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Kids Jiu Jitsu Belts

By Benjamin Strusnik, May 09, 2022

The popularity of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu across the world is growing exponentially, and due to the high volume of new BJJ academies appearing everywhere, parents are spoilt for choice. There is a significant rise in children joining the ranks of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, as many of them have different reasons for studying the Brazilian art.

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What This Article Covers:

In the art of Jiu Jitsu children wear a uniform called a Gi, and every Gi has a different coloured belt that signifies the rank of skill of the child. The belt ranking system has a series of coloured belts that begins at the bjj white belt and moves through thirteen separate belts. The first promotion for kids is the grey belt bjj group, which consists of a grey and white belt, a solid grey belt and a grey and black belt. Kids will then move up through the yellow belt phase, earning their yellow and white belt, the solid yellow belt and the yellow and black belt. The next upgrade is the Jiu Jitsu coral belt group that starts with the orange and white belt, then moves through the solid orange belt and the orange and black belt. The last belt group for kids is the green belt Jiu Jitsu phase where kids will earn a green and white belt, a solid green belt then the green and black belt.

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This is quite a comprehensive series of belts for each child to acquire. The purpose of this ranking system is to help children learn BJJ concepts without getting bored. A coach will usually have a grading every three months and hand out stripes and belts, which will usually keep the children engaged in the Martial Art and wanting to keep training.

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WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE START

When children start training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu it can be extremely nerve racking. It can be really hard for a young person to find the courage to walk into an academy in the first place. They will be extremely apprehensive, uncomfortable and shy to begin with but after the first session kids will be running around and laughing. A BJJ academy and its coaches are extremely professional and know how to bring a child out of their shell. When a child starts to experience the atmosphere of a Jiu Jitsu club, they will soon come to realise that they are training in a safe space. Instructors are heavily invested in the development of a child in both the physical art and the mental application of how a child interacts with other children.

It can take some time before a child will feel comfortable enough to be themselves, but after they push through the initial embarrassment they are all set and ready to flourish. Usually kids won't have much understanding of the balance and coordination needed to improve in this Martial Art, but with the guidance of the coaching staff kids will develop reasonably quickly. Through Jiu Jitsu children will enhance their attributes in dexterity, agility, coordination, flexibility, strength, critical thinking, athleticism, decision making and how to cope during pressure situations. It may take some time before children have excellent technical abilities, but if they stick to it and work hard they are on the right path.

WHAT DO ALL THE BELTS MEAN

There are five different coloured belts and each belt except for white has white and black striped versions of the colour, making it thirteen belts in total. There are different bjj belt meanings for each separate belt, this is why it takes time to progress. When a child starts training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu they begin by wearing a white belt. Many of the BJJ movements can be quite tricky so it is extremely common to see beginners struggling at the start. Instructors will make the transition easier by only teaching really basic movements, and teaching them with very clear and precise instruction. Another common way that coaches will build initial skills in a child is through skill building games, this is a great way for children to learn and have fun at the same time. It will take some time for children to adjust to the BJJ process but as they keep showing up and trying hard they will slowly progress through the white belt phase.

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THE FIRST PROMOTION TO THE GREY BELT GROUP

The first belt promotion that a child will receive is a grey and white belt, this signifies that they are no longer a beginner. The grey belt in BJJ is where all students start their journeys towards black belt. Students at this level will start to have an understanding of control positions like mount, side control, back control and the guard, they will also have some understanding of positional escapes as they look to refine their techniques. Throughout the whole grey belt process, students will learn a number of sweeps and submissions and even though they may struggle to retain all of the details, the concepts will start to ingrain in their movements. After receiving four stripes on their grey and white belt, students will earn a solid grey belt and then a grey and black belt after that. Students' ages in this belt phase will range from five to ten years old depending on their dedication and their abilities.

THE YELLOW BELT GROUP

Usually students that age between eight and eleven will be in this belt phase, but it does always depend on their skills. The first belt in this series is the yellow and white belt and with it comes more responsibility, as students are starting to become leaders to all the lower belts. Kids at this level should be understanding Jiu Jitsu in a more intricate way, as they will be developing a deadly guard and passing with precision. Their overall knowledge should be deeper and their understanding of sweeps, escapes and submissions should be starting to heighten. Students will also be going well with many of their standup techniques like takedowns, throws and trips. All of these processes will take place through the yellow and white, solid yellow and the yellow and black belts.

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THE ORANGE BELT GROUP

The usual age of a student promoted to the orange and white belt is ten years old. Students will go through to the solid orange belt and then the orange and black belt, from the ages of ten to thirteen. At this level students should be developing a comprehensive game style as they begin to dominate with some technical ability. Orange belts bjj students will become exceptional on the competition mats as they are poised to fast track their promotions if they are successful. Along with all of their technical refinements, orange belts will also start to assist their coaches with some of the teaching duties. An orange belt is someone that all the kids will be looking up to, so they have to show great sportsmanship and humility inside the gym and on the competition mats.

