When
you can pass "first test", break fall safely, and show a simple technique, your
club teacher can award you 6th kyu (the Japanese word kyu indicates a student).
This entitles you to wear a red belt on the mat.
After about six months of
practice, you should be ready for 5th Kyu - yellow belt. After that there's
orange, green, blue, brown and black. You can buy coloured belts through sports
shops or through the club, or progressively dye your original belt a darker
colour.
Grading isn't compulsory and
you're not in competition with other members of the club who started at the
same time to see who can get to black belt first. You can take as long as you
like. However, grading does give a focus to your practice and if you grade
regularly (initially the minimum time between gradings is every six months) you will find
your techniques will improve more quickly
When
you can pass "first test", break fall safely, and show a simple technique, your
club teacher can award you 6th kyu (the Japanese word kyu indicates a student).
This entitles you to wear a red belt on the mat.
After about six months of
practice, you should be ready for 5th Kyu - yellow belt. After that there's
orange, green, blue, brown and black. You can buy coloured belts through sports
shops or through the club, or progressively dye your original belt a darker
colour.
Grading isn't compulsory and
you're not in competition with other members of the club who started at the
same time to see who can get to black belt first. You can take as long as you
like. However, grading does give a focus to your practice and if you grade
regularly (initially the minimum time between gradings is every six months) you will find
your techniques will improve more quickly