Why Gold Was Chosen in Jissenkō Ryū Karate — And What It Represents - By Sensei Liam Musiak

In most traditional karate systems, 9th and 10th Dan are commonly associated with the master red belt. This has long been a recognised symbol for the highest ranks, and I fully respect the tradition behind it.

However, when designing Jissenkō Ryū Karate, the primary reason for moving away from a full red belt at senior Dan level was a practical one: clarity within the system.

The issue with red in our structure

In Jissenkō Ryū Karate, red is already used early in the kyu grades. In fact, the first belt after white is red.

Because of that, introducing a second red belt at the very top of the system creates an obvious and unavoidable problem.

People will ask:

“Is that red belt a beginner kyu grade, or a senior Dan grade?”

If a belt system regularly causes that question to be asked, then it isn’t the best system it can be.

A grading structure should be intuitive. Rank should be clear at a glance, without explanation. I didn’t want a system where two completely different levels — the start of the journey and the very top of it — share the same colour.

So rather than forcing tradition into a structure where it no longer fits cleanly, I changed it.

Why gold was the right alternative

Once the decision was made to move away from red at senior Dan level, the question became what colour best represents the role of the highest ranks.

Gold was chosen deliberately.

Gold, in Jissenkō Ryū Karate, does not represent authority or dominance. It represents responsibility.

At these levels, the practitioner’s role is no longer about personal progress or technical superiority. It is about:

• Stewardship of the art

• Protection of standards

• Guiding instructors and future leaders

• Taking responsibility for the long-term direction of the system

Gold reflects that far more accurately than a colour associated with intensity or command.

Why not simply keep everything black

It’s also important to say this clearly.

At every Dan level, including 9th and 10th Dan, a practitioner may still wear a black belt with Dan bars. That option remains fully valid and unchanged.

The gold belt exists as an alternative, not a requirement.

This ensures that humility remains central and that no one is pressured to display status visually.

Gold as a symbol of refinement and permanence

Gold does not rust.

It does not decay.

It does not lose its nature over time.

That symbolism matters at the highest levels of any art.

Senior Dan grades are about consistency, judgement, and responsibility maintained over decades, not short-term achievement or visible authority.

Final thought

While red is traditionally seen at 9th and 10th Dan, it does not function cleanly within the structure of Jissenkō Ryū Karate.

When the first belt after white is already red, asking people to constantly distinguish between a kyu red belt and a Dan red belt is not good system design.

So I changed it.

Gold was chosen because it removes confusion and better reflects what the highest ranks in this system are actually about.

Clear structure.

Clear meaning.

Clear responsibility.

— Sensei Liam Musiak 🥋