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Green Belt Jiu Jitsu

By Benjamin Strusnik, May 09, 2022

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has become an extremely popular form of Martial Arts. Since the Gracie family exposed the rest of the world to their Brazilian art form, many children have been lining up to learn the graceful Martial Art.

What This Article Covers:

The kids belt ranking system is much more complicated than the Adults system, as kids Jiu Jitsu belts have thirteen different coloured belts in their progression chart, such as an orange belt bjj and grey belt in jiu jitsu. Kids start on the white belt level before moving up to a multi coloured grey and white belt, the next belt level is the full grey belt, and after that a child will move on to the grey and black belt. This process continues on through all of the belt colours, which includes yellow and white, yellow, yellow and black, orange and white, orange, orange and black, green and white, green and then finally green and black.

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IN THE BEGINNING

Parents will often bring their kids in to see if they like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, as most academies offer free trial classes. It is hit or miss for children, as the records indicate they don't always come back. It is extremely hard in the beginning for kids to be comfortable training at an academy. Kids will experience shyness and embarrassment with many of the moves they try. They also struggle to be themselves at first as it can be extremely nerve racking fronting up to an academy. Children will need to be brave and put some trust in the instructors that run the classes.

Although it can take time for a child to feel comfortable training, when they finally start to feel settled, their experience becomes fun. Although they may seem to be uncoordinated and show little signs of retaining the information they have learnt, these principles taught will slowly seem to ingrain in their minds and the muscle memory that begins to form will see them build skills in dexterity and agility. Overall the kids will bond with their instructors and as they start to trust in them, they will open up and enjoy many of the opportunities that BJJ offers.

PROGRESSION THROUGH THE RANKS

As a child makes the decision to start training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, they begin as a white belt. It can be quite common for some kids to struggle with many of the complicated movements, so instructors will only teach the most basic maneuvers at first. It can be a good practice to teach kids the art through certain games they play, this will help with the development of the child. Not only will the children begin to develop basic skills, and learn self defense practices, they will enjoy the thrill of playing games which will keep them more engaged in the art.

As the kids begin to develop some form of understanding of the basics of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, they will earn stripes on their belts as they head towards their first belt promotion. The first upgrade will see students earn a grey and white belt, and often kids will become excited with a new belt level promotion. The next upgrade is a full grey belt and by this time the kids will be able to execute basic escapes and know how to secure certain positions like side control, mount, guard and back control. They will also be able to hold their own in the rolling segment of training. After receiving four stripes on their grey belt, students will move up to the grey and black belt. This level is very similar to the full grey belt level, just a little more refined.

Students will then move up to the rank of yellow and white belt. This is a level where students begin to develop more of their game style. They should be understanding guard a whole lot better and beginning to pass with more intent. Students will also be able to execute more submissions with purpose. The next step is the full yellow belt and it is quite common to see students competing by this stage. As the student refines their skill set they will earn their promotion to the next level of yellow and black belt.

As a student turns ten years old and if their skills permit, they can be awarded their orange and white belt. During this phase of the next three years, students will earn their full orange belt followed by the orange and black belt. Kids of this belt range will start to develop excellent technical application and their knowledge will improve immensely. This is a time when their Jiu Jitsu becomes more serious, as they usually develop more of a hunger to compete in tournaments. It is also very common to see kids of these ages begin to take on more of a helping role with the younger belted students, as instructors are happy to see them begin with the basic building blocks of coaching.

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THE MEANING OF THE GREEN BELT

From the ages of thirteen through to fifteen, students will go through the last three belts in the kids belt ranking system. They start at thirteen with the green and white belt, followed by the full green belt and finally by the time they turn fifteen they can earn their green and black belt. At this stage students are highly skilled with their technical knowledge and with the application of their practical Jiu Jitsu. In a lot of cases they are even more skilled than adults who have joined the bjj Blue belt ranks.

Green belts will be excellent practitioners, and will usually be quite proficient at competing in tournaments. They will also become valuable members of their academy as they are usually assisting the coaches at their academy with teaching the kids classes. In some cases students with this rank will already be training in the adults classes, especially the kids who are developing physically. Due to a green belt's highly technical aptitude, by the time they turn sixteen they will be promoted straight to an adult blue belt level. Although they may lack the physicality that an adult can have, they more than make up for it with their proficiency in the technical aspect of Jiu Jitsu.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO EARN A GREEN BELT IN BJJ

Some kids will start BJJ at the really early age of three to five years old, this means they will be learning Jiu Jitsu for the best part of a decade. Kids will be able to earn their first green belt at thirteen, and by fifteen years of age kids can hold the highest kids belt rank of green and black. That's why green belts have extremely good technical knowledge, as they have put in as much time as some adults who start at white belt and learn how to get a Black belt in jiu jitsu.

