How to tie BJJ belt? The Superlock BJJ Knot

There are different ways how to tie a BJJ belt and everyone ties his belt differently. Because there is no strict rule in the jiu jitsu schools which requires you to tie the belt only in one way.

Here is a spoiler to our tutorial guide on how to tie a jiu jitsu belt. We will show the superlock BJJ knot.

Despite the fact that there are different ways to tie the gi belt, the practice shows that athletes in martial arts use most often only one method to tie the belt. Most commonly this is the very first method they have learned when they first time tied up their martial art belt.

But what if you just start to learn jiu jitsu and everything for you is new?

A common situation is when someone is doing BJJ for a few months already but still struggling to find a way to tie the belt correctly.

Or maybe you have decided to try a new way how to tie your BJJ belt? Because we all know how annoying and time-consuming it is to tie your gi belt again and again when it gets loose.

Superlock BJJ belt tie

The so-called Superlock belt tie is one of the ways to make your belt stay tied for a longer period of time while you are rolling or training jiu jitsu techniques.

Here is a video with the clearest tutorial by far on how to tie BJJ belt. So you will be able to do it on the first try.

How to tie belt Superlock Knot

The tutorial shows a student of the 8th degree coral belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Carlos Machado, who is one of the Machado Brothers.

It is mentioned in the video that this BJJ belt knot comes from the Machado and Gracie Jiu Jitsu family.

BJJ belt superlock

Hint: Pay attention that on the step when you flip the first belt end behind the two layers it shouldn’t go behind the second belt end, but before.

One more hint to the Super Lock belt tie explained in the above video

On the step when you flip the first belt end behind the two layers as shown in the video tutorial above, in fact, you can also put the end between the layers.

Below you can see this variant shown on the video by the black belt Marcelo Bonanca from the Gracie Barra jiu jitsu academy.

By the way, I use this method to tie my belt since my first jiu jitsu classes. No more no less, it was 7 years ago.

And I don’t feel a need to change it. I’m showing this method to all our new students, who ask to help them overcome this uncommon task for them.

Another advantage of this belt tie is that the belt doesn’t cross over on the back.

How do you Superlock a BJJ belt?

A YouTube video tutorial for the same BJJ super lock belt tie but putting both belt ends between the belt layers.

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Seven years ago, when I, as a white belt, learned how to tie my jiu jitsu belt, I did it from the video on YouTube. This is the video, from which thousands of other white belts thought to tie their gi belts.

I’m talking about the video tutorial that was uploaded in 2011 and where Rener Gracie shows 3 different ways how to tie the jiu jitsu gi belt.

Is the Super Lock BJJ knot the easiest way to tie jiu jitsu belt?

I would say that, yes, there are easier ways to tie the belt, but in general, they all have more or less the same complexity.

All belt knots can be confusing for the first time but it’s all a matter of a couple of times of practice.

Already after a month of training, you will remember with a smile that tying the gi belt could be so difficult.

How long should your BJJ belt be?

The belt length or belt sizes in every martial art discipline are more or less the same. The adult belt length starts usually from 240 cm (95 oz) or size A0 and the longest may reach 340 cm (134 oz) or size A5, and even longer.

Kids belt sizes start from about 180 cm or 70 oz.

But you may notice that in BJJ the athletes wear tied belts with shorter belt edges as in other martial arts like karate, taekwondo, or aikido. This is one of the common differences between BJJ to other martial arts.

You may compare it in the random pictures below.

BJJ belt length compared to other martial arts belts

What length BJJ belt do I need?

This is a question you will face before buying your first BJJ white belt.

If even more detailed, the request may be something like this:

“I am six foot three what length BJJ belt should I order?”

Your height may help to determine the belt length, but important is the waist size. Because the belt length depends on what waist size you have.

And it is evident. As you have to turn the belt around the waist.

In the final stage, after turning it around the waist twice, it should be left enough to tie the knot and to leave hang two belt ends for about 20 to 30 cm in length.

BJJ Belt Length Formula

Here is a formula that I use when I need to double-check the belt length for someone.

Waist size * 2 + 40 cm for knot + 60 cm for belt ends + 10-20 cm for reserve (belt and gi thickness) = your BJJ belt length.

This formula may help you at least to have the approximate length of the belt you have to deal with.

After you have the number, compare it with the belt size chart of the brand you want to buy the jiu jitsu belt and choose the nearest. Better to take the next size (bigger), especially if you plan to wash your belt.