THE GREEN BELT GROUP

Earning their way through the green belt process is an exciting time for a child, as they are putting all aspects of what they have learnt together. Green belts will be super technical and display an in depth series of knowledge. In most cases they are just as technical as a bjj blue belt practitioner, that is why once they turn sixteen they get promoted straight to a blue belt rank. Green belts will have outstanding technical proficiency, as they will have developed exponentially in all aspects of their Jiu Jitsu game. Green belts are usually highly experienced with the coaching aspects of Jiu Jitsu, as their coaches will often use them to assist them in training exercises. This is a good way for coaches to grade their green belts and see if they are ready for the next level.

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HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GO THROUGH THE RANKS IN BJJ

Many kids will start their journey through Jiu Jitsu at a young age, meaning they could have ten years of experience by the time they reach their green belt. It generally takes eight to twelve months in each belt rank before they move up to their next level. In kids Jiu Jitsu it is not just about the skill level, as age plays a big factor too. Certain belt levels require kids to be of a certain age, like a student can't receive an orange belt before the age of ten and a green belt before the age of thirteen. This is to protect the children from entering in competitions and being injured or out muscled by their opponents.

It takes a long time to go through the belt ranks in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, kids need to show patience and apply a considerable amount of dedication if they want to succeed at such a complex Martial Art. Kids will learn how to get a black belt in bjj by showing continuity and following the guidance of their coaches. There are many high level students at a BJJ academy that are willing to help ease the transition for kids, and this is even more apparent when kids decide to enter into competition matches. Competing is a great way to fast track a student's progression and it will battle test their techniques in a more real and volatile situation.

HOW IS EACH STUDENT GRADED

Coaches will assess their students skills by keeping a close eye on their ability and character shown in the academy. Going through the ranks is a slow progression, where the student will accumulate the necessary skills to upgrade their rank. Coaches award stripes on a student's belt in order to keep track of their progression between each rank, once the student has four stripes the next step is receiving their next belt level. Instructors will grade their students based on their technical skills, their technical knowledge, their consistency on the mats, how they interact with other members in the club and how they perform in competition.

As a student moves through the ranks they will slowly begin to feel comfortable and confident. Each child is different and as they increase their abilities on the mats, their coaches will award stripes and belts accordingly. The reason so many different belts are handed out is so that the children can set more achievable goals and so they have several promotions to look forward to. This will keep children engaged in the art but also able to measure how they are going to progress. Children will often become distracted with the outside world as their attention span is quite short, so it remains extremely important for kids to stay focused and listen to their coaches.

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THE REQUIREMENTS OF A BJJ STUDENT

All throughout the journey in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, children will learn how to be respectful to all members of their academy including their coaches. It can be difficult with children at such a young age but planting the seeds early on will only help with their development. As children spend more and more time in a BJJ academy they will soon be expected to behave in a responsible and respectful manner. Kids will learn humility and integrity, as their coaches will lead by example.

Competing is never mandatory especially for children, but if a child decides to compete they will be well supported. Competing at tournaments has the same requirements as an academy, kids must be humble, show respect and embody great sportsmanship qualities. It is extremely important that children embrace these principles, as they are not only on show for their behaviour but they are also representing their academy.

Children are required to follow all of the same rules that anyone else at the academy follows. They must follow the guidelines and moral code of their coaches if they want to be an integral part of the academy. Following good hygiene standards is usually set by a child's parent and it is the same in an academy. Students must shower before and after training, and take good care of their training gear, meaning they must learn how to wash bjj belt and their Gi uniforms. Students are also expected to cut their finger and toe nails so they don't scratch their training partners. The importance of personal hygiene is a condition of training BJJ and must be adhered to.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR KIDS TO LEARN MARTIAL ARTS

It is becoming increasingly important for children to get involved with Martial Arts, as the rise of violence and bullying in children has hit new heights. Children will suffer from all kinds of abuse so the need to be able to defend themself is of great importance. Learning self defense strategies and attacking BJJ principles will give kids an incredible amount of confidence and self esteem. They will also learn how to make decisions when they are in highly stressful situations, which is extremely important in their development of self control.

When a child trains in BJJ they will discover how to appropriately strengthen their bodies, giving them a great direction towards whatever sport they decide to play in the future. Training Jiu Jitsu is an amazing way to make friendships, as the community of BJJ is all about integrity. Children will learn both sides of trust, as they will have to develop trust in themselves whilst training with their partners and be able to trust them in return.

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Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academies can offer children an amazing place to learn and grow, as the development strategies used by high level coaches are ground breaking. Children that train in BJJ all speak about how much fun they have, so it keeps them coming back. BJJ is growing nationally and internationally, and there are many academies worldwide that parents can choose from. Training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will help children become outstanding athletes and will help them in all aspects of their lives. So don't waste another second and enroll your children today.

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