The 5 jiu-jitsu belts in order go like this: white, blue, purple, brown, black.

The color signifies your rank in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The darker the belt, the more experienced you are as a BJJ grappler.

Your belt color is a summation of your knowledge, skill, and how long you’ve been training.

As a brown belt with over 7 years of training — and someone who’s rolled extensively with people at ALL belt colors — each belt color is quite different.

I can toy around with white belts and hit whatever sweep, guard pass, or submission I want on them.

(If you’re a white belt, have no fear. I wrote the book, BJJ For Beginners to help you thrive during this phase of your journey.)

But when I’m rolling with a black belt, I’m doing my best just to survive and escape!

In this article, I’ll break down everything you want to know about each jiu-jitsu belt: how long each belt takes, belt promotion requirements, examples of each belt level, and much more.

In Brazilian jiu-jitsu, your gi is the most important piece of fabric you wear. But your BJJ belt is a close second.

Jiu-Jitsu Belts: Table Of Contents

• The 5 Primary BJJ Belts
  • White Belt
  • Blue Belt
  • Purple Belt
  • Brown Belt
  • Black Belt
• The 4 Miscellaneous Jiu-Jitsu Belts
  • Red & Black Coral Belt
  • Red & White Coral Belt
  • Red Belt
  • Navy Belt
• The 5 Kids BJJ Belts
  • White
  • Grey
  • Yellow
  • Orange
  • Green
• Where To Buy Jiu-Jitsu Belts: From Budget To Premium Belts
  • Budget Quality Belts
  • Medium Quality Belts
  • Premium Quality Belts
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Final Thoughts & Discussion

The 5 Primary BJJ Belts

For adult grapplers (15 and up), there are 5 primary BJJ belts: white, blue, purple, brown, and black.

You’ll also be awarded up to 4 stripes on your belt before being promoted to the next belt.

In this section, I’ll break down each jiu-jitsu belt in-depth.

White Belt: The “Foundation” Belt

The white belt is the first belt you’ll receive in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

I call it the “Foundation” belt because it’s where you build your foundational BJJ and self-defense skills: the ability to survive.

What is A BJJ White Belt?

A white belt is a beginner at Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

You’ll receive your white belt on your very first BJJ class. To get one, all you need to do is show up. Or buy one.

A white belt is someone who is learning the basics of BJJ.

They won’t be able to do flashy techniques or break down a submission in detail.

However, they have begun to learn how BJJ works. And they quickly learn how to defend themselves and survive in bad positions.

There’s a massive difference between a 0-stripe white belt and a 4-stripe white belt.

A 0-stripe white belt is just starting. They’re in their first 1-6 months of BJJ. So, they are still grasping the basic movements, positions, and techniques.

A 4-stripe white belt has been training for a year or two. They know how to survive, escape, and even do some basic submissions. If you put them in a self-defense situation, they’ll be OK.

White Belt Requirements

There aren’t really any requirements to get a BJJ white belt. You show up to your first class, and you’ll receive a white belt.

(Bonus points for you if you learn how to tie your belt before you go to class!)

However, as the “Foundation” belt, you’ll want to start building your foundational BJJ skills at this belt.

You’ll also need to have a good handle on these skills to receive your blue belt.

Here’s what to focus on as a white belt:

• Showing up to class consistently: simply coming to class 2-3 times per week to show your instructor and your training partners that you’re serious about your training.
• Being a good training partner: keeping your training partners safe, listening to the higher belts, asking for feedback, pacing yourself, and being someone who people enjoy training with.
• Solo drills & basic BJJ movements: learning how to perform the movements that make up BJJ, like bridging, shrimping, rolling, inverting, etc.
• Strength training & flexibility: making sure your body is conditioned, strong, and flexible to be able to train consistently and withstand the demands of the sport.
• Survival & escapes: when it comes to specific jiu-jitsu moves, you’ll focus on survival posture in bad positions and your escapes to get out of those bad positions, like bottom mount or bottom side control.
• Key BJJ concepts: having a basic understanding of important concepts like the positional hierarchy, alignment, frames, levers, wedges, etc.

