When can juniors move to Kyu grades and work towards a black belt?
Rule- UK
- British Judo
- Junior judo
- Under 12
- Under 16
- Under 18
- BJA contest rules
- Mon grades
- 2026
- Coaches
- From age 14, in consultation with their coach, a junior can choose to seek promotion under the Kyu grade syllabus. Juniors aged 14 and 15 who do this don't need to take out senior BJA membership.
- At 18, everyone still on Mon grades must transfer to the Kyu system.
| Kyu grade | Belt |
|---|---|
| 6th Kyu | Red |
| 5th Kyu | Yellow |
| 4th Kyu | Orange |
| 3rd Kyu | Green |
| 2nd Kyu | Blue |
| 1st Kyu | Brown |
Black belt (1st Dan):
- A 1st Kyu junior aged 14 can start collecting promotion points towards their Dan grade in point-scoring competitions.
- They can't enter Dan gradings or register for promotion to 1st Dan until age 15.
Added 21 Oct 2026