If belts don't exist in competition (divisions), I don't think they should exist outside of competition either.

I've never seen them in Italy

If belts don't exist in competition (divisions), I don't think they should exist outside of competition either.

As an adult, I went from white to green to blue. I was training in Florida. At my school, they were implemented shortly before I joined and were abandoned shortly after I got blue.

I don't like it. It's not a real thing anyways.

How do you feel about it now that your a first degree black belt compared to how you felt then?

It was new to me when I moved to New Zealand

Any opinions on adult BJJ green belts, or this mainly a Florida thing?

I have trained and competed in Florida for over a decade now. I don't recall having ever seen an adult green belt. Sounds like a mcdojo gimmick. Make people pay for belt tests and then create more belts.

I'm actually surprised you didn't run into anyone, because I see a picture of you on the podium from a Florida Federation of Brazilian-Jiu Jitsu tournament, which was put on by one of my Professors, Marcio Simas (now a Coral Belt), and it was at his Gracie Barra schools where the green belts were tried out before they eventually decided against it. I could be wrong, but it looks like you are also standing next to one of my old teammates, George Celi, and in front of you is Igor Andrade, the head instructor of one of the Gracie Barra schools that was under Marcio before it eventually became autonomous and ownership was transferred to Igor. Small world.

Wow! In fact, my professor received his black belt from Professors, Marcio Simas and Sergio Penha back when they used to work together years ago. I wonder what the rationale for trying out the greenbelt was? Anyway, I don't personally recall having seen any. I do have a green belt in judo. But, I don't do judo much anymore. I'm old and judo hurts.

It was new to me when I moved to New Zealand but it is used in our gym (Ribeiro affiliated) like a lot of other gyms use the 2nd stripe on a white. Generally it means that the student is 'safe' to roll with both for themselves and for others so once the newbie spazziness has worn off they get their green and sit at that until they are deemed worthy of the almighty blue beltch and then we never see them again. In competition they are considered white belts and wear white belts.

As someone from the Ribeiro / Lovato lineage who went through this I can speak to it. They do that for the adults - actually following almost the full IBJJF color scheme for kids for adults. This is tied to the curriculum as well. White Belt Orange Belt Yellow Belt Green Belt Blue Belt All 4 stripes in White correspond to a different curriculum so by the time someone goes through all that you have a descent base in all positions, closed guard, open guard, are proficient in drills and generally ready to start the smorgasbord of Blue Belt Buffet.

Very interesting! I've heard of green belts at the Ribeiro schools (and ATT), I didn't realise they did adult orange and yellow belts too. I'm not a fan of additional belts, or indeed stripes, but to each their own. The main issue I'd have is if people were having to pay some kind of fee for these additional belts, as then promotion = revenue stream, which IMO is a very dangerous connection to make. Part of the reason TKD and karate went awry, I think.

If belts don't exist in competition (divisions), I don't think they should exist outside of competition either.

That goes for belts beyond black, as well.

That goes for belts beyond black, as well.

Belts after black are a representation of 'time served', there are no skill requirements. It's how long you've been teaching. In theory you could have a black belt with a white bar for the rest of your life, originally the red bar denoted a school owner (in the very little research I've bothered with). Like Chris Hauter says: 'it's not who's good, it's who's left'.

Side note: It would be interesting to organize bjj tournaments not only by gender, age, weigh & rank but by black belt degrees e.g. 1st vs 1st etc