How long does it take to get a blue belt?
Most adults take about 1.5 to 3 years of steady training to get a BJJ blue belt. Your gym and how often you train change the time.
The usual time
Blue belt is the first adult belt after white. Read the belt system for all the belts. There is no fixed time, because your coach decides when you are ready.
| Training per week | Usual time to blue belt |
|---|---|
| 1 class | Often 3 years or more |
| 2 to 3 classes | About 2 to 3 years |
| 4 or more classes | Often 1 to 2 years |
What changes the time
- How often you train, for months and years.
- Your gym. Some gyms promote faster, some slower.
- Breaks for injury, work or family.
- Past sport, like wrestling or judo.
What coaches often look for
- You can escape the main bad positions: mount, side control and back control.
- You know the basic guards, sweeps and passes.
- You can finish a few basic submissions with control.
- You roll safely and help newer students.
- You train often.
Some gyms have a set list or a test. Others decide by watching you roll. See belt requirements and the white belt curriculum.
Omar trains four times a week and gets his blue belt after 20 months. Beth trains once or twice a week, with a break for an injury. She gets her blue belt after three and a half years. Both are normal.
Can you get a blue belt in one year?
Some people do, often with past wrestling or judo or many classes a week. It is not the usual time.
How many stripes before blue belt?
Many gyms give up to four stripes on the white belt. Some gyms do not use stripes at all.
Do I need to compete to get a blue belt?
Most gyms do not require it. Ask your coach.
Who decides when you get your blue belt?
Train it on the Path
The Before you roll unit turns this into short lessons: you see a position and pick the best move.