Karate belts
A karate belt is what you have to fasten your karate uniform with. This karate belt is also called obi. Obi is also used in other Japanese martial arts. Obin's color indicates the user's level. Beginners usually start with a white karate belt.
Belts for karate
In order to keep your karate suit together, it is a must to have an associated karate belt. In budo, i.e. Japanese martial arts, an obi is used together with the costume. However, an obi is also the name for the belt that women use together with, for example, a kimono.
An obi for martial arts such as karate, it is made of cotton and is usually about 5 cm wide. When using this belt for karate, it is tied in a special way. Usually at the front in a knot called a koma musubi and which resembles a rawhide knot.
Colors and grades in karate
The color of karate belts varies and indicates the user's level in their martial art. Different martial arts as well as different karate styles have different ways of classifying the colors.
There is usually talk of a dan and kyū ranking system for martial arts in Japan. Then the colors and number depend on what kind of martial art it is. They can be between three and ten and that they count backwards. This means that 1 kyū represents the highest kyū degree.
In Japanese martial arts, it is not unusual for each kyū degree to be associated with a certain color of belt for the costume worn.
In Sweden, the Swedish Budo and Martial Arts Association issues recommendations regarding kyū degrees and belt colors. However, it is the case that different styles have different degrees and colors. Most often, white belt usually represents the lowest kyū degree, while brown belt corresponds to the highest kyū degree.
In karate, it is common for the lowest grade to be white, then it goes up to yellow, orange, green, blue and brown.
Belts for Kyokushin
Kyokushin is a karate style founded in 1957. That of Sōsai Ōyama Masutatsu. Within this karate style, what is called the system is used for juniors up to 15 years of age. Then you switch to the kyu system from when the person is 15 years old. It then looks like this with colors and level:
Orange (grade 10-9 kyu)
Blue (grade 8-7 kyu)
Yellow (grade 6-5 kyu)
Green (grade 4-3 kyu)
Brown (grade 2-1 kyu)
Martial arts belts
Martial arts belts are something used in various martial arts. This is to mark the degree and thus experience and technical knowledge. Then there is also a belt to hold your karate suit together. Having a belt in a certain color is an old tradition that originally comes from judo. There, the belt system was established as early as 1883. Then it also spread to karate during the beginning of the 20th century.
Different degrees in karate
In almost all karate styles, there are different degrees. This is to show how far you have come. Today, as I said, there are a varying number of degrees. Generally, they are divided into kyū and dan grades. kyū degrees are all degrees prior to black belt. One also usually speaks of sankyū, nikyū, ichikyū. In Swedish it is the third degree, the second degree and the first degree respectively. After this comes the dan degrees (black belt degrees)
As a sign of their skill, the novice wears different colored belts. These can be obtained at special examination occasions and that one is then approved by a higher-ranking judge.
So it doesn't apply to just take one color on your karate belt because you think it looks good. You have to earn the color you wear.
Find the right karate belts
When it comes to karate belts, here at Nippon Sport you can find what you need. We have karate belts in several different colors, which correspond to the level you are at right now. All belts for karate are of the highest quality and that they are made of strong material with solid seams. Please wash the belt a couple of times before using it.