Defense, Respect, Honor
Why Belt Rankings??
Though one can learn to be an proficient fighter without testing for a belt. And I have said and understand why "A belt just hold up your pants" and "The spirit of an art lies within the Practitioner, not in his rank". We( like most traditional martial arts) use rankings to make training more systematic and thorough. The belt merely signifies the length of dedicated time in training. Methodical training with periodic physical and knowledge testing's keep students on track. Students know how they are progressing and what to work on next.
The set requirements and ranks make sure no techniques are neglected in a students training. Without set requirements individuals must rely on what they are already adept at, and it is harder to expand from that comfort zone. We know everyone who has achieved rank before us has gone through the same process and can see how each person gains fluidity, efficiency and power as their training continues.
It is not a race with any other student, It is a drive for those who wish to improve oneself and achieve by testing oneself. After every hard testing I have gone through I felt a sense of satisfaction that only comes after months and years of demanding training. During A testing each individual is graded by certified black belts. Students must score 80% or higher to pass. So if people in the post test pictures look flushed, have messed-up hair and are really tired but proud, there is a reason.
Click on picture for larger view
Belt ranking(kyu) colors are:
WHITE -YELLOW -BLUE -GREEN -PURPLE -BROWN(3 levels) -BLACK(dan ranks)
Here are some of the things students must learn to attain these ranks:
Basics; (Fundamental movements to build strength, coordination and minimize ones openings to attack)
Ukemi/Nagi; (How to Fall and later Throw, without injury )
Kata; (pre-arranged defensive and offensive techniques used to simulate attackers from all directions, and is used for solitary practice, and expression of ones Martial ability. These contain a wealth of knowledge).
Self defense: (Bunkai often taken from, Basics and Kata often incorporating throws and falls).
Sparring: (free form competition against other practitioners using, and testing, the effectiveness of an individuals striking and grappling techniques).
Board Breaking: (often used to display a students accuracy and power. A confidence builder).
Shorinji Goshin Do Karate is a combination of Okinawan Karate and Aki-Jutsu designed to bring harmony of mind and body, self respect and honor. It teaches ways to defend against striking and grappling Aggression.
Junior Jutsu is a from of self-defense art designed for Children. Knowledge is broken down into smaller sections to build confidence, Practical Safety and to prepare them to possibly continue in Shorinji Goshin Do Karate as a teen or adult.. All Kata and Waza(techniques) learned will count toward the adult requirements..
This Chart shows the differences in kata requirements of both Arts:
Basic Waza(techniques) YELLOW BELT
Falls & Throw BLUE BELT
Hajimete undo no Karate YELLOW BELT GREEN BELT
Futatsu me undo no Karate PURPLE BELT
Mittsu me undo no Karate BLUE BELT BROWN BELT#1
Hein shodan Kata shodan BROWN BELT#2
Ugoku ni Roku Ho GREEN BELT BROWN BELT#3
Wunsu Junior BLACK BELT
Yattsu me undo no Karate PURPLE BELT
Hein Yondan
Bando no undo
Saifa BROWN BELT#1
Naihanchi Shodan BROWN BELT#2
Seiyuchin BROWN BELT#3
Kishustat Sugeki BLACK BELT 1ST DEGREE
Chinto BLACK BELT 2ND DEGREE
Sanseru BLACK BELT 3RD DEGREE
Shisochin BLACK BELT 4TH DEGREE
Suparunpei BLACK BELT 5TH DEGREE
Tensho
: I come to you with only Karate, I have no weapons, But should I be forced to defend myself, my principles or my Honor, should it be a matter of life or death, right or wrong, then here are my weapons. Karate {empty hands}
Karate ni santi nashi
{There is no first attack in Karate}
Numerals
ichi one roku six
ni two shichi seven
san three hachi eight
shi four ku nine
go five ju ten
Class Terminology
kyu level below black belt
dan black belt level
dojo school
rei bow
sensei teacher
bunkai form(kata) interpretation
kyoto your teachers teacher
shihan master teacher
kyoshi senior ranking master in system
sempi senior ranking student
iro obi experienced student
shiro obi beginning student(white belt)
junbi undo formal stretching/calisthenics
sensei ni rei bow to teacher
otagai ni rei bow to each other
hajime begin
mate stop
mawatte turn
renzoki continuous
migi right
hidari left
heisoku instep of foot
do way, path of learning
renshu practice
mokusoh meditation
seiza formal way of sitting
kime focus
makiwara karate punching board
semete attacker
waza technique
te hand
geri kick
kumite sparring
Karate empty hand(Chinese hand)
gi uniform
ma-ai distancing
ju-jo critical margin(technique control)
deshi student
dachi stance
uke block
heisoku (inside)arch of foot
kata preset arrangment of
defensive and offensive techniques,
against imagined attackers, for solitary practice
and expression of martial art.