If you focus on these things as a white belt, you’ll have a great time at this stage.

And you’ll set yourself up to receive your blue belt in 2-3 years of consistent training.

My Experience As A White Belt

From July 2019 to October 2021, I was a white belt. So, I spent 2 years and 3 months being a white belt.

I had a ton of fun being a white belt. I was learning something new in every class. Simply surviving a round against a blue belt was a big win. There was no pressure on me because I was a beginner.

However…

White belt also had its tough moments. I felt lost and confused at times. I felt immersed in the chaos of learning a new language — where learning meant getting strangled!

As a white belt, I started reading books about BJJ, like Jiu-Jitsu University.

I also started watching YouTube videos to help me better understand what I was learning in class.

I started training BJJ 2 times a week. Then, I went up to 3 times per week because I loved training so much. I eventually started training 4 times a week as a 3 & 4-stripe white belt.

Overall, I had a great time as a white belt. It was a fun start to my BJJ journey.

My advice for white belts?

Be consistent, be a good training partner, listen to your coach, and try your best to apply their advice.

That’s all you need to do to get to the next belt.

Blue Belt: The “Self-Defense” Belt

The blue belt is the second belt you’ll receive in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

I call it the “self-defense” belt because to get a blue belt, you need to be able to defeat a larger, untrained opponent using jiu-jitsu.

According to the statistics, only an estimated 1 in 10 white belts gets their blue belt. It’s a big accomplishment!

What is A BJJ Blue Belt?

A blue belt is an “advanced beginner” in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

You’ll typically receive your blue belt after your first 1-3 years of consistent training. Depending on your school, you may also need to compete or do some testing to receive your blue belt.

As a blue belt, you know how to survive and escape bad positions. You can beat a larger, untrained opponent.

However, your game is still incomplete. Although you have at least 1 or 2 moves from each basic position, you still have many areas where you don’t know what to do.

There’s also a big difference between a 0-stripe blue belt and a 4-stripe blue belt.

A 0-stripe blue belt is almost still a white belt. They have a basic level of competence, but they aren’t advanced in any positions or techniques just yet.

A 4-stripe blue belt is almost a purple belt. And that means they are at an intermediate level of competence in BJJ. They have started to build a complete game and are giving the upper belts trouble.

BJJ Blue Belt Requirements

To get your blue belt, the most important thing is to show up to class consistently.

As the self-defense belt, you should be able to survive and escape from bad positions.

For example, ask one of your larger friends who doesn’t train BJJ to put you in bottom mount. You should be able to escape.

As a blue belt, you’ll also start to get a true feel for BJJ and start to understand what specific positions and techniques you like.

Here’s what to focus on as a blue belt:

• Survival & escapes: as a blue belt, continue to master your survival posture and escapes — making it frustrating for purple, brown, and black belts to submit you.
• Learning to rely on technique: stop relying just on your strength or flexibility, and start learning how to rely on your technique — an essential part of defeating a larger, untrained opponent.
• Building a complete understanding of BJJ: even though you might not know niche positions or submissions like K-guard or lapel guard, you are aware of them — you know what you don’t know.
• Chaining together techniques: at this point in your journey, BJJ is more than just isolated techniques — you’re starting to set up combinations of moves like the scissor sweep to triangle choke combo.
• Developing an “A” game: you’ll start to get a feel for what positions and submissions you’re best at, and you’ll use your A game to try and defeat training partners who are at your same level.
• Working on your guard: if you’re naturally a top player, you’ll start to develop your guard against the white belts you roll against to help round out your BJJ game.

My Experience As A Blue Belt

From October 2021 to February 2024, I was a blue belt. So, I spent 2 years and 4 months as a blue belt.

Blue belt was a mixed bag for me.

As a blue belt, I started to fall in love with BJJ. I started teaching the intro class at my gym. It became my main hobby, and I decided I would do jiu-jitsu for as long as I was physically able to. I even tapped my first black belt.

However…

Blue belt had some very tough moments. Right before I got my blue belt, I broke my leg. Halfway through blue belt, I tore my meniscus.

I also caught a case of the “blue belt blues,” where I felt like my progress had stalled.

