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BJJ BELT MEANINGS

By Benjamin Strusnik, April 11, 2022

There is significant meaning behind the belt that a Jiu Jitsu practitioner wears around their waist. The belt signifies the rank of the practitioners increasing technical knowledge and practical skill. Each belt is awarded stripes, which signifies the progression between the ranks. When a belt is awarded to a practitioner it becomes an honour and a privilege to carry on the legacy of their Professor.

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The history of the belt dates back to 1907 where Kano Jigoro the founder of Judo utilised a belt grading system. In 1914 Jigoro's student Mitsuyo Maeda arrived in Brazil, where the birth of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was born. In 1935 Mikonosuke Kawaishi developed a more stringent coloured belt system when he began teaching Judo in Paris. In time many Martial Arts including Brazilian Jiu Jitsu adopted the belt ranking system in order to record the progression of their respective Martial Artists.

It is said that in 1967 was the first proper belt grading system brought forward by the Federation of Jiu Jitsu. Before this event there were supposedly only three coloured belts, a White belt which signified the student, a Light Blue belt that the instructors wore and a Dark Blue belt which was reserved for the masters. It was after this that the Gracie's adopted a more effective belt grading system that helped students properly track their progression in the Martial Art.

So let's have a look at what all the belts in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu stand for!

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THE WHITE BELT

The White belt is the first of the bjj belts and it signifies the beginner status. It is a time where the beginner must embark on a journey of self discovery, as they will find out what they are really made of. Often White belts will quit before they understand how to become a Black belt in bjj, but for the ones who stick around it is an epic journey.

At the White belt level they should be focusing entirely on fundamentals, as this will be the basis of a solid foundation moving forward. Beginners will find themselves swimming in deep water but with the right guidance and nurture they will blossom into a supremely confident Martial Artist. There are a few bjj White belt goals that a beginner must set before they can move up to the next belt rank.

Beginners must practise the fundamentals, and stay away from the more advanced movements, as a solid base early on will help their future learning exponentially.

Beginners need to show respect to their instructors and treat everyone at their academy with humility, as being humble is what sets apart many of the different Martial Arts.

Beginners need to keep good personal hygiene, this includes washing their Gi's and learning how to wash bjj belt, because of the many health risks attached.

Beginners will need to show continuity by training regularly, or risk spending several years as a White belt, this includes training hard while they are attending classes.

Beginners need to ask questions and seek guidance, so they can give themselves the best chance to improve their skill sets.

THE BLUE BELT

The Blue belt is the first promotion that a practitioner will achieve. It is the most important step in achieving long term goals in Jiu Jitsu, as building the correct foundation as a White belt will certainly make for an easier transition throughout all of their belt promotions. It is also nice to know that you are no longer a beginner and that you carry a rank within the academy.

The Blue belt is all about technical proficiency, they must be able to flow through the techniques they know well. At the second stage in the evolution of BJJ, practitioners must be setting the example and showing good leadership towards their younger White belt siblings. Blue belts will usually have a thirst like no other in the gym, mainly due to the thrill of hunting the Purple belts and staying above the White belts for fear of getting beaten in a roll.

Blue belts can be a make or break time, as a common occurrence is they will scarcely show up to Jiu Jitsu. This is referred to as the Blue belt curse and happens mainly because they feel they have achieved enough or fear heading towards the next promotion. For the select few that continue on progressing from Blue to Purple belt bjj, they become role models at their academy and usually fixate on the competition scene. Entering competitions is a sure fire way to fast track a practitioner's progression towards their next belt promotion. Here are some goals a Blue belt must adopt in order to reach their next belt promotion.

Blue belts must be able to show their technical proficiency and begin to refine their processes.

Blue belts need to show great leadership qualities, as they will be commonly admired by the White belts.

Blue belts must also widen their range of technical knowledge so they can be considered for a Purple belt promotion.

Blue belts will need to show continuity above all else so they can enhance their ability to improve. Impressing a coach with technical aptitude is one thing, but showing up to class day in and day out speaks volumes about a practitioner's character.

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THE PURPLE BELT

The Purple belt is the halfway point in the journey of becoming a Black belt. It is where the journey ends for a lot of people, as the rigorous training regime after five to eight years takes a toll on most. To achieve a Purple belt is satisfying for most as they feel they have gone as far as they can, but they are still experienced enough to teach what they know.

The Purple belt is all about developing their game style, as they will need to master the flow of Jiu Jitsu. They will also focus heavily on refining their submission systems so they can be more potent in live rolling scenarios. Purple belt is a time to explore as they will often battle test everything and see what fits their game style the most. It is important for a practitioner to attach their own philosophy to their Jiu Jitsu game and continue to develop their strategies.

