In the initial days of martial arts a white belt was simply dyed to a new color as the student increased in skill. This repeated dying process dictated the type of belt color and the order of the colors. Due to the dying process, it was practical to use increasingly darker colors. Dying the belts to a new color was a cheap way to have a visible, simple and effective ranking system.

Shin-Toshi Karate follows a 10 Gup color belt ranking system following this early martial art tradition. As students pass through the ranks taking belt examinations they are awarded with different colored belts.

• 10th Gup: Yellow Stripe
• 9th Gup: Yellow Belt
• 8th Gup: Gold Belt
• 7th Gup: Orange Belt
• 6th Gup: Green Belt
• 5th Gup: Blue Belt
• 4th Gup: Purple Belt
• 3rd Gup: Brown Belt
• 2nd Gup: Red Stripe Belt
• 1st Gup: Red Belt