This will be your second purple belt grading as part of the Shotokan grading syllabus. Apart from a new kata, the kihon techniques that are required for this grading are almost the same as the previous 5th kyu grading.
However, this does not mean you don’t need to work hard between the two gradings and are guaranteed to be awarded the 4th kyu.
You should still train consistently and continuously improve your techniques and understanding. Rankings are a recognition of your progress and should not be your training goal.
In this post, we will look at grading requirements for your second purple belt level (4th kyu) and how to best prepare for this grading.
How long does it take to get your 4th kyu in Shotokan karate?
It takes a minimum of 3 months to get from 5th kyu to 4th kyu and you also need to meet the minimum training time requirements such as 36 training hours or 30 to 35 training sessions.
However, as mentioned in the last post of this series, at this level, the minimum training time is usually for someone who is very athletic, trains hard and consistently and improves their techniques dramatically in this period of time.
Most students would take 4 to 6 months to progress from 5th kyu to 4th kyu. Some even take a lot longer because they don’t have the time to train regularly.
Generally, you would expect to spend from 9 to 12 months on the purple belt level (5th and 4th kyu).
It doesn’t matter how long it takes you to get to the next level, what matters is the effort you put in each training session and how much you learn after each session.
It doesn’t matter if someone is awarded a 4th kyu in a shorter time period than you, what matters is you are always doing your best and progressing at your own pace.
How to prepare for your purple belt (4th kyu) grading?
By now, you would have trained for about 2 years at least and know well the grading procedures.
The best preparation for every grading is to always put 100% effort into your training at every training session and make the best of your time on the dojo floor.
Purple belt is the period of transitioning to a more advanced level and you should begin thinking beyond merely learning the basic techniques.
Start thinking about how you can increase the speed of your techniques. As you spend more time on the dojo floor, you will gain more confidence and will be more relaxed, and you will be able to increase the speed of execution.
Start thinking about how you can generate more power for your techniques. The power of your techniques mainly comes from the dantian and that’s why hip rotation exercises are greatly emphasized in Shotokan karate training. Explosive power only comes when you learn how to whip your hip correctly.
Start visualizing fighting an opponent when performing your kata, this helps develop your unconscious reactions in actual combat.
Start thinking about how you can apply aspects of the katas that you’ve learned in sparring. Karate is first and foremost an art of self-defense.
Start thinking about choosing intercepting and counter-attack techniques that suit you best and use them in sparring practice.
There are only a limited number of techniques in karate and learning the forms doesn’t take much time. However, being able to execute them with power and speed and apply them effectively in actual combat requires many years of dedicated training.
Shotokan purple belt (4th kyu) grading requirements
There are four technique areas that you need to demonstrate for your purple belt (4th kyu) grading: kihon, kata, kumite and ukemi waza.
1. Kihon
To get a purple belt in Shotokan, you generally need to know the following stances and techniques.
- Stances:
- Zenkutsu Dachi
- Kokutsu Dachi
- Kiba Dachi
- Techniques:
- Oi tsuki
- Gyaku tsuki
- Age uke
- Soto ude uke
- Uchi ude uke
- Yoko empi
- Kizami tsuki
- Nukite
- Shuto uke
- Mae ren-geri
- Mawashi geri
- Yoko geri keage
- Yoko geri kekomi
- Uraken
- Ushiro geri
In the grading, you will be required to perform these techniques as listed below. The examiner will count and the general rule is one count, one move.
Sanbon tsuki (three punches)
- Start in a ready stance (yoi dachi) and then change to a left zenkutsu dachi with a left gedan barai
- Step forward into right front stance (migi zenkutsu dachi) and perform three punches: Jodan oi tsuki (migi), Chudan oi tsuki (hidari) and Chudan oi tsuki (migi)
- Step forward into left front stance (hidari zenkutsu dachi) and perform three punches: Jodan oi tsuki (hidari), Chudan oi tsuki (migi) and Chudan oi tsuki (hidari)
- Repeat the above as directed by the examiner.
