4th kyu

Purple belt is more or less equivalent to a black belt in other styles of jiu jitsu, in terms of syllabus. As such, it marks the point where most students worry less about how many techniques they know, but the quality and purpose behind their techniques. As such, a minimum of six months’ training is needed before attempting the next grade level.

Additional requirements for purple

• Ukemi: Handstands; forward rolls with extended height and distance
• Throws: major inner reap and minor inner reap from punches; small circle shoulder; spring hip; ankle wheel; major wheel; whirling throw; major outer drop; side drop; rice-bale; and mountain storm
• Locks: Counters to wrist-locks one to three; counters to arm-locks four to six; wrist-locks four to six with full application and finish
• Hold-downs: Cross hold, forearm entaglement, forearm hold
• Weapon defences: bokken, chain, knife and broken bottle slashes, and two-man attacks (unarmed, grabbing wrists or with bottles)
• Counters: three headlocks, three wristlocks and three more armlocks
• Empi kata
• You should also have experience of teaching novices and have completed the assistant instructor course