A simple guide for beginners, White Belts and their families.
A White Belt needs at least eight qualifying sessions before the booking cut-off and one successful First Review before progressing towards their first Belt Promotion opportunity. Booking is invitation-based; check the member’s invitation and available booking in the Members Area.
A White Belt needs one successfully completed Review during the training year—not three. They can qualify for the next suitable Review after attending at least 8 qualifying regular class sessions before its booking cut-off. This means a beginner who joins part-way through the year can still progress.
Eight sessions is the minimum for Review eligibility, not a maximum. Normal weekly attendance is sufficient for the White–Green Review attendance requirement. Members should keep attending their normal classes after reaching eight.
Only qualifying attendance at regular timetable classes normally counts:
Reviews, Belt Promotions, competitions, courses, seminars and special events shown under Bookings do not normally count as regular class attendance. An unassigned class does not normally count, so please do not attend a different class unless the change has been formally arranged.
Paying for one, two or three classes per week does not itself qualify a member. Eligibility is based on qualifying sessions actually attended and recorded.
Get settled into classes, learn the basics and build confidence.
Regular attendance builds progress towards the first Review.
When progress is complete, the Review becomes available to book and purchase in the Members Area.
Attend the separate Review session you have booked.
Learn how the student is progressing and what to work on next.
A White Belt needs one successfully completed Review during the training year.
If all eligibility requirements are met, Belt Promotion invitation details follow separately.
Once the student becomes a Yellow Belt, they move to the Coloured Belt Review journey.
A Review is a supportive progress checkpoint. It helps show what the student is doing well and what to work on next.
The result is Pass, Merit or Distinction. All three mean the Review has been successfully completed. Merit and Distinction recognise a higher overall standard at that Review, but do not produce a different Belt Promotion result or a faster progression advantage.
A successfully completed Review makes up the Review part of eligibility. When invited, the member must purchase the coloured-belt promotion and attend it in their normal class. Black-belt grading requires a separate booking and purchase outside normal classes.
Eligibility is assessed for each Review cycle. If the Review is not completed, the attendance progress for that cycle resets unless ZKS offers a Catch-Up Review. Catch-Ups are not guaranteed and do not normally replace the attendance requirement.
If injury or another exceptional circumstance may need to be considered, use the Members Area message function. The Head Instructor may review individual circumstances, but an exception is not automatic.
Competition is not a general requirement for belt progression. Any invited competition-based opportunity will be explained in the member’s invitation. See Belt Promotion guidance.
When your child becomes a Yellow Belt, the coloured-belt journey uses three Reviews during each training year.
How Coloured Belt Reviews WorkLast updated: 17 September 2026
