Colored belts (Obi) have their origin in Judo, as does the training gi, or more correctly in Japanese, dōgi. In Kyokushin the order of the belts varies in some breakaway groups, the kyu ranks (colored levels before black belt) are as follows:
| Lowest | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mukyu | Purity | White (Shiro obi) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 10th Kyu | Balance and Coordination | Orange Belt (Orenji-iro obi) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 9th Kyu | Orange With Blue Stripe | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 8th Kyu | Fluidity and Adaptability | Blue Belt ((Mizu-iro obi) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 7th Kyu | Blue With Yellow Stripe | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 6th Kyu | Assertion | Yellow Belt (Ki-iro obi) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th Kyu | Yellow With Green Stripe | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 4th Kyu | Emotion and Sensitivity | Green Belt (Midori obi) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd Kyu | Green With Brown Stripe | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd Kyu | Practical and Creative | Brown Belt (Cha Obi) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st Kyu | Brown With Black Stripe | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st Dan | Achievement | Black Belt 1st Sho-Dan (Kuro Obi) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd Dan | Fitness, Power | Black Belt 2nd Ni-Dan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd Dan | Timing, speed | Black Belt 3rd San-Dan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 4th Dan | Timing, speed | Black Belt 4th Yon-Dan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th Dan | Awareness | Black Belt 5th Go-Dan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 6th Dan | Awareness | Black Belt 6th Roku-Dan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 7th Dan | Experience, Attunement | Black Belt 7th Sichi-Dan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 8th Dan | Experience, Attunement | Black Belt 8th Hachi-Dan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 9th Dan | Compassion, Understanding | Black Belt 9th Ku-Dan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 10th Dan | Universal, Love, Oneness | Black Belt 10th Zu-Dan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest | ||||||||||||||||||||||