely
unimpressed by the Brown belt next to them. I understand
that the Brown belt is further along their own journey for
their own reasons not because they are better than a
Blue or Red belt.
The Meaning Behind The Coloured Belts
A different coloured belt symbolizes each Kyu grade. What
many may not be aware of is that these colours have not
been thrown together in some random selection. In the
development of the colored belt system, each step to
Black belt needed its own relevance and had to correlate
with the students progression. Liken it to a seed growing
into a strong, humble plant. In its initial stages it may
not be thriving with ornate flowers, yet it is still beautiful
none-the-less, achieving the goals it must to survive and
continually develop. This is the perfect metaphor of the
developing student.
White Belt:
The white signifies the purity of
birth, or a beginning, of a seed. A
White belt student is a beginner
searching for the correct path
to take, just as when you put a
seed into the ground, no matter
which way you plant the seed the steam finds its way to
the surface and the roots find a way to further imbed its
self into the soil beginning the foundation for growth.
Did you know: The White belt is considered a symbol
of courage for taking your first steps into the dojo,
committing yourself to training and the humility needed to
take instruction from another!
Yellow Belt:
Yellow signifies the first beams of
sunlight, which shines upon the
seed giving it new strength and
direction, the beginning life. Just
as a plant will grow towards the
sun to seek life the student must
always seek truth and follow the correct path. At Yellow
belt the student has seen his or her first ray of knowledge,
opening their mind. Just like when driving at night, when
you can only see 30 meters in front of you, you must trust
that as you progress the rest of the road will appear.
Orange Belt:
Orange represents the increasing
power of the sun as it rises and
warms the earth. This signifies
that with the warming of the
earth the roots can begin to
develop a foundation from which
the whole plant can remain solid in its goal of growth, and
stand the plant in good stead for the remainder of its life.
Green Belt:
Green signifies the first big stage
of development, where the seed
sprout from the earth. Note that
only a seed with a strong roots
system (like karate foundations)
can the sprout through to the
surface and be able to see the sun.
Blue Belt:
Blue signifies the sky as the plant
continues to grow towards it. A
Blue belt student moves up higher
in rank just as the plant grows
taller. The light feeds the plant so
it can continue to grow upwards
from the top and the soil continually feeds the roots so that
its foundations will remain just as strong, if not stronger
than that of the advancing plant.
Red Belt:
Red signifies the sun in the
late evenings sky as the plant
continues growing towards it. As
the plant grows slowly toward the
sun, it learns to be more cautious
with its knowledge and abilities
because if it attempts to grow too fast, and exceeds heights
that the roots cannot support, the whole structure will fall
apart.
Brown Belt:
Brown is the second major stage,
that of ripening, a maturing and
being ready to flower or harvest
(hence the colour). A Brown belt
is a student whose techniques are
beginning to mature and is now
reaping what was sown at earlier stages.
Black Belt:
Black signifies the nights sky
and the end of this stage of
development. But as one journey
ends, another journey awaits,
for tomorrow (when the dawn
comes and the sun rises in the sky
again) they will begin a new journey, only this time they
will go through this journey as a mature plant. Up until this
point the plant has only known how to grow but what
happens now its grown? It must learn to expand, as while
one flower draws a bee or two in, a full flowering plant
will attract many more and vastly increase the cycle of life
continuing.
The student is now ready to go on, enjoy the fruits of
their labor and continually build on the base they have
created for themselves. Another metaphor behind the
colour of the Black belt is that just as a journey through
the nights sky is infinite, as is the martial journey, one can
only travel as far as a lifetime can take you. To be a true
martial artist your life becomes an extension of your art just
as your art becomes an extension of your life.