Karate & Taekwondo Belts

SMAI has an extensive range of Martial Arts Belts available in Australia. Including single colour belts, white stripe, black stripe, coloured stripe, judo belts and much more. Built in partnership with athletes to ensure both comfort and range of movement, our karate uniforms are approved by the World Karate Federation (WKF) and our Taekwondo and Judo uniforms are used at the top level globally. 

Martial Arts Colour Belts FAQs


What is WKF belt system?

The international regulation of karate falls under the jurisdiction of the World Karate Federation (WKF), where the belt framework is standardized with minor deviations. This universal belt system, established by the WKF, comprises 8 belts of varying colors that cater to participants at different skill levels, ranging from novices to experts. Each of these belts symbolizes a specific level of expertise, referred to as a "kyū" (級) in Japanese, indicating a grade, level, or degree of proficiency.

 

What is the order of coloured belts in different martial arts?

There are numerous different sequences of belt colours in martial arts. Although universally, the martial arts black belt is esteemed highly, Each individual martial art has their own belts and system of ranking. 

There are 9 colours in Karate belts: white, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, red, brown, and black. Receiving a martial arts black belt in karate is highly esteemed and takes years of dedication and hard work. 

In the realm of taekwondo belts, there exist a dual classification: coloured belts and black belts. The progression through coloured belts follows this sequence: White Belt, White Belt with Yellow Tip, Yellow Belt, Yellow Belt with Green Tip, Green Belt, Green Belt with Blue Tip, Blue Belt, Blue Belt with Red Tip, Red Belt, and Red Belt with Black Tip.

The taekwondo black belt system is a continuation of the coloured belt system. Upon reaching the Black Belt level in taekwondo, this progression represents the ten DAN degrees, spanning from first to tenth. Each DAN degree is represented by a Black Belt adorned with embroidered gold stripes, which indicate the achieved level of expertise.

The order of judo belts originally only consisted of white and black but now follow this colour sequence: white, yellow, orange, green, blue, brown and black.

 

Why should I buy martial arts coloured belts?

Donning martial arts belts holds essential importance in the practice, with each color signifying crucial facets of learning. These belts reflect your individual progress, extending to both the dojo and the world beyond. For martial artists it's important to purchase the correct belt and wear it with pride. 

How do BJJ Belts work?

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu BJJ belts are coloured according to the IBJFF graduation system. Belts are worn according to the users age and experience. You can view the graduation system on our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu belt page