Tamworth Shukokai Karate Club is a member of the Shukokai Karate Association, the association has a series of gradings, these range from the novice through the Kyus (10th Kyu to 1st Kyu) to the Dans (Black belts 1st dan and upwards).
Each Grade is attained by a mixture of experience and passing an assessment- both criteria must be met before progression can be made. These assessments are held regularly throughout the year and, as you would expect, earlier grades have less demanding assessments (but still appropriate to the experience) which are able to be carried out after a set time limit.
Senior grades must hone their skills for longer before attempting more exacting assessments. In order to gain a Black Belt it is necessary for the student to demonstrate technical knowledge and skill to a level laid down in the Association Grading Syllabus, for each of the 3 fundamental competencies of Karate which are Kihon (basic techniques), Kata (set formal exercise) and Kumite (sparring).