Does Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Have Belts?


Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a fighting style that was invented (or adapted) by the Gracie Family, in Brazil, back in the early 1900s. It’s a super-effective martial art that became popular in the early days of UFC, back in 1991. Since then, what was created as a self-defense art based on distance management and leverage has evolved a lot, becoming one of the most practiced and popular competitive fights on earth. For beginners or even people that haven’t started but want to, it’s common to have doubts about how the ecosystem of BJJ is organized, and a common question is the following: Does Brazilian Jiu Jitsu have belts?

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has 8 different belts for adults (16+) and 13 belts for kids from 4 to 15 years, according to IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation). Everyone starts in the white belt (kids or adults), into a lifetime journey of learning that does not stop in the black belt.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Belts System

Like any innovation, when BJJ started things were not so organized as they are today. It was all about learning self-defense and fighting. But after the popularization of Jiu-Jitsu, especially after international competitions started, federations started to surge and create rules do standardized processes, competitions, and belts all around the world. The most important federation in the sports of BJJ is the IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation), and their Graduation System was created to unify and standardize the teachings, practice, and competition of modern Jiu-Jitsu. It’s the best way to understand the belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu belt system is easy to understand, but hard to graduate on. To get to a Black Belt in BJJ, be ready for a long journey. At the very least, 6 years, but the average is about 10, and this is not the end of the journey or the final rank. The system is divided into two categories (defined by age groups). Each category has its belt ranks and some specific rules, but both of them start at the same: white belt. For practitioners older than 16 years, the belt system is unified. Let’s look into it with more detail and graphic resources for a better understanding.

BJJ Belts System For Ages 4 to 15

Counting the white belt, there are 13 different ranks in this category, that goes from the age of 4 to 15 years old. It’s not an easy journey and to go from the White to the Green and Black rank, the student usually takes about 10 years. Also, there are certain minimum ages to meet to graduate in BJJ, and it’ll be described in further detail in the next section. The following image shows the 13 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu belts for athletes ages 4 to 15.

There is no minimum age to start training BJJ. However, to graduate to the first belt rank Grey and White (Grey Group), the student needs to be at least 4 years old. Each group of ranks has a minimum and maximum age. In this category for all the groups, the maximum age is 15 years, because the belt ranks are different for athletes ages 16 years and older.

Rank GroupBelts/Ranks In GroupMinimum Age (For Any Belt In Group)
WhiteWhite BeltAny Age
GreyGrey and White, Grey, Grey and Black4 to 15 years
YellowYellow and White, Yellow, Yellow and Black7 to 15 years
OrangeOrange and White, Orange, Orange and Black10 to 15 years
GreenGreen and White, Green, Green and Black13 to 15 years

Another important thing to know about this subject is the fact that the minimum age for the athlete to be eligible to change belt is the age he or she has completed or will complete in the current year, following the formula: CURRENT YEAR – BIRTH YEAR = AGE OF THE ATHLETE (for graduation matters).

Finally, in the year that the athlete turns 16 years of age, he or she must be placed in the belt system described in the next section. He or she will be promoted to the new rank according to the belt he has:

  • White Belt – Remains in White Belt;
  • Grey Belt, Yellow Belt, Orange Belt – turns to Blue Belt;
  • Green Belt – turns Blue or Purple Belt according to professor’s decision.

BJJ Belts System For Ages 16+

The belt system that people are more used to see in competitions and fighting events. As the minimum age to graduate to a Blue Belt is 16, this is the system where is more usual to see professional athletes and MMA fighters ranked on. These rules are also defined by the IBJJF. There are 8 belts (counting the White) in this rank system, and the last one is reserved for the grandmasters of the sports, people that influenced the art and the world through their actions.

Does Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Have Belts?

There are also some specific ages criteria the need to be met to get higher ranks. The minimum age for the athlete to be eligible to change belt is the age he or she has completed or will complete in the current year, following the same formula describe before: CURRENT YEAR – BIRTH YEAR = AGE OF THE ATHLETE. Finally, after 16 years old, there is a minimum period in each rank that needs to be respected.

