White, yellow, orange, green, blue, brown, black… depending on the Martial Art you practice, your journey might involve quite a collection of belts.
Today, coloured belts are one of the most recognisable parts of Martial Arts. They can represent progress, experience and achievement, with each new belt marking another milestone in a student’s journey.
But where did the idea actually come from? And have Martial Artists always worn different coloured belts?
Let’s take a look at the history behind the Martial Arts belt system.
Martial Arts Didn’t Always Have Coloured Belts
Despite their strong association with traditional Martial Arts, the coloured belt systems we’re familiar with today are relatively modern.
Historically, many Japanese Martial Arts didn’t use a rainbow of belts to show a practitioner’s level. Instead, different ranking and licensing systems were used to recognise a student’s progress and experience.
The belt itself, known as an obi in Japanese, had the practical job of helping secure a practitioner’s clothing. Its role as a visible indicator of rank would develop later.
Judo Changed Everything
The origins of the modern belt ranking system are closely associated with Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo. Kano established Judo in Japan in 1882 and introduced a structured system of ranks known as kyu and dan grades. Kyu grades are generally used for students progressing towards black belt, while dan grades represent levels attained after reaching black belt.
Kano began using different belt colours to make distinctions between grades more visible. Early versions of the system were much simpler than the wide selection of colours found in many dojos today. The idea proved influential, and ranking systems using belts were eventually adopted and adapted by other Martial Arts.
Where Did All the Different Colours Come From?
As Martial Arts spread internationally, organisations developed their own approaches to grading. Additional belt colours were introduced to create more stages between beginner and advanced levels. This allowed students to work towards regular, achievable milestones rather than having only a small number of ranks.
That’s why you might now see progressions involving white, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, brown and black belts, among many other combinations.
Some organisations also use striped belts, coloured tags or intermediate grades to provide additional stages of progression. There isn’t one universal sequence that applies to every Martial Art.
Do Belt Colours Mean the Same Thing in Every Martial Art?
No, and this is where things get interesting.
A green belt in one Martial Art doesn’t necessarily represent the same level of experience as a green belt in another. In fact, two organisations teaching the same Martial Art can use different grading structures.
Karate
Karate commonly uses a progression of coloured kyu belts leading towards black belt. However, the exact colours and order can differ depending on the style, association and organisation.
A Shotokan Karate club, for example, may use a different progression from a club practicing another style of Karate.
Judo
Judo continues to use the kyu and dan system that helped inspire modern Martial Arts ranking. Belt colours used for kyu grades can vary according to age, country and governing organisation.
Taekwondo
Taekwondo typically uses coloured belts for students progressing towards black belt, often with intermediate grades represented by stripes or tags. Again, the exact progression can differ between Taekwondo organisations.
Jujitsu
Jujitsu is particularly varied because there are numerous styles and organisations. Traditional Jujitsu schools may use coloured kyu grades similar to other Japanese Martial Arts, while Brazilian Jiujitsu has its own distinctive belt structure and promotion system.
Did Martial Artists Really Never Wash Their Belts?
You’ve probably heard this story before.
According to a popular Martial Arts legend, everyone originally started with a white belt. As students trained for years without washing it, dirt, sweat and even blood gradually darkened the belt until it eventually became black; supposedly representing their experience. It’s a great story, but it isn’t the historical origin of the coloured belt ranking system.
The modern ranking system developed deliberately as a way of identifying different levels of progression rather than through belts naturally becoming darker with age. So, unfortunately, keeping a dirty belt isn’t going to get you to black belt any quicker!
What Does a Black Belt Actually Mean?
The black belt is probably the most famous symbol in Martial Arts.
To someone outside Martial Arts, it can sometimes be viewed as the final destination. You’ve earned your black belt, so you’ve completed the Martial Art. For many practitioners, it’s quite the opposite.
Reaching black belt can represent a strong understanding of the fundamentals and the beginning of a new stage of learning. Many Martial Arts have multiple dan grades beyond the first black belt, allowing practitioners to continue developing for decades. There’s always something else to learn.
Every Belt Tells Part of the Story
Whether it’s a child’s very first white belt, a long awaited grading belt or a black belt earned after years of dedication, belts have become an important way of recognising progression in Martial Arts. The exact colours might change from one Martial Art, style or organisation to another, but the idea behind them remains similar… each belt represents another step along the journey.
At Blitz, we stock a wide selection of Martial Arts belts suitable for clubs and practitioners across a variety of Martial Arts, helping mark those achievements from the first grading onwards.
Because ultimately, it’s not simply the colour around your waist that matters, it’s the training, dedication and experiences that got you there.
