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The Difference Between a BJJ Black Belt & Black Belts From Other Martial Arts

The Difference Between a BJJ Black Belt & Black Belts From Other Martial Arts

Jiu-Jitsu is effective because you can’t be a fake and train in this sport/martial art. The long hours spent live rolling means that you can openly test the effectiveness of your skills against a resisting opponent.
Going through the ranks is a long and tough process which weeds out the people who are not 100% comitted to to Jiu-Jitsu.<b> Ryron Gracie  said that “Only 1% of people that train Jiu-Jitsu will get their black belt”</b>. The questions we have to ask ourselves:  Is a black belt  in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu the hardest black belt to achieve in all martial arts? And also, what sets it apart from black belts in other martial arts?

It will take you on average 8-15 years just to get a black belt in BJJ. That is a very long time compared to Judo, Taekwondo or Karate which averages 4 to 10 years. This means that BJJ is one of the few martial arts where you know (or should know) close to the entire curriculum by the time you receive your black belt.

Taekwondo and Karate also have “Junior black belts” for kids, which BJJ does not have.

When you see a BJJ black belt with zero stripes on their belt, they have probably been training as long or even longer than for example a 5th Dan black belt in more traditional arts.

That does not mean that the new BJJ black belt has mastered the art of BJJ, but they have mastered the curriculum. Of course, black belt is still the beginning and they still have plenty to learn but it is more about refining the techniques.

In Judo, black belts can take anywhere from four to eight years or more of regular training to achieve. Progress tends to be slower in Judo compared to other martial arts due to the emphasis on technique over strength and power. Mastery at the level of a Judo sensei is a lifelong pursuit.

In Karate, Taekwondo and other traditional martial arts, earning a black belt typically ranges from four to eight years of training. However, some students may achieve lower level black belts, called “dangos,” sooner and then continue training for many more years to reach higher dan levels. True mastery at the level of grandmaster is extremely rare and usually requires decades of dedication.

Very often, when a BJJ black belts see an old technique shown by someone else who has experience, they get blown away by some new details that changes the whole aspect of the technique. That is how they refine the technique.

Most other arts have new curriculum to achieve each Dan rank. They are constantly learning new material for each rank such as nidan, sandan, yondan etc. BJJ practitioners are refining their techniques until they become flawless and efficient.

Capoeira and Kung Fu styles also vary significantly, but most students will need at least five to ten years of regular training to achieve black belt status. Continued progression to higher belt levels indicating true mastery can take 15 to 30 years or more, depending on the individual and style.

Becoming a black belt in any martial art requires years of hard work, discipline and dedicated training. But true mastery at the level of a grandmaster or professor indicates a lifetime of commitment and pursuit of excellence. The time it takes varies for each individual student.

We should also add the constant live sparring (grappling) that BJJ black belts endure where they can refine their technique against fully resisting opponents.

All of this is what separates BJJ black belts from everything else.