That being said, I was determined not to quit as a blue belt.

As a blue belt, I started watching BJJ instructionals. I would study videos to help me learn techniques and improve my game.

I also started writing a BJJ journal. After each class, I would write down what I did well, what I did poorly, and my notes for the next class.

Due to my injuries, I also started to modify my strength training. I started doing Yoga for BJJ and Knees Over Toes to help overcome my injuries.

And I bought a Bauerfeind knee brace to keep my knee safe and secure as I trained.

Overall, I still had a great time as a blue belt. But many BJJ practitioners say blue is the hardest belt. I understand where they are coming from.

My advice for blue belts?

Don’t quit. Keep showing up. Listen to your coach. Take your game seriously. Push through the blue belt blues.

You’ll get your purple belt the same way you got your blue belt: by getting your butt on the mats!

Purple Belt: The “Transition” Belt

The purple is the third belt you’ll receive in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

I call it the “Transition” belt. At purple belt, you are competent in transitioning between all aspects of jiu-jitsu: from escapes, to sweeps, to passes, back-takes, and submissions.

You’re also transitioning from a beginner to an intermediate/advanced practitioner of BJJ.

Only an estimated 1-3% of white belts make it to purple belt. And only an estimated 10-20% of blue belts make it to purple, making it a significant achievement.

As a purple belt, Joe Rogan says you’re essentially a black belt. You just haven’t put in enough time yet.

What is A BJJ Purple Belt?

A purple belt is an intermediate-level practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

You’ll typically receive your purple belt after 2-3 years of consistent training at blue belt. Depending on your school, you may also have to compete or do some testing to receive your purple belt.

As a purple belt, you’re dangerous. You can handle white belts and blue belts. You’re even dangerous to brown and black belts. You’re capable of giving anyone in the gym a tough round.

That being said, you still have a lot to learn. You’ll know what to do from each position. But your game is lacking the refinement of brown belts and black belts.

At purple belt, stripes stop mattering as much. Midway through purple belt, Jocko Willink stopped caring about stripes completely.

You just show up to class, work on your game, and enjoy training. You’re already good at jiu-jitsu. And there is only one more belt before your black belt.

BJJ Blue Purple Requirements

To get your purple belt, showing up and training consistently is still key — but it’s important to actually be “good” at jiu-jitsu.

As the “transition” belt, you should be able to flow smoothly between bad positions to guard positions to sweeps, passes, top pins, and submissions.

You can easily beat white belts and early-stage blue belts — even in areas you’re weaker at.

And you’ll even develop a black belt level of skill in your A-game. If you play your A-game, you’ll give brown and black belts tough rounds.

As a purple belt, you’ve begun to develop a sense of mastery in BJJ. Rolling with you will feel like “magic” to the white belts at your gym.

Here’s what I’m focusing on as a purple belt:

• Developing my guard: purple belt is where you get good at all of the most popular guard positions, and can attack with multiple sweeps and submissions from each guard position.
• Exploring all aspects of BJJ: at purple belt, I may not know every single technique from every single position, but I at least want to be aware of them.
• Leg locks: I’m spending more time on leg lock submissions and defense, going beyond the ankle lock and into knee bars, heel hooks, toe holds, and more.
• Taking my training into my own hands: I still rely on my coach for advice, but I know how to guide my own training through journaling, instructionals, and specific training.
• Teaching the fundamentals to beginners: I help teach the white belts at my gym the fundamentals, which strengthens my own understanding.
• Taking a leadership role in my gym: As a purple belt, you’re seen as one of the upper belts in the gym — the lower belts ask you questions and for feedback after you roll with them.

My Experience As A Purple Belt

BJJ practitioners often say purple belt is the most fun. And I’d have to agree.

As a purple belt, you’re advanced enough to be able to practice all forms of offense against the lower belts. After years of being the nail, I finally get to be the hammer.

You’re also advanced enough to give tough rounds to brown and black belts.

As a white and blue belt, I’d gotten beaten up by brown and black belts for what felt like an eternity. They still tap me out — but they have to work much harder at it.

As a purple belt, it’s been super fun to be an assistant instructor at my gym. I get to teach full classes to a room full of students. Teaching has really helped me level up my game.

