The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is similar to the "kyu" and "dan" ranking system of Judo, and while it retains numeric ranking for "dan" or black belt ranks, it does not assign a numeric system to its "kyu" or lower ranks. Instead, below the level of a black belt, students are assigned a certain belt color, with different color sequences for children and adults. Additionally, adult belts are assigned white "stripes" on a black (or red) rank bar on the belt to denote progress within the belt, due to the large amount of time it typically takes to progress to the next belt color. Belts for children may either use a stripe system like the adult belts, or more recently, use a length-wise stripe in either white, unstriped, or black to signify progress within a given belt color.

A brown belt is the next adult rank after a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. A brown belt is expected to be generally competent in most aspects of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and understand them conceptually to the degree that they can teach much of it to others. Despite this, a brown belt will generally have specific strategies and tactics they prefer more than others. A brown belt is also the last belt before a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, so it comes with pressure for the brown belt to deepen and broaden their knowledge in all areas of skill, especially those they might not yet have studied deeply or be deficient in.