Martial arts belts in order — the complete color guide

Most modern martial arts belt systems trace back to Kano Jigoro, the founder of judo, who introduced colored belts in the 1880s so students could see their own progress. Karate, taekwondo, and BJJ later adapted the system in their own ways. Below is the standard order for each — with the caveat that individual schools can and do vary.

Karate belts in order

Most karate schools follow a 9-belt system, though the exact colors and their order vary between styles (Shotokan, Goju-ryu, Shito-ryu, Wado-ryu). This is the most common Western sequence:

Adult karate students typically reach black belt in 4–5 years of consistent training, testing roughly every 3–6 months at lower ranks and every 6–12 months at brown belt. After 1st dan (shodan), black belts progress through 10 dan grades, though anything above 5th dan is usually awarded for contribution, not testing.

Taekwondo belts in order (WT / Kukkiwon)

World Taekwondo (Olympic style) uses a 10-belt geup system. Most schools split belts into two ranks with a colored tip added:

Reaching 1st dan (il dan) black belt usually takes 3–5 years for adults. Junior students under 15 receive a "poom" black belt with a red-and-black striped design, which converts to a full dan on their 15th birthday.

Brazilian jiu jitsu belts in order

BJJ has the shortest belt list of any major art — and the longest time between belts. The IBJJF adult belt order is:

Each belt has four stripes before the next promotion. From white to black takes an average of 8–12 years of consistent training — much longer than in most other martial arts. There's no formal grading test in most BJJ schools; promotions are awarded by the head instructor based on skill, competition results, and time on the mats.

Kids under 16 use a separate 13-belt system (white → gray → yellow → orange → green → then converting to the adult belts). Above black, BJJ has coral belts (7th degree = red/black, 8th degree = red/white, 9th–10th degree = red) — worn by senior lifelong practitioners.

Judo belts in order (Kodokan)

Judo's original belt system, established by Jigoro Kano, uses six kyu ranks below black. Western judo schools generally follow:

Traditional Kodokan practice used only white, brown, and black. The colored kyu belts were added later for Western students. Adult judoka usually take 4–6 years to reach 1st dan (shodan). Judo dan grades go up to 10th dan, though only 15 people in history have ever received it.

Muay Thai — no belt system

Traditional Muay Thai in Thailand has no belt ranking system at all. Skill is measured by fight record and, symbolically, by the mongkol (headband) awarded by your teacher. Western Muay Thai gyms sometimes use an arm-band (prajioud) color system that broadly maps white → yellow → green → blue → brown → black, but it's not universal and doesn't affect who can compete or teach.

Krav Maga belts

Israeli Krav Maga uses a belt system similar to karate: white → yellow → orange → green → blue → brown → black. Each belt has strict practical testing — realistic self-defense scenarios against multiple attackers, weapons, and low-light conditions.

How long does each belt take?

Rough averages for an adult training 2–3 times a week:

• Karate to black belt: 4–5 years
• Taekwondo to black belt: 3–5 years
• Judo to shodan: 4–6 years
• BJJ to black belt: 8–12 years
• Krav Maga to black belt: 5–7 years

Kids progress faster in colored ranks but usually can't receive a full-degree adult black belt before age 15–16, regardless of style.

What actually happens at a belt test

Belt tests vary wildly by style and school, but most include some combination of:

• Solo forms (kata / poomsae / hyung) — demonstrated in front of the panel
• Partner drills — pre-agreed technique sequences with a training partner
• Sparring — 1–5 rounds against training partners or higher belts
• Board or brick breaking (Korean / karate styles) — usually at higher ranks only
• Written or oral component — history, terminology, philosophy of the art

BJJ is the main outlier: most academies promote without a formal test at all. Your coach watches you roll for a year or two and hands you the new belt at the end of class.

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