Brazilian jiu-jitsu has had an informal approach to belt promotions, in which one or more instructors subjectively agree that a given student is ready for the next rank. In recent years some academies have moved toward a more systematic, formal testing approach, especially true for lower ranked students, where the decision to promote is arguably the least contentious. One of the first instructors to publicly publish formal testing criteria was Roy Harris, who has formalized his promotion tests from white belt to black belt. Formal testing is now becoming commonplace in many Gracie Academies and organizations such as Alliance.
Some Gracie systems have introduced formal online testing where the student can upload her or his qualification videos to qualify for promotion. Formal tests are generally based around the same elements as a normal promotion, such as the student’s technical and conceptual knowledge and the ability to apply those techniques against a resisting opponent. Some tests take other aspects, such as a student’s personal character or a basic knowledge of the history of the art, into account. Formal testing may require the payment of testing fees and a require a minimum of pre-testing private lessons with the instructor.
Below you can see a 14:30 minute summary of Bjorn Granum from Norway’s test. The test lasted around 1,5 hours.
Check it out:
