The youngest pupils 10 and 9 kyu (student's degree) wear white belts. Pupils 8-7 kyu wear yellow belt, 6-5 kyu - Green Belt, 4-3 kyu - blue and 2 and 1 kyu - brown. Color zones corresponding to each kyu may vary depending on the style of karate, but usually start with white. Only holders of 1 kyu - higher degree of student mastery - allowed for exams 1 dan.
Danes in karate called stage workshops and their owners have the right to wear a black belt. Total number of Danes are also considered to be 10, but only a few worldwide reach 9 and 10 are given. Rate difficulty in obtaining one can be given by the fact that the level of 3-4 corresponds to 1 kyu sports categories. 1-2 kyu equivalent rank candidate master and 1 dan - the title of Master of Sports.
Given the purely practical importance of martial arts in the past, everyone knew that the system is assigning kyu and dan on the results of the competition would be in high injury and mortality among participants. Therefore, in the early twentieth century, the ball has developed a system of examinations for each kyu and dan. Subsequently, within each style of karate requirements for students and masters who claim to receive the next stage, changed. Currently, the program tests for each and every kyu given can vary greatly from one style to another karate. General examinations in the program is a requirement correctly and skillfully applied punches and kicks in the air at the place and on the move. In most styles of karate there is a requirement for minimum "training seniority" of the candidate or his or her age.
In some styles of Karate to the examinees are requirements for physical training. For example, squeeze their fists 100 times, squat jump out of 100 times, squeeze 95-kg barbell lying down with his chest, sit down with a 130-kg barbell. Often in the examination program includes tests for breaking solid objects. Applicants for student kyu is required to break a board with a certain thickness using pre-specified punch or kick. At the highest levels kyu already required to break a few boards in the various series of punches and kicks. An applicant for a black belt must not only be able to perform complex combination of punches, inaccessible to the untrained, but these attacks and break boards.
In addition, since the Middle student degree of skill in the examination program are often included training sparring demonstration. To successfully pass this test the candidate must show the ability to practice the techniques of karate. Candidates for the black belt requires the ability to successfully confront multiple enemies, as well as a series of successive sparring with fresh partners.
There is another option to get a black belt in karate, without exhausting themselves long-term training. Honorary black belt awarded to persons who have made an invaluable contribution to the development of sport. But it is necessary to hold the post of head of the region and tirelessly to take care of the development of sport in a subordinate entity of the Russian Federation. These belts have Putin, Luzhkov, some ministers in the government of the Russian Federation and the heads of some regions, as well as the well-known television journalists.