The legend makes the belts sound both awesome and ominous. Once the belt turned black, the student was considered a true martial artist. Superstition said that in doing so, they would “wash off” their experience. Students were told never to wash their belts. Over the years, the belt would become stained and dirty with sweat, dirt, and blood. It is said that students were given a white belt when they began their training. There is a legend that you may have already heard about the origins of the Karate belt. Spoiler: Karate is technically less than 100 years old!) The Legend of the Karate Belt’s Origin (If you’re now wondering how young Karate is, check out this post to learn more about Karate’s origins. Though used in many types of martial arts, the belt ranking system is just a little older than Karate itself. It might surprise you to know that the whole idea of using different colored belts to denote a student’s rank isn’t that old. Earning a black belt isn’t the end of the road in Karate, it is the beginning of a lifelong journey. Of course, you’ll also know that you’ve only just begun. And the end of pride and accomplishment is profound. Most people don’t realize the hours of sweat, tears, and even a little blood that go into earning this prize.īut when you receive your black belt…you’ll know. Only about 3-5% of people who started training in Karate will complete their journey to earning a black belt.Įarning a black belt in Karate is a prestigious honor. The highest belt in Karate, and thus the most coveted, is the black belt. The largest cohort of students have worn this belt and many people never make it past this point. Though most people are only familiar with the two most common belt colors, there may also be more than one level of the same belt color in some karate belt ranking systems.Īs the lowest belt in Karate, the white belt is where everyone starts. There are 9 belt colors in Karate: white, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, red, brown, and black.

Karate Belt Order in Different Karate Styles.

Karate moves