Welcome © Yamakai Karate Association, 150 Strathaven Rd, Hamilton, Lanarkshire ML3 7UX, Tel. 01698 421790  [site index]  Yamakai Karate Association Grading structure Unlike most Associations we are not looking to have a conveyor belt of child colour belts, with young children holding Black Belts and Second Dan before they leave primary school. We recently re-vamped our grading system, returning to the more traditional Karate grading where by all our clubs get together and all kyu grades are conducted on the same day. Again unlike most Karate Associations we only have two Kyu gradings per year, June and December. Each club will however conduct white belt gradings within there own Dojo between these kyu grades. All under 16yrs also have white stripe gradings between colour belts, for example Red Belt to Red & White then Yellow Belt to Yellow and White and so on. Where in most groups students can achieve Black Belt in four years, with us most children under 16yrs will have to be with the group for nearer eight years before being aloud to attempt Shodan. Yamakai have no children under 14yrs of age with a Black Belt. However when they do pass their Dan grades they are not asked to re-sit once they reach a certain age which is common practice within the sport. We are looking at the long term and believe if we allow children to gain something as prestigous as a black belt to young, what do they have to aim for after that. To attempt Nidan students must be 18yrs or over Sandan 21yrs or over Yondan 25yrs and over. Yamakai Dan grades are conducted once a year in December with monthly training sessions for all students attempting Dan grades to get together and familiarize themselves with the grading syllabus. Below is our grading structure for differant age groups within the Association. The white belt gradings in the under 16yrs section are for children under 10yrs of age. These gradings dont involve Kata and are designed to let children of this age get comfortable with gradings without to much pressure.