For most people, getting a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is no easy task and over average it takes around 10 years to achieve. This isn’t something that can just be done overnight and even compared to other martial arts the road is hard and long.
However, there is always an exception to the rule. Sometimes, every now and then a freak athlete comes along and rips up the rule book and creates history. In this case, the quickest ever recorded time for someone to achieve their black belt in BJJ took a mere 18 months.
Table of Contents
Who is the Fastest BJJ black belt ever?
The fastest ever BJJ black belt is Travis Stevens. An Olympic medalist in Judo, Stevens acquired his black belt in just one and a half years. As mentioned, the usual time to achieve the black belt takes 10 years, but it’s also fair to say that Stevens is no ordinary man and when you look at his promotion – it actually makes complete sense.
Firstly, Stevens had a very successful career in Judo and got silver at the 2016 Olympic games for the USA. Obviously, there’s always been crossover between BJJ and Judo as BJJ was originally inspired by the Japanese martial art. This means that even before taking his first ever BJJ class, Stevens would have been incredibly knowledgable with techniques such as bow and arrow chokes, armbars…and of course takedowns.
In this sense, Stevens was already a black belt in many areas. Even the guard is sometimes used in Judo, with newaza and reversals being a key part of training. Further, his grips and grip breaking techniques would also be beyond the average BJJ black belt after a lifetime of training Judo since childhood.
Who gave Travis Stevens his black belt?
Travis Stevens was awarded his black belt by John Danaher and Renzo Gracie back in 2013. It’s no secret that John Danaher has tough requirements for his belt promotions, so it’s not like he just handed Stevens his black belt without little proof of skill.
It’s also a known fact that Danaher himself is a skilled Judoka, as testified by Brian Glick. Often referred to as ‘Judo John’, he was known to develop his own style whilst training BJJ for many years. Therefore, it’s not like Stevens fraudulently earned his black belt and it was as legitimate as they come.
Other notable fast BJJ black belt promotions
Generally speaking, there are a few people that stand out and achieved their black belt in a few years. Whilst Travis Stevens is the quickest, there are also two others that spring to mind. These are BJ Penn and Caio Terra.
Both of these black belts obtained their rank within just 3 years of training. Both need no introduction, with BJ Penn being a UFC great who used his BJJ successfully various times, and Caio Terra also winning practically everything available in competitive BJJ.
There have been many stories told about these two, where they got their belts quickly due to being so phenomenally good. For example, BJ Penn was known to train practically all day every day during those 3 years.
When you add this up, imagine he trained BJJ for 4-6 hours per day: This means that during those 3 years, he’d have trained more than the average person does by the time they’ve trained for 10 years. Combined with winning various BJJ competitions and UFC bouts, you can understand why he was promoted swiftly. The same can be applied with Caio Terra.
Can you get a BJJ black belt in under a year?
Up until now, this feat has never been achieved, and the likelihood is it never will be. The reason for this is that even for a skilled Olympian such as Travis Stevens, there’s still work that needs to be done and takes time.
Perhaps the only person alive who could realistically earn a black belt in under a year would be Khabib Nurmagomedov. The ex-UFC champion needs no introduction and his grappling skills on the feet and on the ground are incredible. Whether he eventually pursues a BJJ black belt remains to be seen though.
Other than this, if someone is promoted to black belt in under one year or even a couple of years who is unknown – then you need to be skeptical. So far, this article has talked about great athletes, and we’re not on about a McDojo that hands out fake black belts with ease. Obviously, there may be a few of these guys out there especially in lesser known countries. However, for the purpose of this article they’re not worth mentioning.
Conclusion
Overall, the BJJ black belt still remains one of the hardest belts to obtain in martial arts and as a result carries a high level of respect. As this article has highlighted though, with enough hard work, intelligence, and dedication – you can cut down the time to getting this belt considerably.
In conclusion, the fastest ever BJJ black belt was achieved by Travis Stevens who got the belt in a mere 18 months.
Want to learn more from Travis Stevens? check out his DVD here on armlocks.
