Royce Gracie is the infamous winner of the very first UFC tournament and has permanently etched his name in the martial arts history books. Yet despite his legendary status, Gracie wears a dark blue belt instead of the black belt that most associate with mastery—a choice that surprises those unfamiliar with the sport’s history.
The reasoning, as Gracie recently told Paula Sack, comes from a ranking system that predates the belts recognized today.
“The original was white, light blue, and dark navy blue for the instructor,”
Gracie said.
“Back then, it was black-and-white photos, so it looked black, but it wasn’t a black belt; it was the dark blue belt.”
In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s early days, the dark blue belt marked an instructor, long before the standardized belt system existed. Gracie says the change came in 1967 with the creation of the federation, which established the modern ranking hierarchy.
Francisco Mansur, another figure from the sport’s early history, confirmed the practice.
“Until ’67, we used the dark blue belt to teach,”
Gracie recounted.
The system of colored belts in Judo evolved gradually from Jigoro Kano’s original ranking system. When Kano created Judo, there was no Kyu–Dan structure; recognition of achievement was mostly through certificates or scrolls. In 1883, he awarded the first Shodan ranks to senior students, and by 1886, he began having Yudansha (black belt holders) wear black obi, while all others remained undifferentiated in plain kimono. The modern Judo-gi and obi were introduced in 1907, but Kano still used only white and black belts, symbolizing purity, humility, and equality. Colored belts for students below black belt emerged later, primarily outside Japan, to provide visual differentiation of rank. Mikonosuke Kawaishi is credited with formally introducing various colored belts in Europe in 1935 while teaching Judo in Paris, establishing the foundation for the system of multiple belt colors now familiar in martial arts worldwide.
Gracie’s choice isn’t just a nod to history. His father, Hélio Gracie, made the same decision later in life as a statement about what the belt should truly represent. For Royce, the black belt has been diluted by an overemphasis on competition results rather than deep knowledge.
“Many people are being graduated to black belt because they win championships, because they win in MMA,”
he said.
He illustrated his point with a blunt example:
“For example, Mike Tyson is in a karate academy, knocking out everyone. That doesn’t make him a karate black belt. He doesn’t know; he’s just sick. He’s a good fighter, a good brawler, but he’s not a karate black belt.”
By returning to the dark blue belt, both Hélio and Royce Gracie underline their belief that mastery isn’t just about wins—it’s about technique, philosophy, and the ability to teach.
For Royce, the dark blue belt is a reminder of the art’s roots and a quiet challenge to the modern scene, where prestige can be measured in titles rather than understanding.
