Drake has been famously quoted to say the following, “Sometimes it’s the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination.” Now, the famous musician is not an avid jiu-jitsu practitioner but you are and that quote has relevance to what you are going to experience training jiu-jitsu. BJJ Belt ranks are an extremely important concept to understand and we fully believe that focusing on your journey and not the belts is the way you reach your full potential.
BJJ Belt Ranks
Brazilian jiu-jitsu and martial arts like Karate or Judo are unique in the sense that they reward belts to showcase someone’s progression. In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu there are 5 belt rankings that someone can achieve. Below is a list of the belt and the typical time someone could expect to spend at that respective level!
White Belt (Year 0 – Year 2)
Blue Belt (Year 2 – Year 4)
Purple Belt (Year 4 – Year 5)
Brown Belt (Year 5 – Year 7)
Black Belt (Year 7 – Year 10)
At every belt rank, you will receive stripes to represent your progression within the belt. Getting four stripes on your belt will symbolize that you have effectively “maxed out” that belt!
Why is it Important?
As humans, we like to feel like we are moving toward something. Anytime we start something new we love to see that we are moving in the right direction. Some people do not need this type of reward system in place to feel like they are progressing but we would argue that is a minority of people.
The internal hierarchy that is in place within Jiu-Jitsu studios creates a cohesive environment. Respect is given to higher belts and typical studios will give higher belts the right of way when live rolling sessions start taking place. Getting to a higher belt showcases time and dedication to the betterment of your game.
Your Journey is Unique
The awesome thing about jiu-jitsu is that one person’s experience with the sport is unique to someone else’s. Some people have the desire to be world-class athletes, some just love it as a hobby, and others love it for the community. Everyone that decides to train jiu-jitsu is there for different reasons but one thing everyone can relate to is the overwhelming amount of love and respect we have for the sport.
How to get good at Jiu Jitsu | Ryan Hall and Lex Fridman
Jiu Jitsu, for many, has become a lifestyle. The sport has changed hundreds of thousands of people’s lives for the better. When you decide to train in BJJ you are actively taking a step to start caring about your mental, physical, and emotional well-being. If your goal is to make it to being a black belt you will be dedicating a significant portion of your free time to training! We are a firm believer that to get there in the first place you have to think long-term and never focus on just getting belts or stripes!
Pingback: How Long To Get Black Belt in BJJ - The Grapplers Graveyard