Jiu Jitsu is a popular family of martial arts. If you’re one of its many fans, and enjoy practicing it and perfecting the close combat, then you will know the role that the uniforms play.
This outfit, also known as a “Gi”, importantly involves a belt. But how do you tie a jiu jitsu belt?
Well, we’ve got the answers for you! In our helpful guide below, you’ll find out how to tie a jiu jitsu belt, making sure that you look neat and presentable while you practice.
On top of that, you’ll find out about the various colors of belt that you can get, and what they mean.
What Is A Jiu Jitsu Belt?
As you now know, the belt is an important part of the jiu jitsu outfit, the Gi. However, the belts come in many different colors, and each of these colors and designs reflect the skill level or the wearer.
But what are they all? They split into two categories, the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu order and the Gracie Jiu Jitsu order.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Belts
Well, it all begins with the system for kids – anyone age 15 and younger. These begin with white belt. At a minimum of 4 years old, a kid can next earn a gray/white belt.
After that, each belt increases the first age that you can earn it by one. On top of that, each belt must require 8 months of experience in the previous belt in order to earn it.
Students can earn through knowledge and tournament performance.
Each color has a sort of prologue and post version. So, for the yellow belt category, the first belt you get is yellow and white. After that, you get the full yellow belt.
Then, after that, you get a yellow and black one – before moving onto the next category. The color categories are: white, gray, yellow, orange, and green.
After you’re 16, you enter the juvenile and adult system. These begin with blue, then move to a purple belt, before advancing to a brown belt, and finishing with a black belt.
As with the kid system, each advancement brings a new minimum age requirement, as well as at least a year’s experience in the previous belt (it’s 1.5 years to earn the purple though).
On top of all this, a Jiu Jitsu ranks are awarded for behavior, knowledge, and performance in tournaments.
After these levels, you enter into black belt system. These continue at different minimum ages right up until you’re 82!
Gracie Jiu Jitsu Belts
These are slightly different, but not by too much. Once again there is a junior level, where kids can be awarded belts between the age of 7 and 15. The main colors are: white, yellow, orange, and green.
However, each of these has slight variations themselves, usually being a white, yellow, or orange variation of others (for example, a yellow-orange belt exists, as does an orange-green).
Once you turn 16, you move into the adult system. These promotions aren’t as frequent, because adults don’t need quite as regular rewards and motivations as juniors do.
The adult belt colors are: white, blue, purple, brown, black, coral, and red. The last two of these are advanced versions of the black belt status.
Why Is The Jiu Jitsu Belt Important?
As you can see, there are a great deal of ranks and colors available in jiu jitsu. Whether you use the Brazilian or the Gracie ranking system, there are a lot of levels to prove yourself at, demonstrating your knowledge and success in tournaments.
Each of these will get you a new belt and a new color, and many of them require years and years of input.
This is exactly why it’s important to make sure that you tie it properly on your Gi!
If you’re going to put all that time and effort in, you will want to proudly display your success and allow others to know just how much time you’ve invested into the martial art.
How To Tie A Jiu Jitsu Belt
Step 1
First off, you want to take your jiu jitsu belt in both hands. Then place it so that it’s flat against your stomach, with the belt label pointing outwards away from your body.
In terms of height, you want your belt to be between the tip of your hip bones and the bottom of your belly button.
Step 2
Make sure that both ends of the belt are the same length, or at least extremely similar. If you don’t do this now, then you will end up with an uneven belt, which won’t look nearly as good.
Step 3
Now you want to have one side of the belt in each hand, and pull them back around your body. Make sure to keep them taut, giving the belt tension as it moves.
When they get to behind you, swap hands, and allow the two sides to cross over each other at your back.
Step 4
Next, you want to bring the belt ends back in front of you. Then pull them both together and hold them in front of you, making the belt fit snugly around you.
Step 5
Now cross the right side of the belt over the left side, swapping hands once they’ve done that.
Step 6
Then feed the side that’s on top underneath all the belt layers, going in from the bottom and coming out on the top.
Step 7
Then loop the bottom belt around the other belt, threading the bottom belt through the gap of the crossing. Finally, take an end in each hand and pull – you’ve got a knot!
Final Thoughts
Tying your belt properly is a great way to proudly display your jiu jitsu rank.
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