Level Goals
Training Reference
Goals for EachTraining Level
What you’re expected to build at each level of ETKM — from foundational strikes through advanced weapons defense and ground competency.
Level Goals
What You’ll Build at Each Level
L1 Level 1 — Yellow Belt
- Striking & Movement: Basic striking for self-defense (straight punches, elbows, knees, kicks), basic stance and movement.
- Control: Head and neck control, arm drag, duck under.
- Self-Defense: Defend against basic chokes, rear headlock, straight and haymaker punch defense, defense against basic takedowns.
- Ground: Movement on ground when attacker is standing, kicks from ground, getting up.
L2 Level 2 — Orange Belt
- Striking & Movement: Hooks, uppercuts, and combinations including punches, elbows, knees, and kicks. Basic clinch management. Defend against skilled punches and low kicks.
- Control: 2-on-1 Russian arm, rear headlock, front headlock.
- Self-Defense: Defend against bearhugs and more difficult chokes and headlocks.
- Ground: Escape full mount, maintain full mount, basic control from guard, escape from guard.
L3 Level 3 — Green Belt
- Striking & Movement: Stand-up fighting competency (combinations, defenses, movement), clinch management, more difficult kicks, defend medium and high kicks.
- Control: 2-on-1 Russian arm, sweeps forward and back, takedown, neck takedown.
- Self-Defense: More difficult bearhug positions and headlocks.
- Ground: Escape side control, maintain side control, basic attacks and defenses from guard (arm bar, arm triangle, kimura, guard sweep).
L4 Level 4 — Blue Belt
- Striking & Movement: Advanced kicks, fight strategy and tactics (understanding range), higher-level skill at all ranges.
- Control: Stand-up and ground positional flow, bearhug to headlock.
- Self-Defense: Basic defenses against gun and stick.
- Ground: Sweeps and basic takedowns, attacks and defenses from side control. By end of Blue Belt: competency in full mount, side control, and guard — attacking and defending.
L5 Level 5 — Brown Belt
- Striking & Movement: Advanced kicks, fighting competency at all ranges including ground.
- Control: Neck takedowns, hip bumps, snap downs, head and arm control.
- Self-Defense: Defense against knives and long guns, advanced handgun defenses, Full Nelson defenses, judo throws.
- Ground: Continued competency in ground sparring, using tactics and positions to control.
L6 Level 6 — Black Belt
- Striking & Movement: Advanced combinations including switch kicks and complex punch-kick sequences. Throws and takedowns refined for high-stress scenarios. Weapons integration — using sticks, knives, and firearms offensively as extensions of your combative skills.
- Control: R.C.A.T. (Redirect, Control, Attack, Take Away) applied to third-party protection and weapon retention scenarios. Coordinating protective actions under pressure.
- Self-Defense: Handgun threats from all positions (front, behind, mounted, kneeling, over obstacles, hostage). Carjacking defenses. Edged weapon threats and defenses. Blunt object defense and disarms. Third-party protection against armed threats.
- Ground: Armed ground fighting. Weapon retention from ground positions. Multiple attacker ground defense.
Each level is cumulative. What you build here becomes the foundation for everything that follows.
