Does Kickboxing have a ranked belt system?

When looking at kickboxing, it’s fair to say that its belt system is a little blurry. In short, it falls into the same category as certain other martial arts such as Kung Fu and Muay Thai where many gyms will not use belts or grade students. At the same time, many kickboxing gyms will also use a ranked belt system.

As you may have gathered, this means that belts in kickboxing can vary from place to place, with some gyms placing a strong emphasis on belts and grading, whereas other gyms won’t care at all. Ultimately, it’s at the discretion of the teacher and whether a gym uses belts or doesn’t, it shouldn’t be taken too seriously either way.

American kickboxing uses a belt system

Compared to old school dutch kickboxing, the American system favors belts. There may be cultural reasons behind this and it may have even started as a marketing tool. Nonetheless, the result is that an American kickboxing gym will far commonly use belts compared to a dutch or even Japanese gym.

If you think about it, kickboxing is quite similar to karate but with regular boxing thrown in. As Karate universally uses belt – it makes sense that this culture has also carried over to kickboxing. In other words, if you train in the US then you’re much more likely to wear a belt compared to training in the Netherlands.

Why are belts needed in kickboxing?

As established, belts aren’t always needed in kickboxing and many gyms have done perfectly fine without using them for many years. However, there are some positives for implementing a grading system if you own a gym.

Belts give order

The first is that you can keep track of your students levels when training. If you have a newbie who is wearing a white belt then you can give them more patience and understanding. However, if you have a black belt then you can visually see their rank and get a feel of their skill.

This is arguably most important when it comes to sparring. Whilst any good kickboxing gym will allow all levels to spar each other, it also shows who is better. You may not want to pair off a dangerous white belt with a beginner – but you may want to pair them with a skilled black belt for safety reasons. In short, it’s true that belts in kickboxing do have a practical reason and make life simpler for teachers.

Belts can create better student retention

A more cynical view is that belts are used to retain students who are thinking of quitting. This stance is from a purely monetary standpoint and sadly is used by some gyms that are only interested in money. Basically, the idea here is that belts are used as incentives to train. Arguably, a true martial artist would train without belts but in reality this isn’t always the case.

For some, a new belt can be used as a reward for showing up which means students are less likely to quit. This isn’t exclusive to kickboxing either and certain martial arts such as Karate and Taekwondo are infamous for using belts to keep students from quitting. As said, this is a cynical take and not every gym that uses belts is up to no good either.

The kickboxing belts explained

We shall now go through a list of the belts used in kickboxing. Before continuing, one thing worth noting is that kickboxing has quite a fluid belt system. This was mentioned in the intro and in short, it means that there’s not a definitive guide on the belt colors.

In other words, some gyms use different colored belts from one another and it’s not like BJJ where the same system is universally used. In some cases, kids will also be given different colored belts due to being younger practitioners.

Kickboxing belts in order:

• White

• Yellow

• Green

• Blue

• Purple

• Brown

• Black

As seen, using the above system there are a total of seven belts used in kickboxing. Some gyms will also implement stripes as well. This means you could get promoted from a yellow belt to a yellow belt with a black line running through the middle. Then, your next belt would be green. This is also used in other martial arts to indicate that the practitioner is between belts.

How long does it take to get a black belt in kickboxing?

Regardless of what colors are used in kickboxing, they all end up with the black belt being the final color. Again, this is something that is pretty universal across all martial arts. Typically, a kickboxing black belt shouldn’t take too long to earn and takes around 4 years for the average person. By average, we mean someone that trains consistently for several years and shows that they’re competent at striking. Of course, there are always outliers such as young prodigies who seemingly pick up the discipline very quickly and train all day. On the other end of the spectrum, an older more casual practitioner may take years longer to reach black belt.

This also means that typically, you can go through the belts in a matter of months. Unlike the likes of BJJ, most belts in kickboxing aren’t meant to be held for years. Overall, this means that although the black belt is to be honored and respected, it also means that a kickboxing black belt doesn’t have to be decades into training either. This is a common misconception, and often in martial arts the black belt represents the start of the journey – rather than the end. Put simply, there is still work to do.

Does kickboxing use a uniform?

In kickboxing, you don’t always have to wear a uniform. Much like the belt system, it is often down to the individual instructor and every place is different. So, in some gyms you’ll be allowed to train in shorts and a t-shirt. Or, you could even wear shorts and nothing else if it’s too hot. This is often the norm in very hot countries or warmer climates.

However, more commonly these days kickboxing does require a uniform. The history on the origins of the kickboxing uniform are a little vague but again it may have been influenced by the USA or Karate. Typically, the kickboxing uniform is black with red stripes on the sides of the arms. Having said this, you can get other color schemes as well.

The kickboxing uniform is typically quite loose and baggy too which makes sense considering you’re going to be doing some pretty athletic kicks and movements whilst wearing it. As well, this helps when you begin to sweat. Sometimes, this will be accompanied by wearing your belt if your gym uses them.

Should I wear my belt to another gym?

As the kickboxing landscape isn’t always the same, you may wonder whether you should wear your belt to a new gym. This is a valid concern if you don’t know what the vibe is and you don’t want to upset anyone.

To avoid any awkwardness, you may want to call ahead and speak to the owner. If it’s an old school gym then they may tell you a belt isn’t required, nor is a uniform. However, if it’s a place that is big on belts then wearing one will be fine. As a general rule though, it’s not like you’re going to get kicked out of a gym for turning up in a belt so you have nothing to worry about.

Summary

In conclusion, kickboxing doesn’t always use a belt system. This differs from place to place and is dependent on the instructor. To further complicate things, the belt colors in kickboxing will also differ depending on each gym.

For instance, some place may have seven belts to obtain, whereas others may have eight or more. Similarly, some places also use different colors. For example, a purple belt may be an intermediate rank in one gym – yet not exist in another place.

To summarize, don’t be alarmed if you see someone wearing a belt in kickboxing and always remember to treat people with dignity and respect, no matter their status as a martial artist.

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