From the first time you step into your jiu jitsu dojo you are awarded a jiu jitsu rank, a white belt. A white belt signifies that you are "pure" and essentially a beginner in the art form of jiu jitsu. Some dojos and academies having different belt systems for kids, introducing colors not seen in the adult system, such as grey and orange belts. This article will focus on the adult jiu jitsu belts rank system.

Several factors go into the speed and timeline in which you will b promoted. Different professors have different methods of evaluating their students. Although generally, the different criteria for a jiu jitsu promotion to a new belt includes, amount of time training, or classes attended, effort, display of application with regards to technique, and tournament results. Regardless of tournament results, whether or not you get first or last place, experiencing a tournament is bound to help your technique and mental process while being put under pressure and helps you develop your grappling game tremendously.

Generally, although this can be different, if a person consistently works on their ground game at their dojo, within a year and a half to two years a person can receive their blue belt. Keep in mind the time frame I'm referring to is typical and is not by any means concrete, as many individuals have achieved a higher rank in less and in way more time than what I am referencing, but it's a common guideline as to the time it takes. At the blue belt level, the trainee has more of an idea of the fundamentals of the techniques and can more easily pick up new techniques and transitions and has realized a lot of basics that most new white belts are still not adjusted to.

After the blue belt, comes the purple belt. In some organizations like the IBJJF, a person must be a blue belt for two years in order to be eligible for a purple belt in jiu jitsu. Other organizations can differ. The purple belt in jiu jitsu signifies a large amount of information and knowledge attained by the practitioner. Most of the time, purple belts in jiu jitsu are allowed to instruct and assist the lower belts because they have a great idea of the techniques and how to apply them.

The next belt is the brown belt. By the time an individual reaches this stage in their jiu jitsu experience, they more than likely have been training consistently for around five years or so. This stage in a person's grappling experience is where they are able to refine their techniques and are able to develop better ground games that suit their personal styles. Many times brown belts are referred to as coaches because they can teach classes if a black belt is not present.

The next belt an individual is eligible to attain is a black belt. According to the IBJJF, a person must first have been a brown belt for at least one year first in order to be eligible to become a black belt.A black belt signifies that the person is a expert in technique and is able to display very technical aspects of their ground game. Once a person gets a black belt, they can still advance and be promoted. A person can attain higher degrees in their black belt.

Once a person receives seven degree status on their black belt, they become a red and black belt. Red and black belts are very experienced individuals who usually have made a big difference in the field of ground grappling and are usually referred to as master. When a person makes a transition from seventh to eighth degree black belt, they are awarded a red and white belt.

The IBJJF organization states that a person must be a red and black belt for ten years before being able to be promoted to a red belt, which is the highest rank attainable. The red belt is just for those who make a devastating impact on the art of jiu jitsu and have reached its highest level. This displays more than thousands of hours of dedication and effort into the art, which one can say means a person dedicated their whole life to the art.

Note that the belt is the only color that changes, and not the BJJ gi's. The gis usually can be whatever color, but for competition are usually blue and white. Some schools utilize stripes for promotion, to differentiate experience among individuals within the same rank. There are plenty of resources available that in detail explain different academies requirements for jiu jitsu uniforms and belt ranks, but this article serves as a general guideline.

I hope this article cleared up how the system works and motivates you to continue your training and grappling experience.