Fusco Jiu-jitsu Rank Requirements Updated 8-2015 Philosophy Our testing approach is somewhat unique in the martial arts community. Our focus is on performance appropriate to each belt level. There is no requirement to be in a rank for any length of time or to test to only one belt at a time. This allows students with prior training, experience and/or that attend a large number of training sessions (private lessons) to rise to the appropriate rank quicker. Rank should be seen as proof of a certain performance level. This performance level must be maintained to maintain rank. Additionally, students must maintain the behavior that is expected of a rank. Elements Evaluated During a Test When looking at an individual skill like a front kick, it is fairly easy to judge a student s performance. For a bigger process like sparring, there are hundreds of elements that need to come together and at different levels of integration for each belt level. This part of the advancement process is based upon the judgment of the testing instructor. Here are some of the elements that may be considered when judging the major selfpreservation areas: Anti-bullying, sparring, grappling, scenario training, and drills. Awareness, Strategy, Tactics selection, Technique selection, Technique execution, Proper mental attitude, Sensitivity, Rhythm, Strength, Body mechanics, Footwork, Speed, Target selection, Accuracy, Power, Timing, Coordination, Balance, Using angles, Distance control, Agility, Conditioning, Stamina, Explosiveness, Mental ability to finish, Flow Note: Professor Fusco has many more skills, drills and techniques beyond this core curriculum. The core is designed to give you the ability to defend yourself quickly and the basis from which to add much more knowledge and ability. The core curriculum is like the trunk of a tree and its major branches. Over time, we will help you add branches that fit you, your needs and your interests. Every now and then, we will also help you prune your tree and remove any dead wood. Remember, this is a very personal process, not a commercial product!
White Belt-1 stripe to Yellow Belt Purpose: To quickly develop skills which are helpful for physical threats posed by bullies. If a bully can t hit you or hold on to you, then you are not a good target. White 1: Knowledge Self-defense goal = escape danger Battleship awareness plan Attention with bow Natural position On-guard position Combat vision How to use your eyes Inside/outside block windshield wiper Footwork Back and sideways skip Back and circle away (teen/adult) White 2: Low block Roof block Head lock escape Rear choke escape Double upa and back/circle away (or sideways) White 3: Mount defense - Sit-up, wrap, pull up, upa (Teen/adult) Wedging out of a corner Rear bear hug escape (arms in, one in, both in) White 4: Break fall squat/rock/slap 1 on 1 -drill The bull fight Scenario drill Restroom drill Yellow: Knowledge Jiu-jitsu = Flexible fighting Shuffle step in all 4 directions Side break fall Stand-up in base
Center step double leg from the low clinch Test requirements: Demonstrate skills adequately during a test of Yellow Belt skills and a sampling of White 1-4 skills Hard Target Chapter 1 quiz (ages 14 and up) Yellow Belt-1 stripe to Yellow Belt - 2 Purpose: To develop basic karate and kickboxing skills. Yellow 1: Knowledge Karate = Empty hand Kickboxing = Karate & boxing skills combined Jab Cross Front kick Focus mitt drills Movement for distance and angle control Blocks Striking combinations Simple sparring Movement for distance and angle control Blocks Striking combinations Yellow 2: Palm strikes (Teen/adult) Cupping hook Step-up side kick Focus mitt drill Jab, cross, hook combo Shield drills Step-up side kick (static) Moving target practice for timing and accuracy for front and side kick Sparring with new skills (including how to apply cupping hook safely against the shoulder) Yellow Belt-3 stripes to Orange Belt 3 stripes Purpose: To develop basic clinching, off-balancing and takedown skills. Apply these skills against punching opponents to defend, control and when necessary throw for escape. Adapt these skills to handle other self-defense situations. Continue the development of current sparring skills.
