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WHAT SIDE DO STRIPES GO ON BJJ BELT?

By Benjamin Strusnik, May 11, 2022

Receiving stripes on a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu belt is a common and rewarding process. It takes a considerable amount of hard work, perseverance and dedication to be graded with stripes by an instructor. All Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners wear Gi uniforms and wearing the Gi means learning how to tie Jiu Jitsu belt around their waist. Wearing a belt in Jiu Jitsu is more than just a tool to keep the Gi lapels closed, it is the rank of the exhibited skills that the student has achieved.

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What This Article Covers:

The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu belt goes back a long way and has significant ties to the art of Judo. The Gracie family was first introduced to Jiu Jitsu after the Japanese national Mitsuyo Maeda, one of Kano Jigoro's prized pupils showcased the art in Brazil. He taught the system of Jiu Jitsu to Helio Gracie who took the interpretation and developed his own system of self defense techniques. Helio would introduce his three belt system that included a Dark Blue belt that he wore to signify his mastery in the art of Jiu Jitsu. He also added White belts for all his students and Light Blue belts for the students that evolved into instructors.

As the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu evolved, so did the evolution of the belt ranking system. The Gracie family would utilise a stringent coloured bjj belts system that would see their White belts go through a tough process of earning four stripes on their belt before an eventual promotion to the next belt level of Blue. This process continued throughout the Purple belt bjj and the Brown belt Jiu Jitsu levels, before students could finally earn the prestigious rank of Black belt.

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The Gracie's developed some significant bjj belt meanings throughout every level of Jiu Jitsu, this gave all their students a philosophy to guide their evolution. Awarding stripes on each of the black ranking bars on their student's belts was their way of measuring the progression of their students' skills. This made it easier to gauge when to promote each of their students towards their next belt level, as need for measurement became comprehensive as their academy grew in numbers.

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WHAT IS THE MEANING OF EACH STRIPE

Every stripe has its own meaning, and the criteria involved for earning them will depend upon the ideologies of every different instructor. The first stripe handed out to a White belt stripes can often be about their dedication, perseverance or continuity that they show within their academy. The second through to the fourth stripe are often about achieving certain technical proficiencies. BJJ Stripes can often be handed out for achieving competition success or for just showing an outstanding ability to work hard and improve their skills inside the academy.

Some academies will adopt a specific curriculum in order for their White belts to achieve the progression of their skills through the ranks. Instructors will provide a list of techniques that their students must complete in order to achieve any promotion of stripes or belts. Most of these techniques are basic fundamental principles like control positions, positional and submission escapes, basic passes, basic sweeps and basic submissions. There is also a heavy focus on certain concepts like controlling an opponent before attempting submissions, staying relaxed and using their energy in a steady form, creating space when they ate underneath their opponent and closing the distance when they are on top of an opponent or standing with an opponent.

The correlation between stripes on a White belt compared to stripes on other coloured belts can be vastly different. Stripes that are handed out to a Blue belt can be purely for how well they roll against the higher belts in their academy. Sometimes Blue belts will show continuous improvement at a rapid rate, so their progression goes beyond the necessity for stripes, this will often lead to a quick promotion to the next level. Moving from Blue to Purple belt bjj can be a perplexing time for many students, and stripes can often be awarded for their ongoing coaching improvements.

Stripes that are handed out past the Purple belt level become rarer commodities, as the need to master the Martial Art becomes a more important aspect. The Purple belt and the Brown belt levels are all about mastering the flow of movements, developing their own style of Jiu Jitsu and refining all of their technical abilities, there is also a big part of the progression that is heavily surrounded by coaching. Students will earn stripes for how well they can develop the younger talent in the academy, they will also earn stripes for the application of their technical excellence. Knowledge also plays a big part in how a student will earn their stripes, as the higher ranks will need to think conceptually and improvise within their own game style.

After earning a Black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu the stripes that are awarded are called degrees. A Black belt practitioner must wait three years per each of their first three degrees. Earning their fourth through to their sixth degree will cost a practitioner five years of training per degree, this is a total of 24 years minimum. After seven years on their sixth degree they are awarded a Coral belt with seven stripes on it, their eighth degree is also honoured with another Coral belt seven years later. The ninth and tenth degrees are awarded with a Red belt and will take ten years per degree, this is reserved for the Grand Masters of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, only a few pioneers of the art will ever reach this pinnacle of sporting excellence, as it requires a practitioner to spend a minimum of fifty eight years as a Black belt.

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HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO EARN STRIPES

Earning stripes can be a long and strenuous process for some students, while others students have a natural talent or a natural ability to learn quickly, meaning their progression will be quick. Some students will show exceptional dedication to their academies which can often translate into a faster promotion. While other students will have a significantly harder time adjusting to the principles that are needed to excel in the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. This is quite common amongst students that can exhibit insecure traits, as it can take awhile for the student to build up a resilience. This can also happen with exceptionally strong students as they will commonly struggle with exhibiting fluent technique, this is mainly due to their habit of using too much strength.

