Rank Advancement

Rank advancement in the Martial Arts is very important. It is a reflection of your personal training and effort. It is not something to take lightly. All Karate-ka should have pride in the rank they wear. It was earned!

Rank advancement is NOT a right of passage. Rank advancement IS a result of your "Conviction to training" and your "Commitment to your Art."

Here is your rank advancement schedule. Our sessions are 16-weeks long and each session you have the ability to test for the next rank, whether it is a stripe or belt test. So there must be at least 16 weeks of training for each student before they become eligible to test.

Here are the requirements to become test eligible:

A student MUST be currently active in training to be eligible for the current testing period.
A student's tuition Must be up-to-date and current in order to receive a new rank and/or certificate.
Attendance and effort points must be earned through your "In-Class" training during the session.
* If a student takes off one month of training, they will not lose any training points.
* If a student takes off two consecutive months of training, they will lose up to 15 training points.
* If a students takes off three or more consecutive months of training, they will lose all training points
A complete knowledge of your rank advancement requirements must be displayed during training times. Please use the links below for your current rank to make sure you are proficient at all requirements.
Eligible students must be current members, which means tuition must be up-to-date before a student can advance in rank.
Are you eligible to test? Check your status at the bottom of this page.

To review your training requirements, click on your current belt color:

A video link is attached to the requirements. Please note that the videos were made during the Covid pandemic and some statements made in the video are no longer applicable.

Beginner Video	Yellow Belt	Yellow Belt 1st Degree
Yellow Belt 2nd Degree	Orange Belt	Orange Belt 1st Degree
Orange Belt 2nd Degree	Blue Belt	Blue Belt 1st Degree
Blue Belt 2nd Degree	Purple Belt	Purple Belt 1st Degree
Purple Belt 2nd Degree	Green Belt	Green Belt 1st Degree
Green Belt 2nd Degree	Brown Belt	Brown Belt 1st Degree
Brown Belt 2nd Degree	Brown Belt 3rd Degree	Black Belt Requirements

Next available test:

"RAQ" (Rank Advancement Qualifier) April 29, 2024 through May 3, 2024

*During "RAQ" Week, ALL classes will be Rank Advancement Qualifying classes during every session. ALL students are encouraged to attend this week of testing.

*Only the students that have qualified to test through training points and attendance will be invited to participate in "The KIAI". You can check your promotion status in the graph below. Participation, and passing your test during "The KIAI" is the only way to advance in rank.

Monday, April 29, 2024 - At Rising Sun Martial Arts

5:30 PM - 6:00 PM: SuperKids Testing

6:00 PM - 6:45 PM: Beginner Karate Testing

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Karate (Age 15+) Testing

Tuesday, April 30, 2024 - At Rising Sun Martial Arts

5:30 PM - 6:45 PM: Karate (Ages6-9) Testing

6:30 PM - 7:45 PM: Karate (Ages 10-14) Testing

7:30 PM - 8:30 PM: Karate (Age 15+) Testing

Wednesday, May 1, 2024 - At Rising Sun Martial Arts

5:30 PM - 6:45 PM: Karate (Ages6-9) Testing

6:30 PM - 7:45 PM: Karate (Ages 10-14) Testing

7:30 PM - 8:30 PM: Karate (Age 15+) Testing

Friday, May 3, 2024 - At Rising Sun Martial Arts

5:30 PM - 6:45 PM: Karate (Ages6-9) Testing

6:30 PM - 7:45 PM: Karate (Ages 10-14) Testing

7:30 PM - 8:30 PM: Karate (Age 15+) Testing

Saturday, May 4, 2024 - At North Zion Lutheran Church

9:30 AM: "The KIAI" (Karate Inter-Rank Advancement Invitational)

If you qualified for the rank advancement test on Saturday, May 4, 2024, you should have received an invitation during a recent class. If you did not receive an invitation, you may be able to qualify for the next test in June.