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The BJJ belt system

Adult progression runs WHITE → BLUE → PURPLE → BROWN → BLACK.

Watch: How to tie your belt

Text summary

A short walkthrough of tying a BJJ belt so it holds through a round: center the belt on your waist, wrap twice, keep the tails even, and finish with a square knot that lies flat.

Read the transcript — Belt tying, step by step

Find the middle of the belt and hold it against your stomach, just below the navel.

Wrap both ends around your back and bring them to the front, keeping the wraps flat and not twisted.

Tuck one end under both layers of the belt and pull it up, then even out the two tails.

Cross the top tail over the bottom, feed it up through the loop, and pull both ends firmly to set a square knot.

If the tails are uneven or the knot rolls sideways, untie and reset — a loose belt comes apart mid-round.

Instructional videos are educational and are not a substitute for supervised training. Do not practice submissions or takedowns without qualified coaching and a consenting partner.

Accurate points to know

  • The IBJJF blue-belt minimum age is 16.
  • Youth ranks through age 15 may include gray, yellow, orange, and green categories.
  • Coral belts are senior black-belt degrees, not the next routine rank after black.
  • "About ten years to black belt" is a common rule of thumb, not a guarantee.
  • This Connect Group awards no belts or stripes and respects every member's home academy.

How advancement really works

Promotion standards vary by academy. Coaches may consider attendance, technical skill, positional understanding, live application, character, and time in rank. Some schools use formal tests and others do not. On the mats, skill is difficult to counterfeit and humility is impossible to skip.

Instructional videos are educational and are not a substitute for supervised training. Do not practice submissions or takedowns without qualified coaching and a consenting partner.

References and further reading

Primary sources are linked so you can verify anything on this page. Rules, ages, and promotion standards change — always read the current source.

Download references (PDF)
  1. Official IBJJF Rule BookInternational Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation

    Current scoring, control criteria, advantages, penalties, and illegal techniques by age and belt. The rulebook governs, not a summary.

  2. IBJJF graduation system and age divisionsInternational Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation

    Adult and youth belt categories, minimum ages (blue belt at 16), degrees, and time-in-rank guidance.

External links are provided for education only and do not imply endorsement of, or affiliation with, this Connect Group.

Suggest a resource or report a citation

Rules, ages, and promotion standards change. If a source here is out of date, a link is broken, or a better primary source exists, tell us and we will correct it.

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