It's really up to you.  The more you practice, the more you will improve for your entire life.  There is no limit to mastering karate, no "final destination" at which yoiu can arrive.  there are benchmarks along the way however.  In Kobushi Shotokan Karate-Do, you progress through a series of belt levels (9th-1st kyu).  After that, you receive a black belt, and progress through another 9 degrees of black belt (1st-10th Dan).  A student with no prior training joins Kobushi as 9th kyu, and is eligible to take ranking examinations every 3-4 months of training.  Since there are 9 examinations you must pass to attain a black belt, the 1st Dan requires a minimum three years of diligent training.  It takes several years to attain each subsequent Dan.  At these higher levels, you will see that karate is not just something to be learned, but something to be lived and that takes a lifetime.

Last updated on July 9, 2009 by Erik Larsen