Why My First Coloured Belt Requires More Than Most Clubs Ask by Mid-Grades - By Sensei Liam Musiak

Liam Musiak
Dec 26, 2025
3 min read

When people look at the Red Belt in my system — Jissenkō Ryū Karate at Voracious Karate — they often assume it’s “just the first belt after white”.

It isn’t.

In fact, the Red Belt is deliberately designed to expose a problem I’ve seen repeatedly across the UK:

students progressing through multiple belts without ever being pressure tested.

I’ve trained at, visited, and observed many karate clubs in this country. In most of them, sparring is not required for the first few belts — not just the first belt after white, but often well beyond that. Students can reach mid-kyu grades having never sparred, never worked under resistance, and sometimes still feeling nervous simply working in pairs.

That isn’t a criticism of individuals.

It’s a criticism of structure.

Belts Without Pressure Don’t Measure Skill

If a technique is never tested under pressure, there is no reliable way to know if it actually works.

Air punching, solo drills, and compliant partner work all have value — but only if they are paired with resistance. Without pressure testing, what you end up with is this:

A student who looks confident in the air
A student who remembers combinations
A student who wears colour on their belt

…but who freezes, panics, or falls apart the moment unpredictability is introduced.

That creates a dangerous illusion:

high belt in choreography, white belt in reality.

Pressure tolerance is not something you “add later”.

It has to be developed from the beginning, alongside technique.

That’s why in my system, sparring is mandatory at every rank. If you don’t spar, you don’t pass. Simple as that.

Why My Red Belt Standard Is Intentionally High

The Red Belt is the first filter in my syllabus. It exists to answer one question:

Can this person function under basic pressure with control, composure, and structure?

To earn Red Belt, a student must demonstrate:

Striking Fundamentals (Both Sides)

Snap punch and reverse punch combinations
Back fist into reverse punch
Hook punches, hammer fists, ridge hands
Elbows (front and back)
Knees (front and back leg)

All techniques must be shown left and right, front and back, with balance and control.

Kicking Under Integration

Mae geri (front kick)
Mawashi geri (roundhouse kick)
Front leg and back leg usage
Kicks integrated into punch combinations

This isn’t isolated kicking. It’s striking flow.

Blocking, Turning, and Coordination

Students must demonstrate:

Inside, outside, head, palm, and downward blocks
Mawatte (turning) with blocks and counters
Variations with junzuki and gyakuzuki
Correct stance, posture, and recovery

This requires spatial awareness, not memorisation.

Self-Defence (Realistic, Not Theoretical)

At Red Belt, students must demonstrate defence against:

A haymaker
A neck grab
A kick
Clothing grab with strike
Two-hand clothing grab

These are common, real attacks, not dojo fantasy scenarios.

Pad Work

Basic punches and kicks must be delivered on pads with:

Intent
Structure
Control

Pads don’t lie. Weak technique shows immediately.

Sparring (Mandatory)

Every Red Belt candidate must spar:

Defence vs offence
Both attacking and defending

This isn’t about “winning”.

It’s about composure, awareness, distance, and emotional control.

If a student cannot function calmly under light pressure, they are not ready to progress — regardless of how neat they look in the air.

100% Means 100%

In my grading system:

99% is a fail
Weak areas are not “fixed later”
Every requirement must be met

This isn’t cruelty. It’s honesty.

Belts should reflect current ability, not future potential.

Why This Matters

When pressure testing is delayed until higher belts, students are set up for failure later. Their confidence is built on untested ground, and when reality finally hits, it hits hard.

By introducing pressure early: