So you have decided to practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or you’re considering doing so, and you want to know how long to get your first stripe in BJJ. This article will answer your question on how long it generally takes to get your first stripe in BJJ.
It is common for new students to anticipate climbing up the ranks and graduating to new belts (and stripes) in any martial arts discipline.
Earning your stripes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is similar in many ways to progressing through grade classes in school. You have to learn techniques of varying difficulty for a while, after which your ability to perform these techniques will be tested.
Not Every BJJ Gym is the Same
In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu the exact criteria for administering rank varies from gym to gym and instructor to instructor. It also depends on some factors that have more to do with you, than where you’re training or who your instructor is.
We also share some information about how many classes you have to attend before you can be awarded a stripe and the requirements of getting your very first one for your white belt.
Finally, we discuss how many stripes you need to graduate to a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blue belt. Stick around and read on to find out.
Do White Belts Get Stripes?
The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu belt system is a ranking guide that helps you and your professor measure your progress. The adult BJJ belt system has grades in six colors:
- White
- Blue
- Purple
- Brown
- Black
- Red
Additional belt colors include gray, yellow, orange, and green. But those colors are only available to students practicing at the youth level.
Each Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu belt has a unique meaning but the practical use of the colors is that it separates the students into classes. It represents your skill and knowledge level and it is an indicator of how much you’ve progressed in your training.
BJJ students who hold higher belt rankings can serve as instructors to those holding lower belts. That points to the fact that belt colors assign levels of seniority in BJJ schools.
A Short History of BJJ Stripes
Interestingly, in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, there’s also room for promotion within a belt color.
It is done through the assignment of stripes – which are little strips of white tape that are wrapped around the black bars of your belt.
The use of stripes on belts is something that was originally introduced by the pioneers of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the Gracie family. It was a practice they started after they issued out black belts for the first time.
White stripes were taped around the black belts to indicate that it was a normal black belt. While black belts with a red bar were issued to students taking an instructors course.
At the end of the training period, the students who passed had white stripes taped to the red bars on their belts. This helped the Masters differentiate between the normal black belts and the instructors.
And thus the practice of using stripes to grade BJJ belts was birthed.
How BJJ Stripes Work Now
In modern times the use has been much more arbitrary, and stripes should not be confused with belts in this way.
Yes, stripes are also used as a measure of progress but they mostly work to increase retention for mainstream academies so the exact basis for assessment is not fixed.
For example, your first stripe as a white belt (yes, white belts get stripes) could be awarded just to reward you for your regular attendance and that’s not quite the same as being issued a belt that represents how far you’ve advanced in your training.
The criteria for obtaining stripes widely vary from one academy to another. So how long it would take to get your first stripe in BJJ may not be the same for someone else. Some gyms and coaches do not even offer stripes at all.
Nonetheless, getting your first stripe as a new student is an amazing feeling. Think of it as reaching your first checkpoint in the game of becoming a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert. Each belt in BJJ from white to brown can be issued up to four stripes.
Stripes on black and red/coral belts are referred to as degrees.
How are Stripes Awarded in BJJ?
How stripes are awarded in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu depends largely on your academy and professors.
You can get stripes added to your belt for anything from attending a series of sessions in a row, to finally learning how to perform a kimura grip from guard.
Some schools are very formal and make a big deal out of it. Your stripes could be taped to your belt during a small ceremony at your school. Other less formal settings will see you awarded stripes randomly and without fanfare.
How Do You Get Your First Stripe in Jiu-Jitsu?
Starting Jiu-Jitsu can be a difficult time for any student. The enthusiasm you had putting on your gi for the first time may slowly wane with each passing training session.
This is why, although the criteria for obtaining stripes vary with each gym, consistency over a couple of months is a common theme.
Typical Requirements of a 1 Stripe BJJ White Belt
To get your first stripe in Jiu-Jitsu you will generally need to tick boxes in the following areas:
- Attendance: A habit of consistently attending training sessions over a couple of months will bring you closer to earning your first stripe. There’s an estimated number of classes that you need to attend to advance in BJJ. A commitment to showing up for at least 2 or 3 sessions every week will help you get to those numbers quicker.