Target Areas
jodan face chudan chest
gedan lower trunk keibu neck
kyobu chest area heibu back
fukubu stomach atama head
Blocks(uke)
age uke rising block(over head)
yoko uke/morote uke outward midsection block
gedan barai uke downward block
ude uke inward block(forearm)
osae uke pressing block(palm)
shuto uke knifehand block(any)
juju uke X block(both arms)
tsukamu uke grasping block
sukui uke scooping block
Stances(dachi)
heisoku dachi attention
hachiji dachi open leg(informal attention)
fudo dachi rooted stance
zenketsu dachi forward stance
kokutsu dachi backward stance
kiba dachi horse stance
neko ashi dachi cat stance
tsuru dachi crane stance
ni-kobushi dachi two fisted fighting stance(usually from cat stance)
sochin dachi diagonal straddle leg stance
sanchin dachi small hourglass stance
hangetsu dachi wide hourglass stance
shiko dachi ripping stance
Striking techniques(hands)
uchi strike(any)
tsuki punch(closed fist any)
seiken forfist
reiken backfist
shuto knifehand
haito ridgehand
tettsui bottom fist
teisho heel of hand
hiraken four knuckle fist
empi elbow
ura tsuki uppercut punch
ura empi uchi upward elbow strike
ushiro empi uchi backward elbow strike
seiken oi tsuki pursuit punch
seiken choka tsuki forward leg punch
seiken gyaku tsuki reverse leg punch
hasu shuto uchi downward knifehand strike
tate shuto uchi bend knifehand strike
makikome shuto uchi winding knifehand strike
Kicking techniques(legs)
keri(geri in phrase) kick
tobi jump
mae front
yoko side
kake hook
keeage snapping
kekomi thrusting
koshi ball of foot
hittsui knee
sokuto knife edge of foot
soto outside
mae geri front leg rising(check/block)
yoko geri side leg rising(check/block)
mae geri keeage front snap kick
mae geri kekomi front thrust kick
yoko geri keeage side snap kick
yoko geri kekomi side thrust kick
ushiro geri kekomi backward thrust kick
hittsui geri keeage knee snap kick
maewashi geri roundhouse kick
fumikomi geri stomping kick
mikazuki geri crescent kick
nami ashi uke foot reap/strike
mae tobi geri keeage front jump snap kick
yoko tobi geri keeage side jump snap kick
Eight points of harmony
ONE
EIGHT TWO
SEVEN X THREE
SIX FOUR
FIVE
these are the eight directions of attack and defense.
Te Waza
* 1. seiken oi tsuki. zenketsu dachi
(pursuit punch) (forward stance)
* 2. seiken gyaku tsuki. zenketsu dachi
(reverse punch)
* 3. age uke, seiken gyaku tsuki. zenketsu dachi
(high block, reverse punch)
* 4. yoko uke, seiken gyaku tsuki . zenketsu dachi
(midsection block, reverse punch)
* 5. gedan barai uke, seiken gyaku tsuki. zenketsu dachi
(lower block, reverse punch)
* 6. age shuto uke, seiken gyaku jodan tsuki. kokutsu dachi, zenketsu dachi
(high knifehand block, reverse face punch) (backward stance, forward stance)
* 7. yoko shuto uke, seiken gyaku jodan tsuki. kokutsu dachi, zenketsu dachi
(midsection knifehand block, reverse face punch)
* 8. gedan barai shuto uke, seiken kokutsu dachi, zenketsu dachi gyaku jodan tsuki.
