Contents
The table this guide unrolls is the dojo wall: for each IKO belt, the kihon added, the kata, the numbered conditioning (push-ups, squats, handstand, chin-ups, jump), the kumite requirement and the tenure — from the IKO syllabus of April 2011 (cumulative: each colour assumes the previous ones), with the IFK/IKKU deltas at the end. YOUR dojo's program is its organisation's.
How to read this table
- The content is cumulative — "as the previous belt, plus…";
- The tenure is a practice minimum (3 months per kyu to yellow, 6 months beyond), not a right;
- The 2022 edition splits the kata per kyu where 2011 grouped them per colour — both are cited;
- The kumite column refers to the yakusoku bridge (see "Kihon & techniques").
The IKO syllabus, belt by belt
| Belt (kyu) | Kihon added (selection) | Kata | Conditioning (numbered) | Kumite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White (mukyu) · 3 months | Base stances (Sanchin, Zenkutsu, Kiba…) · Seiken chudan/jodan, Ago uchi, Shita/Kagi tsuki, Uraken, Shuto · jodan/soto/uchi/gedan blocks · all base geri (mae, mawashi, yoko, kansetsu, ushiro, hiza, kin) | Taikyoku 1 & 2, Sokugi Taikyoku 1 | Push-ups 20 · squats 20 · handstand 20 s · chin-ups 3 · own-height jump | Block-only yakusoku · jiyu 30 s |
| Orange (10th–9th) · 3 months/kyu | + Kokutsu, Nekoashi dachi · Kokutsu ido + uchi uke · Sanbon tsuki | Taikyoku 3, Sokugi Taikyoku 2 & 3 (2022: 10th → Taikyoku 3; 9th → Sokugi 2-3) | 30 · 30 · 30 s · 5 · +10 cm | Block-only · jiyu 30 s |
| Blue (8th–7th) · 3 months/kyu | + Kakeashi dachi · Tettsui, Nukite, Shotei · Morote/Mawashi/Shuto-mawashi uke · Ibuki · Sanchin ido + gyaku tsuki, Kiba kosa | Pinan 1 & 2, Sanchin (2022: 8th → Pinan 1; 7th → Pinan 2 + Sanchin) | 40 · 40 · 40 s · 8 · +15 cm · shoulders to floor | Uke kaeshi (block + counter) · jiyu 60 s |
| Yellow (6th–5th) · 3 months/kyu | + Koken, Haito, Morote tsuki · Koken/Juji uke · Kaiten (spinning) and Dako (45°) ido | Pinan 3 & 4, Yantsu, Tsuki no Kata (2022: 6th → Pinan 3 + Yantsu; 5th → Pinan 4 + Tsuki no Kata) | 50 · 50 · 50 s · 10 · +20 cm | Uke kaeshi · jiyu 60 s × 3 |
| Green (4th–3rd) · 6 months/kyu | + Fighting-stance step work: Okuri ashi, Fumi ashi, Kosa, Oiashi/Sagari | Pinan 5, Taikyoku 1–3 Ura, Gekisai Dai, Tekki 1 (2022: 4th → Pinan 5 + Gekisai 1; 3rd → Gekisai 2 + Tekki 1 + Ura 1–3) | 60 · 60 · 60 s · 12 · +30 cm · chest to floor | Uke kaeshi in stance + steps · jiyu 60 s × 5 |
| Brown (2nd–1st) · 6 months/kyu | + Multi-angle step work · Goshin jitsu (self-defence basics) | Pinan 1–5 Ura, Tenshō, Saifa, Gekisai Shō, Tekki 2 | 100 · 100 · 90 s · 15 · +30 cm (tobi ushiro / ushiro-mawashi) | Jiyu 60 s × 10 · Tameshiwari: "more than the IKO tournament standard" |
The IKO dan grades
| Dan | Tenure · age floor | Kata added | Kumite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shodan | ≥ 1 year after 1st kyu · 15 (adult) | Brown canon mastered · mandatory seiken break | jiyu 60 s × 10 |
| Nidan | ≥ 2 years · 18 | Seienchin, Garyū, Tekki 3, Bassai Dai | 60 s × 20 |
| Sandan | ≥ 3 years · 21 | Seipai | 60 s × 30 |
| Yondan | ≥ 4 years · 25 | Kankū | 60 s × 40 |
| Godan | ≥ 5 years · 30 | Sūshihō | 60 s × 50 |
Branch variance exists even inside IKO: a 2023 IKO-lineage national manual maps Garyū & Seipai to Shodan and Seienchin & Tenshō to Nidan. The Honbu syllabus (2011/2022) stays the reference column — variance is noted, never overwritten.
The IFK/IKKU deltas
- Colours: the bottom of the ladder is RED (10th–9th), not orange;
- Shifted kata: Sanchin at 4th kyu (green, vs IKO blue) · Yantsu at 1st kyu (brown, vs IKO yellow) · Tenshō at Shodan (vs IKO brown) · Gekisai Dai at 2nd kyu;
- Formalised kumite at every grade: sanbon kumite from 9th kyu, renraku/ippon kumite beyond, jiyu in 2-minute rounds (1 round at 7th kyu → 3 at yellow/green → 5 at brown → minimum 10 × 2 min at Shodan);
- First aid: a certificate required at Shodan and Nidan;
- Sandan: Sūshihō, Garyū, Seipai — and devise your own kata.
Kyokushin-kan finally broadens the top of the program — koryu kata, bo-jutsu and sai-jutsu (kobudo), urawaza (10 seated + 10 standing techniques) at branch-chief level — the lineage's largest curriculum divergence.
Frequently asked questions
Does this table apply to my dojo?
If it is IKO-affiliated, yes — this is the Honbu syllabus (2011, split per kyu in 2022). If it is IFK, WKO, Kyokushin-kan or independent, the structure will be close but the per-grade content diverges (colours, kata, rounds): ask for your organisation's syllabus — it exists.
Why is the conditioning numbered?
Because the IKO syllabus publishes it that way: 20 push-ups at white, 30 at orange… up to 100 at brown, with jumping squats, handstand, chin-ups and the target jump. It is the spine of the « physical » theme — and a grading standard, dosed by age in training.
Sources
IKO Kyokushinkaikan — Technical Syllabus, Honbu, April 2011 (full text: kihon/ido/kata/conditioning/kumite per belt, dan grades, tenures, ages); 2022 edition (kata split per kyu). IKKU (Arneil/IFK lineage) — Grading Syllabus (full text: grades, kata, rounds, first aid). Kyokushin-kan — dan/branch-chief requirements (koryu, kobudo, urawaza, the 50-man kumite). Paak kyokushin corpus, file 09 + the data file kyokushin-grading-syllabus.json. Content verified September 2026.
Last updated: September 7, 2026