How the Practical Karate Belt System Works

How the Belt System Works at Practical Karate

• Students 3-5 years old – for the karate belt system 3-5 year old students receive stripes on the first five white belt ranks for appropriate conduct and effort. For the last white belt rank (white belt with a yellow stripe), students receive stripes and the next belt by demonstrating the skills required for the six year-old and up curriculum.
• Students 6 years – old and older receive stripes and new belts by displaying technical proficiency in the techniques or knowledge required for each stripe and belt rank.
• Stripes and new belt ranks are awarded according to the instructor’s assessment of each student’s individual abilities, effort, conduct and perseverance. Stripes and rank are not awarded for athletic ability. Nor are they rewarded for technical proficiency without good conduct and the appropriate amount of effort and perseverance.

Graduated Expectations For Each Belt Rank

Initially, stripes are fairly easy to achieve with appropriate effort and conduct. As students advance in rank, stripes and new belts become increasingly more difficult.

This is designed to gradually move students’ motivation away from the extrinsic rewards of stripes and belts toward the realization that effort and perseverance bring more valuable intrinsic rewards.

Some students have to work harder than others to achieve technical proficiency in order to receive new stripes and rank. However, teaching students that they must work harder to receive desired rewards is a valuable life lesson.

The true value of achieving a new belt is in the process, not the reward.

The Responsibility of the Karate Belt System and Rank

As students move up in rank, higher expectations are placed on their effort, conduct, perseverance, and skill attainment. Students are expected to demonstrate the appropriate skill progression and conduct at the belt levels below.

Expectations of Rank

White Belt
Skill Progression – Working on the core locomotor skills and coordination.
Conduct – Stay in formation, pay attention during instruction (e.g. eyes on the instructor without talking), display appropriate social interactions and follow the dojo rules.

Yellow Belt
Skill Progression – Working on the appropriate form in basics and kata.
Conduct – Count in Japanese during stretching, Kiai during basics, eyes straight ahead during basics, kata and drills to display focus and intensity. Yellow belts are expected to move quickly to their positions when directed.

Orange Belt
Skill Progression – Working on appropriate muscle tension, form and speed in basics.
Conduct – Project a loud voice for counting/Kiai’s, display consistent effort during basics, kata, drills & games.

Blue Belt
Skill Progression – Continue to work on muscle tension, form and speed in basics while developing a strong base by developing an awareness of foot placement and weight distribution in stances.
Conduct – Blue belts are expected to act as roll models for the lower ranks in both conduct and effort. Blue belts are courteous to both Sempai and Kohai, follow directions from higher ranks, and practice their skills independently in order to progress in rank.

Green Belt
Skill Progression – Working on speed, power and base while performing techniques in basics and kata. Green Belts work on developing a strong, stable base that is also fluid and agile, as well as kicks that are executed with appropriate balance.
Conduct – Green belts help teach in order to gain a more refined understanding of the techniques and to learn the importance of patience, empathy, praise and encouragement in instruction.

Brown Belt
Skill Progression – Techniques should be sharp, fast and powerful. Brown belts need to move with fluidity and balance in order to change directions at any time and deliver decisive techniques without pause or delay. Brown belts should have a basic understanding of timing, range, base and strategy in fighting.
Conduct – A Samurai like attitude toward training displaying the highest level of effort, conduct and perseverance at all times. Brown belts take the initiative to instruct lower ranks and demonstrate patience while teaching.

Black Belt
Skill Progression – Black belts have a fundamental understanding of the intricacies of fighting. They have developed a strong and fluid base that they can use to change directions at any time to deliver fast, powerful and decisive techniques. They have basic proficiency in all ranges of fighting/self-defense and have a fundamental understanding of strategy in fighting.

Conduct– Black belts are held to the highest standards of conduct, both inside and outside of the dojo. Black belts are expected to display courtesy at all times, especially when others do not. Black belts do not make excuses for their performance and accept that the only failure is to quit trying. Black belts understand the value of hard work, perseverance and holding themselves to the highest standards in everything they do. They welcome challenges and obstacles as an opportunity for personal development and progression. Black belts understand the importance of moderation and discipline in their fitness and diet. Black belts lead by example and understand the importance of this example and its effect on others.

Practical Karate Belt System Methods

Practical Karate uses modern educational techniques, such as cooperative learning and praise to shape behaviors and performance. We adhere to the ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) behavioral modification model for shaping behaviors. Our founder and head instructor, Frank McCarroll M.S., has developed his methods, relying on his training and over two and a half decades of experience as a professional educator.

For the Practical Karate Belt System, What is “Applied Behavioral Analysis”?

Sandwiching Fun with Instruction
The Little Ninjas and Kids Karate classes begin and end with fun activities that teach movement, martial arts or self-defense skills. These activities make the class more enjoyable for children while helping them to improve their martial arts and movement skills through disguised repetition.

Use of Praise to Shape Behaviors and Skill Progression
For beginner students at Practical Karate our goal is to achieve a ratio of 2 to 1 praise to error correction/rule reminders. Every time the instructors correct a student’s form or remind them of the rules we aim to find two opportunities to praise the student for their effort, conduct or performance. This praise-to-error correction ratio helps build the student’s confidence and mitigate frustration when starting in something as challenging as martial arts.

Fading Of Praise
The longer a student is training and the higher they move up in rank, the ratio of praise to error correction gradually decreases. The goal is to create martial artists with thick skin that aren’t easily frustrated or discouraged by the statements of others and continue to work diligently to improve in the face of criticism.

Peer Tutoring/Mentoring
All students at Practical Karate help teach as they progress in rank and skill set. Peer tutoring is an instructional technique where the more experienced students teach the less skilled students. Not only is this an efficient method of delivering instruction, but it also helps the peer mentor improve by reviewing the material and internalizing their knowledge. Peer tutoring/modeling is one of the few methods proven to effectively reduce bullying by teaching empathy and patience to the peer tutors. Most importantly, this improves the self-esteem of the peer mentor by recognizing their value and contribution to the group.