The History of this belt comes from the Tracy's Kenpo Karate home page
This page contains a brief history of the Yellow Belt that dates to 1966, when the Tracy brothers introduced Hachikyu (8th Kyu) as the first earned rank in Kenpo.
The history of the Yellow Belt begins in 1966 when the Tracy brothers introduced the new belt to Kenpo as Hachikyu (8th Kyu). The Yellow Belt rank was quickly adopted by Ed Parker, and later by Professor William K. S. Chow. It has since become a martial arts belt rank for karate and many forms of self-defense, including Jiu-Jitsu (Jiu Jitsu, Jujitsu-Ju Jitsu) and even Tae Kwon Do, and Yellow sashes are now found in some Kung Fu (Gung Fu) systems. The Yellow Belt techniques are not only a facet of the beginning Kenpo karate, but are used as an exercise for physical conditioning, and some of the moves have been adopted by aerobics. But more importantly, the 10 basic self-defense techniques in Yellow Belt, are the building block for confidence and self-esteem, and a good foundation for other karate sports like boxersize and kick boxing.