Tag: jiu-jitsu

There have been some special athletes in the history of Jiu Jitsu that earned their black belts rather quickly. Have you ever wondered what are the fastest BJJ black belt promotions ever?

Here’s the complete list of Jiu Jitsu practitioners that have the fastest BJJ black belt promotions in the martial art’s history. Detailing how each grappler’s unique story and how they achieved their black belts in record time.

16. Nic Gregoriades (4 Years)

Nic Gregoriades is the very first black belt student of Roger Gracie. He is also one of the very first South Africans to earn a Jiu Jitsu black belt.

Gregoriades was able to become one of the fastest BJJ black belt promotions ever through hard work and determination. Since Jiu Jitsu wasn’t readily available in South Africa, Gregoriades took up submission wrestling. Also working his way up to a brown belt in Judo.

Then in 2004, Nic was able to travel to London and join Roger Gracie’s Jiu Jitsu academy. After just four years, Gregoriades would earn his black belt from Roger.

Nic would then go onto found the Jiu Jitsu Brotherhood affiliation.

15. Kit Dale (4 Years) 

Australian grappler Kit Dale had a unique journey to having one of the fastest BJJ black belt promotions of all time. He started out in Australian rules football, but then moved all of his attention to Jiu Jitsu.

He would train with instructor Bernie Jenkins and then Peter De Been and work to become a brown belt. Dale would then begin training with Yuri Simoes after the world champion had moved to Australia.

Under Simoes tutelage, Dale’s abilities would flourish and he’d earn his black belt in under 5 years. Today, Kit is known for making unique instructionals and working as an actor in low budget action films.

14. Gunnar Nelson (4 Years) 

Long-time UFC vet and the best Icelandic fighter ever Gunnar Nelson had a fast journey to black belt. Nelson began training when he was seventeen under Straight Blast International founder Matt Thorton until the blue belt rank.

He would then join John Kavanagh’s Straight Blast affiliate school in Ireland and trained under him for two years. Kavanagh would award Nelson his brown belt in 2008 just after nearly 3 years of training.

Gunnar would then travel to New York City to train under Renzo Gracie in late 2008. The move was to have a camp in order to prepare for the 2009 grappling season.

He would have an impressive run as he competed in every major tournament. Earning gold at the Pan American Gi Championship, gold and silver at the No-Gi Pan American, and silver at 2009 Worlds. Also qualifying and competing at the 2009 ADCC Championship.

This impressive run would lead Renzo Gracie to award Gunnar with his black belt after four years of training. Nelson would go on to fight more in MMA and is currently still in the UFC with an 18-5-1 record.

13. Orlando Sanchez (4 Years) 

The late Orlando Sanchez was one of the most passionate grapplers in the history of the sport. Sanchez would use BJJ as an outlet to escape his addiction to drugs and depression.

He would join UFC vet Alberto Crane’s gym and dedicate himself 100% to Jiu Jitsu training. Later on, world champion Ze Radiola would take Sanchez under his wing.

Orlando would frequently compete and earn gold at the 2010 IBJJF Worlds at blue belt after just a year of training. After one year at purple belt, Sanchez won the Pans Championship and Brazilian Nationals in 2012.

These big wins would lead Ze Radiola to award Orlando with his black belt after four years of training.. He would then go on to win the ADCC Championship in 2015 and earn 2nd place in 2017.

12. Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro (4 Years) 

Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro is considered one of the all-time great BJJ competitors of all time. He was one of the young prodigies that helped put team Nova Uniao on the map.

Shaolin started training under Andre Pederneiras at the age of fourteen. Just three years later, Ribeiro would win his first Jiu Jitsu world title at purple belt, which led to him being promoted to brown belt.

Pederneiras would earn gold at the 1997 Pan-American Championship and second at the 1998 World Championship before he turned eighteen. After his eighteenth birthday, Perderneiras would with his black belt after four years of training.

One of the ten fastest BJJ black belt promotions of all time. Shaolin would go on to win 3 BJJ world titles and earn a record of 20-5 in MMA.

