Blackbelt Selection 2026

Blackbelt Testing is an annual event that lasts several months and culminates in Blackbelt Week in the Fall. The key dates for Selection in 2026 have been announced.

The dates for Blackbelt Selection 2026 have been announced by Sensei.

Blackbelt Selection begins with invitations to candidates who are believed to be ready to test and to do so successfully. Keep in mind that anyone being considered has trained for years to be eligible for consideration for selection; even to be invited is a great milestone and marks those selected as being at the very top of the kyu (color belt) ranks.

Only adults (testing for shodan) or teens (testing for shonen shodan) who have a rank of 1st Kyu (advanced brown belt) and successfully tested for that rank no later than December 2025 are eligible for consideration, and holding that rank by no means automatically assures an invitation to selection and testing. (For more on how ranks and belts work in karatedō, please see this article.)

Blackbelt Week 2026

An exciting part of blackbelt selection is that it culminates in Blackbelt Week in the Fall.

As selection and testing draws closer, the event schedule for Blackbelt Week 2026 will also be announced. This year, Blackbelt Week begins on Saturday, September 21st, and runs all week to Saturday, September 26, 2026.

Blackbelt Week offers classes and special events for all students, including current and new blackbelts. Events include special seminars, unique classes, and special activities for kids in all divisions.

(Interested in seeing the events from last year? See the Blackbelt Week 2025 schedule.)

Teens vs Adult Testing

In some years, there are Teens testing for shonen (i.e., "youth or junior") versions of blackbelts. In that case, note that shonen testing involves three – not four – tests. For Teens, the written tests are taken alongside adults.

However, all other tests are taken independently of adults, even when they occur on the same day.