General overview of grades

Entry grade. Basic stances, straight punches, forearm blocks and dojo etiquette.

White is a blank sheet. The start of the path, when the mind is open and nothing has set yet.

Consolidating basic blocks and moving off the line of attack. First simple combinations.

The first blue enters the white. The beginner has started to move and is no longer only watching.

Mid-level kicks, longer hand-and-foot combinations, first controlled sparring.

Blue is water. It does not fight the obstacle by force but flows around it; the student learns to move.

Combinations under fatigue, changing stance on the move, systematic limb conditioning.

The first sun warms the water. Movement gains power, though it is not yet fully controlled.

Hip work and timing of power (kime). Sparring with controlled contact.

Yellow is the rising sun. Technique starts to shine with its own power and is felt for the first time.

Defence against kicks, distance management (maai) and switching from defence to counter.

Light feeds growth. Real skill begins to grow out of the strength already gained.

Tameshiwari — breaking as a test of striking structure. Markedly higher conditioning demands.

Green is a tree that has taken root. The body is ready and technique holds under load.

Sparring endurance across several consecutive rounds. Holding technique together under fatigue.

Green ripens into earth. Growth turns into steadiness and judgement.

Leading warm-ups and assisting with junior grades. Responsibility for younger students.

Brown is earth. It carries the others without drawing attention — the grade of responsibility.

Final student grade. Command of the whole kyu syllabus and preparation for the dan examination.

The first shadow falls on the earth. The last step before the path turns back to the basics.

First master grade. A multi-round kumite test and a belt embroidered with the holder's name.

Black absorbs every colour. Not the end of the path but a return to the beginning with an open mind.

Deeper technique and a more demanding kumite test. Regular teaching in the dojo.

Gold stripes on black mark the master grades. Each further one is an obligation more than a reward.

The grade associated with the title Sensei. Running one's own dojo and answering for its students.

Gold stripes on black mark the master grades. Each further one is an obligation more than a reward.

Responsibility beyond a single dojo — leading a region or a group of clubs.

Gold stripes on black mark the master grades. Each further one is an obligation more than a reward.

The grade associated with the title Shihan — teacher of teachers. Examining and training instructors.

Gold stripes on black mark the master grades. Each further one is an obligation more than a reward.

Long-standing technical and organisational work for the style, nationally or internationally.

Gold stripes on black mark the master grades. Each further one is an obligation more than a reward.

Recognition for decades of sustained work. Rarely awarded, and only by the organisation's highest body.

Gold stripes on black mark the master grades. Each further one is an obligation more than a reward.

The highest active grades. Their holders shape the direction of the style worldwide.

Gold stripes on black mark the master grades. Each further one is an obligation more than a reward.

An exceptionally rare grade, usually awarded only after a lifetime of service to the style.

Gold stripes on black mark the master grades. Each further one is an obligation more than a reward.

The highest grade. Kyokushin was founded by Masutatsu Oyama (1923–1994), who held the title Sosai.

Gold stripes on black mark the master grades. Each further one is an obligation more than a reward.