11. Richie “Boogeyman” Martinez (4 Years)

Richie “Boogeyman” Martinez is one half of the famous Martinez brothers from 10th Planet. Before Richie got into Jiu Jitsu, he was a known breakdancer around California.

His brother, Geo Martinez would get into Jiu Jitsu 3 months before Richie would also join 10th Planet. Their athletic ability would mesh well with the unorthodox 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu style.

A year after his brother earned his black belt, Richie would earn his black belt after just four years of training. Today, Richie runs his own 10th Planet school and is one of the most active No-Gi grapplers in the world.

10. DJ Jackson (Nearly 4 Years) 

DJ Jackson is the most successful Jiu Jitsu athlete to come out of Team Lloyd Irvin Jiu Jitsu. He is most known for his double leg takedowns and his tenacious forward pressure.

After just one year of training, Jackson would win both the Gi and No-Gi World Championships. Prompting his coach Lloyd Irvin to promote him to purple belt.

He would complete this feat again at purple belt and then again a year later at brown belt. Leading to DJ earning his black belt in just a little less than four years of training.

Jackson would go on to win two No-Gi world titles and still competes in the biggest tournaments in the world.

9. Mike Fowler (3.5 Years)

Mike Fowler was one of the fastest BJJ black belt promotions by an American grappler. He was one of Lloyd Irvin’s first black belt students, as well as one of his most successful ones.

Fowler began training under Irvin in late 2001 and became immersed in Jiu Jitsu. He would frequently compete at any tournament he could and began competing against high level black belts.

After just 3.5 years, Mike Fowler would earn his black belt from Irvin. He would go on to compete all over the world and famously submitted world champion Saulo Ribeiro at ADCC 2007.

8. Lloyd Irvin (3.5 Years) 

Lloyd Irvin was one of the fastest BJJ black promotions ever and had an incredible journey to earning the rank. From an early age, Irvin got hooked on martial arts and wanted to try BJJ after seeing the original UFC fights.

But since there were no Jiu Jitsu schools at the time in Maryland, Irvin had to be more resourceful. He would meet another person searching for a Jiu Jitsu school named Brian Welch.

The two would train in a garage together with a few others that wanted to learn Jiu Jitsu. They then discovered that there was a Jiu Jitsu gym in Rockville, MD. This school was run by UFC ref Mario Yamasaki and black belt Leo Dalla.

Irvin would immediately enroll in classes and spend everyday training. Also going with Professor Dalla on trips to train in Brazil. This dedication would lead to Irvin earning his black belt in just 3.5 years.

7. Gabriel Moraes (3.5 Years)

Gabriel Moraes had one of the fastest BJJ black belt promotions of all time. He started training when he was just fifteen under the famous Monteiro brothers in Manaus.

From the time Gabriel started training, he would find immediate success. Winning every major title and earning his purple belt after just two years of training.

But when he reached the purple belt rank, Moraes wanted to quit, because he couldn’t afford to compete in big tournaments. This would lead his instructor, Guto Monteiro to award him with his black belt.

One of the very few athletes that went from purple belt to black belt. Right after receiving his black belt, Moraes would win the world championship at black belt. Proving that he was deserving of the promotion.

6. Mads Burnell (3.5 Years)

Mads Burnell is a Danish martial artist that currently fights in Bellator MMA. At an early age, Burnell began learning under black belt Chris Hauter. One of the 12 original American black belts known as the dirty dozen.

Burnell would be one of Haueter’s most dedicated students and train all day and night in Hauter’s garage. This would lead Hauter to award Burnell with his black belt after just 3.5 years of training. 

The Danish fighter would later go on to win the Cage Warriors Featherweight Championship and earn a contract in Bellator.

5. Fabiano Scherner (3 Years)

Former UFC vet and BJJ world champion that earned his BJJ black belt in a little over three years. He initially began learning BJJ to aid in his attempt to become an MMA fighter.

