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Kids Martial Arts Grading – What You Need to Know

An important part of a child’s training, grading is a test and acknowledgement of their progress as a martial artist. Similar to school exams, students must stay focused while training, and go over and consolidate old and new information by training at home and revise all of their required sets before grading. At ICC, we are the trusted choice for kids martial arts in Sydney, and we love seeing the benefits martial arts brings to kids of all ages. Let’s take a look at what’s involved with grading, what it means and why it is important.

What Does Grading Mean?

Coloured belt gradings can be thought of as stepping stones on the path to a student’s goal of reaching black belt. Kids will be tested on what they have learnt at their current belt, to see if they are ready to progress to the next level and also help them build their confidence to set higher goals in everything they do. There are many belts to earn, starting with white going through to black.

White Belt – White signifies a birth, or beginning. A white belt student is a beginner searching for knowledge of the Art.

Yellow Belt – Yellow signifies the first ray of light on a seed, starting a new life into the world. The opening of new knowledge and experience.

Orange Belt – Orange represents the growing power of the sun as it warms the earth to prepare for new growth. At this point the student is starting to acquire some techniques and put them into practice.

Green Belt – Green signifies the growth of a seedling, reaching toward the sun and beginning to transform into a recognisable plant. A green belt student has a basic understanding of the style and the amount of training necessary to strengthen and refine their techniques to move forward.

Blue Belt – Blue signifies a plant growing taller and reaching for the sky. This stage is all about growing and developing, the building of knowledge and starting to perfect the basic techniques.

Purple Belt – Purple represents the changing sky of dawn, the student undergoes a new change and prepares for the transition to advanced student. A purple belt begins to understand the meaning of the black belt.

Brown Belt – Brown represents strengthening of the bark on the plant, the toughening of the plant and protecting itself. Brown belts will start to help other students in class and help build their own knowledge through teaching and practice.

Red Belt – Red signifies a full burst of the sun to fill the plant with all the nutrients and life it needs. Red is a sign of danger, and the red belt is beginning to become dangerous with their knowledge and abilities.

Black Belt – Black signifies the darkness beyond the Sun. A black belt seeks new and more profound knowledge of the Art and helps others develop their style while growing themselves.

How Long Will It Take to Reach Black Belt?

The journey through the grading system is a personal one, so there is no definitive answer for how long it takes a student to reach his or her black belt. The average time however would be around 5 years. It’s important to keep in mind that gradings occur more frequently as a beginner and the time between gradings increases as you progress.

What Is Involved in Grading?

When a student has completed their minimum time period and lessons on a particular belt, and have gained a strong grasp of the technical requirements for their current grade, their instructor will book them in to attend a Regional Grading. Students are only tested on the techniques required for their belt grade. Immediately after the grading, a formal presentation occurs where students are awarded Grading Certificates.

Grading for children must be a positive experience. In a very competitive world, it is important that kids learn the importance of working hard towards achieving their goals. If your child is interested in learning martial arts or if you would like to know more about our classes, get in touch with the team at ICC today. Highly regarded as the best academy for kids martial arts Sydney residents know and trust, there’s no better place for your kids to practice Karate, Kickboxing or BJJ – contact us online now.

Give our BJJ program a go and experience the improvements to all of these fields. It is considered to be an excellent first style where the skills are easily transferable.

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