What Is the Highest Belt in BJJ? Coral and Red Belts Explained

Most people who start Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu think of the black belt as the finish line. It is not. The highest belt in BJJ is the solid red belt, and above the black belt sit two "coral" belts (red and black, then red and white) that take decades of teaching and training to reach. This guide explains the full rank structure as the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) defines it in its General System of Graduation (June 2025 edition), how many years each rank takes, and what those numbers mean for an adult or a parent walking into an academy in Gallatin, TN for the first time.

Everything here comes from the IBJJF's published graduation rules. Other federations and some academies use slightly different conventions, so treat this as the most widely recognized standard rather than the only one.

The Full BJJ Belt Order, White to Red

For athletes aged 16 and older, the IBJJF lists eight belt ranks in this order:

1. White
2. Blue
3. Purple
4. Brown
5. Black
6. Red and Black (the 7th degree black belt)
7. Red and White (the 8th degree black belt)
8. Red (the 9th and 10th degree black belt)

The first four colored belts each carry up to four degrees, usually shown as stripes. The black belt itself is divided into six degrees. After the 6th degree, the degrees are no longer shown on a black belt at all: the belt itself changes color. That is the key idea behind coral and red belts. They are not separate arts or a different track. They are still black belt degrees, worn in a different color to show how long someone has held the rank.

Kids follow their own path first (grey, yellow, orange and green belts, ages 4 to 15) before moving into the adult ranks. Our BJJ FAQ covers how the youth and adult tracks connect at our academy.

Black Belt Degrees: The Long Road Before the Highest Belt in BJJ

Getting a black belt usually takes ten years or more of consistent training. The IBJJF's minimum times for adults are two years at blue belt, a year and a half at purple and one year at brown, but those are floors, not typical timelines. Most instructors promote well after the minimum.

Once someone is a black belt, the clock starts again. Under IBJJF rules, a black belt can request each degree only after a set period of proven activity (training, teaching, competing or refereeing under the federation):

Read the last column again. A practitioner needs about 31 years as a black belt before the first coral belt, and close to half a century before a red belt. Add the decade it usually takes to earn the black belt in the first place, and you are looking at a lifetime in the art.

The IBJJF also sets minimum ages: 50 or older for the red and black belt, 57 or older for the red and white belt, and 67 or older for the red belt. You cannot fast-track any of these by winning tournaments. They exist to recognize a career, not a competition record.

What Is a Coral Belt?

"Coral belt" is the common name for the two belts between black and red. Each one alternates red and a second color in bars of about 20 cm. The IBJJF calls them Masters' belts.

• Red and black belt (7th degree). Reached after at least 31 years as a black belt. By this point the holder has usually spent decades teaching, producing their own black belts and shaping how the art is passed on.
• Red and white belt (8th degree). Reached after at least 38 years as a black belt.

Both coral belts have a white bar near one end, edged by two silver bars, where further degrees are marked.

The Red Belt: 9th and 10th Degree

The solid red belt is the highest belt in BJJ. The IBJJF calls it the Grand Master's belt, and it covers both the 9th and 10th degrees. Instead of silver, the bar near the end of a red belt is edged in gold.

9th degree. This is the highest rank a living practitioner can realistically reach today. It requires at least ten years at red and white and about 48 years of recognized activity as a black belt, plus the minimum age of 67.

10th degree. The IBJJF states that the 10th degree was given only to the pioneers of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the small group of founders who built the art in Brazil in the early twentieth century. It is a historical honor, not a rank that anyone can work toward now.

That makes the red belt more of a title than a goal. Nobody starts jiu-jitsu planning to earn one. People who hold it got there by showing up for fifty years.

Why the Ranks Above Black Belt Matter to Beginners

If you are a white belt, the coral and red belts can feel irrelevant. They are not, for two practical reasons.

First, they tell you how the art values time. BJJ rank is earned on the mat, slowly, and the system rewards people who keep training and teaching for decades. That culture is why a legitimate black belt means something, and why you should be careful with any school that promises fast promotions.

Second, they help you check lineage. A real rank can be traced instructor to instructor. At our academy, that line is short and documented: Professor Konrado received his black belt directly from Master Rocian Gracie Jr. on December 12, 2000, the first black belt Rocian Gracie Jr. ever awarded. Today Professor Konrado is an IBJJF 3rd degree black belt, and Master Rocian Gracie Jr. holds a 6th degree black belt. You can read the full story on our About page.

Belts are also one part of competing. If you plan to enter an IBJJF event, your belt has to meet the federation's specs, along with your gi. Our guide to IBJJF gi and uniform rules covers what the inspector checks, including belt width and the length of the ends. For how today's ranks grew out of older Japanese systems, see Japanese vs Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

How Promotions Work at GMA

At Rocian Gracie Jr. Jiu-Jitsu at GMA, every new belt is earned through a formal belt test. Stripes are awarded in class when a student is ready, roughly every three to four months for students who train consistently. The time spent at each belt follows the standard IBJJF norms above, and promotion is based mainly on technique and attendance, sometimes on competition as well.

For most adults the first big milestone is blue belt, typically around one to two years of steady training. Nobody at GMA is thinking about coral belts. The goal is simpler: come to class, learn the fundamentals well, tap early, and keep coming back. That is exactly how every red belt in the world started.

If you want the bigger picture of all the adult and kids ranks, the main GMA site has a full BJJ belt ranking system guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Filed under: BJJ belts, red belt, coral belt, IBJJF, Gallatin