Sherner originally began learning Jiu Jitsu at Ataque Duplo run by Murilo Rupp and Sergio Sa in Florianopolis. He would then move to Rio de Janeiro as a brown belt and began training at the famous Brazilian Top Team.

After just a year, Murilo Bustamante and Luis Duarte would award Sherner with his black belt. Fabiano would then go on to fight all over the world and now runs his own Gracie Barra school.

4.Geo Martinez (3 Years) 

Geo Martinez is one of the most accomplished 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu athletes that Eddie Bravo has produced. He and his brother Richie Martinez were known breakdancers before getting into BJJ.

It would be Geo that would be the first of the two brothers to get into  Jiu Jitsu. He would use his athleticism from breakdancing to excel extremely quickly in the martial art.

As a brown belt, Geo would win the inaugural EBI Invitational and earn his black belt in the same year. Earning it in just three years and making it one of the fastest BJJ black belt promotions ever.

Martinez is still one of the top No-Gi athletes in the world and competes all over the world.

3. BJ Penn (3 Years) 

For years, BJ Penn held the record for the fastest BJJ black belt promotions. It only took the Prodigy three years to earn his black belt from Andre Perderneiras.

Right after earning his black belt, BJ would become the first American to win a Jiu Jitsu World Championship in 2000. Penn would later go on to become one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. Winning three UFC titles in two different weight classes.

2. Caio Terra (3 Years) 

Caio Terra would later tie BJ Penn’s record for the fastest BJJ black belt promotions. He started training under Ricardo Vieira in Copacabana til he was a blue belt.

Terra would begin training under Paulo Strauch and when he wasn’t at Strauch’s academy, he would train at home. Training literally all day and night for three years, which led to Strauch to award Terra with his black belt.

His black belt promotion was so quick that he was nearly forbidden from competing at the worlds by the IBJJF. The federation would make an exception for Caio before they implemented their rule for brown belt athletes.

Terra would go on to win numerous world titles and become one of the greatest athletes of all time.

1. Travis Stevens (18 Months)

The person that holds the record for fastest BJJ black belt promotion is Judo Olympian Travis Stevens. Travis spent nearly all of his athletic career practicing and competing in Judo.

He trained briefly with Dave Camarillo and later on under John Danaher. Due to Stevens extensive background as an elite grappler, he would go quickly through the BJJ ranks.

John Danaher would promote Stevens to black belt after just 18 months of training. The reason for the fast promotion was because Stevens already had the abilities of a high level BJJ athlete.

Caio Terra is not only considered one of the all time best lightweight grapplers, but one of the best overall. The precision of his technique helped him win over 10 world champions in his legendary career.

• Name: Caio Terra
• Nickname: N/A
• DOB: February 8th, 1986
• Academy: Caio Terra Academy
• Affiliation: Caio Terra Jiu Jitsu Association
• Championships: 10x No-Gi World Champion, 2x IBJJF World Champion, 3x Pan American Champion

Here is everything that you need to know about Caio Terra. Everything from how he got started training, became a world champion, and a highly respected coach.

Caio Terra’s Entry Into Jiu Jitsu

Caio Terra was a small kid growing up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was constantly the target of bullying growing up, which led his mother to put him into a BJJ program.

His mother would take classes along with Caio and force him to train with her. Terra’s first instructors were Rodrigo Medeiros and Ricardo Vieira, who ran the Fight Zone academy in Copacabana.

Even though he trained with world champions, Caio really had no interest in Jiu Jitsu when he began training. He preferred playing futbol (soccer) with his friends, but kept training out of respect to his mother.

After a year of training, Caio would earn his blue belt and was encouraged to start competing. By his own account, Terra was terrified at his first competition. 

He would win his first match, but then had a panic attack from the adrenaline. Caio told his coach that he wanted to quit. But Medeiros made him stay and Terra kept winning matches until he reached the finals against a young Bruno Malfacine.

Bruno would get the better of Caio, but this would be the first of many battles the two would have. Terra realized that he did well and began having more confidence within himself. Leading him to decide to take grappling seriously and train full-time.

