CURRICULUM, WEEK OF March 15th

Stripes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu represent progress in movement, awareness, and understanding on the mats. Early in training, the focus is simply learning how to move - developing fundamentals like shrimping, bridging, framing, and maintaining balance. As students improve, they begin to recognize their opponent’s movements, noticing weight shifts, grips, and transitions. This awareness helps them make better decisions and react more effectively during training.

Over time, the focus shifts toward controlling positions and setting up submissions. However, understanding a technique and successfully applying it during live sparring are very different. Execution against a resisting opponent takes time, repetition, and experience. Stripes are typically awarded based on overall improvement in movement and understanding, not just submissions or winning rounds.