Heiwado Karate Center Belt & Ranking System

At Heiwado Karate Center, our ranking system reflects a student’s progress and achievements in karate. The belts earned symbolize skill, technique, and dedication. Below is an overview of our ranking system.

Junior Karate Belt Ranks (Ages 5-11) (1)

Ages 6 - 11

Junior Belt Ranks

The Junior Belt Program provides younger students with incremental milestones on their journey. To accommodate their developmental stage, they follow a distinct belt order. Junior Belts, featuring a white stripe, help track progress without disrupting the overall ranking system. The highest belt in this category is the Junior Brown Belt.

Students who turn 12 will test for their Cadet Belt equal to their Junior Belt, or higher, depending on their test evaluation.

Testing for Junior belts will be conducted every 3 months for students with at least 16 class hours.

Junior Belt Ranks:

Class: Junior Karate 6pm to 7pm Wednesdays and Thursdays

Ages 12 - 15

Cadet Belt Ranks

Cadet Belts distinguish older children from younger students. Cadet belts feature a black stripe, except for Cadet Red Belt and Cadet Black Belt which feature a white stripe. This system acknowledges the additional effort required for older students. Cadets may face challenges and must demonstrate their skills to advance. If a Cadet cannot meet the required skill level, they may need to wait and reattempt the test. Instructors may preemptively hold students back from testing if they are unlikely to pass.

Upon achieving the Cadet Black Belt, students can apply to test for 1st Dan Shodan Black Belt at age 16. Other students who become of age will test for a Kyu rank equal to their Cadet Belt, or higher, depending on their test evaluation.

Testing for Cadet Belts will be conducted every 3-4 months for students with at least 18 class hours.

Cadet Belt Ranks:

Class: Junior Karate 6pm to 7pm Wednesdays and Thursdays

Note: Special waiver required to be moved to 7pm to 8pm class

Copy of Junior Karate Belt Ranks (Ages 5-11)
Copy of Copy of Junior Karate Belt Ranks (Ages 5-11)

Teens 16-17 & Adults

Kyu Ranks

For teens (ages 16-17) and adults, the ranking system consists of nine solid belts, from White to Black. While there is no set time requirement for each rank, progression generally takes about a year per belt. Students may advance at varying rates, but the ultimate goal is to develop the technical skills required to earn each belt, rather than simply attaining the Black Belt.

Testing for Kyu Belts will be conducted every 4 months for students with at least 20 class hours.

Kyu Ranks:

  • White Belt
  • 9th Kyu Yellow Belt
  • 8th Kyu Orange Belt
  • 7th Kyu Purple Belt
  • 6th Kyu Green Belt
  • 5th Kyu Blue Belt
  • 4th Kyu Brown Belt
  • 3rd Kyu Brown Belt 
  • 2nd Kyu Brown Belt
  • 1st Kyu Red Belt
  • 1st Dan Shodan Black Belt

Class: Shotokan Karate 7pm to 8pm Wednesdays and Thursdays