Belt Ranks

The chart below illustrates the ranking structure used at Golden Leopard Kempo. Based mainly on the Kajukenbo ranking system, it includes elements of the Chinese Kenpo system.

The reason for designing a belt system is to introduce more consistency in the ranking evolution. This system also allows the student to receive a new belt at each advancement.

Level	Appearance	Name
Grandmaster Ranks		Tenth Degree Black Belt
		Ninth Degree Black Belt
		Eighth Degree Black Belt
Master Ranks		Seventh Degree Black Belt
		Sixth Degree Black Belt
		Fifth Degree Black Belt
Expert Ranks		Fourth Degree Black Belt
		Third Degree Black Belt
Advanced Ranks		Second Degree Black Belt
		First Degree Black Belt
Intermediate Ranks		First Brown Belt
		Second Brown Belt
		Third Brown Belt
		First Green Belt
		Second Green Belt
Beginner Ranks		First Blue Belt
		Second Blue Belt
		First Purple Belt
		Second Purple Belt
Candidate Ranks		Orange Belt
		Yellow Belt
		White Belt

Explanation

Our belts differ from the standard KGS method. In the grade levels, we opt for new belts with a center stripe to designate the progress through ranks. Having an old belt embroidered or adding electrical tape to signify advancement is either to difficult to administrate or anti-climatic, respectively.

For dan ranks, we sought a consistent, visual flow from first to tenth. Several of the belts are inconsistent and unappealing. Specifically, we didn't like the sixth, ninth and tenth belts. We thought a change in these ranks would show a better progression.

Customarily, tenth dans wear a solid red belt. That was an easy change for us to remove the gold trim. The sixth seems out of place with a white stripe. There are no other belts with white in the black belt ranks. Most kenpo systems use a large red section for fifth, which allows for quick recognition of fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth ranks. We liked this concept, so we moved the kajukenbo-based fifth belt up one level to represent sixth, allowing us to utilize the familiar kenpo fifth belt for our fifth rank. This works well visually. The seventh belt is now a transitional point.

The dan ranks start out all black and progressively become all red. The belts mirror each other with seventh as the center. Each belt now looks attractive and a visual flow is maintained.

For regular training, all black belts should wear a plain black belt without rank identifiers. The belts described above are for special occasions and ceremonies.

When we attend KGS functions, all students will adhere to the KGS belt rank conventions.

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