Belt System

When you first start karate you are given a white belt with your first Gi (uniform) and as you develop you gain different colour belts, and the sequence is as follows:

Gaining a black belt should take around 3 to 5 years depending on how often you train.

The history of karate goes back over 2000 years. Although it is now accepted as a Japanese artform, it is a form of self-defence that originated from India. Buddist Monks, whose religion banned them from using weapons, developed self-defence techniques using their hands and feet to protect themselves from robbers when travelling. This was so effective that other religious orders also developed self-defence techniques for themselves. One of these was the Shaolin Temple in China.