Belt Auction

What are the order of the belts in karate, and what is the proper name for the white suit that is worn?

Its a Shotokan school, by the way, if that makes a difference. My son has just started going and I don't want to make an @rse of myself by not knowing these things.

Public Comments

1. White; Green; Yellow, Orange; Red; Brown; Black then 1 to 7 Dan. (Not so sure about the green and yellow)
2. karate belt colours ..9th Kyu - white 8th Kyu - yellow 7th Kyu - orange 6th Kyu - green 5th Kyu - blue 4th Kyu - purple 3rd Kyu - brown 2nd Kyu - brown 2 1st Kyu - brown 3 1st Dan onwards - blac
3. The color and order of belts may vary from school to school. Best to ask someone at the school your son trains at. There may be a chart on the wall there. They are often in many dojo. As for the uniform the correct name is Doh-Gi. However most people only know it as a Gi. It is OK to just refer to it as a Gi. Gi sounds like "Gee".
4. Don't sweat it. Hardly anyone knows these things when they start. I always show students (and their parents for the young ones) how to properly wear their gi and tie the belts. If you still don't know after a year, maybe some people will look at you funny, but not right away. The exact color of the belts varies by style and sometimes schools within the style. In general though, you'll see the colors get darker as the student progresses. The only ones that are consistent are white (brand new), green (half-way), and black. Most schools have a display or some written material explaining their ranking system.
5. Fun fact: The first belt ranking system was used in a Shotokan school The ranking: White Yellow Orange Green Blue Brown Black The white suit is called a Gi. it's pronounced Jee.
6. It all depends on your style however this is the Eastern shotokan style: 10th Kyu - white 9th Kyu - red 8th Kyu - orange 7th Kyu - yellow 6th Kyu - green 5th Kyu - purple 4th Kyu - purple/white stripe 3rd Kyu - brown 2nd Kyu - brown/white stripe 1st Kyu- brown/2 white stripes 1st Dan onwards - black and the suit is called a 'gi' but i think its pronounced different to how its spelt.