The Jiu-Jitsu Belt Order and Ranking System Explained

When first starting in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the belt system can seem complicated.

The BJJ belt system is organised and structured, while the belt systems of many other martial arts, such as Karate and Taekwondo, are more open to interpretation.

Most recognised BJJ schools across the world adhere to the age and experience requirements established by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) for belt promotions.

The following is a complete guide to the belt system used in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

History of the Jiu-Jitsu Belt and Stripe system

Judo's creator, Kano Jigoro, is credited with introducing the use of belts.

A white belt indicated a beginner, while a black belt indicated an advanced learner.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu can be traced back to 1914, when Mitsuyo Maeda, a pupil of Kano Jigoro, travelled to the country.

Judo's use of coloured belts is often credited to Mikonosuke Kawaishi, who is thought to have introduced the practice in 1935.

In 1967, the Jiu-Jitsu Federation of Guanabara established the first official belt ranking system for jiu-jitsu, which was eventually adopted by the Sport Jiu-Jitsu International Federation and the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation.

What exactly constitutes a given degree of ability in jiu-jitsu has been subject to debate.

Some people think it's a symbol for showing off one's athletic abilities. Others argue that it is a better indicator of a teacher's competence.

In this case, both sides have valid points. That is the crux of the matter!

In either case, the next belt level requires a significant investment of time and effort in study and practice on the mat.

New symbols of development have been added to jiu-jitsu belts in recent years.

Over the course of several years, Jiu-Jitsu masters have been known to award a student with a "stripe" once they have reached a predetermined milestone in terms of understanding and skill.

The standard for students is to earn four white stripes in a vertical pattern on the black tip of their belts.

The sport has also added developmental milestone stripes of varying colours inside the parent belt colour.

The question always arises as to whether or not a student of this belt level is improving to the point where they can compete with pupils of higher belt levels.

The Jiu-Jitsu Belt Order

There are 8 types of belts for adults.

Read a comprehensive breakdown of Jiu-belt Jitsu's ranking system below.

White Belt

Brazilian jiu-jitsu's entry-level belt is white. There are no requirements to achieve this rank, therefore anyone who is new to the art can hold it.

Because a white belt is likely to fight from a weaker posture, especially when sparring with higher-ranking practitioners, some instructors and experts believe that a white belt's training should focus on escapes and defensive positioning.

To earn their white belt, students at most academies must also demonstrate proficiency in fundamental offensive maneuvers like submissions and guard passes.

Blue Belt

In Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a blue belt is the second belt for adults.

Students who obtain their blue belt spend thousands of hours on the mat perfecting their technique and learning how to use it effectively.

At the blue belt level, the learner often learns a wide variety of moves.

To enter the adult belt system at the IBJJF's blue belt level, a practitioner must be at least 16 years old.

Purple Belt

Practitioners must maintain their purple belt status with the IBJJF for a minimum of 1.5 years.

In the adult ranks of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the purple belt represents the intermediate level.

Practitioners of the purple belt level have amassed a wealth of information, and they are often promoted to teaching roles with pupils of lower belt colours.

Students with equivalent levels of expertise in other martial arts are typically awarded the black (instructor) belt.

The IBJJF recommends that a student spend at least two years as a blue belt before being eligible for a purple belt, and it requires students to be at least 16 years old to graduate directly from the juvenile belt.

Brown Belt

If you want to keep your brown belt with the IBJJF, you have to train for at least another year.

Exceptional belts at the highest levels of Brazilian jiu-jitsu notwithstanding, the brown belt is the highest-ranked colour belt in the art.

The standard training time for a brown belt is five years. This period is typically associated with the improvement of methods.

To be eligible for a brown belt, trainees must have been training for at least 18 months as a purple belt, and the IBJJF demands that they be at least 18 years old.

Black Belt

In order to maintain one's black belt status with the IBJJF, three years of continuous training is required.

The rank of black belt is the pinnacle of achievement in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, as it is in many other martial arts.

The exact number of hours of practice needed to earn this rank is open to debate, but it's safe to say that everyone who has it has logged thousands of hours!

Black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu are typically referred to as "Professor" within the discipline, however other schools and organisations reserve that title for higher-ranking practitioners.

To be eligible for a black belt from the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), a student must be at least 19 years old and should have spent at least one year in the brown belt rank.

Black/Red belt (Coral belt)

For at least seven years, a practitioner must maintain their black and red belt status with the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF).

In a nod to the alternating red and black belt obtained by Judoka at the sixth degree, Brazilian jiu-seventh-degree jitsu's black belts are also given out.

The coral belt is a common name for this particular band of the ocean.

Those with the rank of "coral belt" have attained a high level of expertise in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and are commonly referred to by the term "master" among the community of practitioners.

White/Red belt

If you want to keep your white and red belt with the IBJJF, you'll need to train for at least ten more years.

The criteria for promotion from seventh to eighth-degree black belt have been updated as of late by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation.

If you look at page 6 of the IBJJF General System of Grading, you'll see a comment about the change in Section 1.3.4.

A practitioner who has earned the 8th degree of black belt will typically be recognised by the use of a red and white belt.

Red Belt

There is no living Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner who has earned a higher rank than a 9th-degree red belt.

Red belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu are awarded to "those whose influence and fame brings them to the top of the art," as stated by Renzo and Royler Gracie.

This certificate replaces the ninth and tenth levels of the black belt.

Assuming a practitioner starts training at the age of 19, they won't be eligible for a ninth-degree red belt until they're at least 67 years old.

Red belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu are commonly referred to as "grandmasters" within the community of practitioners.