Pick your style and see the real belt order, the kata required at each stage, core terminology, and what actually happens at a grading — from your first white belt class through to black belt.
Unlike a driver's licence, there's no governing body that standardises karate belt colours or kata requirements across all schools. Even within one style, organisations and individual dojos genuinely differ on belt colours, kyu numbering, and exactly which kata unlocks which grade. What's shown here is a commonly-used progression for each style, not a universal rule.
Diagrams here illustrate concepts — roughly what a stance or a kata's floor pattern looks like — so you can recognise and follow along with class more easily. They can't correct your form, and karate technique practised incorrectly without supervision carries genuine injury risk. Everything here supports training with a qualified instructor; it doesn't replace it.
How long it takes depends heavily on how often you train, your dojo's grading frequency, and the individual student. The ranges given reflect commonly-cited figures for consistent, regular training — not a guarantee.