Katas and black belt qualification

 Basic Karate Katas

Now that you understand a bit about the katas themselves, let’s dive into the different styles. Over the years since Gichin Funakoshi introduced Karate to the world outside Okinawa, different styles of Karate have spun off. 

Each style has its own Kata list, though some Katas appear on multiple lists. Let’s look at a handful of the most common Karate styles and their Katas here.

Karate Kata List

Black Belt Qualification;

1st Dan Requirements

Minimum age of 16 years old

Demonstration of form and practical fighting/applications

Written essay and video essay

Application Fee: $100

2nd Dan Requirements

Minimum 3 year required after earning black belt 1st dan

Holder of 1st Dan for at least 1 year (Optional)

Minimum age of 23 years old

Minimum 3 years of teaching experience (assistant instructor also qualify)

Demonstration of form and practical fighting/applications

Written essay and video essay

Application Fee: $130

3rd Dan Requirements

Minimum 6 year required after earning black belt 2nd dan

Holder of 2nd Dan for at least 2 years (Optional)

Minimum age of 26 years old

Minimum 6 years of teaching experience (assistant instructor also qualify)

Demonstration of form and practical fighting/applications

Written essay and video essay

Application Fee: $160

4th Dan Requirements

Minimum 10 year required after earning black belt

Holder of 3rd Dan for at least 3 years (Optional)

Minimum age of 30 years old

Minimum 10 years of teaching experience

Demonstration of form and practical fighting/applications

Written essay and video essay

Application Fee: $200

5th Dan Requirements

Minimum 15 year required after earning black belt

Holder of 4th Dan for at least 4 years (Optional)

Minimum age of 35 years old

Minimum 15 years of teaching experience

Demonstration of form and practical fighting/applications

Written essay and video essay

Application Fee: $230

6th Dan Requirements

Minimum 21 year required after earning black belt

Holder of 5th Dan for at least 5 years (Optional)

Minimum age of 40 years old

Minimum 20 years of teaching experience required

Demonstration of form and practical fighting/applications

Written essay and video essay

Application Fee: $260

7th Dan Requirements

Minimum 28 year required after earning black belt

Holder of 6th Dan for at least 6 years (Optional)

Minimum age of 50 years old

Minimum 30 years of teaching experience

Demonstration of form and practical fighting/applications

Written essay and video essay

Publication of media materials: Articles, Books, and/or Instructional DVDs (Optional)

Application Fee: $360

8th Dan Requirements

Minimum 36 year required after earning black belt

Holder of 7th Dan for at least 7 years (Optional)

Minimum age of 55 years old

Minimum 35 years of teaching experience |

Demonstration of form and practical fighting/applications

Written essay and video essay

Publication of media materials: Articles, Books, and/or Instructional DVDs (Optional)

Application Fee: $480

9th Dan Requirements

Minimum 45 year required after earning black belt

Holder of 8th Dan for at least 8 years (Optional)

Minimum age of 60 years old

Minimum 40 years of teaching experience

Demonstration of form and practical fighting/applications

Written essay and video essay

Publication of media materials: Articles, Books, and/or Instructional DVDs (Optional)

Application Fee: $600