Gyaku tsuki sanbon (reverse punch to the chest, punch to the face, and reverse punch to the chest)
- Start in a ready stance (yoi dachi) and then change to a left zenkutsu dachi with a left gedan barai
- Step forward into right front stance (migi zenkutsu dachi) and perform 3 punches: a reverse punch with your left hand (hidari gyaku tsuki) aiming at the chest, followed by a lunge punch to the face (migi jodan oi tsuki) and another reverse punch to the chest (hidari gyaku tsuki)
- Step forward into left front stance (hidari zenkutsu dachi) and perform 3 punches again: migi gyaku tsuki aiming at the chest, hidari jodan oi tsuki aiming at the face, and migi gyaku tsuki aiming at the chest
- Repeat the above as directed by the examiner
Age uke (rising block), Gedan barai (lower block) and Gyaku tsuki (reverse punch)
- Start in a ready stance (yoi dachi) and then change to a left zenkutsu dachi with a left gedan barai
- Step backward into right front stance with the body making a 45 degree angle (migi hanmi zenkutsu dachi) and perform a rising block with your right hand (migi jodan age uke), immediately followed by a lower block (gedan barai) with the same hand. Counter-attack with a reserve punch (hidari gyaku tsuki)
- Step backward into left front stance (hidari hanmi zenkutsu dachi) and perform a rising block with your left hand (hidari jodan age uke), immediately followed by a lower block (gedan barai) with the same hand. Counter-attack with a reverse punch (migi gyaku tsuki)
- Repeat the above technique as directed by the examiner.
Note that the first move is to go backward in order to create an extra layer of safety in case your block misses the attack or is not strong enough.
The same rule applies to other combinations of block and counterattack techniques listed below.
When performing the above combination of techniques, imagine someone is coming for you with a straight punch to the face, followed by a gedan punch or a kick. You move backward and block with an age uke and a gedan barai, then immediately counter-attack with a gyaku tsuki .
Soto ude uke (block from outside inwards), Yoko empi (sideway elbow attack) and Uraken (back fist strike)
- Start in a ready stance (yoi dachi) and then change to a left zenkutsu dachi with a left gedan barai
- Step backward into a right front stance (migi hanmi zenkutsu dachi), perform an outside-inward block with your right hand (migi soto ude uke) and immediately counterattack with a migi yoko empi and migi uraken in kiba dachi stance
- Step backward into a left front stance (hidari hanmi zenkutsu dachi), perform an outside-inward block with your left hand (hidari soto ude uke) and immediately counterattack with a hidari yoko empi and hidari uraken in kiba dachi stance
- Repeat the above technique as directed by the examiner.
When performing this combination of techniques, imagine someone is coming for you with a straight punch to the chest. You move backward and block with a soto ude uke, then immediately counterattack with yoko empi and uraken using the same hand.
Uchi ude uke (block from inside to outside), Kizami tsuki (leading arm punch) and Gyaku tsuki (reverse punch)
- Start in a ready stance (yoi dachi) and then change to a left zenkutsu dachi with a left gedan barai
- Step backward into a right front stance (migi hanmi zenkutsu dachi) and perform an inside-outward block with your right hand (migi uchi ude uke) and counter-attack immediately using the same hand with a lead-arm punch (kizami tsuki), followed by a hidari gyaku tsuki
- Step backward into a left front stance (hidari hanmi zenkutsu dachi) and perform an inside-outward block with your left hand (hidari uchi ude uke) and counter-attack immediately using the same hand with a lead-arm punch (kizami tsuki), followed by a migi gyaku tsuki
- Repeat the above technique as directed by the examiner.
When performing this combination of techniques, visualize that someone is coming for you with a straight punch to the chest, you move backward and block with a uchi ude uke and immediately counter-attack with a kizami tsuki and a gyaku tsuki.
Shuto uke (knife-hand block), Kizami geri (front leg kick) and Nuki-te (spear hand strike)
- Start in a ready stance (yoi dachi)
- Step backward with your right leg into a back stance (kokutsu dachi) and perform a knife-hand block with your left hand (hidari shuto uke), followed by a leading leg kick (hidari kizami geri) and a migi nuki-te (spear hand strike) in zenkutsu dachi
- Step backward with your left leg into a back stance (kokutsu dachi) and perform a knife-hand block with your right hand (migi shuto uke), followed by leading leg kick (migi kizami geri) and a hidari nuki-te (spear hand strike) in zenkutsu dachi
- Repeat the above technique as directed by the examiner.
When performing this combination of techniques, visualize someone is coming for you with a chudan attack, you move backward and block with a shuto uke and then counterattack with a leading leg kick (usually aiming to destroy the front knee of the opponent) and a spear-hand strike.
Mae ren-geri (front kicks to jodan and chudan levels)
- Start in a ready stance and then change to a left zenkutsu dachi in kamae position
- Perform a front kick with the right leg to the face level (jodan mae geri), land the right leg into zenkutsu dachi stance then perform chudan mae geri with the left leg
- Perform a front kick with the left leg to the face level (jodan mae geri), land the left leg into a zenkutsu dachi stance then perform chudan mae geri with the right leg
- Repeat the above as directed by the examiner.
