If you follow the martial arts meme pages on social media, there’s a lot of jokes about BJJ blue belts. While it’s funny to poke fun at blue belts, earning a BJJ blue belt takes hard work and dedication.
That’s why we’ve put together a full breakdown of the BJJ blue and everything you need to know about it. Check out below to find out what it takes to earn the rank and tips for earning the belt.
What Is The BJJ Blue Belt
The BJJ blue is the second adult rank within the adult BJJ belt ranks. It is the first promotion that Jiu-Jitsu practitioners receive within the adult ranks, which makes it rather special.
Earning a blue belt shows that you were dedicated to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and displayed basic grappling knowledge.
How Long Does It Take To Get A BJJ Blue Belt?
On average, it takes around a year to earn a BJJ blue belt. It’s not a hard task, but it does take some dedication to achieve.
To earn a blue belt within a year, you should try to make between at least 2-3 classes per week. If you consistently attend class, you will earn your blue belt.
Must Know Techniques A BJJ Blue Belt Must Know
All accredited Jiu-Jitsu academies have a prerequisite of techniques that a student must know to earn a BJJ blue belt. Below is a rough guideline of techniques a potential blue belt must know in order to earn the rank.
Basic Movements
- Front Rolls
- Back Rolls
- Side Rolls
- Break Falls(Backwards, Forwards, and Sideways)
- Shrimp/Elbow Escape
Escapes
- Mount Escape
- Back Mount Escape
- Side-Control Escape
- Headlock Escape
- Bear Hug Escape(Front & Back)
- Punch Defense
Guard Passes
- Basic Closed Guard Passes
- Basic Half Guard Passes
- Butterfly Guard Pass
- Spider Guard Pass
- Lasso Guard Pass
- De La Riva Guard Pass
Basic Takedowns & Takedown Defense
- Double Leg Takedown
- Single Leg Takedown
- Sprawl
- Single to Double & Vice-Versa
Basic Judo
- O-Goshi
- Ippon Seoi Nage
- Kata Guruma
- Uchi Gari
- Osoto Gari
Basic Submissions
- Rear Naked Choke(RNC)
- Armbar From Guard, Mount, Backmount, & Side Control
- Guillotine Choke
- Americana(Keylock)
- Kimura
- Omoplata
- Triangle Choke(Possibly 2-3 Different Finishes)
- Arm Triangle
- Basic Gi Chokes(Cross, Collar, Lapel, Etc.)
Guard Sweeps
- Scissor Sweep
- Hip Bump Sweep
- Kick Out Sweep
- Balloon Sweep
- Flower Sweep
- Basic Butterfly Guard Sweep
- Basic Spider Guard Sweep
- Basic DLR Sweep
- Basic Lasso Guard Sweep
Unfortunate Fact About The BJJ Blue Belt
There’s an unfortunate fact about the BJJ blue belt and that it’s the rank where most students quit. For whatever reason, a BJJ student will either lose confidence, interest, or become disenchanted with the martial art.
When a BJJ student gets promoted to blue belt, some think that they’re getting some type of new superpower. The reality is that the only thing that changes is the color of the belt thy wear.
If a new blue belt keeps getting smashed by upper belts or lose to a new white belt, it might break them.
To avoid becoming a statistic, you have to understand that it’s all part of the process. You’ll have good training days and bad training days.
The important thing is if you love training is that you try your best and stick with it. You’re in no competition with anyone but yourself.
Tips For Earning A BJJ Blue Belt
There aren’t many tips that you can give someone for earning a BJJ blue belt. For our white belt readers, we’ll give you three important tips for earning your BJJ blue belt.
- Train
- Put In Your Time
- Earn The Belt
The key to earning anything in BJJ or any other martial art is consistent training. If you put in the time and dedicate yourself to your training, you will earn a blue belt within a year.
This doesn’t only go for the BJJ blue belt, but also for the ranks after blue belt. If you put in your time and train, you will earn the rank
Ways To Earn A BJJ Blue Belt Faster
For those that are curious if there are ways to earn a BJJ blue belt faster, there is. There are specifically two factors that could lead a student to earning their blue best faster.
- Prior Grappling Training
- Talent
Prior Grappling Training
If you have previously trained in another form of grappling like Judo or wrestling, you may not start at white belt. In most BJJ academies, a Judo black belt will automatically start at at least the blue belt rank.
This rule also goes for highly-touted wrestlers, who are obviously more advanced than a normal white belt student. If you have this level of previous training in another form of grappling, you will probably start at blue belt.
Talent
There’s an old saying that you can’t teach talent and there are some students that are just really good. These outliers may have an intense dedication to their training and do really well at competitions.
If this is the case, an instructor may decide to promote this student earlier than their average beginner students. This rarely happens, but if a student’s talent is undeniable, they might get an early promotion.
What Factor Could Prolong Earning A BJJ Blue Belt
A year is the average time it takes to get a blue belt, but it could be longer for some students. Students who earn their blue belt in a long time frame usually had to wait longer for one of two reasons.
- Not Training Consistently
- Injury
Inconsistent Training
Some BJJ students are just not as dedicated to training as other students. They take weeks off in between training and barely make it to class.
This type of student can expect not to earn their blue belt within a year.
Injury
Injuries are an unfortunate part of grappling training and sometimes, they unfortunately happen. If you’re an unfortunate white belt, who suffers a significant injury, this will probably increase the time of your promotion.
Don’t let an injury get you down and get back to training when you can.
Is Competing A Requirement For A Blue Belt Promotion?
A common question from white belt BJJ students is do they need to compete in order to be promoted? It’s a tricky question, because it depends on the academy they’re attending.
Some BJJ schools make it a prerequisite to compete in order to earn a blue belt and others don’t. Check with your instructor and see if you have to compete in order to get promoted.
However, we will say that every BJJ student should compete at some point just for the experience alone. Competing is the best way to test and improve your skills.
Try competing at least once and see if it’s for you or not.
The Importance Of The BJJ Blue Belt
While a lot of us poke fun blue belts, the ranking is an important one. It is the first promotion within the adult ranks and shows that a student is dedicated to their training.
To continue developing your grappling skills, you must keep this mindset and stay dedicated to training. If you remember this important lesson as you pursue the BJJ blue belt, your skills will continually grow and develop.