1st Kyu Advanced Brown Belts and Shonen Shodan will have a review class available to prepare for blackbelt selection. This is the second of several planned review classes in 2026 and the only one for Youth Division students.
First Kyu Advanced Brown Belt Adult students, First Kyu Teens, and (for the first time!) First Kyu Youth, as well as Shonen Shodan students, and all blackbelts are invited to a special Brownbelt 1st Kyu Review class on Saturday, April 11, 2026 at 12:30PM.
In addition, 2nd Kyu Adult Blackbelts are also invited to participate on a more limited basis.
The 45-minute special class will review a wide range of material – it will specifically focus on kata and all varieties of kihon waza. There will also be a brief discussion of the Blackbelt Selection process and suggestions for preparing for it.
On April 18th (a week later), a final review class for 2026 will be held that will focus on concepts, kumite, and more. That class will be available only to Adults and Teens.
Qualification to Attend
To attend. karateka must have held or have successfully tested for the rank of 1st Kyu (Advanced Brown Belt) in the Adult or Teens division, or be a Shonen Shodan in the Teens program by the end of December 2025.
For this Review Class only, however, any 1st Kyu Brown Belt in the Teens or Youth Divisions is also invited to attend. If you did not achieve this rank by the end of December 2025, you aren't eligible to participate in Blackbelt Selection in 2026. However, this is a great opportunity for you to plan your training and get some insight into what the blackbelt selection process is like.
Special Event for Youth Students
Youth students aren't eligible for Blackbelt Selection – only Teens are eligible for Shonen Shodan selection. However, this class, which will only be offered once this year, is a special opportunity to learn about blackbelt selection and the process that leads to it.
It also gives students a chance to understand the demanding requirements of blackbelt selection and plan their training to begin to meet those requirements.
Adult Brown Belt (2nd Kyu) Students
Adult Brown Belt 2nd Kyu students are also invited to participate in the class – again, they are not eligible for Selection, but this Review is a good chance to begin fine-tuning their training as they prepare for testing to a 1st Kyu Rank.
Adult 1st Kyu Brown Belts, however, are the focus of this special class nonetheless.
Blackbelts Invited
While the review class is specifically aimed at 1st Kyu students, any blackbelt that wishes to review material, or would like to assist the class is also invited to participate.
Adult Blackbelts have the option to join the student line and train, or to be assistant instructors.
LiveCast Option
The class will also be livecast, so any adult student eligible to attend this class that wishes to attend will also be able to attend remotely.
Note that 1st Kyu and Shonen Shodan students should only attend this via LiveCast if they are not based in New York City – in-person participation is strongly encouraged.
Teens and Youth may not attend via LiveCast.
