How To Get A Purple Belt In BJJ

The most common question among BJJ blue belts is how to get a BJJ purple belt. They got their first promotion in BJJ and are eager to get another.

It’s a bit of a process, but we’ll review how to get a BJJ purple Belt. This article will discuss the most asked questions about earning a purple belt, from the time it takes to the techniques you must know.

We’ll also give you some tips on how to get your purple belt in BJJ faster.

Let’s dive in.

How Long Does It Take To Earn A BJJ Purple Belt? 

The average time it takes to earn a BJJ purple belt from blue belt is between two to four years. Double the amount of time that it takes to achieve a BJJ blue belt.

This longer wait and the skills discrepancy of BJJ blue belts is why many BJJ students quit a blue belt. It can be a rough time as a blue belt, but the wait is more than worth it.

What is a BJJ Purple Belt? 

A BJJ purple belt is the third of the five adult BJJ belts. It represents that you are no longer a beginner and are on your way to being a seasoned BJJ grappler.

As a BJJ purple belt, you have at least four years or more of training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. You’ve shown many of the qualities of an advanced belt but just need more refinement.

To earn a BJJ purple belt, you have to show that you have the skill and mindset of an upper belt.

Techniques That Every BJJ Purple Belt Should Know 

A BJJ purple belt is adept at nearly all facets of Jiu-Jitsu. Here are some techniques that every BJJ purple belt should know.

BJJ Guards 

As a purple belt, you have to be able to use a variety of different BJJ guards. From guard, you should be able to use a combination of submissions and sweeps and also know how to pass them.

BJJ guards a purple belt should know include:

  • Closed Guard
  • Butterfly Guard
  • Z Guard
  • Spider Guard 
  • Lasso Spider 
  • DLR
  • Reverse DLR
  • Sit-Up Guard
  • Lapel Guard
  • Worm Guard

BJJ Takedowns & Throws 

Takedowns and throws a purple belt should know includes:

  • Single Takedown & Variations
  • Double Leg & Variations
  • O-Goshi
  • Seio Mage
  • O Soto Gari
  • Koshi Guruma
  • Tai Otoshi
  • Harai Goshi
  • Ashi Guruma
  • Uchi Mata
  • Tomoe Nage

Submissions

BJJ submissions a purple belt should know includes:

  • Armbar & Numerous Variations
  • Triangle Choke w/ Various Setups
  • Omoplata w/ Various Setups
  • Kimura w/ Various Setups
  • Guillotine Setups
  • Gi/Collar Chokes From Guard(s) & Side-Mount
  • Back Attacks
  • Basic Leg Locks

5 Tips To Get A Purple Belt In BJJ Faster

bjj purple belt

Many blue belts ask what they can do to get promoted to BJJ purple belt faster. Below are five tips to help you get a purple belt in BJJ faster.

Train BJJ Consistently 

To earn your BJJ purple belt faster, you must train consistently. Not only training consistently, but also a high volume of training.

Aim to try and train every day that your gym has a class if you can. A high volume of consistent training will help you earn your purple belt faster.

Compete As A Blue Belt In BJJ Competitions Set

Regularly competing is a great idea to improve your BJJ skills and show that you’re at a purple belt level. Try to compete every month to two months if you’re healthy and want to get better faster. Doing this might even earn you a purple belt in two years or less after receiving your blue belt.

An Example For Lower Belts In The Gym 

It’s not just your attendance and skill level but also how you carry yourself in the gym. You have to be an example for the lower belts in the gym and help them improve their skills, just like the higher belts did when you were a white belt.

Help Out Around The Gym

You have to treat your Jiu-Jitsu gym like your second home. That means offering to help around the gym when your instructor needs help.

This could be helping assist kids’ classes or even as simple as cleaning the mats. Helping around your gym will show that you have the character to deserve to wear a BJJ purple belt. 

Focus On Your BJJ Recovery & Not Getting Injured

Since it takes a while to earn a purple belt in BJJ, you really have to focus on training properly. You should be more intelligent and more technical when you train so that you don’t sustain an injury.

If you get banged up during training, the best thing you can do is focus on your recovery and rest. That way, you’ll never miss training for long periods of time and be able to train consistently.

5 Reasons You Won’t Get A BJJ Purple Belt

purple belt in bjj

On the flip side, there are many things you can do that will result in you not earning your BJJ purple belt. Below are five things that will prolong or even prevent you from reaching your purple belt in BJJ.

Not Training BJJ Consistently 

Some Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu students train less frequently once they get promoted to blue belt, going from training every day to barely training at all.

If you’re not training consistently as a blue belt, don’t expect to earn a purple belt on time.

Showing Up Late 

You must show up for class on time to show that you’re a serious Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu student. Not strolling in after warm-ups like purple belts are known for doing.

Being habitually late to class will show that you don’t really care and probably won’t get promoted in the average time.

Not Being An Example For Lower Belts 

There’s a tendency for some students to gain a bit of an ego once they become blue belts.

Being a bad example for lower belts will have negative consequences. Don’t expect to be promoted if you aren’t a good teammate.

Getting Injured 

Training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is not without its dangers, and injuries do happen. Some of which are more severe and take you off the mat for an extended period of time.

Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait longer to get a purple belt if this happens to you.

Quitting At Blue Belt

Blue belt is the rank where more students quit than any other rank. It’s a challenging period in your BJJ journey that makes many give up training altogether.

Try to keep a positive attitude, or you might become another statistic and quit.

Train Hard & You’ll Earn Your BJJ Purple Belt

The best thing you can do to earn a BJJ purple belt is train hard and train consistently. Be sure also to enjoy the process and not worry about when you’ll get promoted. When it’s your time, you’ll earn your BJJ purple belt and deserve it.

If you enjoyed our article on how to get a purple belt in BJJ, share it by hitting the button below.

Photo of author

Gareth Davies

I'm a martial arts competitor and enthusiast. Over the last 15 years, I have trained and competed in several martial arts. I live in Manchester U.K working as a strength & conditioning coach when I'm not travelling and exploring martial arts around the world.
FS Banner