Advancement Information

The World Yoshukai Karate Kobudo Organization uses seven belt colors: white, yellow-stripe, yellow, blue, green, brown, and black. Once a student tests to yellow, there are two degrees within each rank (e.g., a student will test to 1st degree yellow and then 2nd degree yellow before testing to 1st degree blue). Below is a general explanation of the expectations of each belt rank, followed by the testing requirements each student must know before being allowed to test to each rank.

A Note on Attendance: It is expected that students will attend class regularly. Students may test as rapidly as every three months if their attendance and progress is excellent, with the exception of brown belt where there are 6 months (at minimum) between each test. At least 20 classes are required before testing through blue belt. Attendance requirements beyond blue belt are at least 30 classes before testing. In order to test for green belt, the student must have attended at least one WYKKO event (there are 6 each year). Thereafter, the student must have attended one additional WYKKO event per rank (i.e., by 1st degree brown belt the student must have attended at least 4 events). In all cases, eligibility for testing will be determined solely by the Head Instructor and students will be invited to test- they may not request testing.

General Belt Descriptions:

White Belt:

During this belt, students learn the basic principles of blocking, striking, and kicking.  Students learn the upper, center, and lower punches, upper, inside center, outside center, and down blocks, front kick, round kick, side kick, and front stance.

Yellow Stripe Belt:

During this belt, students learn the shoulder punch, pivot punch, and straddle stance as well as the basic principles of fighting and board breaking.  Students further refine the basics that they learned initially as a white belt in preparation for their test to full yellow belt.  This is the only intermediate belt that is recognized by the WYKKO, though there are two tests for each remaining belt.

Yellow Belt:

During this belt, students should learn the crescent kick, jump front kick, flying side kick, forward spin side kick, shin kick, scissor stance, forward stance, knife hand, backfist, palm strike, ridge hand, knee, hammerfist, and elbow strikes, knife hand block, palm heel block, and ridge hand block.

Blue Belt:

During this belt, students should learn the hook kick, axe kick, back spin side kick, parallel stance, cat stance, one-legged stance, crosshand block, backhand block, back hand, spearhand, and bent wrist strikes.  Blue belts should begin to be comfortable with instructing junior belts, and should be capable of leading a warmup session and basic workout.  Blue belts should be able to use the nunchaku in a variety of attacks and blocks.  They should be capable of rolling and falling without injury.

Green Belt:

During this belt, students should learn the tornado kick, spinning back hook kick,  spinning crescent kick, back kick, flying knee strike, jump round kick, jump spinning back hook kick, jump spinning back crescent kick, horse stance, hourglass stance, back stance, and wedge block.  Green belts should be very comfortable with instruction and should be able to direct an entire class period.  They should be able to devise combinations and have a solid grasp of fighting techniques.  They should have some understanding of self-defense techniques and how to take a strike without damage.  They should be able to use the bo and sai for a variety of strikes and blocks against a variety of weapons.

Brown Belt:

During this belt, students should learn drop spin hook kick and bear hand strike.  They should be capable of leading the class for an entire period, including kata instruction.  They should have refinement of their lower-level kata and should be able to take a hard fall or strike without injury.  They should have thorough knowledge of nunchaku, bo, and sai techniques and be able to demonstrate those techniques and devise combinations for them.  They should be proficient in self-defense and capable of devising self-defense combinations.

Shodan:

During this rank, the student should learn the ball-of-foot round kick, double jump front kick, back spinning round kick, double jump crescent kick, bottom-of-heel front kick, twisting kick, and box block.  They should learn precision and perfect control of technique and their motions.

Specific Testing Requirements:

Below is a list of the requirements that you will need to know before you can test to each rank.

First Test:

10th kyu White Belt to 9th kyu Yellow-Stripe Belt

    Forms:      Ni-Ju Shichi No Kata (27 Movements)

    Basic Punches, Blocks, Kicks

    Combinations

Front kick, step forward, round kick, step forward

Round kick, skip sidekick

    8th kyu terminology

Second Test:

9th kyu to 8th kyu Yellow Belt

    Forms:      Kihon Kata Shodan

    Sparring

    Ippon Kumite 1

    Combinations

Front kick, step forward, round kick, step forward

Round kick, skip sidekick

Step forward downblock in boubi shikodachi, reverse punch into zenkutsudachi

    Breaking - 1 hand and 1 foot technique

    8th kyu terminology

    Plus all requirements for previous rank

Third Test:

8th kyu to 7th kyu Yellow Belt

    Forms:    Kihon Kata Nidan

                    Kihon Kata Sandan

    Ippon Kumite 1 & 2

    Combinations

Front leg front kick, back leg front kick, step forward reverse punch

Round kick, step forward, skip sidekick, backfist

Slide forward jab, reverse punch

    Breaking - 2 different foot techniques

    7th kyu terminology

    Plus all requirements for previous rank

Fourth Test:

7th to 6th kyu Blue Belt

    Forms:    Kihon Kata Yondan

                    Zen Shin Kotai

    Ippon Kumite 1-3

    Combinations and Slow Motion Kicks

Slide forward backfist, reverse punch, round kick

Step forward downblock in boubi shikodachi, reverse punch into zenkutsudachi, spin forward side kick

