Martial Arts Belt Rankings
Not every martial art uses belts — boxing, Muay Thai, wrestling, and MMA don't. But four of the major arts do: BJJ, Judo, Karate, and Taekwondo. Here's how each system works.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 7 ranks · 8–12 years of consistent training (3–4 classes per week) Judo 9 ranks · 3–6 years for a dedicated adult training 2–4 times a week, with competition experience Karate 8 ranks · 3–5 years for a dedicated adult at most reputable schools Taekwondo 7 ranks · 3–5 years at a reputable school for an adult training 2–3 times a week
Why some martial arts don't have belts
Belt systems are a 20th-century invention, popularized by Jigoro Kano (the founder of Judo) and adopted by most arts that came after. Older arts like boxing and wrestling are organized by competition rank (amateur, pro, weight class) instead. Newer composite arts like MMA inherit that competition-based structure. Neither approach is better — they reflect different ways of measuring progress.
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