I also haven’t gotten injured at purple belt (knock on wood). After 6+ years of training, my body has become fully adjusted to Brazilian jiu-jitsu. And mentally, I know what to do to minimize my chances of getting hurt.

I still feel like I have so much to learn before brown belt. But I’ve had such a fun time being a purple belt!

Brown Belt: The “Fine-Tuning” Belt

The brown belt is the fourth belt you’ll receive in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

I call it the “fine-tuning” belt. At brown belt, you’re close to being a black belt. You just need to fine-tune some areas to achieve mastery.

An estimated 35%-40% of purple belts get their brown belt.

What is A BJJ Brown Belt?

A brown belt is an advanced practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

You’ll typically receive your brown belt after spending 2-3 years at purple belt. Depending on your school, you may also need to compete or do some testing to receive your brown belt.

As a brown belt, you have a complete jiu-jitsu game. From escapes, sweeps, passing, and submissions, you have started to acheive real mastery in the sport. Brazilian jiu-jitsu has become intuitive to you.

As the “fine-tuning” belt, you still have some weaker areas to work on before black belt.

For example, you may specialize in the half-guard, but your closed guard needs some work before you’ve mastered it. Brown belt is about making sure you’re deadly from all positions.

From what I’ve heard, stripes at brown belt are nothing more than a marker of your consistency. You don’t need stripes to mark your skill level. You’re close enough to the final belt as it is.

BJJ Brown Requirements

To get your brown belt, it’s time to start mastering all areas of jiu-jitsu. 

As the “fine-tuning” belt, you know how to identify the weaker areas of your game and systematically improve these areas.

You’ll be able to handle white belts, blue belts, and purple belts. And you’ll give tough rolls to black belts, where you can sweep them, pass them, and submit them.

As a brown belt, you’ve already achieved mastery in your A-game. Now, you’re working on achieving mastery across the board.

In Jiu-Jitsu University, Saulo Ribeiro says that brown belts should focus primarily on guard passing:

• After learning the guard, the brown belt has the tools to understand the guard — and therefore begins to master guard passing. When you know a position, you are able to deconstruct and attack that position.
• As the guard passer, you want to leverage gravity and your weight onto the bottom player, disallowing them to hold you. This will help you pass their guard.
• Survival, escaping, and submissions also play into guard passing.
• Survival in the context of guard passing is about using posture and angle to thwart submissions.
• Escaping in the context of passing means escaping sweeps and submissions so you can get back to survival.
• Submitting in the context of passing is about passing with complete control, and setting you up for the kill.
• Guard passing is first preventative measure — you must prevent the bottom player from establishing the guard they want.
• Tournaments and competition reward the more aggressive, sharp, and fast player. There is less time to relax and get comfortable in your guard.
• As the top player, focus on dictating the pace, opening the guard, and controlling them. This will enable you to pass.
• To develop your guard passing skills, ask the bottom player to limit their options from the guard. It will be difficult for you to develop your guard if you’re worried about all types of sweeps and submissions from bottom.

I am still working on getting my brown belt. So I will update this post about my experience as a brown belt once I have it!

Black Belt: The “Mastery” Belt

The black belt is the fifth and final belt you’ll receive in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

I call it the “mastery” belt. As a black belt, you’ve mastered the art of jiu-jitsu. You’ve spent 8-12 years training consistently and thousands of hours on the mats to achieve this.

You’ll receive a stripe on your black belt every 3 years you hold it, called “degrees.”

For example, if you have two stripes on your black belt, you’re a 2nd-degree black belt. That means you’ve held your black belt for at least 6 years.

Only about 1% of people who start training BJJ ever get their black belt, making it an incredible lifetime achievement.

What is A BJJ Black Belt?

“A black belt is a white belt who never quit.”
-Anonymous jiu-jitsu quote

A black belt is a master practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

You’ll typically receive your black belt after spending 1-3 years at brown belt. You may also need to compete or do testing to get your black belt, depending on your school.

As a black belt, you have achieved “unconscious competence” at jiu-jitsu.

