Folks,
I understand the different belt colors. What about the additional stripes on colored belts. What do they indicate as far as different stages of progress? And how are they awarded?

Oldman,

I am an "official" newbie to BJJ, but when I have seen stripes awarded at say...blue belt, it is generally after winning first at certain competitions. Or competing particularly well over several comps.

Also, when it becomes apparent when you are starting to best many of your classmates at the same level, but haven't progressed to really beating all of the folk at that level regurally.

The times I have actually seen the stripes awarded would be when they walked into class after a weekend tournament.

There may be other measuring sticks, but this is what I have generally noted from several different schools.

-B

B-
Thanks. I went out and did a little leg work and found this.

http://www.answers.com/topic/brazilian-jiu-jitsu

Good info and history

Very good, general info, and felt right from what I have personally seen. What can I say? A good, solid performance art.

-B

The article about sums it up.

Stripes mean different things to different instructors. Some award for tournament performance which can be misleading. What if the student doesn't do tournaments?

Other instructors give stripes by the number of classes or time in rank. What if he is a bucket head and just doesn't get it?

Still others award stripes based on an incremental view of their performance & technique in class as it relates to their next rank.

A balance of the three makes the most sense.

Most of the time, the student will not know what they are doing that qualifies them for a stripe. The instructor will present it informally based on their own criteria. "Put another stripe on your belt".

As a blue belt, I remember taking a seminar with Royce. Afterwards, he told me "you need to put some stripes on your belt". I thanked him for his suggestion but told him I had an instructor who would take care of any promotions or stripes.

In the end, what counts is the performance. I remember when I first started out, thinking I would never reach blue belt. After receiving it, I was there for so long that I lost interest in training for a promotion. I just wanted to get better. It was a complete surprise when my instructor from Brazil came back and gave me the purple.

Now it's on auto-pilot. I am just enjoying the ride.

Thanks Fletch, great story.

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I remember when I first started out, thinking I would never reach blue belt. After receiving it, I was there for so long that I lost interest in training for a promotion.

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You got that right. It takes FOREVER to make rank at a BJJ school, and promotion is 100% performance based. If you can't make people tap, you don't get promoted.

The promotion time table is roughly:

White to Blue: 2 years
Blue to Purple: 3 years
Purple to Brown: 3 years
Brown to Black: 3 Years

And you have to beat a Black Belt before you will be awarded one.

Sanchin,

Not so. A 90 lb girl's relative performance would be based upon that of other 90 lb girls. If she can fair well against someone heavier and stronger, but lose...however maintain good technical ability, she will be graded according to the analysis of the guy in charge.

Their requirements are subjective according to their art as is anyone else's. It is a bit of a meritocracy, but the reverse isn't always a benefit either. Where mediocrity might be allowed to creep past the edges with just a wink.

I am sure you have encountered a few 2nd or 3rd degree BBs in more traditional styles and you just slapped your forehead and said to yourself, "How did these guys get that rank?"

If nothing else, the grading standards in BJJ are egalitarian in their approach using the criteria of ability. Not better or worse than any other grading system, but if nothing else, you know where you stand in the pantheon of practioners with few qualifications.

-B

I see,thanks for clearing that up. Sounds like a good grading system to me.

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I am sure you have encountered a few 2nd or 3rd degree BBs in more traditional styles and you just slapped your forehead and said to yourself, "How did these guys get that rank?"

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More than my share I think.

When I was in jr.high my girlfriend was a 3rd degree.