First you were a second kyu brown belt. (Color belt ranks are not degrees they are Kyu ranks) But in all honesty you are not at that level of knowledge or application at this time.
The instructor will decide what belt you are to wear. If that is a problem then that means that the rank you are to wear is more important to you than the training.
If you are allowed to wear your brown belt in class, then you are likely to feel out of place because you will not be able to keep up with the brown belts there. However, if you wear a white belt, then no one will be expecting your technique to be at brown belt level. And since you had trained before you are likely to catch back up faster than a new student would.
Bottom line is your concerns should be on learning and improving yourself, no on what belt you will be wearing. Your focus should never be on how you compare to anyone else. It should be only on improving yourself and developing your self-defense skills.
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If it means starting over, of course you do not get to wear your brown belt.
The only legitimate reason for being able to wear your old brown belt in class is if you had kept up with your training the last 5 years. The impression I get is that for 5 years you have not bother to train on your own. 5 years of no training even on your own is not "taking a break". It is effectively quitting.
Ask yourself this: if you were to wear your brown belt in class not having done any practice for 5 years, do you think your abilities are going to reflect the rank and skill of a brown belt? Are your classmates going to be awed or will they snicker behind your back?
As others have said, don't expect to wear a brown belt after being gone 5 years.
Rank is earned in any respectable dojo. And colored (kyu) ranks in most styles are at the discretion of the instructor.
So plan on starting over and don't worry about rank. If you take it serious, practice, and work hard you'll earn your rank back quickly. From there, you'll be able to work towards your black belt and at that point you'll really start to learn your art!
Do not expect to be able to wear your brown belt. You are five years out of practice, so you can't just walk back in and expect to still be a brown belt. However, if you catch up quickly, you will probably be able to get back to brown faster than it took you to get there the first time.
If you are going back to the same school with the same instructor, he/she *might* let you still wear your old belt, but you would need extra time to get caught up with the curriculum you are expected to know.
If you are going to a new school, let the instructor know about your past experience, but don't ask to start any higher than white.
It might seem disappointing to have to start back at white. But would you rather be the best white belt, or the worst brown belt?
Can you remember any katas?
Be humble. Start with a white belt. You'll fly through the ranks once it comes back to you.
are you still up to the same skill level you were five years ago, do you remember all the requirements for that rank.
btw 5 years is not a break, you quit, and decided to restart again. a month or two is a break, 6 months is a break.
either way its up to the instructor
Well since it's a karate style all you have to do is memorize kata to move up, so it probably won't take you that long to get back to brown if you can't start. Either way don't stress. Either way you'll be there faster than everyone else
Practically yah.
I took Kenpo karate up until 5 years ago I was a 2nd degree brown belt but I took a break. I have decided to return to finish what I started. My question is will I be able to wear my brown belt if that means starting over again?
