Kyu grades are the system of student ranks used in judo, karate and several other Japanese martial arts before a practitioner reaches black belt level. Unlike many everyday numbering systems, kyu grades count downward as a student improves: a beginner typically starts at a high numbered kyu, such as sixth or tenth kyu depending on the school, and works toward first kyu, the highest student grade, just before dan grades begin.
Each kyu grade is usually associated with a specific coloured belt, though the exact colours and number of grades differ between schools, federations and even countries, since kyu grading is not centrally standardised the way some competition rules are. Progressing through the kyu grades generally requires demonstrating specific techniques, forms or sparring skills in front of an instructor or grading panel, with the syllabus for each grade building on the one before it.
Our belt guide explains common colour sequences, and the entry on kata covers one type of material often tested at grading.
