In the Japanese Karate Association (JKA or 日本空手協会 in Japanese), beginners start off at 10 kyū, with a white belt. Every few months they take a test, advancing down to 1 kyū. There are various belt colors at this point. After 1 kyū is 1st degree black belt (shodan). After 1st degree black belt is 2nd degree black belt (nidan), continuing up to 10th degree.

For kyū tests and low level dan tests, there are three parts -- kihon (fundamentals), kumite (sparring), and kata (forms). Here's a description of the JKA test requirements as of 2010, closely following http://www.jka.or.jp/english/karate/kyu.html.

Level	Requirements
10th-9th kyū	Kihon: chūdan junzuki ->, jōdan ageuke ->, chūdan sotouke ->, maegeri ->.
	Kumite: none.
	Kata: none.
8th kyū	Kihon: chūdan junzuki ->, jōdan ageuke ->, chūdan sotouke ->, shutōuke ->, maegeri ->.
	Kumite: Gohon Kumite - jōdan/chūdan.
	Kata: Heian Shodan.
7th kyū	Kihon: chūdan junzuki ->, jōdan ageuke <-, chūdan sotouke ->, chūdan uchiuke <-, shutōuke ->, maegeri ->, yoko keage (kibadachi) left/right.
	Kumite: Gohon Kumite - jōdan/chūdan.
	Kata: Heian Nidan.
6th kyū	Kihon: chūdan junzuki ->, jōdan ageuke+gyakutsuki <-, chūdan sotouke+gyakutsuki ->, chūdan uchiuke <-, shutōuke ->, maegeri ->, yoko keage (kibadachi) left/right, yoko kekomi (kibadachi) left/right.
	Kumite: Kihon Ippon Kumite - jōdan/chūdan. Left/right.
	Kata: Heian Sandan.
5th kyū	Kihon: chūdan junzuki ->, jōdan ageuke+gyakutsuki chūdan <-, sotouke+gyakutsuki ->, chūdan-uchiuke+gyakutsuki <-, shutōuke ->, maegeri ->, mawashigeri ->, yoko keage (kibadachi) left/right, yoko kekomi (kibadachi) left/right.
	Kumite: Kihon Ippon Kumite - jōdan/chūdan/maegeri. Left/right.
	Kata: Heian Yondan.
4th kyū	Kihon: chūdan junzuki ->, jōdan ageuke+gyakutsuki <-, chūdan sotouke+gyakutsuki ->, chūdan-uchiuke+gyakutsuki <-, shutōuke+nukite (kokutsu-dachi to zenkutsu-dachi) ->, maegeri ->, mawashigeri ->, yoko keage (kibadachi) left/right, yoko kekomi (kibadachi) left/right.
	Kumite: Kihon Ippon Kumite - jōdan/chūdan/maegeri. Left/right.
	Kata: Heian Godan.
3rd kyū	Kihon: chūdan junzuki ->, sanbon renzuki ->, jōdan ageuke+gyakutsuki <-, chūdan sotouke+yoko enpi (zenkutsu-dachi to kibadachi) ->, chūdan uchiuke+gyakutsuki <-, shutōuke+nukite (kokutsu-dachi to zenkutsu-dachi) ->, maegeri ->, mawashigeri ->, yoko keage (kibadachi) left/right, yoko kekomi (kibadachi) left/right.
	Kumite: Kihon Ippon Kumite - jōdan/chūdan/maegeri/yoko kekomi. Left/right.
	Kata: Tekki Shodan.
2nd kyū	Kihon: chūdan junzuki ->, sanbon renzuki ->, jōdan ageuke+gyakutsuki <-, chūdan sotouke+yoko enpi (zenkutsu-dachi to kibadachi) ->, chūdan uchiuke+gyakutsuki <-, shutōuke+nukite (kokutsu-dachi to zenkutsu-dachi) ->, maegeri ->, mawashigeri ->, yoko keage (kibadachi) left/right, yoko kekomi (kibadachi) left/right.
	Kumite: Jiyu Ippon Kumite - jōdan/chūdan/maegeri/yoko kekomi. Left/right.
	Kata: Student's choice of Bassai-dai, Kanku-dai, Jion, or Empi.
1st kyū	Kihon: chūdan junzuki ->, sanbon renzuki ->, jōdan ageuke+gyakutsuki <-, chūdan sotouke+yoko enpi+yoko uraken (zenkutsu-dachi to kibadachi) ->, chūdan uchiuke+gyakutsuki <-, shutōuke+nukite (kokutsu-dachi to zenkutsu-dachi) ->, maegeri ->, rengeri (chūdan/jōdan) ->, mawashigeri ->, yoko keage (kibadachi) left/right, yoko kekomi (zenkutsu-dachi) left/right.
	Kumite: Jiyu Ippon Kumite - jōdan/chūdan/maegeri/yoko kekomi/mawashigeri. One side.
	Kata: Student's choice of Bassai-dai, Kanku-dai, Jion, or Empi.
1st dan	Kihon: sambon renzuki ->, jōdan ageuke+gyakutsuki <-, chudan sotouke+yoko empi+yoko uraken (zenkutsudachi to kibadachi) ->, chudan-uchiuke+kizamizuki+gyakutsuki <-, shutouke+nukite (kokutsudachi to zenkutsudachi) ->, maegeri ->, rengeri (chūdan/jōdan) ->, yoko keage/yoko kekomi (kibadachi, alternate feet), yoko kekomi (zenkutsudachi) ->, mawashigeri ->.
	Kumite: Jiyu Kumite.
	Kata: Student's choice of Bassai-dai, Kanku-dai, Jion, or Empi.
2nd dan	Kihon: kizamizuki+sanbon renzuki ->, maegeri+junzuki ->, yoko keage/yoko kekomi (kibadachi, alternate feet), ageuke+mawashigeri+yoko uraken+chudan junzuki, yoko kekomi+gyakutsuki (zenkutsudachi) ->, mawashigeri+gyakutsuki (zenkutsudachi) ->, maegeri/yoko kekomi/ushirogeri (zenkutsu-dachi, same foot left/right).
	Kumite: Jiyu Kumite.
	Kata: Student's choice of kata.

