The colours in the belt ranking system signify Growth in Knowledge. The order and colours of karate belts differ in different karate styles. Gichin Funakoshi adopted the belt ranking system and philosophical concepts from Judo.
Originally, the white belt was simply dyed to a new colour. This repeated dying process dictated the type of belt colour and the order of the colours. The standard belt colour system is white, yellow, gold, orange, green, blue, purple, brown, red and black. Due to the dying process, it was only practical to increasingly use darker colours. All of this came about shortly after the Second World War, when Korea and Japan were very poor countries. Dying the belts to a new colour was a cheap way to have a visible, simple and effective ranking system.
There can be many variations but the belt colour meaning below is a fresh and modern approach of thinking what the belt colours could mean.
10th Kyu
White Belt − White signifies a birth, or beginning, of a seed. A white belt student is a beginner searching for knowledge of the Art. The white belt is the beginning of life's cycle, and represents the seed as it lies beneath the snow in the winter.
9th & 8th Kyu
Yellow Belt − Yellow signifies the first beams of sunlight which shines upon the seed giving it new strength with the beginning of new life. A yellow belt student is given his first ray of knowledge, opening his/her mind, from his/her instructors.
7th Kyu
Orange Belt − Orange represents the growing power of the sun as it warms the earth to prepare for new growth in the spring. The orange belt is starting to feel his body and mind open and develop.
6th Kyu
Green Belt − Green signifies the growth of the seed as it sprouts from the earth reaching toward the sun and begins to grow into a plant. A green belt student learns to strengthen and refine his/her techniques.
5th Kyu
Blue Belt − Blue signifies the blue sky as the plant continues to grow toward 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. The student is fed additional knowledge of the Art in order for his/her body and mind continue to grow and develop.
4th Kyu
Purple Belt − Purple represents the changing sky of dawn, as once again the student undergoes a new change and prepares for the transition to advanced student. A purple belt begins to understand the meaning of the black belt.
3rd, 2nd & 1st Kyu
Brown Belt − Brown represents the ripening of the seed, a maturing and harvesting process. A brown belt is an advanced student whose techniques are beginning to mature, and he/she is beginning to understand the fruits of hard work as a beginner.
1st Dan
Black Belt − Black signifies the darkness beyond the Sun. A black belt seeks new, more profound knowledge of the Art. As he/she begins to teach others, he/she plants new seeds and helps them grow and mature. His/her students, many whom will form roots deep into the Art, blossom and grow through the ranks in a never-ending process of self-growth, knowledge, and enlightenment.
Tying your Karate belt
