Attention Judo Practitioners

[The Bomb]

What is the difference in skill level between a white belt and a yellow belt, and so on in judo? Is the only advantage a yellow belt has over a white belt is better at breaking falls?

I know in bjj there is usually a fairly big gap between belts. 1 belt level means a lot in bjj.

Does it matter as much in judo?

 

[futang17]

depends.. my dojo for each Kyu after white is six months to a year. with brown at about four to five years. then one brown per year. then black. I think most dojo you get black after about two years. but yes it means you know how not hurt yourself or others. Niand and is where the awe factor is at

 

[snoop dogg***]

my friend is a green belt for SJSU judo and hes pretty damn scary to stand up with. I think it depends on the school

 

[The Bomb]

depends.. my dojo for each Kyu after white is six months to a year. with brown at about four to five years. then one brown per year. then black. I think most dojo you get black after about two years. but yes it means you know how not hurt yourself or others. Niand and is where the awe factor is at

Are there a few different brown belts? Did you notice a huge difference in skill level between white,yellow,orange,green belts?

 

[Jagcorps_esq]

We go about one belt color a year sometimes less. Figure, from white to yellow, there is a very small amount of difference in terms of skill.

I expect it to take about 6 or 7 years for a black belt.

 

[The Bomb]

We go about one belt color a year sometimes less. Figure, from white to yellow, there is a very small amount of difference in terms of skill.

I expect it to take about 6 or 7 years for a black belt.

In other words even after a year of practicing judo, your skill level will not be much different than when you first started?

6-7years to get a black belt at how many days a week?

 

[Jagcorps_esq]

In other words even after a year of practicing judo, your skill level will not be much different than when you first started?

6-7years to get a black belt at how many days a week?

After a year, you'd be marginally better.

I mean, it's like any grappling art. It's going to take a long time to be good at it. Sure, within a year you'll know break falls and the basics of many throws. You'll probably know the history too.

I mean, against a brand new white belt, a yellow belt will have some advantage, but it's not going to be dramatic. As an orange belt, I'm beginning to have a significant advantage over those with no grappling training.

I'm training two days a week in judo specifically.

 

[Deleted member 405583]

While i dont think it matters as much in judo. There is a difference between the belts. Mostly though it only a slight one. At my academy it shows that the student has a stronger knowledge of the very basic of techniques.

 

[Einarr]

Are there a few different brown belts?

Traditionally 3rd, 2nd and 1st Kyu are represented by brown belts and this is how the Kodokan still does it. However many associations do it as green, blue and then brown for these grades - it doesn't matter; a 3rd kyu is a 3rd kyu whether they wear a green belt or a brown belt.

 

[dalexan242]

Its probably 6-7 at my judo club as well. I'm not sure that I've ever met anyone who trains at a club who promotes white to black in 2-3 years. There are probably some exceptional cases for guys who have come in with significant grappling experience already, but that doesn't seem anywhere near the norm at competitive judo clubs.

 

[dragonslayer131]

In other words even after a year of practicing judo, your skill level will not be much different than when you first started?

6-7years to get a black belt at how many days a week?

I had trained 1-2 month after I got my yellow. In my opinon yellow and orange belt is like stripes on a white belt in BJJ. So its not that much difference between white and yellow.

 

[fozzit]

For adults, Any belt under san kyu - ik kyu(Brown) is the equivalent of a white belt.

If you understand the Japanese belt system and how degrees work, then it's easy to transfer the amount of mat time someone has. (4th deg) Yo(n)dan and above are instructor level, so I believe a a shodan is equal to a purple belt generally.

 

[DiegoDiegerson]

It probably differs a lot from club to club and country to country, I know that different countries have different judo belt systems, in a way that seems more varied than BJJ.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo_ranks_and_grades

A new yellow belt would have an advantage over a new white belt, or a white belt a little bit in, provided they were both the same size, physical condition, etc. How much of an advantage depends on how quickly the club promotes from white to yellow.

I think the TS is right, a big advantage might be the yellow belt would be better at falling. But that's super important... Hard to win in a fight if you just fell down wrong and hurt yourself.

EDIT: It's also pretty hard to learn a throw if you don't know how to fall, because the best way I've found to learn a throw is to get someone who knows it to perform it on you, and if you don't know how to fall properly that isn't really going to happen.

 

[Zam Zam]

I've read the responses, and generally agree. However, I would assert that it's entirely on you.

Let me explain:

Let's say you go two nights per week for about two hours. Generally, most people train this amount, unless of course, you're highly competitive.

Well, if that's it, and you do NOTHING else, than after one year, both you and a yellow belt following the same training regimen, would be rather close.

If however, you do randori twice per week at the above schedule, then on Mon/Wed/Fri, you run, lift heavy and do some body training and do grip fighting (even solo) and band pull uchi komi--hitting a few thousand per week, then of course you'd be head and shoulders above anyone else.

Some would say you're a "natural" not having a clue that you spend hours training off the mat.

In addition to the above regimen, you buy something like Mike Swain's Complete Judo DVD set, Inoue's DVDs and maybe Israel Hernandez's DVD and watch them religiously, you'll be better than most.

And of course, if you add in a couple days of BJJ, you'll be a god!

 

[SAAMAG]

The judo here in my town will vary. It's up to the coach's discretion as to when a belt is awarded. The place I went to awarded belts on performance both in class and in competition. Time didn't matter because everyone was different and learned at a difference pace.

Some guys got to green belt within a year, some guys took longer. The thing about fighting is that the belts in themselves don't matter really. I've seen white belts tap out brown belts before.

 

[Mooner]

It depends on the individual. When I was white belt, I was beating guys who were blue and brown and they started when they were kids.

 

[RJ Green]

nobody should call themselves a black belt unless there's 6-7 years under it. people get belts sooner, sure, but there are a lot of ammy clubs that give out undeserved belts.

i wish america had batsukans at tournaments instead of arbitrary merit promotions. but again, i'm butthurt.

 

[nomoremondays]

i'm butthurt.

from pulling guard?

 

[Einarr]

nobody should call themselves a black belt unless there's 6-7 years under it. people get belts sooner, sure, but there are a lot of ammy clubs that give out undeserved belts.

No. You get a black belt in Japan in two years doing Judo an hour once a week for Phys. Ed. Westerners put the black belt on a pedestal when it's just meant to mean you're a serious student, not an expert.

 

[nomoremondays]

Westerners put the black belt on a pedestal when it's just meant to mean you're a serious student, not an expert.

There are probably historical reasons to it. The first Japanese judoka to travel to Europe, Americas etc were legitimate experts and reasonably high dan grades. They were able to prove their skill by taking on all comers. Black belts, whether of European or Japanese origin were a rare breed in the west. So a certain mythos was built.

It was also not helpful that the Japanese were a bit loathe to rank people to higher ranks for a long time. They did not perceive that the west 'got it' and also there was a bit of 'reverse cultural racism' at play.