Why The Belt System We Use Today Came From Japan, Not Brazil — The 1907 Kodokan Dispute

It is generally accepted that the Kodokan system of kyu/dan ranks, delineated by white and black belts respectively, was formally instituted in 1907, as the article correctly notes. However, it is crucial to understand that the concept of a "colored belt" system, beyond merely white and black, did not fully coalesce in Kodokan Judo until closer to the 1930s. The common narrative suggests a direct, unbroken line from Kano's 1907 innovation to the full spectrum of colored belts we see today, but this evolution was gradual. Early Kodokan records primarily distinguish between *mudansha* (white belts) and *yudansha* (black belts), with the intermediate colored kyu belts (green, blue, brown) becoming standardized later, often in response to international expansion and the need for more granular progression outside of Japan.

The article accurately highlights Mitsuyo Maeda's role as a high-ranking Kodokan judoka and the pragmatic adaptation of his curriculum in Brazil. It is important to remember that Maeda's teachings to Carlos Gracie, beginning in 1917, would have predated the full Kodokan colored-belt system by at least a decade, if not two. Therefore, the early Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community developed its own methods of internal recognition and hierarchy, which by reputation relied more on direct challenges and the observable efficacy of techniques than on a codified belt structure. The adoption of a multi-colored belt system by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, distinct from the Kodokan's eventual scheme (e.g., blue and purple belts appearing before brown), speaks to a later, independent evolution rather than a direct, immediate transplantation. This suggests the Gracies and other early practitioners adopted the *idea* of a visible progression system, rather than meticulously replicating a complete Kodokan framework that was itself still developing. When, precisely, the first blue or purple belts were awarded in Brazil remains a point of historical contention and an area ripe for further research.

The history is cool, but focusing so much on the belts feels a little off. At my academy, Professor only really talks about belts during promotions, which are usually just once a year in December. The rest of the time, the focus is 100% on actual progress. We're drilling specific sequences for hours, then going into 8-minute rounds with training partners way tougher than anyone I faced at Worlds last year. Like, when I was drilling leg entries with Matheus today, no one cared what color belt he was wearing. We're just focused on hitting the reps and refining the technique. It's about getting better, not just what color fabric is around your waist.

It's interesting how the article focuses on 1907 for the *initial* white/black belt system, which is true for Kodokan. But the 'colored belt' system, as we know it in BJJ, with blues and purples, came much later, and not necessarily directly from Judo. By reputation, Carlos Gracie Sr. and his brothers started using a more differentiated belt system, with blues, in the 1950s or 60s to distinguish their students from other martial arts and to better structure their growing academies. I think it was more a pragmatic Gracie innovation, adapting the Kodokan concept, than a direct transfer of the full Judo spectrum of colored belts. Rolls Gracie, for example, received his black belt quite young in the 70s under Carlos, but the intermediate ranks were already well established by then.

The idea of a "universal language" for belts is interesting, but from inside a GB school, it feels more like a universal *GB* language. The curriculum structure, especially for Fundamentals, is very standardized. Week 3, for instance, often focuses on basic guard retention drills and maybe some mount escapes. You know exactly what’s being taught across different academies within the franchise. But that doesn't mean it’s universally understood outside of it. When I visit a non-GB school, the mat etiquette, the way they drill, even how they talk about positions is just different. The white and black belt might be universal, but the meaning of a blue belt can vary a lot once you step outside the system you're used to. It's a closed loop, in some ways.