Do kids get black belts in BJJ?

No. Children under 16 cannot be promoted to blue belt or higher under IBJJF rules. Kids progress through the youth belt system (white through green, with degrees) until age 16, when they transition into the adult system, typically starting at blue or purple depending on their prior rank.

What are the stripes on a BJJ belt for?

Stripes mark degrees within a belt rank. White through brown belts are divided into 4 degrees each. Black belt is divided into 6 degrees. Degrees are typically awarded at an instructor's discretion to mark meaningful progress toward the next belt color.

Gracie Barra Saint-Laurent · Ville Saint-Laurent, Montreal

The BJJ Belt System, Explained.

Q: How long does it take to get a black belt in BJJ?

Most practitioners take 8 to 15 years to reach black belt. The IBJJF's official minimum time requirements add up to about 4.5 years from blue to black, but almost no one moves that fast. Realistic, healthy progress is closer to a decade of consistent training.

How many belts there really are, how long each one takes, and what the degree system actually means, based on the official IBJJF standard.

5Adult belt colors

13Kids belt levels

8–15Years to black belt

9Total degrees possible

Here for your own belt?↓ Here for your kid's belt?↓

If you have ever wondered how many belts there are in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, how long it actually takes to earn a black belt, or what those small stripes on a belt actually mean, this guide answers all of it directly, using the official ranking standard set by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), the same standard followed at Gracie Barra Saint-Laurent.

Adult Belt System

5 Core Belts, Then 3 Master Ranks

Every adult practitioner, regardless of age or background, starts at white belt and progresses through the same five core ranks. Beyond black belt, three additional ranks exist for the most senior members of the art.

White BeltNo age or experience requirement

Blue BeltMinimum age 16

Purple BeltMinimum age 16 · minimum 2 years as blue belt

Brown BeltMinimum age 18 · minimum 1.5 years as purple belt

Black BeltMinimum age 18 · minimum 1 year as brown belt

A plain black belt carries no white bands. The white-delimited version is worn by black belts who are certified teaching professors with at least one year of teaching experience.

Beyond black belt, three master ranks exist, reserved for practitioners with decades of continuous activity in the art:

Red and Black Belt (7th Degree)Minimum age 49 · also called “coral belt”

Red and White Belt (8th Degree)Minimum age 56 · also called “coral belt”

Red Belt (9th & 10th Degree)Minimum age 66 · the highest rank in BJJ, held by only a handful of people in the art’s history

Official Requirements

Age and Time Requirements, at a Glance

These are the IBJJF's official minimums. Almost no one moves at exactly these speeds; they represent the fastest a promotion can legally happen, not a typical timeline.

Belt	Minimum Age	Minimum Time at Previous Belt
White	Any age	—
Blue	16	No minimum from white
Purple	16	2 years as blue belt
Brown	18	1.5 years as purple belt
Black	18*	1 year as brown belt
Red & Black (7th Degree)	49	7 years as black belt (31 years total activity)
Red & White (8th Degree)	56	7 years from 7th degree (38 years total activity)
Red (9th Degree)	66	10 years from 8th degree (48 years total activity)

*The minimum age for black belt is 18, except for adult practitioners who have won the Adult World Championship title at brown belt.

The Degree System

What Happens After Black Belt

Black belt is not one single rank. It is divided into 6 degrees, each marked by a stripe, earned through years of continued, verifiable activity in the art. Here is the complete timeline from 1st degree to the rare 9th degree red belt.

1st Degree Black Belt

3 years of activity after receiving black belt

2nd Degree Black Belt

3 more years (6 years total)

3rd Degree Black Belt

3 more years (9 years total)

4th Degree Black Belt

5 more years (14 years total)

5th Degree Black Belt

5 more years (19 years total)

6th Degree Black Belt

5 more years (24 years total)

7th Degree — Red and Black Belt

7 more years (31 years total) · minimum age 49

8th Degree — Red and White Belt

7 more years (38 years total) · minimum age 56

9th Degree — Red Belt

10 more years (48 years total) · minimum age 66

The 10th degree red belt was awarded only to the five founding pioneers of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is not attainable today.

Kids Belt System

13 Belts for Ages 4 to 15

Children follow a completely separate belt system with more frequent, achievable milestones. There is no minimum time requirement at any kids belt; a child's professor determines the pace based on maturity and skill, not a fixed schedule.

White Belt Any age from 4 to 15

The starting point for every child, regardless of age within the group

Grey Group Ages 4 to 15

Grey and White

Grey

Grey and Black

Yellow Group Ages 7 to 15

Yellow and White

Yellow

Yellow and Black

Orange Group Ages 10 to 15

Orange and White

Orange

Orange and Black

Green Group Ages 13 to 15

Green and White

Green

Green and Black

At age 16, a child transitions into the adult belt system. Depending on their rank and their professor's evaluation, they typically move directly to blue belt, though a green belt practitioner may occasionally move to purple belt if their professor determines they are ready.

Common Questions

What People Actually Ask

Adults have 5 core belts: white, blue, purple, brown, and black. Beyond black belt, there are 3 additional master ranks, represented by red and black, red and white, and solid red belts. Kids ages 4 to 15 follow a completely separate 13-level system across 5 color groups: white, grey, yellow, orange, and green.

Most practitioners take 8 to 15 years. The IBJJF's official minimum time requirements add up to about 4.5 years from blue to black, but almost no one moves that fast, and for good reason: BJJ belts are earned through demonstrated skill against a resisting opponent, not a fixed testing schedule. Realistic, healthy progress is closer to a decade of consistent training.

White belt has no minimum age. Blue and purple belts require a practitioner to be at least 16 years old. Brown and black belts require a minimum age of 18, with one narrow exception: an adult brown belt who wins the Adult World Championship can be promoted to black belt at 18 regardless of time in grade.

No. Children under 16 cannot be promoted to blue belt or higher under IBJJF rules, no matter how skilled they are. Kids progress through the youth belt system, from white through green, until age 16, when they transition into the adult system, typically starting at blue or purple depending on their prior rank and their professor's evaluation.

Black belt is divided into 6 degrees, each earned after 3 to 5 years of continued, verifiable activity in the art. After the 6th degree, a practitioner can advance to red and black belt (7th degree), then red and white belt (8th degree), and finally a solid red belt (9th degree), reserved for the most senior masters. The 10th degree was awarded only to the five founding pioneers of the art and is no longer attainable.

Stripes mark degrees within a belt rank. White through brown belts are divided into 4 degrees each. Black belt is divided into 6 degrees, with additional degree markings on the master belts beyond that. Degrees are typically awarded at an instructor's discretion to mark meaningful progress toward the next belt color, rather than on a fixed schedule.

The IBJJF allows a small number of specific exceptions, mainly for practitioners who win an Adult World Championship title at blue, purple, or brown belt. Outside of these rare cases, minimum time requirements are fixed and cannot be skipped. This rigidity is a large part of why a BJJ belt, at any color, carries real weight.

The IBJJF sets the internationally recognized standard, and it is the standard followed at Gracie Barra Saint-Laurent. Individual academies can have some flexibility in how they evaluate readiness for promotion, but the minimum age and minimum time requirements outlined in this guide are fixed and cannot be shortened by any academy.

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