This week at Alliance Jiu Jitsu, we celebrated an exciting milestone for our young athletes during our Kids Belt Promotions held on Monday and Tuesday, May 11–12. These promotions recognized the hard work, dedication, discipline, and growth our students have shown on the mats over the past several months.
Monday — Little Eagles and Junior Eagles
On Monday from 4:45–5:30 PM, four Little Eagles earned promotions to their next belts after demonstrating their progress and commitment during class. Later that evening from 5:30–6:30 PM, six Junior Eagles were promoted as family, teammates, and coaches cheered them on during this special moment.
The promotion classes began with fun games and activities that kept the students engaged and excited while also reinforcing teamwork and movement skills. After the games, both the Little Eagles and Junior Eagles classes focused on practicing two Jiu Jitsu techniques before the official belt promotions took place.
All belt promotions were led by our head black belt instructor, Alef Silva, who personally awarded each student their new belt along with a framed Alliance Belt Certificate to commemorate their accomplishment.
View all photos
Tuesday Brought the Tiny Eagles
Tuesday’s promotion class from 4:45–5:30 PM featured two Tiny Eagles earning their new Gray/White Belts, marking an important achievement in their Jiu Jitsu journey.
View all photos
Behind Every Belt — Hard Work on the Mats
Belt night is the highlight, but the work that earns it happens every week on the mats. Drilling, sparring, and game-based positional rounds are the backbone of our kids jiu-jitsu program.
View all photos
How the Alliance Kids Belt System Works
Alliance runs a three-tier kids program — Tiny Eagles (ages 3–5), Little Eagles (5–8), and Junior Eagles (8–16) — each with its own belt and stripe progression. Belt promotions happen every six months, while monthly behavioral stripes are earned through commitment, social conduct, school performance, and behavior on and off the mats. Students need four white stripes and four red stripes before they are eligible to test for the next belt rank.
After Class — The Celebration
The celebrations continued after class with decorations, cookies, and apple juice as teammates, parents, and instructors gathered together to honor the students’ hard work and success.
Belt promotions are always a special time at Alliance because they represent much more than learning techniques. Each new belt reflects perseverance, confidence, respect, and the willingness to continue growing both on and off the mats. We are incredibly proud of every student who earned their next rank this week and look forward to seeing their continued progress in training.
View all photos
Congratulations to all of our newly promoted Little Eagles, Junior Eagles, and Tiny Eagles!
A Special Blue Belt Promotion for Vanicha McQueen
Wednesday morning, May 13, brought a truly inspiring moment during the 6:00 AM adult class. At 60 years old, Vanicha McQueen earned her Blue Belt after months of dedication, consistency, and hard work on the mats.
Her promotion was awarded during class by Alliance black belt instructor Ruben Villarreal, making the moment even more special for her teammates who witnessed this important milestone.
To be eligible to test for the Blue Belt at Alliance, students must first earn four stripes on their White Belt. Each stripe requires the completion of 30 classes, meaning Vanicha showed tremendous commitment and discipline throughout her journey to Blue Belt. Now that she has reached the next level, the standards continue to rise, with Blue Belt students required to complete 65 classes per stripe as they continue progressing in their Jiu Jitsu training.
Vanicha’s achievement is a powerful reminder that Jiu Jitsu is for everyone and that perseverance, consistency, and dedication can lead to incredible accomplishments at any age.
Next Up: Adult Belt Promotion — Saturday, June 6
The adult side of the room is up next. Alliance BJJ Houston will host the Adult Belt Promotion on Saturday, June 6, recognizing more adult students who have earned their next stripe or belt rank. Whether you train in our gi classes, no-gi sessions, or the open mat, this is the day the academy comes together to celebrate the grown-up side of the team.
Check the class schedule for the exact ceremony time, and bring friends, family, and anyone curious about what Brazilian jiu-jitsu looks like in person.
Congratulations to all of our newly promoted Little Eagles, Junior Eagles, Tiny Eagles, and adult students. We are proud of each and every one of you and excited to see your continued progress on the mats!
If your child has been thinking about trying martial arts or you have been considering your own first class, the program at our Pearland academy is open all year. Contact us to book a free consultation and see a class in action.