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White beltto black belt

Every belt in jiu jitsu is earned on the mat, one round at a time. Here's what actually changes as you climb: what each rank means, what to focus on, and what your coach is watching for.

Adult belts
5
Stripes per belt
4
Years to black, typically
6 to 12

The five adult belts

White Belt · Survive

Learn not to panic.

Everything is new, and that is the point. The job at white belt is not to win rounds. It is to stay calm under pressure, keep yourself safe, and learn the map of positions everyone else is playing on.

Typical time
1 to 3 years
Minimum time
None
Minimum age
Any age

Minimums follow the IBJJF adult graduation system. Your coach decides when you're ready.

What you're working on

  • Base and posture

    Keep your weight balanced so you are hard to sweep, and your spine strong so you are hard to break down.

  • Frames and escapes

    Use forearms, knees and hips to create space, then recover your guard instead of pushing with your arms.

  • The positions

    Know where you are: closed guard, half guard, side control, mount and back. Know which ones are good for you.

  • Tap early

    Tapping is how you learn and how you stay healthy. Tap early, tap often, and let go the moment your partner taps.

Ready for blue belt when

You defend the common submissions, escape bad positions on purpose, and can hold your own for a full round with a newer white belt.

Watch out for

Muscling everything and running out of gas two minutes into a round.

Stripes

Progress between belts

Coaches tape up to four stripes on the black bar of your belt as you improve. They show you're on track. After four, the next step is a new belt, whenever your coach decides you're ready.

  • No stripes

  • 1 stripe

  • 2 stripes

  • 3 stripes

  • 4 stripes · next belt is close

Black belt degrees

Black belts earn degrees instead of stripes, marked in white on a red bar and awarded every few years. After decades at black belt come the coral and red belts.

Under 16?

Younger students follow the kids' belt system first, then move to adult belts at 16.

  • Grey
  • Yellow
  • Orange
  • Green

Gi vs No-Gi

Same art, two games

Kabkad trains both every week. Each one makes the other better, so try them both.
What you wear
Gi: Gi (kimono) and beltNo-Gi: Rash guard and shorts
Grips
Gi: Collars, sleeves and pantsNo-Gi: Wrists, head, underhooks and overhooks
Pace
Gi: Slower and more methodicalNo-Gi: Faster, with more scrambles
Builds
Gi: Control, patience and grip strengthNo-Gi: Speed, wrestling and MMA carryover
Differences between Gi and No-Gi jiu jitsu
GiNo-Gi
What you wearGi (kimono) and beltRash guard and shorts
GripsCollars, sleeves and pantsWrists, head, underhooks and overhooks
PaceSlower and more methodicalFaster, with more scrambles
BuildsControl, patience and grip strengthSpeed, wrestling and MMA carryover

Words on the mat

Speak the language

You'll hear these in your first week. Now you'll know what everyone is talking about.
  • Oss

    Hello, thank you, understood and let's go, all in one word. You'll hear it a lot.

  • Roll

    Live sparring. You and a partner try your techniques against full resistance.

  • Tap

    Tapping your partner or the mat to say stop. Everyone lets go immediately.

  • Guard

    Fighting from your back with your legs between you and your partner.

  • Pass

    Getting around your partner's legs to pin them from the top.

  • Sweep

    Reversing from the bottom in guard to the top position.

  • Mount

    Sitting on your partner's chest. One of the strongest positions in the sport.

  • Shrimp

    The hip escape drill. You'll do it every warm-up for the rest of your life.

Your first class

Four things to know

Nobody expects you to know anything on day one. Do these and you'll fit right in.
  • 01

    Message us first

    Send a quick message on Facebook so we know you're coming and can pair you with the right partner.

  • 02

    Bring the right gear

    A gi for Gi class, a rash guard and shorts for No-Gi, training clothes for Boxing. Water and a towel for all of them.

  • 03

    Show up clean

    Short nails, clean gear, and slippers for walking off the mat. No shoes on the mat, ever.

  • 04

    Tap early

    Nobody wins in training. Tap when something is caught and your partner will let go right away.