You can do BJJ without thinking — you simply flow between jiu-jitsu moves effortlessly. When you roll, it looks like you’re not even trying.

You’re able to put yourself in the absolute worst positions in BJJ against white belts and blue belts and still get out.

You’re able to handle purple belts and brown belts, shutting down their attacks, pinning them, and submitting them (although they can still give you hard rounds).

You’re a leader in your gym, and practitioners of all belt levels seek your advice and guidance.

In a self-defense situation, you’re able to defend yourself against nearly anyone: including people with martial arts experience.

BJJ Blue Black Requirements

To get your black belt, you’ll have to master Brazilian jiu-jitsu — hence the “mastery” title.

You’ll be able to win against people of all belt levels, even if you’re not working your best positions or techniques.

You’re also a leader at your gym. You’re able to help the beginner belts, teach classes, and become a genuine mentor to the younger people under your tutelage.

In Jiu-Jitsu University, Saulo Ribeiro says that black belts should focus primarily on submissions:

• As a black belt who’s skilled in all other aspects of jiu-jitsu, your final area to master is submissions. At black belt, you’ll learn to flow between submissions and direct your opponent into your submission of choice.
• In the academy, you are not there to abuse the lower belts. You are there to pass your knowledge to them, and to bring them along the journey.
• Tapping is a great way to prevent injuries. It’s better to tap and continue to train than to not tap, get injured, and be forced to stay off the mats.
• When building your submission game, don’t hold the position, feel it. This will enable you to flow and dance from submission to submission.
• Submissions are where strength becomes important because you must use your ability to squeeze and contract your muscles.
• To get better at submissions, don’t hold down your training partners. Instead, use their movement to set up submissions.
• Mastering submissions is all about the small details. Some require speed, some require aggression. Study the minute details of the finishing mechanics for each submission.
• Submissions are often what people like to learn the most, however, they are a relatively small portion of jiu-jitsu.

I still have a long way to go before I get my black belt. I will update this article once I have achieved that!

The 4 Miscellaneous Jiu-Jitsu Belts

Beyond the 5 primary belts, there are a few belts you can get after spending enough time as a black belt.

There’s also a navy blue belt, which I’ll explain below.

Red & Black Coral Belt (7th degree)

As a black belt, you get a stripe (degree) on your black belt for up to 6 stripes.

After you’ve spent 7 or more years as a 6th-degree black belt (meaning you’ve had your black belt for 25 years), you’re awarded a red and black coral belt.

It’s called a coral belt because the red segments resemble coral snakes.

Examples of red and black coral belts include Jean Jacques Machado, Fabio Santos, and Crolin Gracie.

Red & White Coral Belt (8th degree)

After you’ve spent 10 years as a red and black coral belt, you’ll receive a red and white coral belt.

This means you’ve had your black belt for 35 years.

Examples of red and white coral belts include Rigan Machado, Pedro Sauer, and Jorge Pereira.

Red Belt (9th degree)

After you’ve spent 10 years as a red and white coral belt, you’re awarded a pure red belt.

Red belts are for living grandmasters who were not founders of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Red belts have spent a total of 45 years as a black belt, making it an exceptionally rare achievement.

Examples of red belts include Flavio Behring, Relson Gracie, and Carlos Rosado.

There is also a 10th degree “Founder’s red” belt reserved for the founders of Brazilian jiu-jitsu: Carlos, Oswaldo, George, Gastão Jr., and Hélio Gracie.

Navy Belt

Under the Pedro Valente system, you can also get a navy blue belt.

A navy belt is an “instructor” rank.

However, it is not common in most gyms, nor is it recognized by the IBJFF like the other belts.

Instructors like Royce Gracie can be seen sporting the navy blue belt when he is teaching.

The 5 Kids BJJ Belts

The IBFJJ recognizes 5 primary belt colors for children from ages 4 to 15: white, grey, yellow, orange, and green.

Along the way, they’ll pick up stripes and two-tone variations of their belt.

And at age 16, they’ll jump into the adult belt system.

They’ll typically earn their blue belt at 16 if they have spent enough time on the mats.

White

A white belt in the kids BJJ belt system is similar to white belts in the adult system.