The average time that a student will earn a stripe is every four to six months, which roughly translates to two years per belt, meaning a practitioner that works extremely hard can earn a Black belt in roughly eight to ten years time. This is quite often not the case, as most students stagnate at certain levels during their journey. This can be because life gets in the way, injuries prevent a student from training or simply that the progression becomes harder meaning students spend several years stuck on a White, Blue, Purple or Brown belt. Some students will take up to twenty years to achieve a Black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Also many competitors often wear the white ranking bar as a tribute to the fact, they are highly active competitors. No matter how long it takes a student to achieve each stripe, you can rest assured that the best way to get the rewards is by putting in the maximum effort required. Like any complicated artform, it takes dedication, perseverance, continuity and self belief to achieve the highest level.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF STRIPES

Instructors will use stripes on their students' belts as a way for them to measure their progression. This can be an extremely effective method in keeping track of the skill set of their students. Most academies have over one hundred members and some can have a thousand, so for an instructor to keep track of their students skills by pure memory is next to impossible. A stripe is a measurement of the students skill level and in an academy, it is extremely important to reward the hard work and effort of their paying members.

Most academies are made up of fifty percent children, so the development of these kids is a crucial facet to the future of the Martial Art. It is extremely common to see kids getting bored of training after a short period of time, and let's be honest kids have a short attention span and are often unsure of what they enjoy. So the hard part of teaching BJJ to kids is the need to teach the foundations, which can be extremely boring to children. This is why it is quite common for BJJ academies to utilise different games as a way of teaching the basic Jiu Jitsu principles. Instructors must keep the children in the door by making training a fun place to be. A good academy will also have regular gradings and hand out regular stripes and belts, this is to keep the kids interested and feeling like they are accomplishing goals. This is why the kids belts have a multi coloured black and white version of each coloured belt level, so there are more regular belts that can be handed out.

Most instructors utilise the stripe system as a way to reward the valuable efforts of their students. Applying the principles of Jiu Jitsu in real situational sparring is a crucial component for a student to progress. Students often ask themselves how long does it take to become a Black belt in bjj, and after receiving their first stripe after five months, they realise just how long their journey will be. Students must work extremely hard and stay patient as their time for progression will come if they keep showing their instructors that they can improve and show consistency within their training.

WHAT SIDE DO STRIPES GO ON THE BELT

Every belt has a ranking bar on it, it is usually a black rectangle at the tip of the belt. On White through to Brown belts the ranking bar is black, but on Black belts the bar is commonly red but can also be white or blue. All stripes are added to the ranking bar on the BJJ belt, they are usually a white tape roughly ten centimetres long, and is wrapped two or three times around the belt to ensure it doesn't come loose.

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As a Black belt the degrees wrapped around their belts are also placed within the ranking bar. As an instructor two stripes are usually added at the top and the bottom of the ranking bar, this is to certify that the Black belt is a qualified instructor. As the Black belt spends years of experience training and teaching they are awarded more degrees around their belts.

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HOW TO PUT STRIPES ON A BJJ BELT

Earning stripes in BJJ is a momentous occasion, a true reflection of hard work, commitment, and growing mastery. But how are these stripes added to your BJJ belt? Well, the process is rather straightforward. The stripes are typically made of white athletic tape, approximately a quarter of an inch in width and four inches in length. They are wrapped around one end of your belt, specifically on the rank bar - the black rectangle at the belt's tip. Begin by holding one end of the tape against the belt, then wrap it around the belt completely, ensuring it tightly adheres. Cut the tape once you've circled the belt once or twice, as per your academy's tradition. The number of stripes you add will, of course, be commensurate with your progress. Don't be too concerned about the placement being perfect; the stripes are symbolic of your journey, not a test of your crafting skills.

HOW TO KEEP STRIPES ON A BJJ BELT

Keeping the hard-earned stripes on your BJJ belt can be a bit of a challenge, especially with the regular wear and tear of rigorous training sessions. Here are some tried-and-true tips to help maintain the integrity of your stripes. First, always ensure that the stripes are tightly wrapped around the belt; a loose application might lead to the stripes coming off more easily. Second, you may consider applying a small piece of clear tape over the white stripes, as this can help protect them from friction and peeling. However, remember to not cover the entire ranking bar; it should still be visible. Lastly, while it's important to clean your belt for hygiene, consider avoiding the washing machine. The intense agitation and heat can lead to stripe damage. Instead, handwash the belt gently and let it air dry. Despite these tips, it's not uncommon for stripes to eventually wear off or peel. But don't be disheartened! The physical stripes may fade, but the progress they symbolize remains intact.

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