Yellow 3: Under hook and collar (or arm) Push-pull off-balance Steering wheel off-balance Block, bury and off-balance Double leg from pull-push or steering wheel Skill game Sumo Yellow 4: Sprawl Duck under and back control Leg hook throw from the back (Teen/adult) 1 on 1 drill Use Y-1 to 4 skills against a barrage of roundhouse punches Skill game sumo Sparring development: polish movement to stay just outside striking range Orange: Inside pummel (Teen/adult) Escape front choke Arm drag (Teen/adult) Adaptation drills Add Y-1 and Y-4 skills to original headlock, rear choke and bear hug escapes Use under hook and off-balance skills to deal with arm, clothing or hair grabs Scenario drill uses new skills in the restroom escape scenario Skill game Matcha Test requirements: Demonstrate Orange Belt skills. Complete ~ 2 rounds of Matcha showing adequate attempts and successes at applying current skills. Complete ~ 2 rounds of sparring showing adequate attempts and successes at applying current skills. Hard Target Chapters 2-4 quiz (ages 14 and up) Orange Belt - 1: Slip Duck Parrying I-drill: Front attacker uses round house punches when chosen. Rear attacker uses bear hug or choke when chosen. Goals are to escape or get back control. Sparring drill circle and counter-attack
Orange Belt - 2 Outside throw The Ram entry (Teen/adult) The slip entry (Teen/adult) The duck entry I-drill: Front attacker uses round house punches when chosen. Rear attacker uses bear hug or choke when chosen. Goals are to escape or get back control. Sparring drill work slip and duck against sparring feeds (Teen/adult) Orange Belt - 3 Snaking as an escape Snaking as an entry to the under hook Snaking as an entry to the arm drag (Teen/adult) Sit down throw from a hip to hip position Skill game Matcha with new skills Orange Belt-4 stripes to Blue Belt Purpose: To develop intermediate karate and kickboxing skills and continued growth with clinch/off-balance/throwing skills. Also, to introduce the 5 rings drill. Orange Belt - 4 Back fist Round kick Pendulum block - protecting against low and high kicks Sparring drills: Breaking rhythm with a double step entry Controlling distance with back foot placement (Teen/adult) Green: 5 count elbows (Teen/adult) Quick advance and retreat with jab or back fist (Teen/adult) Sparring development: demonstrate an understanding of timing Matcha development: demonstrate the ability to use double leg as a backup plan 5 rings drill: From sparring demonstrate the ability to transition to the clinch with offbalancing (taking the back when possible) when fed a barrage of round house punches. Test requirements: Demonstrate Green Belt Skills Complete ~ 2 rounds of matcha showing attempts and use of current skills Complete ~ 2 rounds of sparring showing attempts and use of current skills
Demonstrate a 5 rings drill: From sparring demonstrate the ability to transition to the clinch with off-balancing (taking the back when possible) when fed a barrage of round house punches. Hard Target Chapter 5 quiz (ages 14 and up) Green Belt - 1: Skipping side kick (Teen/adult add side kick to quick advance) Basic X-pattern footwork from natural position Sparring development: use x-pattern to control distance and angle for defense and attack 5 rings drill: From sparring demonstrate the ability to transition to the clinch with takedown when fed a barrage of round house punches. Green Belt 2: Double round kick using ground tap Indirect attack footwork Uppercut/body punch (Teen/adult) Focus mitt drills Double round kick to different targets Hook and uppercut combo (Teen/adult) Sparring development: apply new skills Green Belt - 3: Simultaneous attack and defense ( A & D ) Sparring drills: applying the A & D I-drill: Front attacker uses a straight punch when chosen. Rear attacker uses bear hug or choke when chosen. Goals are to apply A & D (if attack is a punch), then get back control or takedown. Green Belt - 4: Sparring development: Controlling the set point Set timing for front leg kick for defense Countering a kick by stepping inside with a strike Using fakes Blue Belt Front roll Single leg takedown Matcha development: Appropriate choice of skills to meet the changing situation Sparring development: Utilizing skills to carry out a strategy 5 rings drill development: Integration of the ability to transition between sparring and clinching and clinching and throwing
Test requirements: Demonstrate blue belt skills and selected skills from White-1 to Green-4. Multiple matcha and sparring matches, plus 5 rings drills showing appropriate development. Hard Target Chapters 6 & 7 quiz (ages 14 and up) Blue Belt 1 to Blue Belt-2 Purpose: To develop positions, transitions and submissions on the ground. These skills will be tied together to allow submission grappling matches from the feet to happen and to promote 5 rings drills that include the sparring, clinching and ground grappling rings. Blue Belt - 1: Basic ground positions 4 point mount with and without hooks Cross sides Guard Riding skills basing and hooks Riding drill #1 maintain mount while being pushed side to side. Can be added after a throw and mount. Clearing the hooks and upa Initial guard pass Blue Belt - 2: Shrimping Initial cross side escape Skill game First position (Like matcha but it continues to positions on the ground. The first to establish the mount, cross side or guard wins.) Basic ground flow Throw and transition drill clinch to off-balance to throw to basic ground flow Blue Belt - 3: Hip bump sweep Elbow escape Complete ground flow Skill game positional grappling matches Starting from positions on the ground Starting from the feet How to tap Americana from mount or cross side Skill game 3 rd position. Complete a 1 st position match. Once the 1 st position is established, the match ends and the participants must work through two more position transitions together.