- Attitude: Your approach to training is always going to be considered before you’re awarded your first stripe. An attitude of enthusiasm, competitiveness, and respect is likely to help you get the better of your training and score you ‘stripes points’ with your instructors.
- Demonstration of Skill: Practicing Jiu-Jitsu is similar to learning a skill, such as learning to speak a new language. The standard indicator of progress is how much you’ve learned and retained.
- Some BJJ coaches judge this by how well you roll on the mats during sessions. Others make use of a curriculum that requires you to be able to execute certain fundamental moves at that level.
Typical Techniques to Know Before Earning Your First BJJ Stripe
Some examples of the techniques you’ll likely learn before you are given your first stripe include:
- Technical standup.
- Guard retention and escapes from mounts, side control, back control, and guard.
- Controlling positions.
- Sweeps such as the scissors, hip bump, and half guard sweeps for beginners.
- Submissions such as arm locks, kimuras, triangle, guillotine, and rear-naked chokes.
How fast you receive your first stripes greatly hinges on your dedication, athleticism, and background.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu students with backgrounds in other sports (especially grappling martial arts) may rise through the ranks quicker than those without prior experience.
How Many Classes Does it Take to Get a Stripe in BJJ?
If you’re wondering how many classes you have to consistently show up for before you get your stripes in Jiu-Jitsu, you really shouldn’t.
Thinking about how long to get your first stripe in BJJ is not the best mentality to take into training. It is much better to enjoy each session as it comes on your journey to learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Nevertheless, knowing how many classes it takes to get a stripe is helpful in two ways:
- It tells you how close you are to the checkpoints that signify your learning progress so far.
- It also lets you recognize when you are possibly spending too much time on a particular level without moving forward.
On average, the number of classes it takes to earn a stripe is typically around 24-72 classes. You must have been training 2-3 times a week for at least three months.
BJJ White Belt First Stripe Requirements
As a new BJJ white belt, the requirements for earning your first stripe don’t revolve entirely around your technical knowledge.
You can get your first stripe as a reward for regular attendance of training sessions. It does not entirely count for the few things you’ve learned in those early months of training.
According to the IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation) graduation system, the criteria for earning your first stripe (and other stripes up until your brown belt) are up to your professor’s discretion. And in the early stages, they don’t demand too much from you.
Although you will generally be required to learn most of the following techniques:
- Throws – Drop Knee Shoulder Throw, Large Outer Reap, Double Leg Takedown.
- Hold Downs – Scarf Hold, Chest Hold, Top Locking Four Corner Hold.
- Escapes
- Chokes – Naked Choke, Triangle Choke.
- Joint Locks – Cross Arm Body Locks, Entangled Arm Lock.
- Sweeps and Guard Passes.
You can tell that you’re well on your way to earning your first stripe in BJJ when these terminologies become a part of your vocabulary and moves list.
How Many Stripes Before Blue Belt?
As we mentioned earlier, each belt from white to brown in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu will need to be decorated with four stripes before you can advance to the next level (belt).
To progress to the blue belt you will need to have been issued four stripes on your white belt.
The time between how long to get your first stripe in BJJ and graduating to a blue belt is usually around two years.
To earn stripes on your Jiu-Jitsu belt you need to first have one. Fuji BJJ belts are some of the best IBJJF-approved, standard belts you can get.
Check out our article on requirements for earning your blue belt
Conclusion
It is only natural as a new student to wonder how long to get your first stripe in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu would take.
As a white belt holder, your first stripe will be issued to you 3-6 months after you started your training. Sometimes for regular attendance and other times for demonstrating a mastery of fundamental techniques.
You may be awarded your stripes ceremoniously or informally depending on your academy’s culture.
The speed at which you earn stripes is down to your commitment, athleticism, and background. But after about 36 classes on average, you can start expecting to receive one.
It would take four stripes on your white belt for you to graduate to blue belt.
While this article has tried to completely answer your questions, we would like to reiterate that you shouldn’t worry too much about earning stripes in BJJ.
Understand that the journey itself is the reward. The devotion to training that you exercise to master techniques and keep going week after week is worth more than the ceremony of adding a white strip of tape on your belt.
So the time it takes to earn your first stripe isn’t something that you should be too concerned about. Good luck with your training and see you soon.