Brazilian jiu-jitsu ranking system
The Brazilian jiu-jitsu ranking system signifies a practitioner's increasing level of technical knowledge and practical skill within the art.
[1][2] In 1907, Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo, introduced the use of belts (obi) and gi (judogi) in the martial arts, replacing the practice of training in formal kimono.
[3] Some believe that Mikonosuke Kawaishi was the first to introduce additional colors in 1935 when he began teaching Judo in Paris, ten years after Carlos Gracie opened his academy in Brazil.
Kawaishi thought that a more structured system of colored belts would provide the student with visible rewards to show progress, increasing motivation and retention.
[8] Most academies will additionally require that a white belt level practitioner works to obtain a well-rounded skills set, with a knowledge of basic offensive moves, such as common submissions and guard passes.
[1] At the blue belt level, students gain a wide breadth of technical knowledge and undertake hundreds of hours of mat time to learn how to implement these moves efficiently.
[12] As of 2022, the IBJJF allows coaches to ignore this minimum time-requirement if the practitioner has won an adult world championship at blue belt.
[12] As of 2022, the IBJJF allows coaches to ignore this minimum time-requirement if the practitioner has won an adult world championship at purple belt.
[12] As of 2022, the IBJJF allows coaches to ignore this minimum time-requirement if the practitioner has won an adult world championship at brown belt.
[23][24] Coral belts are very experienced practitioners, most of whom have made a large impact on Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and are often addressed within the art by the title master.
[18][19][20] The IBJJF requires a minimum of 7 years of training and teaching at the black and red belt level before progressing to the next rank.
[27] The IBJJF requires a minimum of 10 years of teaching and training at the red and white belt level before progressing to the next rank.
[25] According to Renzo and Royler Gracie, in Brazilian jiu-jitsu the red belt is reserved "for those whose influence and fame takes them to the pinnacle of art".
[31][32] The IBJJF maintains an extensive graduation system that takes into account time-in-grade and membership standing, but makes no mention of specific performance or skill requirements.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a distinctly individual sport, and practitioners are encouraged to adapt the techniques to their body type, strategic preferences, and level of athleticism.
[2] Brazilian jiu-jitsu has had an informal approach to belt promotions, in which one or more instructors subjectively agree that a given student is ready for the next rank.
[2][32] Some academies have moved toward a more systematic, formal testing approach, especially true for lower ranked students, where the decision to promote is arguably the least contentious.
[10] Some Gracie systems have introduced formal online testing where the student can upload his or her qualification videos to qualify for promotion.
[37] Formal tests are generally based around the same elements as a normal promotion, such as the student's technical and conceptual knowledge and the ability to apply those techniques against a resisting opponent.
The cumulative number of stripes earned serves as an indication of the student's skill level relative to the total curriculum of that belt color.
[41] Advocates for the custom argue that "running the gauntlet" serves as a method of team building and reinforces camaraderie between classmates.