Mawashi geri (roundhouse kick) and Gyaku tsuki (reverse punch)
- Start in a ready stance and then change to a left zenkutsu dachi, hands in kamae position
- Perform a roundhouse kick with the right leg, landing in a right zenkutsu dachi (kamae position) then do a reverse punch with the left hand (hidari gyaku tsuki)
- Perform a roundhouse kick with the left leg, landing in a left zenkutsu dachi (kamae position) then do a reverse punch with the right hand (migi gyaku tsuki)
- Repeat the above as directed by the examiner.
Yoko ren-geri (side snap kick and side thrust kick using the same leg)
- Start in a ready stance
- Step to the right hand side into a horse riding stance (kiba dachi) and perform a side snap kick with your right leg (migi yoko geki keage) and side thrust kick (migi yoko geri kekomi)
- Repeat the above as directed by the examiner (you are likely required to do five kicks to the right and then turn around and do another five kicks to the left).
Ushiro geri (back kick)
- Start in a ready stance and then change to a left zenkutsu dachi, hands in kamae position
- Turn around and perform a back kick with the right leg, landing in a right zenkutsu dachi
- Turn around and perform a back kick with the left leg, landing in a left zenkutsu dachi
- Repeat the above as directed by the examiner.
It is important to note that while some of the techniques above have been examined in previous gradings, you are expected to execute the techniques substantially better than someone at orange or green belt levels in terms of accuracy, power, and speed.
2. Kata
You will perform Heian Godan kata for this grading and may be asked to perform a Heian kata from your previous gradings as well.
Below are demonstrations of the Heian Godan by Nakayama Masatoshi sensei and one of Masao Kagawa sensei’s senior students, Koji Arimoto.
3. Kumite
For your purple belt (4th kyu) grading, you are required to perform the following Kihon Ippon Kumite techniques (basic one-step sparring exercises).
You may also be asked to demonstrate Kihon Ippon Kumite techniques that are part of previous gradings.
Jodan
- Jodan Number 4: Attack with Jodan oi tsuki. Defend with Jodan juji uke (crossed wrist block) and counter-attack with Mawashi geri and Ushiro empi
- Jodan Number 5: Attack with Jodan oi tsuki. Defend with Age uke and counter-attack with Mae geri and Age empi
Chudan
- Chudan Number 4: Attack with Chudan oi tsuki. Defend with Hidari shuto uke and counter attack with Kizami tsuki and Nukite
- Chudan Number 5: Attack with Chudan oi tsuki. Defend with Chudan hiji uke (elbow block) and counter attack with Ushiro mawashi empi uchi
Chudan mae geri
- Mae geri Number 4: Attack with Chudan mae geri. Defend with Gedan barai and counter attack with Tate shuto uke and Mae empi
- Mae geri Number 5: Attack with Chudan mae geri. Defend with Sukui uke and counter attack with Gyaku tsuki
Yoko geri kekomi
- Yoko geri Number 2: Attack with Yoko kekomi. Defend with Hidari chudan heiwan uke and counter attack with Migi jodan haito uchi (ridge hand strike)
- Yoko geri Number 3: Attack with Yoko kekomi. Defend with Migi ushiro gedan barai and counter attack with Chudan yoko kekomi and yoko empi
Jodan mawashi geri
- Mawashi geri Number 2. Attack with Jodan mawashi geri. Defend with Tate heiko shuto uke and counter attack with Soeto yoko empi
- Mawashi geri Number 3: Attack with Jodan mawashi geri. Defend with Migi jodan soto ude uke and counter attack with Kizami geri and Gyaku tsuki
4. Ukemi waza
Ukemi Waza are break-fall techniques.
You are required to perform Ukemi Waza Level 3 or higher. Level 3 includes the following techniques:
- Shoulder roll from standing position
- Shoulder roll to side breakfall
- Side breakfall from simple throw.
You need to demonstrate both the left and right sides.
5. Other techniques
Please prepare for situations where you are asked to perform other techniques by the examiner, for example, a combination of previously learned techniques or techniques you’ve performed in previous gradings.
Basically, you can be asked to demonstrate any of the techniques in the curriculum from the white belt level up to the purple belt level.
References
The JKA Kyu and Dan Rank Certification System
Shotokan Karate International Australia Grading Syllabus
Understanding the Meaning of Karate Belt Colors
Zanshin Shotokan Karatedo Grading Curriculum
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