This week saw Yvone Duarte promoted to coral belt after serving as a black belt for 30 years. It goes without saying that this is a huge achievement and that Duarte is an inspiration to women everywhere. As seen on our list on the above link, this is a privilege that very few people achieve during their time in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
It turns out that Duarte has a rich history with the gentle art and it’s not too surprising that she was the first ever female black belt. She also trained under Helio Gracie for a while and has continued to make history. Again, another fact that may not surprise you is that Duarte hails from Brazil. As of the time of writing this, literally all the current coral and red belts are Brazilian.
Hopefully, this sets a trend that more female BJJ practitioners will eventually follow. You can expect more female coral belts within the next 30 years or so but for now Yvone Duarte is there standing alone as a pioneer in BJJ.
