8th Kyu Yellow Belt (2 month min. from White Belt)

•         Dojo Precepts
  • Humility
  • Self-Control
  • Integrity
  • Courtesy
  • Discipline
  • Perseverance
• Techniques
  • Straight Punch,
  • Upper Block
  • Palm Heel Block
  • Front Kick (Low, Middle, & High)
  • Crescent Kick Inside to Out
• Falls: Front Fall
• Self Defense:
  • NVP (Non Violent Posture)
  • Basic Distancing
  • Who is a stranger?
• Kata:
  • Basic Block Kata #1
  • Basic Block Kata #2

7th Kyu Orange Belt (2 month min. from Yellow Belt)

• Demonstrates all 7 Focus Positions
• Techniques:
  • Punches:
    • Hook Punch
    • Side Kick
    • Back Kick
  • Blocks:
    • Inside to Outside Middle Block
    • Outside to Inside Middle Block
  • Kicks
    • Roundhouse kick (Low, Middle, & High)
    • Palm Heel Strike
  • Stances:
    • Front Stance
  • Back Stance
• Sparring: Basic Combinations
• Falls:
  • Back Fall
  • Side Fall
• Kata:
  • Basic Block Kata #3
  • Basic Block Kata #4
• Self Defense: Bully Push Defense

6th Kyu Purple Belt (2month min. from Orange)

• Techniques:
  • Crescent Kick – Outside
  • Crescent Kick – In
  • Ax Kick
  • Hook Kick
• Sparring:
  • Body shifting
  • Weaving
  • Slipping
• Kata:
  • Cobra Strikes
  • Spinning Tiger
• Self Defense: Bully Punch Defense

5th Kyu-Blue Belt (2 months min. from purple belt)

• Techniques:
  • Spinning Back Kick
  • Jumping Front Kick
• Sparring:
  • Blocking and Counter Techniques
• Kata: Dragon Whips Its Tail
• Self Defense: Wrist Grab Defense

4th Kyu Green Belt (2 months min. from blue belt)

• Techniques:
  • Jumping Side Kick
  • Jumping Roundhouse
  • Kin Geri
• Sparring: Ability to read opponent
• Kata: Kihon Kata
• Self Defense: Lift and Carry Defense  

3rd Kyu Brown Belt (3 months min. from green belt)

• Techniques:
  • Low Line Kicks for Self Defense
  • Open Hand techniques for Self Defense
• Sparring:
  • Broken Rhythm
  • Faking
  • Angle attacks
• Kata: Taikyoku  
• Self Defense: Hair Pull from Front and Back

2nd Kyu Brown Belt (3 months min. from Brown 3)

• Techniques: Advanced Hand & Foot Combinations
• Sparring: Conditioning & Endurance
• Kata: Sagogi Ichi
• Self Defense: Front Kick Defense

1st Kyu Brown Belt (3 months min. from Brown 2)

• Techniques: Can begin to demonstrate Bunkai from Kata
• Sparring:
  • Refine concepts
  • Improve on speed & timing
• Kata: Sagogi Ni
• Self Defense: Round Kick Defense (Low, Middle, & High)

Jr. Black Belt (3 months min from Brown 1)

• Techniques: Demonstrate all Set self defense learned
• Fitness Requirement:
  • 25 Push-ups
  • 50 Sit-ups
  • 250 Jumping Jacks     
• Leadership: Able to lead entire class through basics using Proper Japanese terminology
• Kata:
  • Naihanchi Shodan
  • Bo Shodan
• Written: Write a one- page essay titled: “What I have learned on my path to black belt”.

WAITING PERIOD BETWEEN BELTS: The waiting period was established to ensure that the student has the knowledge necessary to test to the next rank. It is not a time requirement, but a minimum class requirement based on an average of two classes per week. This means that during a two month period between beginner rank belts, it is to be understood that the student will attend at least 16 regular classes to prepare for the next rank, and during the three month period between advanced rank, he/she must attend at least 24 regular classes. Therefore, if a student comes to class sporadically, it is likely that he/she will not test after the 2-3 month waiting period, but at a later date when they have attended the required number of classes and demonstrated that the knowledge to represent the desired rank has been achieved. As the student progresses to advanced rank, this will be more strictly enforced at the discretion of the Sosais.