At the Purple belt bjj level is usually where the practitioner becomes a coach. They will often be entrusted by their instructors to begin teaching classes, this is a good way for a Black belt to gauge their level of knowledge and overall understanding. Purple belts will usually take certain members under their wing and teach them in a one on one scenario. Developing as a coach is an important aspect of the progression towards the Brown belt level. Let's have a look at some of the goals a Purple belt needs to level up.

Purple belts need to achieve technical excellence by further developing their technical knowledge and practical skill level.

A Purple belt is a leader and must be an impressive role model to all students including the kids.

Purple belts must incorporate their own philosophy into their Jiu Jitsu, and not be afraid to alter techniques to suit their body or game style.

Purple belts must be humble and willing to tap as it is the basis for understanding the intricacies involved with all techniques.

Purple belts should be working extensively on their strength and conditioning, as going up to the Brown belt level is another huge challenge.

THE BROWN BELT

Moving up to the Brown belt level is an extremely tough challenge. Statistics show that only 3% of all students that begin BJJ will go on to become a Brown belt, and only 35% of Purple belts will go up to the next level. Earning a Brown belt is significantly harder than most things to achieve in life, but with strong work ethic, good guidance and continuity the goal is achievable.

Being a Brown belt is all about strengthening any weaknesses inside their game. They must look to develop a proficient all round game style and perfect their strengths. A Brown belt will play a game of bait where they will set traps and always stay a few moves ahead of their training partners. Understanding concepts is a huge factor at the Brown belt level, as their philosophy must be open to adding new concepts to their repouture.

A student that becomes a representative of Brown belt Jiu Jitsu is almost certain to become a Black belt. Most students that achieve the Brown belt are already good enough to become a Black, it's just their final hurdle of refinement that needs to take place. In most cases Brown belts are just as knowledgeable as Black belts, if anything they are hungrier because they still have their ultimate feat to achieve. Let's have a look at the goals needed to achieve the pinnacle of BJJ.

A Brown belt must refine all of their weaknesses and turn them into strengths.

Brown belts should be hunting everyone down in the gym and showcasing their technical dominance.

Brown belts should be developing their traps in order to achieve maximum effectiveness inside of their flow chains.

Brown belts should be coaching at an extremely high level, as their technical knowledge should be among the best in the academy.

Brown belts should be thinking conceptually and implementing new principles to their game style as they discover them.

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THE BLACK BELT

Reaching the pinnacle of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is to achieve a Black belt, and to be called Professor is a huge honour, even though technically it should only happen at the third degree Black belt level. It takes a special kind of human to spend a decade or more refining their art, until they are finally chosen to be at the top of the mountain. Only a small number of students that start Jiu Jitsu actually make it all the way to the coveted Black belt. Many students ask the question how long does it take to get a Black belt in bjj, as the time will vary from club to club, most practitioners on average will spend ten to fifteen years to achieve the rank.

The meaning behind the Black belt is a simple one, it means you have become a certified coach. Reaching the top level gives the practitioner extreme credibility, as many will seek their knowledge and guidance. A Black belt should have a vast amount of knowledge coupled with a supreme technical ability. A Black belt is someone who is admired by many, as they have a calmness about their stature. There is always something significant about the presence of a Black belt when they walk into a room.

Even though practitioners will open their own academy's as early as the Purple belt level, it is when they become a Black belt that they can create an academy that has a huge following. When someone is looking to join an academy or send their kids to one they are usually swayed by who is in charge of the academy, most people would choose to have a Black belt instructor. Earning the Black belt is a monumental achievement and is among one of the most prestigious honours that there is to achieve.

THE CORAL BELT

The Coral belt is one of the hardest belts in any Martial Art to achieve, as the criteria to achieve one is tremendous. A practitioner has to be an active Black belt for over thirty years, the Coral belt can only be awarded after the Black belt has achieved eight degrees on their belt. It takes three years for each of the first three degrees awarded to a Black belt, and technically at a third degree is when they achieve the rank of Professor. The second degree is when they are allowed to promote their own students to a Black belt. From the fourth to the sixth degree they take five years for each degree to be awarded. The seventh and eighth degree are both seven years each, it is only then a practitioner can be awarded a Coral belt. That is a total of at least 38 years as a Black belt. There are only a handful of Coral belts in the world as most don't reach this level until late in their sixties.

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There is a lot of value placed inside the belt of a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner, as they have dedicated their lives to the Martial Art. Many BJJ athletes have helped in the development and growth of the once Japanese, but now Brazilian art. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is now world famous as it is practised in hundreds of countries globally.

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