Blue Belt - 4: Body pummel with movement Modified mount based on when an opponent rolls during a mount or cross side position Arm bar from modified mount Taking the back from modified mount and breaking down for the escape Riding drill #2 start with riding drill #1 above add a roll to modified mount to taking the back Hip switch escape from cross side Skill game: Submission grappling Purple Belt to Purple Belt-4 Purpose: To incorporate additional skills from Bruce Lee s Jeet Kune Do for transitioning from sparring to the clinch. Additional throwing and submission techniques are added to increase the jiu-jitsu skill set. Purple Belt: Jeet Kune Do = the way of the intercepting fist (Founded by Bruce Lee, USA.) Interceptions develop proper timing for two Defanging weapons Neck pummel (Teen/adult) Under hook and reverse collar Knee strikes in the clinch (may only be simulated in drills, clinching, sparring, etc.) 5 rings drill Free flow. Incorporate defanging Test requirements: Demonstrate Purple Belt skills and selected skills from Blue 1-4 Grappling matches that show a deep integration of skills. Numerous 5 rings drills that show adequate integration of skills. Hard Target Chapters 8, 9 & 10 quiz (ages 14 and up) Purple Belt - 1: Pak sao entry (Teen/adult) 2 on 1 Hip toss throw Pull to guard Kimura from the guard Defense to the Americana (Teen/adult) Defense to arm bar (Teen/adult) Skill game: Submission grappling 5 rings drills Free form phases with staged transitions or inserted skill requirements (example must finish with submission from the guard)
Purple Belt -2 : Straight blast entry (Teen/adult) Arm bar from the guard Defense to the Kimura (Teen/adult) Guillotine from the guard (Teen/adult) Mounted total hold down and transition to submissions Skill game submission grappling with focus on fighting from the guard Purple Belt - 3: Defense to the guillotine (Teen/adult) Defense to the arm bar from the guard (Teen/adult) Headlock escape on the ground 4 stage defense in the guard Leg triangle submission (Teen/adult) 5 rings drills Free form phases with staged transitions or inserted skill requirements (example must finish with submission from the guard) Purple Belt - 4: Basic wrist lock takedown Sacrifice throw Forked pass with 3 options Stacking pass drill 5- ring drills with new skills Submission matches with new skills Brown Belt to Brown Belt - 4 Purpose: To round out basic ground fighting skills while adapting skills I, Y and scenario drills. The development of sensitivity through edged weapon, lock flow and sticky hands drills. Preparation for the Black Belt test. Brown Belt: Chin pin and counter Rear choke and defense Step left-turn right & step right-turn left edged weapon U-drill - Intercept, stick, zone and control Incorporate new skills in to 5 rings drill I and Y drills Test requirements: Adequate performance in assigned scenarios. Hard Target Chapters 11, 12 & 13 quiz (ages 14 and up)
Brown Belt - 1: Standing arm bar Figure 4 Lock flow basic wrist lock, lop sao, arm bar, figure 4, arm bar, basic wrist lock Insert the lock flow into 5 rings drills I and Y drills Scenario Elevator escape Brown Belt - 2: Combine U-drill with standing lock skills and throwing skills Defanging multiple opponents Incorporate the edged weapon into I and Y drills Grappling with weapons zone and control on the ground Scenarios 4 E s against edged weapons 4 E s against multiple opponents Brown Belt -3: Sticky hands Spring arm Wrist twist Rotate to the inside Elbow over Pak sao Lop sao Incorporate standing locks, strikes, throws, clinching Brown Belt -4: Finger locks Create movement up, down, left, and right Use shoulder parry against push for finger capture From sticky hands Defense to knife at throat or against the back X pattern with replacement step (Teen/adult) 5 rings drills Incorporate new skills Scenarios 4 E s against edged weapons 4 E s against multiple opponents