Gradings & Technique

Understanding the different belt colours:

The colour of your judo belt indicates your level of competence and experience.

The grading system starts with white belt and progresses to red, yellow, orange,
green, blue, brown and then black belt 1st Dan.

Many people assume that black belt is the ultimate grade in judo but in fact it is not.
After you have achieved black belt 1st dan you can then continue to progress
through the dan grade system from 1st to 5th dan, which are all still black belt.
When you progress to 6th dan the belt colour changes from black to red and white.
6th, 7th and 8th dan are all red and white belt. Finally 9th and 10th dan are solid red
belt. There is in fact an 11th dan, but no one has ever been awarded that grade.

Sportif Judo hold gradings twice a year. The format is based on technical knowledge
and skill. As players progress through the grades there is an element of contest
involved. Gradings give players a great sense of achievement and insure that they
are progressing within the sport.

Technique, Technique , Technique

There are 67 traditional judo throws and hundreds of variations. There are also 29
traditional ground techniques, but again there are also many more turnovers and
specialist ground moves.