Understanding the Belt Ranking System in Various Martial Arts
By MyKaratestore.com Team | March 2024
Whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned martial artist, the belt ranking system plays a huge role in marking your progress, instilling discipline, and setting clear goals. But did you know that each martial art has its own unique approach to colored belts and ranking? Let’s dive in and explore how Karate, Taekwondo, Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Kung Fu handle their belt systems—and how you can find the right belt equipment for your journey at My Karate Store.
1. Karate Belt System
Karate is one of the most recognizable martial arts for its colored belt system. Though specifics vary by style (Shotokan, Goju-Ryu, Wado-Ryu, etc.), most schools use a progression like this:
- White Belt (10th Kyu) – The starting point
- Yellow Belt (9th–8th Kyu)
- Orange Belt (7th–6th Kyu)
- Green Belt (5th–4th Kyu)
- Blue Belt (3rd–2nd Kyu)
- Purple/Brown Belt (1st Kyu)
- Black Belt (1st Dan and up)
With each promotion, you’ll learn new kihon (basics), kata (forms), and kumite (sparring techniques). Ready to upgrade? Check out our full line of authentic Karate Belts.
2. Taekwondo Belt System
Taekwondo, governed by either the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) or World Taekwondo (WT), uses slightly different belt progressions, but here’s a common WT pattern:
- White Belt
- Yellow Belt (with 1–3 stripes)
- Green Belt (with stripes)
- Blue Belt (with stripes)
- Red Belt (with stripes)
- Black Belt (1st Dan and higher)
Color-belt stripes indicate intermediate steps—great for motivation! We stock durable Taekwondo Belts in all colors and stripe options.
3. Judo Belt System
Judo’s ranking is overseen by the International Judo Federation (IJF). Its kyu–dan structure looks like this:
- White Belt (6th Kyu)
- Yellow Belt (5th Kyu)
- Orange Belt (4th Kyu)
- Green Belt (3rd Kyu)
- Blue Belt (2nd Kyu)
- Brown Belt (1st Kyu)
- Black Belt (1st Dan to 10th Dan)
Once judoka reach high dan ranks, they may earn red-and-white or solid red belts. Browse our competition-grade Judo Gis and Belts today.
4. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Belt System
BJJ belts reflect the art’s deep technical complexity. The adult belt progression is:
- White
- Blue
- Purple
- Brown
- Black
- Red/Black (Coral) for 6th Dan
- Red/White (Coral) for 7th Dan
- Red Belt (9th–10th Dan)
Kids have additional belts (yellow, orange, green) before transitioning to adult ranks. Our premium BJJ Gis and Belts are IBJJF-approved.
5. Kung Fu Sash & Ranking Traditions
Traditional Kung Fu schools may not follow a strict colored belt system like Japanese or Korean arts. Instead, practitioners earn sashes or stripes on their sashes to denote progress in a lineage-based structure. Colors vary by school: white, green, red, and black are common. At My Karate Store, explore our selection of high-quality Kung Fu Sashes and uniforms.