letter from IBJJF sent July 6, 2011, about new belt system for kids
KIDS BELT SYSTEM
Dear coaches, parents and practitioners,
With the challenges faced by the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu schools instructors, when it comes to kids graduation systems and the young practitioners needs, working with an impressive speed of development and techniques, teaching methods and market changes, a lot of times the current system that has been active for the last 40 years does not present as a solution that best fit BJJ schools. As a consequence, searching for better teaching and management tools, there is a demand to be more creative and find different solutions, but a lot of times these solutions move away from the official graduation rank path and end up creating a bit of chaos and differences of ranks and technical criteria.
Being aware of the situation, and after extensive research with schools, instructors and kid event numbers, IBJJF is presenting the new Kids belt system to be active in 2012 world wide.
IBJJF new system seeks to adjust the core of the actual system. The kid, who starts BJJ at the age of 4, can only change belt rank until (he or she) is 7 years old. Another change with the 10 years olds, they would need to stay in the same belt rank for 3 years. As for 7 years old kids, it has proven that it takes too much time and 3 years means almost half of their lives. For example, (referring to the 20 years old adults) it would be as if you would stay in the same belt rank for 10 years, which can bring lack of motivation and technical discrepancies, leading to a possible loss in the young age practitioner’s numbers.
IBJJF new system suggests a division in each group of existing belts. Each belt is going to be divided into three new different belts. Having the grey belt extended, as first option from 4 to 15 years old.
The new system offers and allows the instructors to promote the kid in belt rank each year.
Ex 1; if the kid starts at the age of 4, IBJJF suggests 6 months as a white belt, then being graduated to the grey/white belt on the sixth month of training. As for the white/gray belt, it would take six more months until the next graduation – solid grey. After training one year in the solid grey rank, the practitioner would be graduated to gray/black, after a year of training and the by the age of 7 years old the kid is eligible for the next graduation group which is yellow. After graduating to white/yellow, and 3 years as a yellow belt group, by the age of 10 years old the kid is eligible to enter the Orange belt group, after 3 years in the orange group, by the age of 13 years old the kid is eligible to enter the green belt graduation group. The cycle repeats itself until the students years of training under the kid belt system is finished, by the year of 16 years old (year of birth), which is now entering in the adult belt system.
Ex 2; if the kid starts at age of 7, IBJJF suggests 6 months as a white belt. After training for 6 months, then you would graduate to the grey/white belt rank. As for the white/gray belt you would train for six more months until the next graduation which is solid grey belt. After training one year in the solid grey belt rank, the practitioner would be graduated to gray/black. The kid is eligible to enter the yellow belt group and the cycle repeats until the years of training is finished. By the year of 16 years old (year of birth), He or her is now entering in the adult belt system.
Ex 3; if the kid starts at age 10, IBJJF suggests 6 months as a white belt, then being graduated to the grey/white belt rank after six months of training. On the white/gray belt you would train six more months until the next graduation to solid grey belt. After training one year at the solid grey belt, the practitioner would be graduated to gray/black, after 3 years of training. The kid is now eligible to enter the yellow belt group and the cycle repeats until the years of training are finished. Now by age of 16 years old (year of birth), you would be entering the adult belt system.
Note that only the kids, who started training with at least 6 years old, will have conditions to reach the green belt. (1 year in the green belt)NEW KID BELT SYSTEM FOR COMPETITION - 2012
As for competitions, each color belt group will be joined in the same group, the whole grey group competes together, the whole yellow group competes together, and same for other belt groups. The same rules apply and no changes will be made as for weight, age and gender, similar to the way used today.
Note. In a event of a competition for athletes 4 – 15 years old when the number of athletes registered is not enough to find a match is acceptable to merge two or more different color groups in a bracket.
Examples for belt divisions in a competition; Grey Group - White/Grey, Solid Grey and grey/Black are grouped together. Yellow group - White/yellow, solid yellow and yellow/black compete together divided only by age, weight and gender.
Stripes/Degrees
For the new kid belt system, IBJJF suggests 3 different ways of using stripes/degrees in each belt group.
Note. The use of “stripes as a graduation tool” in the belt rank system is only suggested by IBJJF. It is up to the schools and Head instructors to decide to use the stripe method.
1 – For schools that prefer to graduate every 3 months, IBJJF suggests 3 stripes/degrees for each belt, being the 4th graduating belt. Example below
1st, 2nd and 3rd month: To be able to see the picture, please click HERE
4th, 5th and 6th month: To be able to see the picture, please click HERE
7th, 8th and 9th month: To be able to see the picture, please click HERE
10th, 11th and 12th month: To be able to see the picture, please click HERE
Total: 1 year
After the last 3 months, the athlete receive the next graduation belt, Gray/Black, and repeat the degree process
2 – For schools that prefer to graduate every 4 months, IBJJF suggests 2 stripes/degrees for each belt, being the 3rd graduating belt. Example below:
1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th month: To be able to see the picture, please click HERE
5th, 6th, 7th and 8th month: To be able to see the picture, please click HERE
9th, 10th, 11th and 12th month: To be able to see the picture, please click HERE
Total: 1 year
After the last 4 months, the athlete receive the next graduation belt, Gray/Black, and repeat the degree process
2 – For schools that prefer to graduate every month, IBJJF suggests 11 stripes/degrees for each belt, being the 12th graduating belt. (4 white stripes, 4 red stripes and 3 black stripes to be overlapped over the previous set of stripes, this way the belt will have space for 4 stripes only maximum) Example below:
1st month: 2nd month: 3rd month: 4th month: 5th month: 6th month: 7th month: 8th month: 9th month: 10th month: 11th month: 12th month:
Total: 1 year
After the last month, the athlete receive the next graduation belt, Gray/Black, and repeat the degree process
Note. For the schools that use the stripe/degree system, IBJJF suggest one stripe/degrees per month for the white and grey/white belts, allowing to remain exactly one year in those ranks.
White belt:
1st month: To be able to see the picture, please click HERE
2nd month: To be able to see the picture, please click HERE
3rd month: To be able to see the picture, please click HERE
4th month: To be able to see the picture, please click HERE
5th month: To be able to see the picture, please click HERE
6th month: Total: 6 months
Gray/White belt:
1st month: To be able to see the picture, please click HERE
2nd month: To be able to see the picture, please click HERE
3rd month: To be able to see the picture, please click HERE
4th month: To be able to see the picture, please click HERE
5th month: To be able to see the picture, please click HERE
6th month: To be able to see the picture, please click HERE
Total: 6 months White + Gray White = Total 1 year.
Transition to adult Belt system.
- By the age of 16 years old (year of birth), the practitioner is eligible to enter in the adult belt system, Blue, Purple, Brown and Black belt
To be able to see the pictures, please click HERE
http://www.ibjjf.org/docs/kidsbeltsystem.pdf