Rank and Grading
The rank and belt system in IOGKF Goju Ryu is shown in the table below. A beginner first grades to 10th kyu (white belt) and works towards 1st kyu.
Rank |
Belt Colour |
|---|---|
10th kyu |
White |
9th kyu |
Blue |
8th kyu |
Blue with tab |
7th kyu |
Yellow |
6th kyu |
Yellow with tab |
5th kyu |
Green |
4th kyu |
Green with tab |
3rd kyu |
Brown |
2nd kyu |
Brown with tab |
1st kyu |
Brown with 2 tabs |
After 1st kyu, the next grading is a black belt. These begin at 1st dan (shodan) and work up.
A goju-ryu black belt takes approximately 5-6 years to obtain with regular training, but this can vary by the individual.
A black belt will often have the owner's name written on it in japanese. It does not indicate the level/degree of the black belt.
Note that white with one or two tabs have been replaced by blue and blue with a tab.