Dear GBHB Parents,
This is a very exciting time for us
in the Brazilian jiu jitsu community. Over the last 5 years Brazilian jiu jitsu
has seen a phenomenal amount of growth.
Five years ago many Brazilian jiu jitsu schools did not even offer kids
classes. Gracie Barra has always been at the forefront of changing the face of
jiu jitsu in positive ways. As more children became involved with the sport of
Brazilian jiu jitsu we realized that change was needed to keep our children
motivated and excited to keep training in jiu jitsu. We worked diligently among with our Black
Belts to implement a plan to improve our belt system for children. We are very
happy to announce that these changes are finally here.
The existing belt system consists of
5 belts. Some children, maybe even yours, start as early as 3 years of
age. At that age children could spend as
many as 13 years in our future champions program before moving on to adult
classes. With only 5 belts available to them, they are not rewarded very often
for their hard work and effort. Under the new belt system there will be 13
belts. We are very excited to implement
this system as it will offer much greater rewards for our children and it will
allow much more flexibility for our instructors to make sure that the children
are wearing the appropriate belt for their age and skill level.
For some of your children you will not even notice the change as the new
system is based around the existing system. Some children will have different
color stripes on their belts and some will be placed into a different belt
altogether. We want to assure that everyone understands the new system and
together with the instructors make the best decision if any adjustments are
necessary. We will make this as exciting and fun for the children as possible.
Your professors and coaches will be available to discuss and concerns
that you might have. We want to talk to
you; we want to know your concerns and thoughts. No one knows your child better than you and
open communication with our staff will really help us make sure that your child
has a smooth transition into the new belt system. This will be the first of
many changes here at Gracie Barra that we will be implementing to improve our
future champions programs. Thank you for being a part of our family.
Sincerely yours,
GBHB Staff
