The belt system
Colours show Permission
In Kyokushin, the belt colour does not show what you beherrschst, but what you are allowed to practise. White means beginning; black means readiness to teach. Each belt is permission to take the next step, not a title but a responsibility.
The system has 10 Kyu grades (student belts, descending from 10 to 1) and Dan grades (master belts, from 1st Dan). With regular training, the path to a black belt takes about 5–7 years.
From 10th Kyu to 1st Dan
The path in years
Basic techniques, stances, first kata
Pinan kata, first combinations
Mawashi-Geri, Shuto techniques
Jiyu-Kumite, complex kata
Full-contact, board breaking, teaching
What the belt really means
In the West, the black belt is seen as a goal. In Kyokushin, it is seen as the beginning. Sosai Mas Oyama said: "The black belt is not the end, but the beginning of the path."
Each belt shows that you are ready to take on more responsibility. A 3rd Kyu helps beginners, a 1st Dan begins to teach, a 4th Dan tests others. The belt is not a rank, but a role.
That is why there is no "belt hunting" in Kyokushin. Whoever is in a rush has not understood the point. The journey is the reward, and every Kyu is a measurable step on this path.
Get to know Kyokushin in training
Anyone who wants to get to know Kyokushin not just by reading about it but in practice can visit the Shinzen Dojo Berlin training sessions. Adults train in Berlin-Schöneberg, children and teenagers in Berlin-Steglitz.
Belt System explained
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