A jiu-jitsu academy has sparked conversation about belt tests after showing what’s included in a kids’ BJJ gray belt test.
Alliance BJJ Eastlake in Chula Vista, CA, has shared a video of part of the tests their young white belts undergo in order to be promoted to gray belt. The test includes 20 minutes of nonstop training and three rounds, and most notably, strikes are included. Don’t worry — the child dishing out the punches is outfitted with heavily padded gloves.
The video of the test shows these tiny grapplers being remarkably effective in controlling their training partners even as they try to avoid getting punched and submitted. Coach Elias Gallegos has said that both kids and adults at the academy go through the same thing, and his mindset behind the rigorous test is to “keep the art alive.”
Gallegos told the Jiu-Jitsu Times that it normally takes a year and a half for kids to go from white belt to gray belt at his academy and that consistency is key to being promoted.
“Before my kids are awarded their gray belts, they must show proficiency in the basic movements of jiu-jitsu, i.e. stand up in base, shrimp, bridge, and have at least two attacks and one defense from each position: mount, side control, etc. They must also be able to defend against a much larger opponent throwing punches. For example, if a bully tries to punch them , we go over a punch block series, bicep control etc.”
Last month, Gallegos shared footage of the grueling test that his adult students go through to earn their black belts, and yes, that test includes striking as well.
Check out the video of these little killers in action:
