🔴 Understanding the Red Stripe in Our Kids BJJ Program

If you're a parent in our program, you're obviously familiar with our white stripe system—but more recently, you may have seen red stripes showing up. What do they mean? How are they different? Let’s break it down.

🥋 Stripes Are Given, Belts Are Earned

In our academy, progress is earned through a mix of attendance, effort, consistency, discipline, and personal growth. Students typically receive a white stripe approximately every 25 classes, and new belt once a year—but this isn’t automatic. It's part of a structured process that teaches students to take ownership of their training:

Kids are responsible for signing in and handing in their attendance cards when their name turns green.
This routine builds accountability and discipline, while showing them that daily effort leads to long term reward. In this world of instant access, our goal is to help kids learn the importance of delayed gratification!

Stripes are awarded at the discretion of the instructor—not just for showing up, but for growth. That could mean earning a stripe early if:

A hard-working student who just had a tough session and needs a boost
A typically distracted student has seen a turn around and stayed focused and respectful for an entire class, or classes
Or it could mean not awarding a stripe if a student is struggling with behavior at school, at home, or on the mats. (We strive to have open communication with parents and if your child is experiencing issues at home or school let us know! We are here to help.)

In these cases, we always have a conversation with the student and parents to help guide them back on track.

🔴 So, What Is the Red Stripe?

The red stripe comes into play once a student has earned their four white stripes and is awaiting the next belt promotion. Since our grading happens twice a year (winter and summer), that waiting period can feel long—especially for our younger students (ages 4–7).

The red stripe helps with this. It means:

🗣️ "You’re on the right track. Your hard work is not going unnoticed. Keep going!"

But it's more than just a motivational tool—it’s also a developmental checkpoint. Remember; Stripes are given, belts are earned. BJJ is a difficult martial art, and there is a massive jump in competition from white belt to the grey belt divisions. For that reason, if a child has competitive aspirations (not required at our academy), we recommend competing first as a white belt before their promotion to the grey and white belt. Competing in tournaments will never be a requirement in our academy, but our goal is to have every student attain a similar level of skill to the local competition circuit. As we grow our team, our goal is to increase this to national and hopefully one day international competition standards.

We award red stripes when additional time or growth is needed before a student is ready for the next belt rank. This could be due to age, maturity, consistency, or technical understanding. The red stripe system allows us to keep a student progressing without promoting them too quickly. Given their age, students in our Mini Ninja’s program will typically go through the red stripe system before being awarded their grey and white belt.

In rare cases, we may even award up to four yellow stripes when further development is necessary before belt promotion. This flexible structure helps us meet each child where they are, keeping training positive while maintaining the high standards and integrity of our belt system.

Given their age, students in our Mini Ninja’s program will typically go through the red stripe system before being promoted to their grey and white belt

🟠 Red and yellow stripes are not just placeholders or sandbagging—they represent a student’s ongoing commitment to improvement, even when progress requires patience.

🎯 It's Not Just About Time—It's About Development

While red stripes help maintain motivation during that "in-between" period, they also allow us to:

Recognize continued growth and dedication
Slow down progression if a student isn’t quite ready for the next belt
Reinforce the idea that progress is not always linear, and that’s OK

For our youngest students especially, this system gives them room to grow without pressure to rank up too soon.

🏁 A Sign You’re Getting Closer

We explain to our students that earning a red stripe means:

🔴 “You’re getting closer. Stay consistent. Keep improving your attitude, effort, and technique.”

While red stripes aren’t required to earn the next belt, they serve an important purpose in helping students:

Stay excited about training
Continue to feel a sense of achievement
Develop a deeper understanding of patience, discipline, and long-term goals

👏 Final Thoughts

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a difficult martial art—and that’s why it’s so valuable. We don’t rush the process, because the process is the lesson. Every stripe—white, red, or yellow—is a chance to grow, reflect, and learn.

We’re incredibly proud of our students and grateful for the families who support them on this journey. If you ever have questions about your child’s progression, we’re always here to chat.

Coach Rick