Stripes have been a mark of distinction since time immemorial. Hence the saying, earn your stripes. Be it the navy, the military, or MMA. Stripes are a symbol of expertise and skill. The more stripes on your arm the higher ranking you are.
Stripes in BJJ are no different. You earn them as you advance on your path. Whether you get your promotions based on your performance in an exam or based solely on your teacher’s evaluation, earning a stripe in BJJ is a big deal. It gets you closer to ranking up and makes the next belt in your journey so much within reach.
That said, the stripes system in BJJ is far from being perfect. While it makes the work and interval between belts less tedious and acts as a milestone between each belt, they do have their drawbacks. This article sheds light on the history and meaning of the stripes system, how to earn them, and why you shouldn’t put too much weight on them anyway.
How the Stripe System Started
The history of belts and stripes is older than BJJ itself. The first time belts were used in a sport was in Judo. But there were only two colors. The first is white for beginners and the other is black for advanced practitioners. That’s how things stood when Mitsuyo Maeda arrived in Brazil at the beginning of the 20th century. He had great hope that Brazilians would open their minds and hearts to Judo and he only had two belts to offer them in addition to his vast knowledge in Judo.
He was right of course. Not only did Brazilians welcome Judo, but they also loved it so much they refined it and turned it into BJJ. As more colors were added in Judo, other sports including BJJ were quick to adopt them as well. However, the official belt ranking system in BJJ as we know it today was first introduced in 1967.
The stripes came later. Since each belt took on average about 2 years or more to achieve, stripes were introduced to make the long wait less tiring. They gave players hope and motivated them to stick to their practice and keep attending classes since each new stripe was in and of itself a promotion in a way. So how do stripes and belts fit in together and where do you start?
Your BJJ Path in Colors and Stripes
In BJJ your journey starts with a white belt and you make your way to blue then purple before you turn into brown and finally achieve the black belt. There’s also a red belt but that one is rare and is given to practitioners who’ve spent 45 years in the sport. As you can imagine not many players in the history of BJJ have earned the red belt. So in practical terms, black is the more achievable belt that puts you at the top rank of the system.
You get the white belt on the first day you sign up with the academy. You don’t have to prove yourself or show your aptitude or skills. You walk in and sign your name, you get a white belt. It’s as easy as that. But from there, every stripe and belt you earn is based on the time and effort you put into the sport.
Which is exactly as hard as it sounds. There’s a lot to learn and you need to attend classes about 3 times a week just so that within the next two years you can make your way to the blue belt. Two years is a long time, I hear you say. And it’s true. You’ll be wearing that white belt for 2 years and you can’t tell if you’re getting better or not. Well, not exactly. See, that where the stripe system comes in.
To have a class of white belts toiling for 2 years sounds like asking a lot of BJJ beginners. So the idea of using a different promotion system was introduced. Each belt has 4 stripes. Your progress within each rank is marked with stripes. You earn a stripe for your performance. Get all 4 stripes and you’re ready for the next belt. It’s as easy as that. But that’s not the only advantage of having stripes. Remember what we said about having a class of white belts? How does one tell them apart? How do you know which is the outstanding student and which isn’t pulling their weight? You guessed it. The stripes tell the difference.
A white belt with 3 stripes on their arm is a more skilled player than the one with just two stripes. So suddenly you’re no longer a homogenous class of white belts. You have marks of distinctions that separate the talented from the rest of the pack.
How you Rank up in BJJ
So how do you earn your stripes in BJJ? Much like ranking up belt-wise, earning the next stripe is based on your performance. However, there’s a big difference. While some academies enforce a form of an exam before the belt is awarded to the student who passes the exam, stripes are mostly a subjective process.
It’s not an ideal system, but then again who better than your teacher to know if you were ready or not to get that extra stripe to adorn your belt? Even in our educational system, exams are not the perfect way to measure the mass of knowledge and skill students have accumulated throughout the school year or semester. So, in a way giving the instructor absolute authority as far as bestowing stripes on students isn’t the illogical thing it appears at first glance.
So how do teachers evaluate their students? Is it a matter of whim? Far from it. Every teacher relies on certain performance criteria that guide them in their evaluation process. As a student, you’re judged based on your skills, attendance, attitude, aptitude, and the time you spent in your current belt.
Your skillset is by far the most important factor. As you learn more skills, master the required techniques for your current level, and take part in tournaments your performance improves. Your teacher is the first one to notice that improvement. And they weigh in your performance when considering whether it was time to get another stripe.
Just like regular school, your attendance is required. You can’t just win a stripe from home. Remote learning is not a valid concept in BJJ. You need to show up regularly to class. Taking time off is a sign you’re not taking BJJ seriously which reflects badly on your promotion path.
Your attitude is also part of your evaluation process. Students with a big ego who act like bullies to other classmates are shunned at the academy and rarely see their way clear to advancement. This is why black belt masters are known for their humility. They know that no matter how much they learn, they will always remain students. They used their skills for the common good.
Finally, the time you spend in your present stripe plays a role in your promotion. If you’re only a few months old in your stripe, then the teacher will deem it too early to give you the next one. Even if you deserve it, your teacher might hold it back for a while so that it will not go to your head.
How Good is the BJJ Stripes System?
Let’s get one thing out of the way. No system is perfect. This applies to the BJJ stripes system as well. We already talked about giving the instructor absolute authority in awarding students their stripes. If the teacher doesn’t think you’re worthy of a stripe, there’s just nothing you can do about it but keep your head down and try to improve.
But there’s another side to this problem. It’s when the teacher decides to keep a talented student at a certain level so that they win competitions easily and earn medals. Here the student is not the victim but the whole tournament. Imagine a competitor with a brown belt skillset but wears a purple belt who takes part in a match against another purple belt. It’s a common problem but one where the student is very much in on it and willingly takes part.
That said, the stripe system has its undeniable advantages. It keeps students on track and brings them up to speed. Every student can count their stripes to know how far they are from the next belt. As for its motivational value, the stripe system has undoubtedly kept many students motivated at a time when they felt they were stuck at a certain belt for too long.
This is more apparent for students with exceptional talent. Without the stripes to set students apart nobody will go out of their way to excel or learn the techniques or show their personal style or flare. The stripe on their belt gives the student a reason to feel satisfied with the level they’re at on their BJJ journey.