Caio Terra’s Rise Through the Ranks 

Caio’s newfound dedication to training helped him rise through the BJJ ranks at a rapid pace. Training everyday, twice a week, which rapidly improved his skills.

In just his first year of competition, Terra would earn second place at blue belt at the IBJJF World Championship. He would then have a falling out with his instructors at Fight Zone and switch academies to train with Paulo Mauricio Strauch.

Then on top of training at Strauch’s school, Terra was allowed to build his own home gym. He would tear down a wall of his home and train with his friends when he wasn’t at the academy.

Every moment of his time was spent training and improving his skills. In just three years of training, Caio would earn his black in 2006 from Strauch and Reyson Gracie.

Caio Terra’s Issues with the IBJJF

Unfortunately at the same time Caio became a black belt, the IBJJF had implemented a new rule for black belts. That rule was that all black belt athletes must have had at least one year as a brown belt athlete.

Caio’s stay at brown belt was less than a year, which made him ineligible to compete for the world championship. Both he and his rival Bruno Malfacine were not permitted to compete at the 2007 Brazilian Nationals or world championship tournament.

At the last minute, the federation made an exception and permitted both athletes to compete at black belt. To this day, the two were the only athletes permitted to compete at black belt with less than a year at brown belt.

Caio Terra’s Fallout With Cesar Gracie

After winning the world championship in 2008, Caio got an opportunity to move to the US. He was invited to train with Cesar Gracie in his academy in Stockton, California.

Terra would train with Cesar for the next four years along with Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz, Jake Shields, and Gilbert Melendez. In 2012, Cesar Gracie would dismiss Caio from his academy.

The reason for the dismissal was that Caio had helped UFC fighter Carlos Condit prepare for a fight. Condit was set to fight Nick Diaz later on, which Cesar saw Caio helping him as a betrayal.

This dismissal would lead Terra to opening his own academy. He would settle in San Jose, California and open Caio Terra Jiu Jitsu.

Caio Terra’s Pro Grappling Career 

Caio Terra had one of the most illustrious careers as a BJJ competitor in the history of the sport. Here are some of the highlights from his stellar career as a Jiu Jitsu athlete.

IBJJF World Champion 2008

In 2008, Caio Terra would make his debut as a black belt in the world championship. In the event, took out all of his opponents, which included Bruno Malfacine in the finals.  To this day, Terra is the one competitor to ever submit Malfacine in a BJJ competition.

IBJJF World Champion 2013

After winning the IBJJF world title in 2008, Terra would come up short in the next four championship tournaments. Losing to rival Bruno Malfacine in those tournaments.

In 2013, Caio would finally avenge the losses and come out on top. Earning his second and last world title in his career.

Caio Terra’s 10 No-Gi World Titles

Caio Terra holds the record for most No-Gi world titles. Earning ten straight world titles from 2008 and all the way until 2017, which was his last year as a competitor.

In his first No-Gi world title wins, Terra would compete in the light-feather division. Then from 2012 to 2017, Caio would move down to the rooster division and win six more titles. 

Terra’s record of ten straight No-Gi world titles will definitely be one of the hardest to break in the sport.

Coach Caio Terra 

Since retiring, Caio has transitioned into the role as coach. He runs his own academy, Caio Terra Academy in San Jose, California.

His school has even expanded into a full blown affiliation called the Caio Terra Jiu Jitsu Association. Terra has helped many high level grapplers compete at the highest level. Including Mike Musumeci, who Caio helped win multiple championships.

Caio Terra’s Grappling Game 

Caio Terra has a well rounded Jiu Jitsu game, but what he’s most known for is his guard. Terra isn’t known for just one type of guard, but he’s an expert at various styles of guard play.

Mixing together everything from DLR guard, spider guard, lasso guard, and berimbolo into his effective style. Not only was his guard effective in the Gi, but just as effective in No-Gi. One of the key parts of Terra’s game that helped him win numerous world titles.

The Legacy of Caio Terra

Caio Terra cemented his legacy as one of the greatest BJJ competitors to have ever lived. Beating everyone in his division, as well as many bigger opponents using flawless technique.

