Adult Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu belts go white, blue, purple, brown and black, with up to four stripes marking progress on each. Kids follow a separate set of colours before moving to adult belts in their teens. Timelines vary, but black belt commonly takes around ten years.
Adult belts
- White: learning to survive, escape and understand positions.
- Blue: a solid base of defence and a few reliable attacks. Often reached in roughly 1 to 3 years.
- Purple: a personal style begins to form.
- Brown: refining and connecting everything.
- Black: deep understanding, and the start of a new chapter. Black belts earn degrees over many years; Professor Aviado holds a 2nd degree.
Kids belts
Children progress through their own colours under the IBJJF system (grey, yellow, orange and green families), then move to adult belts at 16. At Vaughan BJJ, kids move through Levels 1 to 3 and families receive quarterly progress reports.
How promotions happen
Your coach watches your technique, consistency and how you train with partners over time. There is no fixed test date to cram for. Showing up regularly is the biggest factor.