Judo Belt Ranks in Order
Judo ranks run through kyu grades (student ranks, counting down 6th → 1st) and then dan grades (black belt, counting up 1st → 10th). Belt colors below are the official USJA system — individual clubs sometimes vary.
Senior kyu ranks (adult student ranks)
| Rokkyu (6th kyu) | Yellow belt · requirements → |
|---|---|
| Gokyu (5th kyu) | Orange belt · requirements → |
| Yonkyu (4th kyu) | Green belt · requirements → |
| Sankyu (3rd kyu) | Brown belt · requirements → |
| Nikyu (2nd kyu) | Brown belt · requirements → |
| Ikkyu (1st kyu) | Brown belt · requirements → |
Dan ranks (black belt degrees)
| Shodan – Sandan (1st–3rd) | Black belt |
|---|---|
| Yodan – Godan (4th–5th) | Black (red-and-black optional under USJA) |
| Rokudan – Hachidan (6th–8th) | Red-and-white belt |
| Kudan – Judan (9th–10th) | Red belt |
The names are just Japanese numbers + dan (“degree”): Shodan (beginning degree), Nidan, Sandan, and so on.
Junior ranks
USJA juniors progress through 11 degrees — white, then two each of yellow, orange, green, blue, and purple — converting to the senior ladder at 17.
Time-in-grade requirements
| Rokkyu | age 14+ · 3 months / 24 classes |
|---|---|
| Gokyu | age 14+ · 5 months / 40 classes |
| Yonkyu | age 14+ · 7 months / 56 classes |
| Sankyu | age 14+ · 10 months / 80 classes |
| Nikyu | age 14+ · 11 months / 88 classes |
| Ikkyu | age 15+ · 12 months / 96 classes |
| Shodan | age 15+ · 12 months / 96 classes |
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