Terra has been an incredible ambassador for Jiu Jitsu as both an athlete and a coach. He will continue doing what he loves, which is training and coaching Jiu Jitsu.

Felipe Pena (Preguiça) is one of the top heavy BJJ athletes in the world. The Belo Horizonte native has beaten some of the world’s best BJJ athletes and won multiple world championships.

• Name: Felipe Pena
• Nickname: Preguiça
• DOB: October 19th, 1991
• Academy: FP Teams Escola de Jiu Jitsu 
• Affiliation: Atos(Formerly Gracie Barra)
• Championships: 2x IBJJF World Champion, 2x No-Gi World Champion, ADCC Champion, BJJ Stars Heavyweight GP Champion

Here is everything you need to know about Felipe Pena. Going from how he got started in Jiu Jitsu and how he became one of the world’s best grapplers.

Felipe Pena’s Entry Into Jiu Jitsu

Felipe Pena grew up in Belo Horizonte, Brazil and began training at the age of fourteen after his older brother began training. The two brothers would train together at Gracie Barra Belo Horizonte.

GB Belo Horizonte during this time was considered one of the best Jiu Jitsu schools for BJJ athletes. They had a strong competition team, which was led by Vinicius “Draculino” Magalhaes, Marcelo “Uirapuru” Acevedo, and Sergio Benini.

Within a short time, Pena would be awarded his blue belt and the instructors saw his potential in grappling. They would offer Felipe a scholarship and pay his tuition to train full-time.

Origins of Felipe Pena’s Nickname

Felipe Pena was given the nickname “Preguiça” by Professor Draculino when he had first begun learning Jiu Jitsu. The term in English means lazy and sloth, which is how Draculino described Felipe on the mat. Moving slow and lazy.

Felipe Pen Dedicates His Life to Jiu Jitsu

Training within the competition driven school in GB Belo Horizonte, Felipe would get good very quickly. He would compete in as many tournaments as he could to continue improving his skills.

Felipe began winning every single tournament he went to and would lead him to pursue a career as a pro grappler. Once he became a purple belt is when Pena began to really take Jiu Jitsu seriously.

After earning second place at the 2010 Brazilian Nationals, he would be driven to become even better. In the next year, Felipe would qualify for IBJJF Worlds and take home double gold.

Proven that he was the best purple belt in the world, Preguiça would be promoted to brown belt in late 2011. He would go on to repeat as world champion at brown belt in 2012, which led to his black belt promotion.

Felipe Pena would then train hard for a solid year to prepare for competing at the black belt level.

Felipe Pena’s Pro Grappling Career 

Felipe Pena has established himself as one of best grapplers in the world for the last decade. Here are some of the highlights of a successful grappling career.

IBJJF World Champion 2014

Pena did not compete at the IBJJF World Championship in 2013 and would make his black belt debut in 2014. His debut was highly anticipated by fans of the sport, who expected big things from him.

He competed in the super-heavy division and put on a dominant show in his opening rounds. Easily beating his first three opponents and submitting two of them.

These wins would set him up against BJJ GOAT Andrei Galvao. Pena would prove he was one of the best in the sport that day by beating Andre 6-4. Earning his first world title at black belt.

Unfortunately, the celebration would be short lived as Preguiça failed the post match drug test. Testing positive for PEDs would lead to the IBJJF stripping Pena of the title and suspending him.

ADCC 2015 & No-Gi Worlds 2015

Since Felipa Pena was banned from the Gi World Championship in 2015, he would switch his focus to No-Gi. He would work on developing a better wrestling game in preparation for the Brazilian ADCC Trials.

At that year’s ADCC Trials event in Brazil, Pena would submit all, but one of his opponents with an RNC(Victor Estima). Punching his ticket to the 2015 ADCC Tournament.

Felipe Pena would have a good performance at ADCC and earn his way to the finals against Rodolfo Vieira. Rodolfo would edge out Felipe by a ref’s decision to win the championship.

