BJJ belt meanings

Ah, BJJ belts – the colorful strips of fabric that wrap around our waists and signify our mastery of the gentle art. As for myself, my journey has been a slow one as i don’t really train under any black belt, 80% of my training has come from training with a small group of buddies im my dungeon and I only get promoted if i start to get out of my dungeon and going to local seminars and making friends in the bjj community then someone notices me and feels i should of been promoted long ago and starts to arrange it for an upcoming seminar or thats how its been for my last 2 belts.. My journey has been 2 years at white, 10 years at blue, 1 year at purple and now 6 years at brown, one day I’ll get out there and maybe get my black belt. As you can see, im in no rush and for me its just a colourful piece of cloth wrapped around my waist that doesn’t even cover my ass. However, I’ll do my best to explain what each belt means to me in a humorous and informative way.

White Belt: Ah, the humble white belt. The first step on the long, winding road to BJJ mastery. To me, the white belt represents pure, unadulterated ignorance. Like a newborn baby, you know nothing about BJJ’s world but are eager to learn. Will you make it to the next belt level? Only time (and a lot of mat hours) will tell. As a white belt, you will have to learn to survive and primarily be working on your defence. When you see new white belts come into the gym for the first time you will be eager to roll with them, and most of the time, you will be happy to find yourself finally dominating these brand-new white belts even though you have only been training in the sport for a few months now. It will be exciting to play with the new meat when it comes in, it will be the only times as a white belt where you will truly feel like you have been progressing; as you normally have  always be on the defence with your training partners that have been their longer than you.

Blue Belt: Congratulations! You’ve made it to the blue belt, which means you’re no longer a complete noob. To me, the blue belt represents a sense of accomplishment and a glimmer of hope. You’ve started developing some skills and techniques and survived the gauntlet of white belt rolling sessions. But don’t get too cocky, kid – you still have a long way to go. As a blue belt, you will most likely be able to out-wrestle on the ground with almost anyone of your friends that don’t train in jiu-jitsu or wrestling even if they are bigger then you. At blet belt you will still be accumulating techniques cause you remember the white belt days when a new technique was the difference between winning or losing again to a fellow white belt.

Purple Belt: Ah, purple belt – the belt that separates the men from the boys (or the women from the girls, or the non-binary folks from the rest of us). To me, the purple belt represents a level of proficiency that most people will never achieve. You’re starting to develop your style and game, and you can easily submit lower-ranked opponents without breaking a conversation with people around you. At this point, you are well-rounded, and truthfully you don’t need to accumulate more techniques, but you will. You are not quieter as more than 90% of people never make it to the purple belt.  But let’s not get carried away – you’re still not a black belt.

Brown Belt: Brown belt – the belt that signals you’re one step away from black belt, and also one step away from being a BJJ grandpa/grandma. To me, the brown belt represents a combination of skill, dedication, and old age in the sport. You’ve been training for years, and you’ve earned the respect of your fellow practitioners. But you’re also starting to feel the aches and pains of a lifetime of grappling. Maybe it’s time to invest in some CBD oil? At this point you are a monster on the mats, and can learn new techniques or concepts very quickly even just by watching someone roll in front of you. Its just time to stay injury free and refine your game.

Black Belt: The holy grail of BJJ belts – the black belt. To me, the black belt represents true mastery of the art, and also the ability to intimidate lower-ranked practitioners with your mere presence. You’ve been training for years (maybe even decades), and you’ve achieved a level of proficiency that few people ever will. But beware – with great power comes great responsibility. Don’t let the black belt go to your head, or you’ll end up like Steven Seagal. As you might be a master in the sport but you are still a student of the gentle art for life by this point, learning from what you see the younger more competitive lower belts doing on the mats and testing out what you see on lower belts in your next roll to see if there is something good in what you saw.

In conclusion, each BJJ belt represents a different stage in your development as a practitioner. Whether you’re a white belt just starting out, or a black belt with years of experience, there’s always more to learn and improve upon. And if all else fails, “Just do it!”