Adam Victor, president and chief executive officer of New York City’s TransGas Development Systems, LLC, has spent more than 35 years as a leader in the fossil fuel and clean energy sectors. When he is not driving operations at the company, Adam Victor practices judo and jiu jitsu as a 2nd and 4th degree black belt, respectively.
There are several facts jiu jitsu practitioners should be aware of in regards to obtaining a black belt in the sport. To begin, a person cannot receive a black belt in jiu jitsu before the age of 19 regardless of skill or accomplishments. Black belts can only be awarded, meanwhile, by a black belt instructor with at least two degrees.
Individuals who manage to achieve their black belt must wait at least three years before requesting their first degree, which needs to be recognized by the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation. The same restrictions apply to 2nd and 3rd degrees, meaning a 3rd degree black belt has maintained black belt status for at least nine years. Waiting periods increase to five years moving forward, meaning a 6th degree black belt, for example, has held their belt for at least 24 years.
At 7th degree, individuals receive a specialized red and black belt, and at 8th degree, a red and white belt. In most cases, an athlete can max out at 9th degree with a red belt, equating to nearly five decades as a black belt in jiu jitsu, if not longer. That said, jiu jitsu pioneers such as the Gracie brothers have been honored with the 10th degree red belt.
