such as books and DVDs outlining specific requirements, their actual students were not held to those exact criteria.

It seems as though the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Belt requirements are somewhat of a mystery that has been further deepened by the release of popular works which erro

Belt levels are important for several reasons beyond the traditionally obvious; they allow us to place techniques in order of importance and build in a logical order. Just as anything you build, the foundation must be solid first and will determine the limits of our structure. The belt ranks help us to award students for their achievements, time in and aid in goal-setting.

Before listing the requirements for each belt, I would like students to know that there are several associations (federations, etc …) of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and each has their own set of expectations for pupils. Within those associations, individual instructors will often have their own different requirements. This is (one of the reasons) why in doing research for my books, I sought instruction from many different places; you wouldn't write a book on a subject without interviewing more than one person. The only common or similar requirements held by most schools were for blue belt level. Beyond that, there were almost no common requirements for Purple, Brown and Black Belt. In fact, even in the schools where teachers had instructional products, such as books and DVDs outlining specific requirements, their actual students were not held to those exact criteria.

It seems as though the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Belt requirements are somewhat of a mystery that has been further deepened by the release of popular works which erro

lt ranks help us to award students for their achievements, time in and aid in goal-setting.

Before listing the requirements for each belt, I would like students to know that there are several associations (federations, etc …) of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and each has their own set of expectations for pupils. Within those associations, individual instructors will often have their own different requirements. This is (one of the reasons) why in doing research for my books, I sought instruction from many different places; you wouldn't write a book on a subject without interviewing more than one person. The only common or similar requirements held by most schools were for blue belt level. Beyond that, there were almost no common requirements for Purple, Brown and Black Belt. In fact, even in the schools where teachers had instructional products, such as books and DVDs outlining specific requirements, their actual students were not held to those exact criteria.

It seems as though the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Belt requirements are somewhat of a mystery that has been further deepened by the release of popular works which erro

expectations for pupils. Within those associations, individual instructors will often have their own different requirements. This is (one of the reasons) why in doing research for my books, I sought instruction from many different places; you wouldn't write a book on a subject without interviewing more than one person. The only common or similar requirements held by most schools were for blue belt level. Beyond that, there were almost no common requirements for Purple, Brown and Black Belt. In fact, even in the schools where teachers had instructional products, such as books and DVDs outlining specific requirements, their actual students were not held to those exact criteria.

It seems as though the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Belt requirements are somewhat of a mystery that has been further deepened by the release of popular works which erro

ut interviewing more than one person. The only common or similar requirements held by most schools were for blue belt level. Beyond that, there were almost no common requirements for Purple, Brown and Black Belt. In fact, even in the schools where teachers had instructional products, such as books and DVDs outlining specific requirements, their actual students were not held to those exact criteria.

It seems as though the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Belt requirements are somewhat of a mystery that has been further deepened by the release of popular works which erro

such as books and DVDs outlining specific requirements, their actual students were not held to those exact criteria.

It seems as though the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Belt requirements are somewhat of a mystery that has been further deepened by the release of popular works which erroneously outline techniques into specific belt levels. By training with so many different instructors, I have noticed where there are common requirements and where there are not. I have also been able to develop a curriculum that will realistically and efficiently prepare a student for each level, meeting the expectations of any instructor you might be training under.

The First Belt: Common Requirements

The techniques required from white to blue belt are usually very similar from one association to another. If you look at Jiu-jitsu as a housing development, you will notice that all of the foundations are made form the same block and are of similar dimension. It is important that these foundations are strong because they will be the moves that all the rest are built on. Once a foundation is built, people may choose what color they want to paint their homes and the details within, but the fundamentals must be the same. I like to call these fundamental techniques “A” group moves; they are the first moves you will try in a sequence and the moves that all others grow from. Learning these techniques first will hel