When it comes to martial arts, we know the importance of appearance. The outfit you wear is an integral part of your training, and especially at competitions, we know it needs to be perfect.
The BJJ belt can often be the most challenging thing to get right. There is a knack for tying your belt, one that often it seems everyone has down, but you. Does that sound familiar?
Well, you are in good company, as we have all been there, fumbling at the side of a mat trying to get our belt right. To help you avoid that today, we are going to tell you how to tie BJJ belts.
You can tie your belt a few ways so let’s look at some of those now!
The Basic Method
For those after a quick and simple method, this one is beginner-friendly. The first thing you need to do is identify the half point in the belt. Place the half-point below the navel and pass both ends of the belt behind.
Once the belt ends are behind your back, cross both ends and pass them around your body. The belt should meet in the front. Once both ends are back at the front of your body, they must be the same length. If they are not, you will need to start the process again.
Take the right strand, fold it over the left, and then loop under every belt layer. Do this from the bottom to the top. By folding the bottom strand over the top, a knot is created to hold your belt in place.
This method can be applied to BJJ belts, as well as Jiu-jitsu belts, and should result quickly and simply to tie your belt.
The BJJ Way
This method relates solely to BJJ belts and offers the tightest tie that is difficult to undo. This method is popular at competitions because of this, as it stops undone belts from impacting matches.
The beginning of the method is the same as the basic method; we loop the belt that we see a difference. As with the basic method, identify the middle of the belt and set it below your navel. Then pass both ends around your back and to the front of your body.
This is where the method diverts from the basic, crosses the left side over the right, and pulls it under all belt layers until it comes out on top. You will then take the right side, pass it through the first layer of the belt towards the left side, but not completely tight.
This forms a loop in which the bottom side goes through. You can then tighten the belt to end with the tightest knot available in BJJ.
It’s a little more complicated than the basic method, but the knot is considerably tighter and should leave you confident in your handy work.
The Gracie Way
Although this method was the original way to tie the belt, it is the most insecure. It is, of course, worth mentioning in case it appeals to you, but remember you won’t get as tight a knot as you will with the BJJ method.
To use the Gracie method, follow all the steps as in the above methods, except when it comes to tying the knot. Instead of looping the belt’s ends through the belt layers, you tie a knot at the front of the belt.
While this is quicker and easier than looping the belt through its layers, it will not be as secure, especially during matches.
Unbreakable Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu Belt Knot
This method is an exciting way to tie your belt and will provide an unbreakable knot. In simple terms, it’s a standard granny knot that you come back to with follow-through to provide that unbreakable knot.
Firstly, you tie a granny knot at the end of your belt and go around your waist with the other end of the belt. This should bring both ends together in front of you.
Essentially you are tying a water knot and adjusting the belt a few times. The method can be a little tricky to explain, but don’t let that put you off; the video below will show you step-by-step how to create your unbreakable knot!
The knot, also known as the double water knot, is 100% slip-proof when done correctly, so you won’t need to worry about this during matches!
The water knot is traditionally used in webbing or rock climbing, so you know it will be a secure and robust knot for your belt.
The Karate way
The karate method of tying your belt is a neat way to secure your belt. It is not as secure as the BJJ or Unbreakable way, but more secure than the Gracie method.
One end of the belt is held at the hip, mostly on the left side, to use this method. The other end is taken around the back and then forward, over the first end. This leaves you with one strand at the front.
You will then take this strand under all layers of the belt from the bottom to the top, as you did in the earlier basic and BJJ methods. The result is a knot formed the same way as we saw in the basic method earlier.
The karate way is a secure way to tie your belt and should not take too long to do once you have mastered it.
Final Word
Before you leave us today, let’s have a quick re-cap. There is more than one way to tie your BJJ belt from what we have read and seen. Depending on how tight and secure you want your belt to be, you have a few options.
For those wanting a secure hold, the BJJ or the water-knot methods are the ones for you! But for those after a quick and straightforward way, the basic method will provide a secure hold with minimal sideline fussing. It’s always worth trying a few methods out and seeing what works best for you!
