The judo green belt is usually the 3rd kyu. It marks the move to the big hip and leg throws, such as harai-goshi and uchi-mata, and above all to combinations between two attacks. Syllabuses vary between clubs and federations, so what follows is what is usually expected rather than an official list.
The judo green belt: the middle grade
Three belts behind you, three ahead before black. Green is a turning point. You know enough techniques to have an interesting randori, but not yet enough to impose your judo. It's often the stage where a favorite technique appears, the one that comes out without you looking for it.
The coach's eye changes too. At yellow or orange, they checked that you knew a technique. At green, they want to see it work against a partner who resists a little.
Typical content, standing and on the ground
No single syllabus binds every club for colored belts. What follows reflects what many coaches teach, built on the gokyo.
Standing, two big techniques dominate this grade. harai-goshi (sweeping hip throw) starts with a turn like o-goshi, then sweeps the partner's thigh with a straight leg. uchi-mata (inner thigh reap) is more demanding: the leg lifts between the partner's legs while the chest drives forward. Few students make it work in randori at 3rd kyu, and that's fine.
Around them, coaches often add foot techniques that depend on timing:
- okuri-ashi-barai (double foot sweep) on a sideways step;
- sasae-tsurikomi-ashi (propping drawing ankle throw);
- hiza-guruma (knee wheel);
- sometimes tomoe-nage, the first sacrifice throw.
On the ground, tate-shiho-gatame (mounted hold) completes the set of hold-downs. With teenagers, many coaches introduce the first armlock, juji-gatame (cross armlock). Locks and strangles are restricted for younger age groups in competition, so when they're taught depends heavily on the age of the group and the federation's rules.
Combinations: the real 3rd kyu skill
If you had to keep one criterion for green belt, it would be this: can the student build a two-step attack?
The principle is simple. The first attack makes your partner react. They step back, they step forward, they stiffen. That reaction opens the second attack. Classic examples:
- ko-uchi-gari to make them step back, then seoi-nage as they come forward again;
- o-uchi-gari to open their legs, then uchi-mata into the gap;
- sasae-tsurikomi-ashi to make them pivot, then harai-goshi in the same direction.
In randori, a student with only one attack is readable after three tries. A student who chains two becomes dangerous. Our piece on why randori is essential shows how to use free practice to test these combinations.
A simple check: in randori, count how many of your successful throws come from a second attack. If the answer is zero, work on combinations before asking about green.
Teens and adults: two ways to live green belt
Teenagers often reach green just as their body changes. A boy who grows ten centimeters in a year loses his sense of distance and misses techniques he used to land. Be patient. Coordination returns within a few months, and the new frame opens up new techniques.
Adults face something else. They grasp principles quickly but lack flexibility and speed. Harai-goshi often suits them better than uchi-mata, which needs a hip opening many no longer have. There's no point forcing a technique that doesn't fit your body.
The orange-green step and the pace of grading
For children, an orange-green belt often comes before green. It confirms part of the syllabus, such as one big throw and the mounted hold. It's one of the most widespread two-color steps, because the gap between orange and green is large.
The time from orange to green varies a lot. Children often take one or two seasons. A regular teenager who competes can move faster. Coaches mostly look at consistency. A student who comes every other week doesn't build combinations, because they take hundreds of repetitions.
Don't ask your coach for your green belt. Ask what you're missing to get it. The answer will be more useful.
Three drills to prepare for blue
- Uchi-komi on the move. Ten entries on a partner stepping back, ten on a partner stepping forward. The technique must adapt to the direction of movement.
- Themed randori. Only one attacking technique allowed for two minutes. You learn to create the opening instead of waiting for it.
- Standing-to-ground link. After every throw, go straight into a hold-down. In competition, countless points are lost in that transition.
These drills lead directly to the blue belt, where judo becomes more tactical. For the full picture of grades, see the judo belt order page. The previous grade, the orange belt, is worth rereading for the inner reaps.
Our view on this grade: green is the best time to choose your tokui-waza, your special technique. Not forever. But a student who reaches blue without choosing tends to spend the next season hesitating.