White belts have basic skills in safety, listening, solo movements, and basic concepts.

Kids will typically spend 6-12 months as a white belt.

Grey

A grey belt in the kids’ BJJ belt system is the “advanced beginner” belt.

Grey belts have started to develop their offense and have begun rolling with their peers.

Kids will typically spend a year or two as a grey belt.

Yellow

A yellow belt in the kids’ BJJ belt system is an intermediate practitioner.

Yellow belts have started to chain together techniques and develop a proper game.

They’ve even begun to help the younger kids develop.

Kids will typically spend a year or two as a yellow belt.

Orange

An orange belt in the kids’ BJJ belt system is an advanced practitioner.

They’re advanced in all aspects of BJJ for their age, and often compete in jiu-jitsu competitions.

Kids will typically spend a year or two as an orange belt.

Green

A green belt in the kids’ BJJ belt system is the peak junior rank given to 13-15-year-olds who have been training for several years.

They’re advanced in all aspects of BJJ for their age. They can even challenge adult practitioners.

Once they turn 16, green belts will be promoted to blue belt or even purple belt if they are exceptionally skilled.

Where To Buy Jiu-Jitsu Belts: From Budget To Premium Belts

If you’ve recently been promoted to a new BJJ belt rank, congratulations!

Perhaps you’ve been given a generic belt by your instructor. And you want a belt with a bit more flair and style.

Remember: you can always buy your own belt.

Once I was awarded my purple belt, I bought my own purple belt.

I wanted a specific shade of purple that was of higher quality.

In this section, I’ll advise you on the different types of BJJ belts based on their price and quality.

BJJ belts range from $8 to $80. I’ll break down the difference between them below.

Budget BJJ Belts

You can buy budget jiu-jitsu belts for $8-15.

These belts are often polyester and cotton.

They feel cheap, flimsy, and often come undone a little more easily than higher-quality belts.

They’re OK for white and blue belts who don’t want to spend much on their BJJ equipment.

Example: Elite BJJ Belt ($7.99)

The Elite BJJ belt, in particular, is very inexpensive — just like their BJJ gis.

The belt is 65% polyester and 35% cotton.

It is lightweight and pre-shrunk, IBFJJ approved, and has a stripe bar for ranking.

Standard Quality BJJ Belts

You can buy medium-quality jiu-jitsu belts for $20-$40.

These belts often use heavyweight cotton.

They feel and look much nicer than budget belts. They have a nicer color and don’t come undone nearly as easily.

Example: Gold BJJ Heavyweight Belt ($24.99)

As soon as I got my purple belt, I bought the Gold BJJ heavyweight belt to mark the occasion.

It’s a solid belt that’s made of 100% cotton with a minimalist design and great color.

Once you get your blue belt or beyond, don’t go cheap. Get a nicer belt like this one to mark the occasion!

Premium Quality BJJ Belts

You can invest in a high-quality BJJ belt for $50-$80.

These belts are beautiful. They have a hand-crafted, artisanal look and feel to them.

They’re also often highly customizable so you can tailor your belt perfectly for your size and style preferences.

Example: Eosin Panther BJJ Deluxe Belt ($74.95)

With the Eosin Panther belt in particular, you’re able to customize:

• Belt material: Cotton or Satin
• Belt width
• Belt size
• Belt firmness: Standard or softer
• Branding tag size
• Custom embroidery

These belts epitomize craftsmanship and quality.

Getting one of these as a white belt is probably overkill.

But once you achieve an intermediate (purple) or advanced (brown and black) belt rank — and you have the budget for it — why not go for a premium jiu-jitsu belt?

I certainly plan to get one myself once I’m a brown belt!

Jiu-Jitsu Belts: Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to get each belt?

It usually takes between 2-3 years on average, but it depends on several factors like how often you train, how often you compete, etc.

From my experience and what I’ve seen at my gym: white to blue belt takes 2-3 years, blue to purple takes 2-3 years, purple to brown takes 2-3 years, and brown to black takes 1-3 years. So you’re looking at about 8-12 years total to reach black belt with consistent training.

