In FIST-FIRE, we reward our student’s achievement with “Shield Colors” much like the Martial Arts award “Belt Color” rankings. So, if you see a student with a colored Shield, the color of the shield indicates his or her background level in the system. These colors are awarded based upon knowledge of the system as well as actual shooting performance during shield testing. Gold Shield = Grand Master Silver Shield = Master Bronze Shield = Expert Red Shield = Sharp Shooter Green Shield = Marksman Blue Shield = Novice Plain Shield = Student