What are the levels in karate belts?
Emily Wilson
Updated on June 09, 2026
The first five levels, or ranks, are signified with colored belts: white, orange, red, yellow, and green. The sixth and seventh levels are signified with a purple belt, and the eighth through tenth levels are represented with a brown belt. After your last brown belt, you'll achieve your first black belt, or dan belt.
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Simply so, what is the order of belts in karate?
The general order of karate belts is white, yellow, green, blue, brown and black.
Likewise, what are the grades in karate? Karate Grades
- 10th Kyu. White belts learn the four basic blocks, stepping punch and front kick.
- 9th Kyu. Orange belts learn knife hand block, two side kicks and a new kata called Heian Shodan.
- 8th Kyu.
- 7th Kyu.
- 6th Kyu.
- 5th & 4th Kyu.
- 3rd, 2nd & 1st Kyu.
- Dan grades.
Also to know is, which belt is the highest in karate?
red belt
Is there a belt above black?
While the belt remains black, stripes or other insignia may be added to denote seniority, in some arts, very senior grades will wear differently colored belts. In judo and some forms of karate, a sixth dan will wear a red and white belt. In some schools of Jujutsu, the Shihan rank and higher wear purple belts.
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