Belts
From white belt to black
Each color adds a few skills. A student tests when the instructor sees them, never on a date.
White belt
Everyone starts hereSkillsBowing on and off the mat
Falling back, to the side and forward
A first throw, from a kneel
Yellow and orange belts
SkillsFalls and rolls from standing
Hip and shoulder throws with a partner
A first hold on the mat
Moving upWhen the instructor sees the skills, at a belt test
Green and blue belts
SkillsThrows on a partner who moves
Ways to turn out of a hold
Linking one throw to the next
Moving upWhen the instructor sees the skills, at a belt test
Brown and black belts
SkillsFree practice with a partner at a steady pace
Showing a newer student how to land
Helping with belt tests
Moving upWhen the instructor sees the skills, at a belt test
Sample levels.
No belt comes with a date. Every student moves at their own pace.
Belt tests
How a student moves up
There is no calendar for belts.
- 01
The instructor sees the skills
A student is ready when the instructor has watched them do the skills for the next belt, many times, in ordinary classes.
- 02
A short test, in class
The test happens at the end of a regular class, with the usual partner. Families are welcome to stay and watch quietly.
- 03
The new belt
The instructor ties it on, and the line bows. Nobody is ranked against anybody else.
Start at white belt
Everyone does, at any age.