BeltMinimum AgeMinimum Period (16 to 17 years)Minimum Period (18 years +)
WhiteAny AgeNo Minimum TimeNo Minimum Time
Blue16 years +No Minimum Time2 years
Purple16 years +2 years1 year and a half
Brown18 years +1 year1 year
Black19 years +31 years31 years
Red and Black7 years7 years
Red and White10 years10 years
Red

There’s only one detail that differs for students between 16 and 17 years: for them, there’s no minimum time in the blue belt, however, they need to stay at least 2 years in the purple rank. From then on, it follows the same rules for 18 years or more. The time it takes for the athlete to graduate from white belt to black belt is up to the athlete’s professor. However, the IBJJF requires a mandatory minimum amount of time the athlete must spend at each belt level. From the black belt graduation on (red and black belt, red and white belt, and red belt) the practitioner must meet the mandatory minimum time requirement for each belt rank after the black belt graduation date.

BJJ Belts Guide: Details and Configuration

The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation has rules for the belts configurations as well. There are specific types and dimensions of Belts for the ages 04 to 16, then from the White to the Brown Belt, to the Black Belt, to the Red and Black Belt, and also to the Red and White Belt. Finally, there is a unique configuration for the Red Belt (Grand Master’s Belt).

Athletes From 4 to 15 Years Old

That’s the starting point in BJJ ranks for kids. There’s no minimum age to start training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but to receive the first belt, the student needs to be, at the very least, 4 years old. This range of rankings for kids includes athletes from 4 to 15 years old. The configuration of all belts in this range is the same, the only thing that will vary is the color. According to the IBJJF rules, “belts will have from 2.5 cm (0.98 in) to 3.5 cm (1.38 in) wide and one black bar of approximately 10 cm (3.94 in) in length positioned between 2 cm (0.79 in) to 3 cm (1.18 in) in one of the ends. The belt may have only the color of the group or a white or black stripe in the center along its entire length.”

White Belt to Brown Belt (Age 16+)

According to the rules described in its guide, IBJJF says that the belt dimensions and specifications from the White to the Brown rank are the following: “Belts will have from 3.5 cm (1.38 in) to 4.5 cm (1.77 in) wide; a black bar of approximately 10 cm (3.94 in) length placed between 2 cm (0.79 in) to 3 cm (1.18 in) in one of the ends.” Usually, if you’re starting after 16, that’s the kind of belt you’re going to use.

Black Belt

As shown in the IBJJF Graduation System PDF report, the Black belt will have a red bar of approximately 10 cm (3.94 in) in length positioned between 2 cm (0.79 in) to 3 cm (1.18 in) in one of the ends. It will be delineated by two white bars and will receive markings from one to six degrees. Receiving a BJJ Black belt rank in a real deal school is hard, but super satisfying.

Coral Belts (Red and Black Belt / Red and White Belt)

Getting a Black Belt in BJJ is hard enough, but if you keep training for 31 years after graduation, you’ll be considered a Master at Jiu-Jitsu and receive a Coral Belt. As shown in the IBJJF guide, the Coral Belts (common name in Brazil) or Master’s Belts are Red and Black (7th grade) and Red and White (8th grade) intercalated with stripes of 20 cm (7.87 in). The belts will have a white bar of approximately 15 cm (5.91 in) length placed between 2 (0.79 in) to 3 cm (1.18 in) in one of the ends delineated by two silver bars in which will receive degrees’ markings in red.

Red Belt (Grand Master’s Belt)

According to Renzo and Royler Gracie, important members of the Gracie Family (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Founders), in BJJ the Red Belt is reserved “for those whose influence and fame takes them to the pinnacle of art”. And it’s a journey that takes a lifetime of dedication. For example, if a BJJ athlete receives a black belt at 19 years old, the earliest they could expect to receive a red belt would be at the age of 67. According to the IBJJF rules, the Grand Master’s belt will be red. Plus, “It will have a white bar of approximately 15 cm (5.91 in) length placed between 2 cm (0.79 in) to 3 cm (1.18 in) in one of the ends delineated by two gold bars of 2 cm (0.79 in) which will receive degrees’ markings in red.”

Related Questions

Are there belts in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu? There are 8 different belts in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu considering athletes older than 16 years. Also, there are other 13 belts for athletes with ages from 4 to 15 years, according to IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation).

How long does it take to get a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu? According to the IBJJF rules, the minimum time to get a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is 4.5 years (plus the time spent on the white belt). However, the average time that students take to get to a Black Belt is about 10 years.

What is the last belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu? The last belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is the Red Belt or Grand Master’s Belt. This is the highest rank in BJJ, the pinnacle of art reserved for important athletes. It takes 48 years of training after graduation to the Black Belt to get to the Red Belt.

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