Outside crescent kick, front kick, step forward

    Breaking - 1 foot and 1 hand and 1 flying side kick or jump front kick

    6th kyu terminology

    Plus all requirements for previous rank

Fifth Test:

6th to 5th kyu Blue Belt

    Forms:    Shihohai

                    Kihon Kata (Nunchaku)

    Ippon Kumite 1-4

    Combinations and Slow Motion Kicks

Front foot round kick, skip side kick, reverse punch

Double round kick, step forward, skip hook kick

Slide forward jab, reverse punch, hook with forward hand, uppercut with back hand

    Breaking - 2 board side kick, 1 hand technique, 1 jump front kick

    5th kyu terminology

   Plus all requirements for previous rank

Sixth Test:

5th to 4th kyu Green Belt

    Forms:    Seisan

                    Kihon Kata Shodan (Nunchaku)

    Ippon Kumite 1-5

    Combinations and Slow Motion Kicks

Knee block, back fist, reverse punch, front kick, jump front kick

Slide forward spearhand strike, grab, knee strike, front kick, step forward

Slide forward jab, reverse punch, ridge hand, back spinning side kick

    Breaking - 2 board side kick, 1 hand technique, 1 back spinning kick (crescent, side, hook, etc.)

    4th kyu terminology

    Plus all requirements for previous rank

Seventh Test:

4th kyu to 3rd kyu Green Belt

    Forms:    Kihon Kata Shodan (Bo)

    5 Self Defense Techniques

    Combinations and Slow Motion Kicks

Front kick, spinning back hook kick, round kick (all same foot)

Front kick, flying side kick, reverse punch

Slide back, downblock in  boubi shikodach, backfist, reverse punch into zenkutsudachi, ridge hand, forward spinning hook kick

    Breaking - 2 board back spinning side kick, 2 board side kick, 1 hand technique

    3rd kyu terminology

    Plus all requirements for previous rank

Eighth Test:

3rd kyu to 2nd kyu Brown Belt

    Forms:    Niseishi

                    Kihon Kata Nidan (Bo)

                    Zen Shin Kotai (Sai)

    5 Self Defense Techniques

    Combinations

Slide forward, back fist, step forward, knifehand strike, back spinning backfist

Round kick, tornado kick, backfist, reverse punch

Slide back, outside center block in  boubi shikodach, back fist, reverse punch, front spinning hook kick/round kick, step forward

    Breaking - 2 board side kick, 1 back spinning hook kick, 1 hand technique, 1 flying side or jump front kick

    2nd kyu terminology

    Plus all requirements for previous rank

Ninth Test:

2nd to 1st kyu Brown Belt

    Forms:    Rohai Sho

                    Kihon Kata Sandan (Bo)

                    Shihohai (Sai)

    5 Self Defense Techniques

    Combinations

Round kick, spinning crescent kick, backfist, reverse punch

Grab, step forward, elbow strike, step forward into scissor stance, rolling back fist

Front kick, back kick, forward spinning side kick (all with same leg without putting foot down)

    Breaking - 2 board side kick, 1 back spinning kick, 1 flying side or jump front kick, 1 hand technique

    1st kyu terminology

    Plus all requirements for previous rank

First Degree Black Belt Test:

1st kyu to Shodan

    Forms:    Rohai Sho (Sai)

                    Yoshu (Nunchaku)

    5 Self Defense Techniques with 2 attackers

    5 Combinations with 5 different techniques each (one spinning or jumping kick in each)

    Breaking - 2 different hand techniques, 2 board stationary kick, 1 spinning back hook kick, 1 jump front kick

    Shodan terminology

    Plus all requirements for previous rank

Second Degree Black Belt Test:

Shodan to Nidan

    Forms:      Rohai Dai

                    Tenshin

                    Mugen

                    Bassai

                    Chinto

                    Rohai Dai (Sai)

                    Mugen (Sai)

                    Bassai (Sai)

                    Shounnokon (Bo)

    5 Self Defense Techniques with 2 attackers

    5 Combinations with 5 different techniques each (one spinning or jumping kick in each)

    Breaking - 2 different stationary kicks, 2 different spinning kicks, 1 jump kick, 1 hand technique

    Nidan terminology

    Plus all requirements for previous rank

Third Degree Black Belt Test:

Nidan to Sandan

    Forms:    Sochin

                    Yosei No Kata (Sai)

                    Yoshu Dai (Nunchaku)

                    Tensho (Tonfa)

    Bo tai Sai 1-5

    5 Self Defense Techniques with 2 attackers

    5 Combinations with 5 different techniques each (one spinning or jumping kick in each)

    Breaking - 5 techniques

    Sandan terminology

    Plus all requirements for previous rank

Fourth Degree Black Belt Test:

Sandan to Yondan

    Forms:    San Shi Ryu

    Bo tai Bo

    Bo tai Sai 6

    Iai 1-6

    5 Self Defense Techniques with 2 attackers

    5 Combinations with 5 different techniques each (one spinning or jumping kick in each)

    Breaking - 5 techniques

    Yondan terminology

    Plus all requirements for previous rank