I spent 2 years and 3 months as a white belt and 2 years and 4 months as a blue belt. I trained 3 times per week on average. I also took ~4 months off as a white belt due to COVID and ~4 months off as a blue belt due to injury.

What does each belt level actually mean?

Each belt represents a different stage of your BJJ journey.

• White belt is about survival and learning the basics.
• Blue belt means you can defeat a larger, untrained opponent using jiu-jitsu.
• Purple belt is where you become competent at transitioning between all aspects of BJJ.
• Brown belt is fine-tuning your complete game.
• Black belt is true mastery where BJJ becomes unconscious competence.

Do you need to compete to get promoted?

It depends on your school. Some gyms require competition for promotion. Others view it as optional, and you can speed up your progress toward your next belt by competing.

At my gym, I’ve been promoted without competing. It’s best to check with a school’s instructor to find out their specific requirements for belt promotions.

Why am I stuck at blue belt so long?

Blue belt is notoriously the longest and hardest belt. I spent over 2 years there myself! It’s where rapid beginner progress slows down, expectations increase, and you realize how much you still don’t know. The “blue belt blues” are real.

My advice? Don’t quit. Keep showing up. Push through it the same way you earned your blue belt: by getting your butt on the mats.

You’ll eventually get that coveted purple belt if you keep showing up.

How does belt testing work?

There’s a huge variation between schools. Some have formal tests with specific techniques and fees ($50-250), others promote through observation during regular classes. Ask your instructor how the promotion process works.

My gym doesn’t do formal testing. My instructor, Ritchie Yip, promoted me when he felt I was ready.

How do BJJ belts compare to other martial arts?

BJJ takes much longer than most martial arts. While you might get a black belt in karate in 1-3 years, getting a BJJ blue belt alone takes 2-3 years.

A BJJ blue belt has more training time than many traditional martial arts black belts.

The standards are just different because BJJ emphasizes live rolling and practical application over forms.

What should I be able to do at my current belt level?

As a white belt, focus on survival and basic escapes. As a blue belt, you should handle larger untrained opponents and start developing your A-game. As a purple belt (where I am now), you should flow between all positions and give tough rounds to higher belts.

Each belt builds on the previous foundation, as outlined by Saulo Ribeiro in Jiu-Jitsu University.

Should I ask my instructor about my promotion?

No! Don’t ask about promotions directly.

Instead, focus on training consistently, being a good training partner, and applying your coach’s advice. Trust that your instructor will promote you when they’re ready. That’s exactly how I approached it, and it’s worked out fine for me.

If you want to speed up your progress without competing, ask your instructor what you can work on. Then, specifically train that move for several weeks. Show them that you’re keeping a BJJ journal. Keep them posted on your progress. If you show them that you’re working on your weak spots, you’ll get promoted faster without having to ask about a promotion directly.

I teach this process in my BJJ Journal Of Champions course, and it’s helped me get promoted faster.

Jiu-Jitsu Belts: Final Thoughts & Discussion

So there you have it: everything you wanted to know about jiu-jitsu belts.

There’s also a lot of debate about jiu-jitsu belts.

Should belts represent knowledge, skill, or both?

If a 60-year-old woman starts BJJ and trains for 10 years, should she be able to get a black belt even if an athletic white belt could tap her out?

Do belts even matter?

Personally, I like the belt system. It’s helpful for instructors to mark their students’ progress. And it’s great motivation to keep people training.

Of course, the system is not perfect. You’ll always have the sandbaggers who stop themselves from getting promoted so that they can keep dominating their division in competition.

But as a whole, I think the BJJ belt system makes a lot of sense for both gi and no-gi training.

My fellow grappler, what do YOU think? Does the jiu-jitsu belt system make sense? Or do you have ideas for improving it? 

Leave your questions and comments in the section below.

And if there’s anything I missed in my article, drop me a note!

Happy rolling. 🤙

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Tsavo Neal

Tsavo is the founder of BJJ Equipment, author of BJJ For Beginners, creator of the BJJ Missions app, and a brown belt instructor at InFighting. He launched BJJ Equipment to help grapplers at every belt level train smarter, make faster progress, and find the best gear for their game.