How long does it take to get a black belt in judo?

Most practitioners take between 5 and 8 years training 3-4 times per week. The time varies depending on the federation and competition/kata requirements.

How many belts are there in judo?

The adult system has 6 colored belts (white, yellow, orange, green, blue, and brown) followed by dan grades (black belt). Dan grades range from 1st to 10th dan.

How often do you get promoted in judo?

The first belts (white to orange) typically require 3-12 months each. More advanced belts (green to brown) require 12-24 months. Training frequency is the most determining factor.

Free tool

Judo Belt Progression Calculator

Estimate how long until your next judo belt and until black belt, based on your current rank and training frequency.

Your current belt

Sessions per week:

1 2 3 4 5 6

How this calculator works

We use the minimum recommended times from major judo federations (IJF, FFJDA, BJA) and adjust them based on your training frequency. Training 3-4 times per week is considered the standard pace. More sessions accelerate progression; fewer slow it down.

Factors that influence progression

Training frequency and consistency.
Specific requirements of your federation.
Competition results (some federations require them).
Training quality and deliberate practice.
Kata knowledge (mandatory for dan grades).

Running a judo dojo?

MatGoat lets you configure your federation's grading system and automatically track each judoka's progression.

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