how long to get a bjj blue belt?
A bjj blue belt is the first of the colored jiu jitsu belts. It is often the first goal for many practitioners and many often wonder how long to get a blue belt in bjj.
For those wondering how long to get a blue belt in bjj on average it will take 6 months – 2 years. This will depend on prior experience, athleticism, and training frequency.
Furthermore, you may also be question“how fast can you get a blue belt in bjj?”.
So today I’ll attempt to answer these questions with details and a full explanation from my personal experience as well as info gained from speaking with others at my gym.
I know when I started, I instantly thought I should be a blue belt in 6 months, but this ended up not being the case.
Here is a video of me competing as a blue belt:
I felt that even though I was frequently submitted by my sparring partners at my level and at other jiu jitsu belts I still secretly knew that I should be an immediate blue belt.
Luckily, this secret egomaniac was quickly plucked from me with the help of a friendly but hardened middle aged asian lady who apparently mastered the bow and arrow choke.
When considering how long to get a bjj blue belt, your coach will, ultimately, be the deciding factor.
Although it may not seem like it, they will be acutely aware of your growth, flaws, and shortcomings since starting bjj (hopefully, he saw when I ankle locked that 2 stripe blue belt too)
For info on what you should learn as a bjj blue belt click here
How fast can you get a blue belt in bjj
In terms of how fast you can get a blue belt in bjj, there is a possibility that it can be achieved at the 6 month mark.
If you have previous grappling experience, consistency with training while on the matt and studying while off the mat, it is entirely possible.
However, it is important to understand that bjj is not a sprint.
If you burn yourself out doing 3 classes a day 5 days a week and stop going entirely after 4 months you can guarantee that no blue belt will arrive on your doorstep at 6 months in.
How dangerous is a bjj blue belt
A bjj blue belt represents someone who has a decent grasp of the positions, submissions, and fundamental techniques.
Ideally, they are the ones who continue to show up after a tough class, have some basic go to moves that they like, and have learned how to pace themselves both in live rolling and their frequency of training.
Some may think that a bjj blue belt may signify to everyone that they are now dangerous to the world at large.
However, this usually is not the case.
A bjj blue belt has an understanding of the general positions and goals, but successfully performing bjj techniques effectively on both untrained and trained individuals is another question entirely.
I know for me, at blue belt, I still had large holes in my grappling fundamentals.
If I was stuck in bottom side control against an opponent among any of the other higher jiu jitsu belts, I would forget any fundamentals, and immediately go into fish flopping out of water territory, but I was able to eventually figure out how I learned best.
This led me to better structure my jiu jitsu roadmap to work on my weak points as well sharpen my already decent tools – these being mostly triangles and knee cuts at this point.
So hopefully, by blue belt you will also be able to understand your learning process and be very aware of your grappling knowledge and effectiveness from a variety of positions.
BJJ blue belt requirements
BJJ blue belt requirements will rely heavily on your coach, but these will likely
- revolve around a basic understanding of techniques
- an ability to perform them effectively against peers at your skill level.
Some other items that may become factors are your consistency, willingness to explore other techniques that may not come as natural, and perhaps a grittiness to show up to the next class confidently after being badly beaten during the last session.
So, how long to get your blue belt?
How long to get your bjj blue belt may, ultimately, come down to any variety of factors, but above all, many coaches just want to see consistency.
If you keep showing up no matter how badly your ego is bruised or how many tiny cuts and scrapes you may get, if you just keep showing up ready to take a beating, ready to learn, and maybe ready to give a beating, you will get your blue belt whether it be close to 6 months or just after 2 years.
