White belts learn the four basic blocks, stepping punch and front kick. They must learn a sequence (kata) called Kihon and a prearranged 5-step sparring sequence.
Orange belts learn knife hand block, two side kicks and a new kata called Heian Shodan.
Red Belts combine the basic blocks with reverse punch, learn the triple punch and add the kata, Heian Nidan.
Yellow belts include downward block, backfist strike and spear-hand strike in their blocking combinations. Their new kata is Heian Sandan.
Green belts have longer blocking combinations and learn the roundhouse kick. They add kata Heian Yondan and include front kick and a side kick in their sparring.
Purple belts extend the blocking combinations further, learn the back kick and katas Heian Godan and Tekki Shodan. The 4th kyu sparring includes roundhouse kick.
At brown belt level, there is a shift in focus towards more realistic free-style fighting and the basic forms reflect this. Brown belts learn a 43-step kata called Bassai Dai.
Black belts work on perfecting their basic kata while adding a range of advanced kata. They aim to understand how the kata relate to self-defence and free-style fighting becomes of a greater importance.
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