When you start BJJ no doubt the first thing on your mind will be “what the hell did I just walk into?” Once the shock has worn off, your next question will likely be how long until I get my blue belt? Well I’m going to break it down for you barney style in this quick post about how long to get belts in bjj.
How long to get a Blue Belt?
The average time to get a blue belt is 2-3 years depending on your instructor. By the end of your white belt journey you will have an idea about all basic positions and an understanding of the game that is BJJ.
How long to get a Purple Belt?
From Blue to Purple will take another 2-3 years. This phase of your growth focuses on your ability to capitalise on mistakes make by your sparring partners, gain a strong understanding of each position both offensively and defensively and realising that everyone was taking it easy on you as a white belt…
Blue belt progression is typically a lot faster than that of white belts due to the amount of knowledge you have already acquired.
How long to get a Brown Belt?
Brown belt will take about 2.5 years to get after your purple. Your growth here is about forcing your will upon your training partners and reducing the amount of strength you put into each sweep, sub or takedown. It’s all about technique, being clean and technical and looking good doing it. Oh, and you also get to start skipping warm ups so that’s a plus.
How long to get a Black Belt.
The last phase of your journey to black belt will often be the shortest. 18 months isn’t unheard of here. You won’t be learning any new fundamentals or wild new techniques, but you will refine those fundamentals to such an extent where you will master them.
This excellent Roy Dean video is one of my favorite representations of what it means and takes to get a black belt in BJJ
Beyond the Black Belt in BJJ.
After you have received your black belt you will find that the journey has only just begun…
