In judo, the strongest belt is not black

In order, we find the white, yellow, orange, green, blue, brown belts, the famous black belt as well as two higher belts: a red and white from 6th to 8th dan, a red for 9th and 10th dan). It is said that the maximum rank is the 12th dan black belt but this is false. Indeed, there still exists above the white-red belt and the red belt. There still remains above a particular belt, the wide white one which means that one has never learned everything. Only one person in the world has had the red: Jigoro Kano, inventor of judo in 1882.

Also called Kyu, the color belts in judo represent the progression of a judoka. Originally, there were only 2 colors of belts, the white belt and the black belt.

Judo Belt Ranks

In judo, there is a belt system that indicates a practitioner’s level of skill. The belts are listed in order of progression, going from white to black. Here is the order of the belts, from lowest to highest:

• 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 to 5th dan;
• red belt: from 9th to 10th dan;
  wide white belt: chosen by some masters after their 10th dan, a way of marking the completion of the cycle. The white color of the belt symbolizes the fact that whoever holds it is in perpetual learning.

In some judo and karate clubs, intermediate kyu belts are instituted, for educational purposes:

• white and yellow
• yellow and orange
• orange and green
• green and blue
• blue and brown
• black and white (in preparation for black belt)
• white and red belt: from 6th to 8th dan

Some sensei add to this barrettes (up to 3) for children; They are sewn on the belt.

It is important to note that black belts can be divided into different levels, each representing a higher skill level. For example, a judo practitioner may be a 1st dan, 2nd dan, 3rd dan black belt, etc.

Kanō’s original kyū-dan grading system

Kanō’s original kyū-dan grading system

Rank	Senior	Junior	Japanese name
Sixth kyū (beginner)	Light Blue	Light Blue	rokkyū (六級)
Fifth kyū Fourth kyū	White	White	gokyū (五級) yonkyū (四級)
Third kyū Second kyū First kyū	Brown	Purple	sankyū (三級) nikyū (二級) ikkyū (一級)
First dan Second dan Third dan Fourth dan Fifth dan	Black		shodan (初段) nidan (二段) sandan (三段) yondan (四段) godan (五段)
Sixth dan Seventh dan Eighth dan Ninth dan	Red and White or Black		rokudan (六段) nanadan (七段) hachidan (八段) kudan (九段)
Tenth dan	Red or Black		jūdan (十段)
Eleventh dan Twelfth dan and higher*	White or Red or Black		juichidan (十一段) junidan (十二段

Judo belt colors in Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc.

White
Yellow
Orange
Green
Blue
Brown
Black
Paneled
Red

Judo kyū belt colors in the United States

Judo kyū belt colors in the United States

Japanese kyū names	USJF Senior	USJF Junior	USJA Senior	USJA Junior	USJA Junior level names
Jūnikyū				White	Junior 12th Class
Jūichikyū		White		Yellow	Junior 11th Class
Jūkyū		White- yellow		Orange	Junior 10th Class
Kukyū		Yellow		Orange	Junior 9th Class
Hachikyū		Yellow- orange		Green	Junior 8th Class
Nanakyū or USJA Senior “Beginner”		Orange	White	Green	Junior 7th Class
Rokkyū	White	Orange- green	Yellow	Blue	Junior 6th Class
Gokyū	Green	Green	Orange	Blue	Junior 5th Class
Yonkyū	Blue	Green- blue	Green	Purple	Junior 4th Class
Sankyū	Brown	Blue	Brown	Purple	Junior 3rd Class
Nikyū	Brown	Blue- purple	Brown	Brown	Junior 2nd Class
Ikkyū	Brown	Purple	Brown	Brown	Junior 1st Class

Sources: PinterPandai, YouGoJapan, ActiveSG

Photo credit: Sandro Halank (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons

Photo description: Judo Mixed International Team, Semifinal, Team Rio de Janeiro vs. Team Athens: Abrek Naguchev ( Russia, Team Rio de Janeiro) vs. Javier Peña Insausti (Spain, Team Athens)