It takes a long time to get good at Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, for adults and for kids. BJJ is a highly complex Martial Art that takes years of dedication, continuity and technical excellence. The rules are clear in the case of children, as instructors must adhere to the stringent age ratings involved with each belt level handed out. Students can only grade to green and white at thirteen years of age and fourteen before they can be awarded a full green belt. At the age of fifteen is when they can wear a green and black belt, and all belt divisions must spend a minimum of eight months in each belt rank.

HOW IS EACH STUDENT GRADED

Typically instructors will grade their students through watchful analysis, as Jiu Jitsu does not require any sort of practical testing. The belt ranking system requires a slow accumulation of knowledge and technical proficiency. Instructors will award a stripe on their student's belts when they feel they have met the criteria over a period of time. After four stripes have been awarded to the child's belt the next stop is a new belt level. Stripes are a good way for instructors to measure the progression of their students' skill level between each belt rank.

As a student progresses through each belt level, they will slowly increase their ability. Instructors will keep on putting stripes on every belt they earn, this is a great way to keep students interested in training, and a great way for each student to measure their progression, making it easier to achieve goals they have set. As a student reaches the higher levels of orange and green belt, they realise they can achieve the highest level in BJJ, and that is becoming a Black belt bjj practitioner. Some kids may even have further ambitions to reach the prestigious Coral belt bjj level, as they are young enough to achieve that honour, meaning they can get there by the time they are fifty one years of age. They can also reach the Grandmasters level of Red belt bjj at the age of sixty one, if their ambitions reach that far.

Children can be distracted and often have short attention spans, but when they focus, they can be like a sponge, soaking in knowledge. So it is extremely important for kids to pay attention to their coaches, and put in valuable time into their training. If students show consistency, hard work ethic, humility, heart and technical aptitude, then they will find themselves being graded by their instructors.

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GREEN BELT REQUIREMENTS

As the highest belt rank in the children's classes, green belts are expected to be role models towards all of their younger belt training partners. They will be encouraged to take on some coaching skills by helping many of the beginners within their academy. Integrity and humility is also expected amongst the green belts, as they should be extremely mature after nearly a decade of exposure to the humbling art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Although competing is not an obligation, it is highly encouraged. Most green belts will have a hunger to compete as they are often inspired by many of the adult competitors within their academy. The best way to properly battle test your game style is to compete in front of live crowds. The competition process is a way to fast track a student's progression through the ranks of BJJ.

Green belts will also be expected to follow all of the same rules that the Adults follow. Being respectful to all members in the academy including the coaches is a non negotiable. Students must also have pride in their appearances by having good hygiene, this means showering before and after training and learning how to wash bjj belt and their Gi uniforms. Green belts are also expected to show intelligence with their learning, as they will often be promoted from Green belt straight to the Blue belt rank.

WHY KIDS SHOULD LEARN BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU

There are a multitude of reasons why Jiu Jitsu is a healthy choice of sport for children. Many kids suffer from physical, mental or even cyber abuse at the hands of bullies. Learning Jiu Jitsu breeds confidence in a child, and gives them a strong base for defending themselves. They also learn how to interact with other children in a humble and integral atmosphere. Making friends is an extremely important component in a child's growth, and discovering them through Jiu Jitsu is an added bonus.

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Children who train at BJJ academies will often learn how to become a leader, working with other children will help them create great team building skills. Children will also build skills in coordination, balance and awareness of their own bodies. Training through all of the rigorous BJJ components also helps kids with their strength and flexibility. Another important aspect that will benefit children is due to the high pressure situations involved with BJJ, it will give the kids great decision making processes and help them develop a sense of self control.

There are so many great qualities that a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academy can offer kids. Above all else it's just plain fun, and all the kids that get involved have an incredible time training. Now that BJJ is growing exponentially, there are a multitude of platforms all over the world for parents to help their children become better people and impressive athletes. So now is the time to get your children involved in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, it could save their life one day.

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