FIRST CHAPTER
Belt system and its related ages

I . WHITE – Beginner, any age

II. GREY – 04 to 06 years of age

III. YELLOW – 07 to 15 years of age

IV. ORANGE – 10 to 15 years of age

V. GREEN – 13 to 15 years of age

VI. BLUE – 16 years of age or older

VII. PURPLE – 16 years of age or older

VIII. BROWN – 18 years of age or older

IX. BLACK – 19 years of age or older

X. RED AND BLACK

XI. RED

First Paragraph – All the following ages must be calculated starting from the year of birth. Therefore the athlete’s age is the one he is going to have at the end of the current year.

Obs :

- In order to be graded purple belt at 16 years of age it is required that the athlete has spent at least 2 years as a green belt
- In order to be graded purple belt at 17 years of age it is required that the athlete has spent at least 1 year as a green belt and 1 year as blue belt
- In case an athlete is graded from green belt straight to purple belt, then the minimum time required before he can be awarded the brown belt is 2 years
- In order to be graded black belt at 19 years of age it is required that the athlete has spent at least 1 year as a brown belt

 SECOND CHAPTER

Belt system and its minimum times

BLUE TO PURPLE – 2 YEARS
PURPLE TO BROWN – 1 AND A HALF YEARS
BROWN TO BLACK – 1 YEAR
The minimum required times shown above are to be considered starting from the day the athlete is registered at the IBJJF in each belt.
It is up to each instructor to decide how long it takes for a student to be graded, as long as the minimum times required for each belt are fulfilled.  

THIRD CHAPTER
Belt system and degrees/stripes

First Paragraph – White, grey, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple and brown belts have 5 levels each: clear belt plus 4 degrees/stripes. It is up to each instructor to award the stripes in each of these belts.

Second Paragraph – The black belt is divided in seven different levels: clear black belt plus 6 degrees/stripes that can only be awarded by the IBJJF according to the following criteria:

1. Only athletes who are 19 years of age or older can be awarded a black belt.

2. In order to request the black belt certificate it is necessary to be currently affiliated to the IBJJF, have gone through a first aid course and be approved in the referee course over the previous 12 months.


3. You may request your 1st degree after 3 years as a black belt. In order to do so it is required that you have renewed your IBJJF membership card every year during the period, have gone through a first aid course and be approved in the referee course over the previous 12 months.


4. You may request your 2nd or 3rd degrees 3 years after being awarded the previous degree. It is required that you have renewed your IBJJF membership card every year during the period, have gone through a first aid course and be approved in the referee course over the previous 12 months.


5. You may request your 4th, 5th or 6th degrees 5 years after being awarded the previous degree. In order to do so you need to:

- renew your IBJJF membership card every year during the 5-year period.
  
- be approved in the IBJJF official referee course over the previous 12 months.

- be listed as the main instructor or assistant instructor in a school that has renewed its membership to the IBJJF over the previous 5 years OR provide the degree form signed by a certified black belt no lower than 2nd degree who is the main instructor in a school that has renewed its membership to the IBJJF over the previous 5 years.


6. You may request the red and black belt 7th degree 7 years after being awarded the 6th degree. In order to do so you need to:

- renew your IBJJF membership card every year during the 7-year period.

- be approved in the IBJJF official referee course over the previous 12 months.

- be listed as the main instructor or assistant instructor in a school that has renewed its membership to the IBJJF over the previous 7 years OR provide the degree form signed by a certified black belt no lower than 2nd degree who is the main instructor in a school that has renewed its membership to the IBJJF over the previous 7 years.


7. You may request the 8th degree in your red and black belt 7 years after being awarded the 7th degree. In order to do so you need to:

- renew your IBJJF membership card every year during the 7-year period.

- be approved in the IBJJF official referee course over the previous 12 months.

- be listed as the main instructor or assistant instructor in a school that has renewed its membership to the IBJJF over the previous 7 years OR provide the degree form signed by a certified black belt no lower than 2nd degree who is the main instructor in a school that has renewed its membership to the IBJJF over the previous 7 years.


8.You may request the 9th degree in your red and black belt 10 years after being awarded the 8th degree. In order to do so you need to:

 - renew your IBJJF membership card every year during the 10-year period.

- be approved in the IBJJF official referee course over the previous 12 months.

- be listed as the main instructor or assistant instructor in a school that has renewed its membership to the IBJJF over the previous 10 years OR provide the degree form signed by a certified black belt no lower than 2nd degree who is the main instructor in a school that has renewed its membership to the IBJJF over the previous 10 years.


9. In case you do not renew your IBJJF membership card and/or your school’s membership to the IBJJF in a specific year, that year will not count in the minimum time required to obtain a new degree.


10. The 10th degree red belt is limited to the pioneers of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Carlos, Oswaldo, George, Gastão and Hélio Gracie, also known as the Gracie Brothers.

FOURTH CHAPTER

Instructors allowed to give grades

The membership form of an athlete graded in the following belts: grey, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple and brown must be signed by a black belt instructor who is certified by the IBJJF (with the exception of a few countries – fifth chapter)

The membership form of an athlete graded black belt must be signed by a black belt instructor no lower than 2nd degree who is certified by the IBJJF.

FIFTH CHAPTER
Instructors and Supervisors

In some countries the IBJJF allows athletes who have not achieved the rank of black belt yet to sign as instructors. Actually these athletes are officially considered supervisors.
Brown and purple belts can be supervisors, although in some countries only brown belts can have the rank. In case the supervisor is a purple belt, he can only grade students up to blue belt; in case the supervisor is a brown belt, he can only grade students up to purple belt.
This is a temporary measure that will only be applied in countries that do not have yet enough certified black belt instructors available for the development of the sport. Once there are enough black belts, the supervisor rank will no longer exist.