BJJ belt order: adult and kids belts, stripes and times
BJJ belt order under IBJJF rules: white, blue, purple, brown, black, the 13 kids belts, stripes, minimum ages and minimum time at each belt.
The adult BJJ belt order is white, blue, purple, brown, then black, the system set by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) and followed by most academies. Kids from 4 to 15 have their own ladder of gray, yellow, orange and green belts, and every belt below black can carry up to four stripes.
The adult order at a glance: 1. White, 2. Blue, 3. Purple, 4. Brown, 5. Black.
This guide covers the adult and kids belts, the IBJJF minimum ages and minimum times, stripes, the degrees above black belt, and what an academy owner needs to track.
The adult BJJ belt order
These are the IBJJF minimums, as summarized from the IBJJF graduation system by Wikipedia’s article on the BJJ ranking system.
| Order | Belt | Minimum age | Minimum time at this belt before the next |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | White | None | None |
| 2 | Blue | 16 | 2 years |
| 3 | Purple | 16 | 18 months |
| 4 | Brown | 18 | 1 year |
| 5 | Black | 19 | Degrees, below |
Two things owners should know about these numbers:
- They are minimums, not a schedule. Few students move at the minimum pace. The instructor decides when a student is ready.
- There is one exception. The IBJJF updated its minimum periods so that an adult (18 and older) blue, purple or brown belt who wins an adult World Championship no longer has a minimum time at that belt. White and black belt are unchanged.
The kids BJJ belt order
Under IBJJF rules, children have a separate set of belts. The colors come in groups, each with a white-bar, solid and black-bar version, and each group has a minimum age.
| Order | Belt | Minimum age |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | White | None |
| 2 | Gray-white | 4 |
| 3 | Gray | 4 |
| 4 | Gray-black | 4 |
| 5 | Yellow-white | 7 |
| 6 | Yellow | 7 |
| 7 | Yellow-black | 7 |
| 8 | Orange-white | 10 |
| 9 | Orange | 10 |
| 10 | Orange-black | 10 |
| 11 | Green-white | 13 |
| 12 | Green | 13 |
| 13 | Green-black | 13 |
A child does not have to wear every one of them: a student who starts at 12 can be promoted into the right group for their age and skill. When a student turns 16, they move into the adult system, and the IBJJF graduation document sets which adult belt a kids belt can lead to. Check the current document on the IBJJF site before promoting a 16-year-old, because that is the rule that changes most often between editions.
Stripes
Every belt below black has room for up to four stripes, usually white or black tape on the belt’s black bar. Wikipedia notes that the IBJJF considers four stripes enough for promotion, and that practice varies between academies: some award stripes for time and attendance, some for skills, some hardly at all.
If you use stripes, decide and publish three things: what earns a stripe, who can award one, and whether the fourth stripe means “ready” or just “close.” Students and parents notice when the rule shifts.
Black belt degrees and beyond
Black belt has its own degrees, and the time between them grows with each step. Per the IBJJF system summarized on Wikipedia:
| Rank | Belt | Minimum time before the next |
|---|---|---|
| 1st to 3rd degree | Black | 3 years each |
| 4th to 6th degree | Black | 5 years each |
| 7th degree | Red and black (coral) | 7 years |
| 8th degree | Red and white (coral) | 10 years |
| 9th and 10th degree | Red | Not applicable |
The 10th degree red belt was reserved for the pioneers of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
How long it takes
Add up the adult minimums and a student needs at least four and a half years after blue belt to reach black: two years at blue, 18 months at purple and a year at brown. White belt has no minimum time, and in practice the whole journey takes most adults far longer than the minimums. Training frequency, competition, injuries and the instructor’s standards all move the date.
For children the path is longer still, since a 10-year-old cannot hold an adult belt for six more years whatever their skill.
Gi and no-gi
The belt system belongs to the gi. Many academies also run no-gi classes, where nobody wears a belt, but the student’s rank is still the one they earned in the gi. If you run both, track attendance for both, because time on the mat counts either way at most academies.
What an academy owner needs to track
A BJJ ladder is long and slow, so the record matters more than the color:
- Two ladders, adult and kids, with the minimum ages built in.
- Each stripe as a step, so the history shows every promotion with its date.
- Time at rank and classes attended, checked against your own rules and the IBJJF minimums if your students compete.
- A history that survives, so a student who has trained with you for six years has a promotion record you can show, not a memory.
In BlackBeltCRM, each program has its own ranking system. You build the adult and kids ladders, add stripes as steps, and the Promotions screen lists the students eligible to move up by classes attended or time at rank. Promotion fees, if you charge them, are set on the rank and billed with tuition. See belt tracking software for the whole workflow, or Brazilian jiu-jitsu membership software if BJJ is your main program.
If you run something other than a martial arts school, ranks are optional, and billing and attendance work the same without them. Try it with your own ladders on the 14-day free trial.
Belt order guides
- Types of martial arts: the major styles compared
- Karate belt order
- Taekwondo belt order
- Judo belt order
- Kung fu sash order
Sources: International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) graduation system and its minimum graduation period update; Wikipedia (Brazilian jiu-jitsu ranking system). The IBJJF republishes its graduation document from time to time; the current edition on ibjjf.com is the rule.
Questions people ask
What is the BJJ belt order?
For adults (16 and older) under IBJJF rules: white, blue, purple, brown, then black. Above black come the coral belts (red and black at 7th degree, red and white at 8th) and the red belt at 9th and 10th degree.
What are the kids BJJ belts in order?
Under IBJJF rules, for ages 4 to 15: white, then gray-white, gray, gray-black, yellow-white, yellow, yellow-black, orange-white, orange, orange-black, green-white, green and green-black. Thirteen belts in all, white included.
How long does it take to get a black belt in BJJ?
The IBJJF minimums alone add up to four and a half years after blue belt (two years at blue, 18 months at purple, one year at brown), and blue belt itself has no fixed timeline. In practice most people take much longer than the minimums; the pace is set by the instructor.
How many stripes are on a BJJ belt?
Up to four stripes on each belt below black. Stripes are awarded by the instructor, and practice varies between academies. On a black belt the marks are called degrees, not stripes.
What is the minimum age for a BJJ black belt?
19 under IBJJF rules. Brown belt requires 18, and blue and purple require 16.
Can a kid get a blue belt in BJJ?
Not under IBJJF rules. Blue belt starts at 16. Younger students progress through the gray, yellow, orange and green kids belts, and the IBJJF sets rules for moving a 16-year-old into the adult belts.
Do I have to follow IBJJF belt rules?
Only if you want the IBJJF to recognize the rank, for example to compete in its events. Many academies follow the IBJJF system closely anyway, but they are free to run their own.
Can I track BJJ stripes in BlackBeltCRM?
Yes. Each program has its own ranking system, so you can add each stripe as a rank step, set time-at-rank and attendance rules, and run a separate kids ladder.