Is there a muay thai belt ranking system that utilizes colored belts such as in Karate or BJJ?
In traditional thai boxing gyms in Thailand, the answer is no. The reason is, in traditional boxing gyms in Thailand most of those training there are professional fighters.
The belts most muay thai gyms in Thailand are concerned with are championship belts.
However, in many gyms and schools outside of Thailand, belt rankings in muay thai are being awarded in the same manner as other traditional martial arts such as Judo and Taekwondo.
These muay thai academies award coloured muay thai belt rankings or coloured pra jiad (muay thai arm bands) to signify students muay thai ranking.
There are various reasons and motivations behind the awarding of belt rankings in muay thai that will be discussed in this post.
And we will also look at 3 different muay thai gyms using a muay thai ranking system.
Belt Ranking to Motivate and Encourage Progress
In muay thai a system of belt rankings, mostly in gyms outside of Thaialnd.
The belt ranking system in muay thai acts as a form of encouraging practitioners to continue to make progress.
This belt ranking system is also great for motivating students to keep training consistently as they progress toward a particular belt ranking.
But as in traditional boxing gyms in Thailand there are no muay thai belt ranking systems.
The amateur muay thai boxing federation is working on a curriculum that can be taught worldwide that covers all aspects of muay thai.
What are some Muay Thai Schools Using Belt Rankings Outside of Thailand?
I will discuss here a couple of fairly high level gyms (outside of Thailand) offering belt rankings in muay thai and kickboxing as part of their system.
I fully believe these gyms have great systems and requirements for muay thai belt rankings.
This post will also look at some high level fighters out of these gyms and whom also obtained their muay thai/kickboxing black belts from these gyms.
1. Roufusport Kickboxing Association Belt System
Duke Roufus is a current UFC head coach and he has opened academies and has black belt affiliates who promote their students according to his system.
The system is also available to learn online.
But testing must be done in person at the academy.
There are some notable black belts in the Duke Roufus system that have represented their gyms in the UFC and possess high level striking that was honed through the Duke Roufus system.
- Alan Belcher is a former UFC fighter and RKA black belt
- Anthony Pettis also is a Duke Roufus Kickboxing black belt and a former UFC champion and current UFC fighter
- Sergio Pettis is the younger brother of Anthony and is Duke Roufus Kickboxing black belt and current UFC fighter
Duke Roufus, as founder of Duke Roufus kickboxing learned Taekwondo and Karate from his father at a young age.
Along with his brother Rick, they both became world kickboxing champions.
2. Duane Ludwig’s Bang Muay Thai Belt Ranking System
The Bang Muay Thai belt ranking system was developed by two time UFC coach of the year and former UFC fighter and K1 champ, Duane “Bang” Ludwig.
Duane Ludwig was a high level striker and kickboxer and was a K-1 Champ before joining the UFC.
Duane Ludwig was taught by differnet muay thai and striking practitioners and his Bang Muay Thai belt system takes a lot from Bas Rutten and the Dutch kickboxing style.
TJ Dillashaw has a black belt in the Bang Muay Thai belt system and is a former UFC champion.
The Bang Muay Thai belt ranking system progresses from White Belt to Black Belt as follows:
White Yellow Orange Blue Purple Brown Black
Duane Ludwig also has a black belt in Bas Rutten Systems for Striking in MMA.
Bas Rutten is a former UFC Champion from 1999 UFC 20 and trained extensively in dutch style kickboxing and MMA.
At the end of the video below, Bas Rutten awards Duane Ludwig his black belt. You can also see his style of striking in the video below. This style influenced Bang Muay thai.
Also worth to note that Bas Rutten himself has black belts in both tae kwan do and kyokushin karate before he took up dutch style kickboxing.
The Bang Muay Thai belt ranking system is well developed with unique combos and drills that need to be practiced and tested for in order to rank up in person.
3. Evolve MMA – Singapore
Evolve MMA in Singapore is a academy with very high level muay thai trainers, many of which are former as well as current world champions.
I have hade the pleasure to train at Evolve MMA in Singapore twice and you can read about my experience in this post.
Rather than awarding belts, the Sityodtong Camp and Evolve MMA award certification and official armbands or the Prajieds which are worn by muay thai fighters in each fight.
Evolve MMA was started by Chatri Sityodtong who also founded ONE Championship and many of the trainers at Evolve MMA also compete in ONE Championship in MMA, Muay Thai and Kickboxing.
The Sityodtong name is very famous in muay thai thanks to the great muay thai trainer Kru Yodtong Senanan who has produced many world champions.
The muay thai ranking system in Evolve MMA involves certification with 7 distinct levels with separate training intensity, technical knowledge, and proficiency required at each level.
The 7 levels originate from Kru Yodtong’s training camp in Thailand and was brought to Evolve MMA by him prior to his death. The levels are:
Level 7 = Kru
Level 6 = Expert
Level 5 = Advanced
Level 4 = Intermediate
Level 3 = Advanced Novice
Level 2 = Intermediate Novice
Level 1 = Novice
The ranking system for the official Sityodtong Muay Thai Program at Evolve is based on Pra Jiads (muay thai armbands). Authentic Sityodtong Pra Jiads and Certifications are awarded with each of the 7 levels.
Muay thai belt ranking systems : final thoughts
To answer the question of whether or not muay thai belt ranking systems do exist.
The answer is yes, but these do not really exist in traditional Thai boxing gyms in Thailand.
But in today’s modern environment where MMA, BJJ and muay thai are popular, belt systems ranking and grading systems have been devised.
These systems allow gyms and instructors to award students who have studied well and made consistent progress over a long period of time.
One of the most developed systems of ranking and grading is the Sityodtong certification system developed by Kru Yodtong.
In the end each of the different belt ranking and certification grading systems in muay thai represent the founder’s own fighting and coaching experience over years of practice.
But each of these fighters began in traditional martial arts so the influence of belt ranking systems have been incorporated into modern muay thai belt ranking systems.
It’s easy to see how the belt ranking systems they went through influenced the systems they developed today.
These former champions such as Bas Rutten, Duke Roufus and Duane Ludwig have valid systems they have developed through experience.
The muay thai belt ranking system fits in with today’s modern commercial environment but is based on experienced combat striking and becoming proficient in these skills.