In Japan, it seems there are 3 popular flavors of karate. The flavor I practice is Japanese Karate (日本空手協会; nihonkaratekyoukai), sometimes called JKA. It's a variation of Shotokan Karate. Kyokushin Karate is the third popular karate style, and it is quite different from JKA and Shotokan. My club has 3 tests a year, and each test has three parts: kihon (fundamentals), kumite (sparring), and kata (forms). Kihon is simply fundamental techniques -- we demonstrate various kicks, punches, and blocks with no opponent. Kumite is sparring. For beginners, the moves are determined ahead of time. For example, Person A will try to punch Person B in the head, and Person B simply has to block it and counter. High level sparring is free sparring (自由組手; jiyuukumite), where you can attack and block as you like. This is the same as at tournaments. The third part of a karate test is a kata. A kata is a 30-60 second routine that one memorizes in advance.

Karate tournaments are much like karate tests. There are two categories, kumite and kata. Men only fight men, women only fight women, kids only fight kids their own age, and for adults there are no age classes. There are no weight classes, there are no skill classes, opponents are chosen randomly, and it's single elimination. There are categories for individuals and teams (3 people per team). In Akita, there are only two tournaments a year: the All-Akita Tournament, and the All-Tohoku Tournament.

Our rank starts at 10 kyuu, white belt, and we work our way down to 3 kyuu, brown belt. After about 3 years, if things go well, one can obtain a black belt, and become 初段 (shodan) -- literally, first degree black belt. After first degree black belt is second degree black belt, and so on. Adults don't use yellow, green, or purple belts -- we just go from white to brown. Anyhow, different branches of different martial arts all have their own color scheme.

Rank	Belt color
10 kyuu	white
9-8 kyuu	yellow
7-6 kyuu	green
5-4 kyuu	purple
3-1 kyuu	brown
shodan-	black

	The kata here is Heian Godan. 2009 Tohoku Taikai. Hirosaki, Aomori. 青森県弘前市。
	The kata here is Heian Nidan. 2009 Akita Taikai. 秋田県立武道館。
	Kumite. 2009 Akita Taikai. 秋田県立武道館。