Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art developed in the 1920s by the Gracie Brothers: Carlos, Gaston, George, Oswaldo, and Helio Gracie. BJJ was built upon the foundations of Judo after Carlos Gracie was instructed under the tutelage of a Japanese judoka.
BJJ was designed primarily to be a form of self-defense based on submission and grappling holds. It was constructed in such a way that a practitioner can maximize the use of his body by utilizing leverage and weight distribution techniques against his opponent. This allows a smaller and weaker person to be able to gain the upper hand against a bigger, more powerful attacker.
Today, BJJ plays an important role in modern mixed martial arts (MMA) including other forms including Muay-Thai, Taekwondo, boxing, and Krav-maga. However, it can also be very useful in day-to-day situations to protect ourselves.
We are Pinnacle Martial Arts Academy, an MMA training center in Monroe, Louisiana, teaching different combat sports styles including Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Karate, Judo, Wrestling, Tae Kwon Do, and Kickboxing. Contact an instructor to train with us today!
The standard uniform when practicing BJJ is the BJJ gi, along with a belt. The belt is of many different colors, signifying experience and expertise. Each belt has its belt requirements that a practitioner has to meet to ascend to the next level.
White Belt
The white belt is the lowest ranking and is automatically given to beginners. Many professors emphasize defense training and escape in white belts because it is very likely that they will be fighting someone ranking higher than them.
Jiu-jitsu gyms will generally require a white belt to be able to know basic offensive moves including guard passes and submissions. White belts should also have a well-rounded skill set before promotion to the next level.
Youth System- Gray Belt, Yellow Belt, Orange Belt, Green Belt
The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) requires that all practitioners promoted to the blue belt after the white belt be at least 16 years of age. Those who are not 16 yet must adhere to the youth belt system at least until they turn 16.
The youth belt system adds four-color belts in between white and blue, sequentially arranged into gray, yellow, orange, and green. Each color has three levels within it, signified by the addition of white, black, or no addition. For instance, yellow-white is below yellow which is below yellow-black.
Each belt color also has age ranges; gray belts are for practitioners aged 4 through 15 years old, yellow belts for 7-15-year-olds, orange belts for 10-15-year-olds, and green belts are for 13-15-year-olds.
Once the youth practitioner turns 16, he must move to the adult ranking system. Gray, yellow, and orange belts can turn white or blue while green belts can turn into white, blue, or purple.
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is a very useful form of martial arts that can be used to protect yourself in a real-life situation. This is why we recommend learning BJJ to everyone of all ages. Apart from our adult programs, we also hold kids’ martial arts classes.
Here at Pinnacle Martial Arts Academy, we uphold the BJJ tradition of teaching practitioners to avoid conflict and use the skills taught us only for self-defense. So you don’t have to worry about your children hurting anyone.
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Blue Belt
At this level, the practitioner will learn various techniques and will have to acquire a large number of technical knowledge in locks, throws, sweeps, punches, kicks, and many others. He must also be able to use this knowledge effectively which translates to hundreds of hours of practice. The IBJJF requires a student to remain a blue belt for two years before being promoted to a purple belt.
Purple Belt
Equipped with the vast knowledge they gained at the blue belt level, purple belts are considered to be in the intermediate ranking level and are thus considered qualified to teach students in the lower levels. Purple belts are required to stay at this level for 18 months and be 18 years of age before being promoted to a brown belt.
Brown Belt
The brown belt is the last belt under the black belt and is considered to be the time for the practitioner to refine techniques. Brown belts must have been training for a minimum of one year and be at least 19 years of age to be qualified to ascend to a black belt.
Black Belt, 0-6
At the black belt level, the practitioner is already considered to be an expert with a mastery of technical and practical skills. The blackbelt is composed of nine degrees of increasing expertise, with the 7th and 8th degrees being signified by a coral belt and the 9th and 10th degrees by a red belt.
This is most often a black belt with a red bar however, most academies may have their formats including the addition of a stripe to signify the bearer’s role in the gym.
Black belts must practice and teach at the black belt level for at least three years before they can ascend to the next level.
Coral Belt 7 (Red and Black)
The 7th-degree black belt is the coral belt with an alternating red and black pattern, named after the coral snake. Practitioners with coral belts are often addressed as the master. They are very experienced and are considered to have a large impact on art.
A practitioner with a red and black coral belt must practice and teach a minimum of 7 years before they can proceed to the next degree.
Coral Belt 8 (Red and White)
The eight-degree red and white coral belt is the last belt below a red belt. A practitioner must have been practicing and teaching at the 8th degree before qualifying to ascend to a red belt.
Red Belt 9-10
Red belts are the highest level in BJJ, and according to Renzo and Royler Gracie, it is only for those who have reached the pinnacle of the art by their influence and fame. It is because of this that red belts are addressed by the title grandmaster.
Currently, there are only a handful of 9th-degree red belts in the world, however, there are no more living 10th-degree red belts as they were only given to the pioneers of BJJ, the Gracie Family: Helio, George, Gaston, Oswaldo, and Carlos Gracie.
Pinnacle Mixed Martial Arts Academy is an MMA gym in Monroe Louisiana and we are open to everyone of all age groups. We also offer introductory and trial classes, as well as training for more experienced fighters. Contact a Monroe, Louisiana MMA instructor for MMA classes today!