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:
White (ungraded)
Red 8th kyu
Yellow 7th kyu
Green 6th kyu
Purple 5th kyu
Purple one stripe 4th kyu
Brown 3rd kyu
Brown one stripe 2nd kyu
Brown two stripe 1st kyu
Black 1st Dan
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.