Jiu-jitsu belts take years, and the rules behind them are surprisingly specific. This guide covers the adult belt order, the minimum age for each belt and the minimum time you have to spend at each one under the IBJJF graduation system, the one most competitions recognise.
Everything here comes from the IBJJF General Graduation System (2026 edition). Your own academy or association may run things differently below black belt.
The adult belt order
White → blue → purple → brown → black. After black belt come the coral belts: red and black (7th degree), red and white (8th degree) and red (9th degree).
Minimum age for each belt
| Belt | Minimum age |
|---|---|
| White | Any age |
| Blue | 16 |
| Purple | 16 |
| Brown | 18 |
| Black | 19 (18 only for an Adult World Champion at brown belt) |
| Red and black | 49 |
| Red and white | 56 |
| Red | 66 |
Under 16, IBJJF uses the kids belt groups: grey (from 4), yellow (from 7), orange (from 10) and green (from 13), each with white and black variants. When a kid turns 16, grey, yellow and orange belts become blue; a green belt becomes blue or purple, at the professor's decision.
Minimum time at each belt
For adults (18 and over), IBJJF only recognises a promotion if you've spent at least this long at the belt below:
| Belt | Minimum time before promotion |
|---|---|
| White | No minimum |
| Blue | 2 years |
| Purple | 1.5 years |
| Brown | 1 year |
There are exceptions. A world champion at a belt can move up with no minimum time, and athletes who held kids or juvenile belts get shorter minimums at blue and purple. The full list is in the graduation system document.
Stripes and degrees
- White to brown belt: usually 4 degrees (stripes) each. IBJJF leaves stripes below black belt to the professor.
- Black belt: 6 degrees. The 1st can be requested after 3 years at black belt, then the 2nd and 3rd 3 years after the one before, and the 4th, 5th and 6th 5 years after the one before.
- Coral belts: red and black is the 7th degree, red and white the 8th, red the 9th.
What your belt changes in competition
Your belt decides which techniques you're allowed to use and how long your matches are. See IBJJF illegal techniques by belt and IBJJF points and match times, and your age group in IBJJF age divisions.
Questions
How long does it take to get a black belt in BJJ?
The IBJJF minimum time spent at blue, purple and brown belt adds up to 4.5 years for an adult who starts at white belt, but that's a floor, not a target. Your professor decides when you're promoted, and most people take much longer.
What is the minimum age for a black belt?
Under the IBJJF graduation system, black belt is from age 19, or from 18 only for athletes who have won the Adult World Championship at brown belt (a change in the 2026 edition).
How many stripes are there on a BJJ belt?
White, blue, purple and brown belts are usually split into 4 degrees (stripes). IBJJF leaves stripes below black belt to the professor; black belt has 6 degrees before red and black.
Can a teenager get a blue belt?
Yes. Blue and purple belt are possible from 16 (the Juvenile divisions). Under 16, IBJJF uses the kids belts: grey, yellow, orange and green.