What Are the BJJ Belts in Order? | The Full Rank Sequence

Brazilian jiu-jitsu ranks progress through white, blue, purple, brown, and black belts for adults.

Wondering what the Jiu-Jitsu belts in order are is usually the first step before stepping on the mats or signing up for a class. The short version: five core adult belts, starting with white and ending at black. But the full system extends beyond black, with degrees and higher coral and red belts reserved for the most tenured practitioners. For parents, there’s a completely separate youth ladder that trips up plenty of people who assume kids follow the adult sequence. This guide lays out both progressions clearly, so you know exactly where any grappler stands.

The Five Core Adult BJJ Belts

For athletes aged 16 and older, the standard adult belt order in Brazilian jiu-jitsu is straightforward: white, blue, purple, brown, and black. This is the sequence recognized by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), the sport’s main governing body.

Here’s what each belt typically represents:

• White belt — the starting point, where fundamentals and survival are the focus.
• Blue belt — the first major milestone, generally marking a solid grasp of core techniques. It’s often called the hardest belt to earn.
• Purple belt — an intermediate rank where the practitioner starts developing a game and submitting higher belts.
• Brown belt — the advanced stage where the finer points of technique and pressure come together.
• Black belt — the expert rank and the goal most students chase, representing years of dedicated training.

Promotion timing varies by school and instructor. There’s no universal schedule, and even academies that share the same belt order may promote at very different paces. It’s also worth noting that stripes on a belt are not official IBJJF ranks — they’re internal markers some schools use to show progress between belt promotions.

What Comes After Black Belt?

The progression continues past black belt with degree systems and higher belt colors. Black belts earn degrees (shown as bars on the belt) based on time in rank and service to the art, and the IBJJF recognizes specific higher belts for the most senior practitioners.

In the adult system, these are typically considered part of the black-belt degree structure:

• Black belt degrees — awarded for years of dedication and contribution to BJJ, not just skill.
• Red-and-black belt — often called a coral belt, this is the 7th degree on the black belt.
• Red-and-white belt — the 8th degree, also considered a coral belt.
• Red belt — the 9th and 10th degree, the highest honor in BJJ, reserved for the true pioneers of the art.

The quick way to think about it: the five core belts are white, blue, purple, brown, and black. From there, degrees are not separate colors but progression markers within the black-belt ranks that culminate in the coral and red belts. This avoids the common mistake of confusing black-belt degree bars with a new set of belts.

Youth BJJ Belts: A Separate System

Kids and teens don’t follow the adult sequence at all. The IBJJF’s youth system, which applies to ages 4 to 15, starts with white and then moves through a more colorful progression: gray, yellow, orange, and green — each with intermediate white-striped versions.

According to the IBJJF graduation system poster, the full youth order is: white; gray-and-white; gray; gray-and-black; yellow-and-white; yellow; yellow-and-black; orange-and-white; orange; orange-and-black; green-and-white; green; green-and-black.

At 16, a student transitions to the adult system and typically starts at white belt, regardless of their youth rank. The two systems are not interchangeable, and conflating them is a common pitfall. The adult ladder is simpler, while the youth ladder has more stripes and colors to keep younger students motivated. If you’re buying your first gi and gear, you might also want to check out our roundup of the best BJJ bags for training to haul your gear comfortably.

Schools have some freedom in how they apply these systems, and a few use slightly different variations. The progression above reflects the IBJJF framework, which is the most widely adopted standard. For most people starting BJJ, the journey is straightforward — focus on the white belt you’re wearing and trust the process.