Our Mission

Aims of The Club

• The New Zealand Disability Karate Association is a non-profit, karate club. Our aim is to provide people living with disability the opportunity to experience the joy and benefits of karate.
• Our focus is on the key values of integrity, honesty, courage and humility.
• The club is a charity, any profit goes towards running and growing the club.

Club Principles

• Our club helps people develop sound karate and self-defence skills regardless of physical ability.
• We provide karate training for people of all ages in a safe and positive learning environment.
• We provide training to anyone regardless of their financial situation.
• Through karate we promote physical fitness, personal discipline and healthy lifestyles.
• Through karate we will help anyone achieve his or her full potential.
• Membership is open to anyone who wishes to participate in the martial arts training offered by the club.

Club Grades and Their Meaning

• White Belt: White signifies a birth, or beginning, of a seed. A white belt student is a beginner searching for knowledge of the Art. The white belt is the beginning of life's cycle, and represents the seed as it lies beneath the snow in the winter.
• Yellow Belt: Yellow signifies the first beams of sunlight, which shines upon the seed giving it new strength and life. A yellow belt student receives their first ray of knowledge from their instructor.
• Orange Belt: Orange represents the growing power of the sun as it warms the earth to prepare for new growth in the spring. The orange belt starts to feel their body and mind open and develop.
• Green Belt: Green signifies the growth of the seed as it sprouts from the earth. As it reaches toward the sun and begins to grow into a plant. A green belt student learns to strengthen and refine their techniques.
• Blue Belt: Blue signifies the blue sky as the plant continues to grow toward it. A blue belt student moves up higher in rank just as the plant grows taller. The light feeds the plant so it can continue to grow. Additional knowledge of the Art helps the body and mind continue to grow and develop.
• Purple Belt: Purple represents the sky at dawn. The student undergoes a new change and prepares for the transition to advanced student. A purple belt begins to understand the meaning of the black belt.
• Red Belt: Red signifies the sun in the evening sky as the plant continues growing towards it. As the plant grows slowly toward the sun. It learns to be more cautious with its knowledge and abilities. If it attempts to grow too fast, and exceeds heights that the roots cannot support, the whole structure will fall apart.
• Brown Belt: Brown represents the ripening of the seed, a maturing and harvesting process. A brown belt is an advanced student whose techniques have begun to mature. They understand the fruits of their hard work. The Student wears a brown belt for three grades as they continue to mature both physically and mentally.
• Black Belt: Black signifies the darkness beyond the Sun. A black belt seeks new and more profound knowledge of the Art. They begins to teach others, planting new seeds and help them grow and mature. Their students will blossom and grow in a never-ending process of self-growth, knowledge, and enlightenment.
• Sensei: Grey signifies no grade, it is a mix of black and white. It is the colour worn by instructors or Sensei. Sensei is the Japanese word for teacher. On average it takes about 10 years to get a black belt. Since our club has not been running that long no one can hold that rank. Even if they are a "black belt" in another style of karate.