British Judo EducationTechniques & Grading Syllabus

The Grading Register

Judo Techniques by Belt - the Complete Syllabus Guide

This register lists judo techniques by belt: every throw, hold and escape in the British junior grading order, from the first red-belt breakfalls to brown-belt counters - each technique explained step by step, with its Japanese name, what the name means, and the faults examiners actually mark down.

Featured techniques

  1. Uki Goshi - How to Do the Floating Hip Throw in Judo, Step by Stepfloating hip throw Kano's own favourite - the half-hip that teaches timing before strength. Study →
  2. Uchi Mata - the Inner Thigh Throw Technique in Judo Explainedinner-thigh throw The competition workhorse - why the sweeping leg follows the hip, never leads it. Study →
  3. O Goshi - How to Do the Major Hip Throw in Judo, Step by Stepmajor hip throw The full-hip fundamental every later koshi-waza is measured against. Study →

Every throw has three phases

1

Kuzushi - breaking balance

The throw is won here. Direction, timing and grip decide whether the rest is effortless or impossible.

2

Tsukuri - fitting in

Positioning your body against a partner who is already off balance - entry speed matters more than power.

3

Kake - execution

The completion. If kuzushi and tsukuri were right, kake is a finish, not a fight.

How this judo syllabus guide is organised

The register follows the belt order used in most British clubs: red, yellow, orange, green, blue, then brown. Each belt has its own page listing the judo techniques introduced at that grade, and every technique entry follows the same pattern - the Japanese name and its translation, the situation the technique answers, a numbered breakdown of the movement, and the faults that cost marks in a grading.

That structure is deliberate. A judo syllabus guide is only useful if you can find things two ways: by the belt you are working towards, and by the technique you half-remember from Tuesday's class. The belt pages give you the first route. The search and the featured register above give you the second.

Judo techniques by belt: what each grade actually asks

Learning judo techniques by belt is not just tradition - the order encodes a safety logic. Red belt is almost entirely ukemi (breakfalls) and floor work, because nothing else in judo is safe until falling is automatic. Yellow and orange introduce the large, forgiving throws: hip throws and major reaps where both partners stay close and land predictably. Green and blue add sweeps, combinations and the first counters, which demand real timing. Brown belt collects the techniques that only work against genuine resistance - sacrifice throws, arm rolls and transition attacks.

The same progression shows up inside each family of techniques. O goshi at orange belt teaches the full hip contact that uki goshi refined earlier; uchi mata at green belt only makes sense once the hips already know both. If a technique feels impossible, the honest fix is usually one belt back, not one more repetition.

Using the register to prepare for a grading

Grading examiners rarely want volume. They want the named judo techniques for the belt, performed on both a stationary and a moving partner, with the terminology understood rather than recited. For each belt page in this judo syllabus guide the techniques are listed in the order most clubs teach them, so working down the list once a week in the run-up to a grading covers the whole syllabus without cramming.

Two habits make the difference in the last fortnight. First, say the Japanese name aloud before each repetition until the pairing is automatic - examiners ask. Second, practise the entries at half speed with a compliant partner, then at full speed against light movement. The judo techniques by belt listed here include the common examiner prompts for exactly that reason.

Common questions

How long does it take to progress through the judo belts?

Most British clubs grade juniors two or three times a year, so the coloured belts from red to brown typically take four to six years of consistent training. Adults on the senior Kyu ladder often move faster through the early grades because the syllabus overlaps with what they drill in every class.

What is the difference between Mon and Kyu grades?

Mon grades are the junior ladder (under 18) and Kyu grades the senior one. The technique content overlaps heavily, but Mon gradings weight terminology, etiquette and controlled demonstration, while Kyu gradings add stronger expectations of application against movement.

Do belt colours mean the same thing in every country?

No. The red-to-brown order used on this site reflects common British practice. France, Japan and the United States each group beginner grades differently, and some countries skip coloured belts for adults entirely. The techniques themselves are standard - only the packaging differs.

Can judo techniques be learned from written guides alone?

No - and this register does not pretend otherwise. Written breakdowns are for understanding what your coach showed you, spotting the detail you missed, and preparing terminology for gradings. The throws themselves need mats, a partner and supervision.

Which judo techniques should a complete beginner learn first?

Breakfalls, before anything else - backwards, sideways and the rolling breakfall. After ukemi, most clubs start with o soto otoshi and a simple hold-down such as kesa gatame, because both teach posture and contact without demanding timing.