You may have heard of the phrase, ‘white belt curriculum’, but what is this? A white belt curriculum is a term created by gyms that is designed to systematically teach new students how to improve and learn in a concise way.
The alternative is how most typical gyms teach which is a variety of mixed techniques over years. This is a fairly casual approach, whereas a specific curriculum will make sure that nothing is missed off. Some argue that this approach is too robotic and takes the fun out of learning. On the other hand, others have argued that a white belt curriculum is ideal as it makes sure nothing is missed.
Table of Contents
Examples of a white belt curriculum
Here’s an example of a white belt curriculum:
Playing guard:
1 sweep from closed guard
1 sweep from open guard
1 sweep from butterfly guard
1 sweep from half guard
1 sweep from spider guard
1 sweep from single leg x guard
Passing guard:
1 pass from closed guard
1 pass from open guard
1 pass from butterfly guard
1 pass from half guard
1 pass from spider guard
1 pass from single leg x guard
Submissions:
1 submission from closed guard
1 submission from open guard
1 submission from butterfly guard
1 submission from half guard
1 submission from spider guard
1 submission from single leg x guard
Escapes:
1 escape from mount
1 escape from side control
1 escape from knee on belly
1 escape from back control
Transitions:
1 transition from knee on belly to mount
1 transition from side control to knee on belly
1 transition from mount to back control
Submissions:
1 submission from mount
1 submission from side control
1 submission from knee on belly
1 submission from back control
Each gym will have its own curriculum and standards
As mentioned, each gym has its own standards and most gyms won’t even teach in such a structured manner. The idea of the above list is so that a white belt has a clear list of what to aim for in BJJ. Further, a gym may even test these criteria before rewarding a blue belt.
The idea behind the white belt curriculum is to make sure your student is well rounded in all areas before getting promoted. Some new blue belts for instance may have a great closed guard, but lack good back control or how to pass certain guards. The point of the curriculum is to make sure that your students are solid in all areas. Often, a teacher with a curriculum will have a list of things they teach throughout the gym, much like you would see in an educational school.
Are there curriculums for other belts?
Some teachers such as Roy Dean do have certain requirements for higher belts. Generally, the closer you get to the black belt, the more will be expected from you. Having said this, most of the time when people get to blue belt – people relax what is required or taught to their students.
The logic behind this is that after white belt, you should be involved in independent learning and don’t need as much supervision. At this point, you should roughly know and understand the fundamentals of BJJ that will see you through the rest of the belts.
Conclusion
Overall, a white belt curriculum is not too common within Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and isn’t compulsory. However, it is a nice way to check what has been taught and to make sure students don’t miss anything and stay on the right track.
Sometimes, teachers are too happy to teach what they use and avoid teaching other techniques and methods. This is where a BJJ curriculum comes in handy. With this in mind, they can be a handy way to make sure your white belt students progress properly.
