What Is the Meaning of Karate Belts?
The belt system in karate is relatively new, dating back less than 100 years to 1916. Gichin Funakoshi, a man widely credited with introducing karate to Japan, initiated the belt system as a way to distance karate from its Chinese roots and appeal to Japan’s growing sense of national pride. Today, karate schools all over the world use the system of colored belts as a practical way to measure progress and recognize individual skill.
