Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Belt Ranking

This program is set up to assist students who want to advance their skills and be recognized with official Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ranking. We understand that your actual competitive skills may not be as good if you are not training at a BJJ school, but our experience has shown that through the methods we are laying out, you can still become quite good and even more knowledgeable than the average BJJ student.

To earn BJJ ranking under BJJ America with Master David Meyer and Master John Will, you must own levels 1-3 of the Grappling Curriculum (for blue belt) and levels 4-9 of the Grappling Curriculum (for purple belt). Holding BJJ America rank does not at all preclude you from training with, or holding rank under any other instructor or any other association. Our goal is to support your training and your growth in every way possible.

We have set this program up to ensure that the students we award rank to are of a sufficient knowledge and skill level to warrant the ranking, and are serious about the program. You will earn your rank and be competent on the mat, or you will not advance. The bad news is this is going to take a lot of work and sweat on your part. The good news is if you put in the work, learn the techniques, and get proficient by training with your partners, you will have earned for yourself a legitimate ranking in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under one of the most respected lines of instructors.

Holding a BJJ belt rank under David Meyer or John Will has two components:

1. You must have sufficient knowledge and skill level appropriate to the rank based upon the techniques taught in the Grappling Curriculum. Regardless of how long you have trained or how well we know you, you are not a Blue or Purple Belt of ours in BJJ unless you possess the particular knowledge of techniques and competitive skills that we deem necessary for that rank.

2. You must have an active training relationship with us. Regardless of your skill or rank with other instructors, to be a ranked student of ours means we actually know and instruct you over time. Otherwise you may hold a rank in BJJ, but not under us.

To enroll in the BJJ America belt ranking program, you must own or have access to our Grappling Curriculum. If you train at the same school and have access to these materials through someone else who has purchased them, you can enroll as an add on student.

Here are the steps to take you through the BJJ belt ranking program:

- Enroll in the program ($300 enrollment fee).

- Study each technique on Levels 1-3 of the curriculum (for Blue Belt), or Levels 4-9 of the curriculum (for Purple Belt). Use the logbook provided at registration to log half the required number of practice repetitions of each technique.

- Attend a BJJ America Certification for a mid-term evaluation ($300 fee for 5 hour session).

- Use the logbook to log at least 50 actual sparring hours on the mat throughout the course of the program. That does not include stops, drinks, warm-up or warm-down. You must log 50 hours of actual sparring (with the best partners you can find).

- Log the second half of the required number of practice repetitions of each required technique.

- Attend a second BJJ America Certification day for testing ($300 fee for 5 hour session).  Any student who falls short in their knowledge or competitive ability on the test may attend any future Certification day at no cost until he/she passes, and there is no time limit on completion of the program.

The purple belt program is similar to the blue belt program but has twice as many techniques requiring repetition.

Those seeking rank beyond Purple belt will be evaluated on a case by case basis with specific personalized requirements, but with no fees or formalized curriculum.

Please contact us directly with any questions by e-mailing Master David Meyer or Master John Will. Enrollment cannot be done online (we need to make sure our program is a good fit for you and you own the curriculum materials), so please contact us.