(lower knifehand block, reverse face punch)
* 9. ura tsuki, seiken gyaku tsuki kokutsu dachi, zenketsu dachi (uppercut punch, reverse punch)
* 10.yoko uke, go renzoki tsuki. kokutsu dachi, zenketsu dachi
(midsection block, five midsection punches)
* 11. yoko shuto uke, go renzoki tsuki. zenketsu dachi
(midsection knifehand block, five punches) (forward stance)
* 12. yoko shuto uke, go renzoki hasu shuto uchi. zenketsu dachi
(midsection knifehand block, five downward knifehand strikes)
* 13. osae uke, ni haito uchi. zenketsu dachi
(pressing block, two ridgehand strikes)
* 14. osae uke, ni tate shuto uchi. zenketsu dachi
(pressing block, two bent knifehand strikes)
* 15. ura empi, ushiro empi. niko ashi dachi
(upward elbow/backward elbow) (cat stance)
Keri Waza
* 1. mae geri keeage. zenketsu dachi
(front snap kick) (forward stance)
* 2. maewashi geri zenketsu dachi
(roundhouse kick)
* 3. fumikomi geri kiba dachi
(stomping kick) (horse stance)
* 4. yoko geri kekomi kiba dachi
(side thrust kick)
* 5. yoko geri kekomi-keeage kiba dachi
(side thrust kick, side snap kick)
* 6. Mae geri kekomi-keeage. zenketsu dachi
(front thrust kick, front snap kick)
* 7. ni mikazuki geri. zenketsu dachi
(two crescent kicks inward and out)
* 8. ushiro geri kekomi zenketsu dachi
(backwards thrust kick)
* 9. hittsui geri zenketsu dachi
(knee strike/kick)
* 10. hittsui geri, yoko geri kekomi. zenketsu dachi
(knee strike/kick, side thrust kick)
* 11. tobi mae geri keeage. niko ashi dachi
(jump front snap kick) (cat stance)
* 12. mae geri kekomi, maewashi geri. niko ashi dachi
(front thrust kick, roundhouse kick)
* 13. yoko geri kekomi, kake geri. niko ashi dachi
(side thrust kick, hook kick)
* 14. maewashi geri, ushiro geri kekomi. niko ashi dachi
(roundhouse kick, spin back thrust kick)
* 15. mae geri keeage, mikazuki geri, yoko niko ashi dachi
geri keeage.
(front snap kick, crescent kick, side thrust kick)
Belt Levels
For adult Shorinji Goshin Do-Karate
White belt(hachikyu):
requirments; none.
Yellow belt(shichikyu):
*****************
(kata),
Hajimete undo no karate,
Futatsu me undo no karate,
interpretation from kata (bunkai),
first five te waza, first five geri waza,
self defense(goshin do waza), taken from kata, te waza
and geri waza,
Falling ways,
sparring,
board break(extra credit).
Blue belt(rokukyu):
***************
(kata),
Mittsu me undo no karate,
Hein shodan kata shodan,
interpretation from kata (bunkai),
first ten te waza, first ten geri waza,
self defense(goshin do waza),
falling ways(ukeme),
sparring,
board break(one board).
Green belt(gokyu):
**************
(kata),
Ukoku ni roku ho,
Wunsu,
interpretation from kata (bunkai),
fifteen basic te waza, fifteen basic geri waza,
class terminology,
self defense (goshin do waza),
falling ways, basic throw,
sparring,
board break(two boards*).
Purple belt(yonkyu):
***************
(kata)
Yattsu me undo no karate,
Hein yondan,
Bando no undo,
interpretation from kata (bunkai),
basic te waza basic geri waza,
class termiology,
first five self defense (goshin do waza),
falling ways, basic throws,
five basic wrist locks, five basic arm locks,
sparr multiple attackers (one and two at a time),
board break(threeboards*).
Brown belt(sankyu):
***************
(kata)
Sai Fa,
interpretation from kata (bunkai),
all basic te waza and geri waza (more precision/power),
terminology,
ten self defense (goshin do waza),
first ten kumite waza,
application and defense/reversal of five basic wrist locks and arm locks,
falls, throws,
sparr multiple attackers (one, two and three at a time),
board break(threeboards*).
Brown belt(nikyu):
**************
(kata),
Naihanchi Shodan,
interpretation from kata (bunkai),
all basic te waza, geri waza (improved precision/power),
self defense(free form),
all fifteen kumite waza,
improved precision in application/reversal of wrist locks, arm locks,
falls, throws,
critical margin(jujo),
gun and knife defense(also must choose a weapon to begin training),
sparr multiple attackers (one, two and three at a time),
board break(three boards*).
Brown belt(ikkyu):
**************
(kata),
Seiyuchin,
interpretation from kata (bunkai),
weapon form,(convert existing form or construct one)
all basic te waza, geri waza,kumite waza,
interpretation from kata(bunkai),
previous requirements showing an ability to teach with patience and practicality,
display weapon form and techniques,
sparr: obtaining control without injuring attacker, using hands only, using feet only, multiple attackers(one,two,three and four),
advanced breaking ability(four boards*).
Black belt(shodan):
***************
(kata),
Kishustot sugeki,
interpretation from kata (bunkai),
weapon form(show improvement),
perfection of all basic techniques to the best of individual ability(judged by testing board),
improvement in all more advanced techniques,
display ability to defend/attack and disarm (gun, knife and chosen weapon),
interpretation from kata(bunkai),
increased knowledge of all falls, throws, wrist and arm locks, display terminology proficiency, all previous sparring requirements,
advanced breaking ability(five boards).
*note: multiple boards with basic technique, single boards with multi-station break, or one board counts as two for advanced jumping/spinning techniques.