What is below a black belt?

Answer 1

Answer: 1st grade (belt color may vary, but is often either brown or red)

The Black Belt represents a "Dan" (pronounced "dahn") or degree level of expertise. Under the Black Belt rank are the grades ("geup" in Korean / "kyu" in Japanese). These grades are temporary levels of progress towards the Black Belt beginning with a higher number for the lowest grade, and graduating to the lowest number at the highest grade (IE: 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Black Belt 1st Dan, 2nd Dan, 3rd Dan, etc.).

Which color belt that is used to represent each grade will vary in different organizations, systems, and from school to school. However, the general principle is to start the novice at white belt to represent innocence, purity, and a lack of knowledge of the Martial Art, and then the belts get gradually darker as the student is promoted in rank. The belt just before Black is often Brown, but sometimes red is used. If both brown and red are used as high grades, some schools will place the brown first, while others will put the red first and the brown at 1st grade. Some Japanese Martial will use a Red Belt, or a Red and White striped belt as a Grandmaster level above the Black Belt.