Technical grades · Boxe Libre Académie

Progression in Free Boxing follows six belt colours. The black belt is then divided into five degrees.

White
Green
Blue
Red
Red and black
Black, from 1st to 5th degree

Grades assess skills, not a catalogue of techniques

Free Boxing teaches through skills and realistic scenarios. At a grading, students are not tested on set techniques but on their ability to deal effectively with a given situation. They are free to use whatever technical tools they like. What the examiner looks for is adaptability, accuracy and control in the response.

The syllabus for each belt sets out the skills to demonstrate: punches, kicks, knees, elbows, throws, ground control, submissions, combinations and counters. Students pick the techniques they show themselves, within the technical and safety rules of the discipline.

Why we don’t impose set techniques

No two fights are ever the same. Distance, the opponent’s build, fatigue and the surface all change from one situation to the next. A form learnt by heart prepares you for a situation that will never happen exactly that way. Knowing how to choose the right response prepares you for all the others.

Every body is different. Height, flexibility, weight, age, sporting background: a move that works really well for one person can be useless for another. Imposing a technique means judging a body type rather than a skill. Leaving the choice open lets everyone build their own game from what works for them.

Understanding, not reciting. Choosing your response forces you to observe, analyse and decide. That is exactly what we expect from a fighter, in competition and in self-defence alike. If you know why you are doing a move, you will know how to adjust it when the situation changes.

Everyone brings their own background. Many students have already done boxing, karate, judo or wrestling. Free Boxing does not ask them to forget what they know. It teaches them to put it to use in a complete fight.

Free does not mean easy. The number of techniques to show, the standard required and the safety rules are the same for everyone. The freedom lies in the choice of tools, not in the level expected. In Free Boxing, the word “free” means freedom of action and movement, and that applies on grading day too.

What the examiner looks at

how relevant the response is to the situation given
the student’s ability to adapt
the technical and tactical logic behind their actions
control of their techniques and their partner’s safety
how effective the solution is overall

Every grading also includes questions about the school: the founder’s name, the year Free Boxing was created, its three original disciplines, the belts and their colours, the different competition formats, and the standing and kneeling bow. A wrong answer to these questions means failing the grading.

The grading takes place in front of an assistant instructor or a federal instructor, who fills in the grading sheet and signs off the result. The minimum time between two grades is set by the instructor (to be confirmed with Olivier).

The syllabus for each belt

For each belt, the syllabus states how many techniques to show in each category. The choice of techniques is up to the student.

Green belt: pass mark 28 out of 35

Forward and backward rolls, forward, backward and side breakfalls
2 attack neutralisations (block, push kick or grab, against a high or low attack)
6 strikes with the upper limbs, including 2 with the elbows
6 strikes with the lower limbs, including 2 with the knees
5 throws and 5 pins or ground controls
2 combinations of each type: strikes (feet, fists and level change), strike into a throw, throw into a submission
1 question about the school, chosen by the assessor

Blue belt: pass mark 41 out of 54

Forward and backward rolls, forward, backward and side breakfalls
4 attack neutralisations
9 strikes with the upper limbs, including 3 with the elbows
9 strikes with the lower limbs, including 3 with the knees
6 throws and 6 pins or ground controls
5 combinations of each type: strikes (feet, fists and level change), strike into a throw, throw into a submission
3 questions about the school, chosen by the assessor

Red belt: pass mark 75 out of 94

Forward and backward rolls, forward, backward and side breakfalls
8 attack neutralisations
12 strikes with the upper limbs, including 4 with the elbows
11 strikes with the lower limbs, including 3 with the knees
8 throws and 8 pins or ground controls
8 combinations of each type: strikes (feet, fists and level change), strike into a throw, throw into a submission
8 vital points
1 two-minute educational Free Boxing bout
all the questions about the school

Red and black belt: pass mark 87 out of 109

Forward and backward rolls, forward, backward and side breakfalls
10 attack neutralisations
15 strikes with the upper limbs, including 5 with the elbows
13 strikes with the lower limbs, including 3 with the knees
10 throws and 10 pins or ground controls
10 combinations of each type: strikes (feet, fists and level change), strike into a throw, throw into a submission
10 vital points
1 two-minute Free Boxing bout with firmer contact
all the questions about the school

1st-degree black belt: pass mark 132 out of 165

Forward and backward rolls, forward, backward and side breakfalls
2 minutes of shadow boxing: footwork, weight transfer, driving the shoulder and hip into the strikes
10 attack neutralisations
15 strikes with the upper limbs, including 5 with the elbows, and 15 with the lower limbs, including 5 with the knees
10 throws and 10 pins or ground controls
10 combinations of each type: strikes (feet, fists and level change), strike into a throw, throw into a submission
10 vital points
2 one-minute themed bouts, chosen by the examiner
1 two-minute stand-up boxing bout (clinch allowed), 1 two-minute groundwork bout, 1 three-minute Free Boxing bout
all the questions about the school

Possible bout themes: cutting off your opponent with the upper and lower limbs, holding the centre, getting out of a corner, boxing on the attack, on the counter or on the back foot.

2nd-degree black belt: pass mark 156 out of 195

the 1st-degree syllabus
1 minute of ground shadow boxing on a bag: controls, transitions, strikes and positioning to lock in joint locks
4 one-minute themed bouts instead of 2

3rd-degree black belt: pass mark 188 out of 235

the 2nd-degree syllabus, with 6 themed bouts
escaping a hold before it is locked in: guillotine, juji gatame, rear body lock, leg caught on a roundhouse kick
striking precisely with the knuckles (kento) and with the ball of the foot
1 groundwork bout and 1 Free Boxing bout, 2 minutes each

Download the grading sheets

The sheets are filled in by the assistant instructor or federal instructor on grading day. PDF format.