By Philipp — Rollbook · Updated November 4, 2026
BJJ Coral and Red Belts: What They Mean and Who Holds Them
The coral and red belts are jiu-jitsu's highest ranks, reached after 31 to 48 years as a black belt. What each one means, the five Gracie brothers who hold the 10th degree, every red belt we could confirm, and the best-known coral belts.
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What Coral and Red Belts Are
Coral and red belts are the highest ranks in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. They aren't separate belts after black, but degrees of the black belt itself, worn by people who have been black belts for decades. Under the IBJJF Graduation System:
- 7th degree: the red-and-black belt, a coral belt. At least 31 years as an active black belt, and a minimum age of 49.
- 8th degree: the red-and-white belt, also called a coral belt. At least 38 years as a black belt, and a minimum age of 56.
- 9th degree: the red belt. At least 48 years as a black belt, and a minimum age of 66.
- 10th degree: the red belt, reserved for the five pioneers of the art. Nobody else can reach it.
Only active years count: years with an IBJJF membership, a registered academy, IBJJF titles or its referee courses, for example. For how the six black belt degrees lead up to the coral belt, see our black belt guide.
What they look like: both coral belts alternate blocks of red with black or with white along the whole belt, and carry a white bar for their degrees. The red belt is solid red.
How Many Coral and Red Belts Are There?
Nobody publishes an official count. The IBJJF certifies black belts but doesn't list them by degree, and the lists you'll find online disagree with each other: some count fewer than a dozen living red belts, others name about 40 to 50 people across the whole history of the art.
The lists below include only people whose rank we could confirm from a source of their own, such as a news report of their promotion or an obituary. Longer lists name many more early teachers whose rank we couldn't confirm that way, so they aren't here.
The 10th Degree: The Five Gracie Brothers
The IBJJF gave the 10th degree only to the five brothers who founded the art: Carlos Gracie (1902–1994), Oswaldo Gracie, Gastão Gracie Jr., George Gracie and Hélio Gracie (1913–2009). Hélio was the last of them alive, so there has been no living 10th degree since his death in 2009. Our Gracie family tree shows where each brother fits.
Red Belts (9th Degree)
These are the 9th-degree red belts we could confirm, most recent first:
- Carlos Gracie Jr. received the red belt in April 2026. He founded Gracie Barra in 1986 and the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Confederation, which as the IBJJF runs the World Championship.
- Rigan Machado became a red belt in April 2026. He is one of the five Machado brothers, first cousins of Carlos Gracie's children.
- Joe Moreira received his red belt in May 2024 from Francisco Mansor.
- Pierino de Angelis reached the 9th degree in 2020.
- Rickson Gracie was given the red belt by his brother Rorion in 2017, but has kept wearing his coral belt.
- Rorion Gracie, Hélio's eldest son and the co-founder of the UFC, was already a red belt by 2016.
- Relson Gracie, Hélio's son who opened Hawaii's first Gracie jiu-jitsu academy, is a 9th-degree red belt.
- Reylson Gracie, a son of Carlos Gracie and the father of Rodrigo Gracie, is a 9th-degree red belt.
- Francisco Mansor (also spelled Mansur) was promoted to the 9th degree by Hélio Gracie.
- João Alberto Barreto, born in 1935, was one of the most skilled students of the early Gracie academy.
- Deoclécio Paulo is a red belt from the line of Oswaldo Fadda, the best-known teacher outside the Gracie family.
- Flávio Behring, a red belt, made news in 2017 when he started wearing a white belt instead.
Red belts who have died
- Álvaro Barreto, a 9th-degree red belt and direct student of Hélio, died in 2026 at 84.
- Robson Gracie (1935–2023), Carlos Gracie's second son and the father of Renzo, Ralph, Ryan and Charles Gracie.
- Cândido "Candoca" Casalle received the 9th-degree red belt from the São Paulo Federation at 92, and died in 2017.
- Oswaldo Fadda (1920–2005) reached the 9th degree and built the best-known jiu-jitsu line outside the Gracie family. A posthumous 10th degree was announced for him in 2014, but under the IBJJF's rules the 10th degree belongs only to the five Gracie brothers.
Coral Belts
Coral belts are far more common than red belts, and there are too many to list them all. These are some of the best-known, with sources for each:
8th degree (red and white):
- Royler Gracie, promoted by his brother Rorion in 2022
- Jean Jacques Machado, promoted by Rickson Gracie in 2025
- Carlos Machado, the eldest Machado brother, in 2020
- Pascoal Duarte, in 2022, nine years after his first coral belt
- Romero "Jacaré" Cavalcanti, Márcio Stambowsky, Sérgio Penha and Maurício Gomes, promoted by the IBJJF in Las Vegas in 2017
- José Henrique Leão Teixeira and Márcio Simas, promoted by the IBJJF in Las Vegas in 2024, seven years after their 7th degree
7th degree (red and black):
- Carlson Gracie Jr., Ricardo Libório, Leonardo Castelo Branco, Ailson Henrique Brites, Hélio Moreira, Luis Roberto Duarte and Roberto Correa, promoted by the IBJJF in Las Vegas on 30 August 2024
- Rilion Gracie, promoted by the IBJJF in 2017
- Yvone Duarte, the first woman to reach the coral belt, in 2021, after 43 years of training
- Royce Gracie, who holds the 7th degree but since his father Hélio's death has worn a dark blue belt in his honor
Coral belt, degree not stated in the source:
- Renzo Gracie, promoted by his cousin Rickson in November 2025
- Erik Paulson, in April 2026
The IBJJF tends to promote coral belts in groups at its big Las Vegas events, as it did in 2017 and again in 2024.
Coral and Red Belt FAQ
What is a coral belt in BJJ?
The belt of a 7th or 8th-degree black belt. The 7th degree is red and black and the 8th red and white. Under IBJJF rules they take at least 31 and 38 years as an active black belt, at minimum ages of 49 and 56.
What is the highest belt in BJJ?
The red belt. The 9th degree takes at least 48 years as a black belt, and the 10th degree was given only to the five Gracie brothers who founded the art.
Is anyone alive with a 10th-degree red belt?
No. Hélio Gracie was the last living 10th degree, and he died in 2009.
How many red belts are there in BJJ?
There's no official count. We could confirm 16 9th-degree red belts from sources of their own, four of whom have died, plus the five 10th-degree Gracie brothers. Longer lists name 40 to 50 people over the history of the art.
Who are the newest red belts?
Carlos Gracie Jr. and Rigan Machado, both promoted in April 2026.
Is a coral belt a black belt?
Yes. Coral and red belts are degrees of the black belt, not separate ranks. Their holders were black belts for decades before getting them.
Why does Rickson Gracie wear a coral belt?
His brother Rorion gave him the red belt in 2017, but Rickson has kept wearing his coral belt.
Sources
- IBJJF Graduation System: the years and minimum ages for each degree (June 2026 edition)
- Brazilian jiu-jitsu ranking system (Wikipedia): the five 10th-degree pioneers
- Each person above links to the report of their promotion, an interview, or an obituary: BJJEE, Graciemag, FloGrappling, Globo Esporte and Wikipedia
- Our belt guide: every black belt degree in one table
Every grandmaster started at white belt. Rollbook keeps a belt timeline of every stripe and promotion, so you can see how far you've come. Rollbook is free on iOS and Android.
Oss!