The loss would motivate Pena to train even harder for the 2015 No-Gi World Championship. He would go a perfect 8-0 to win both his division and the absolute championship.

ADCC Championship 2017

In 2016, Pena came up short of winning the IBJJF World Championship. Although, he did win the Abu Dhabi World Championship that year.

When 2017 came around, Pena switched his focus to winning the ADCC Tournament. He would beat his first two opponents before having a tough match with Rafael Lovato Jr.

Preguiça would edge out a referee’s decision to face Yuri Simoes in the finals. Yuri would outwork Pena to win 2-0 to win the tournament.

But this loss motivated Pena to have one of the best performances of his career in the absolute division. He walked through his first two opponents and submitted the legend Marcus Almeida in the semifinals.

Setting up a match in the finals against Gordon Ryan. Pena had submitted Ryan a year prior and outworked Gordon again to secure the match by points. Earning his second win over Ryan and his first ADCC Championship.

IBJJF World Championship(2018 & 2019)

After earning second place at the IBJJF World event in 2017, Preguiça would come back to try and earn another title. This time, Felipe Pena would have one of the best performances of his career in Gi BJJ.

Every match was tough, but Felipe was able to persevere. Winning the IBJJF World Championship for the first time after the failed drug test in 2014.

This time, Pena would pass the post match drug and remain in the record books as that year’s champion. To prove it wasn’t a fluke, Pena would come back and compete again to defend his title in 2019.

At this year’s world championship tournament, Felipe would compete in the middle-heavy division. He would once again go 4-0 in his division to win his second world championship in the Gi. 

Felipe Pena’s Grappling Game 

Felipe Pena is most known for his heavy top pressure and his ability to get to his opponent’s back. He has submitted many grapplers, who are considered all time greats like Buchecha Almeida.

Pena is the only BJJ athlete to ever submit Gordon Ryan in competition and beat him twice. 

Felipe Pena’s Recent Setbacks

Over the last few years, Felipe Pena has had multiple setbacks in his competitive grappling career. Starting off at the 2021 IBJJF World Championship to the 2022 ADCC Championship.

2021 IBJJF World Championship

At the 2021 IBJJF World Championship, Pena would have another strong outing. He would lose in the ultra-heavy division, but win the absolute division to earn another world championship.

But Pena would test positive for PEDs for the second time of his career and be stripped of the title again. This is when the criticism started around Felipe.

The Gordon Ryan Saga

Since beating Gordon Ryan in 2017, Gordon was seeking a rematch for years, but was ignored. After numerous bouts fell through, the two agreed to face each other at a WNO event in 2022.

The stipulations for this match were that it was going to be a no-time limit, sub only match. But drama began to unfold right before the match with people saying different things.

Felipe Pena claims that he didn’t want to do the match, because he was sad about the passing of Leandro Lo. He also said that Flograppling threatened to not pay him if he didn’t go along with the match.

Gordon Ryan told a different story that Pena held out the day of the match for more money. Ryan would also say that Felipe also demanded the match be changed to points.

Allegedly, Felipe was paid more, but the rules of the match did not change. The two would grapple for around 45 minutes until Pena verbally tapped.

ADCC 2022

Leading up to the ADCC Championship in 2022, fans were wondering if they’d see Felipe Pena and Ryan have another match. The two both made bold claims that they would be champion, but Felipe would have another disappointing performance.

He made it to the semifinal against Gordon Ryan’s ex teammate Nick Rodriguez, a strong and athletic wrestler. Rodriguez would stay on top throughout the fight and end up passing Pena’s guard to win 3-0.

Upsetting the second favorite to win the division and going to the finals to face Gordon Ryan. This unfortunately wouldn’t be the only disappointing performance by Pena at the tournament.

In the absolute division, Pena was outworked by the young and lighter Tye Ruotolo. Felipe outweighed Tye by at least 40 lbs, but the young Ruotolo brought a fight to the larger Pena.

Ruotolo would beat Pena by penalty to shock the world. Since those losses, Pena has taken some grueling criticism.

What’s Next For Felipe Pena?

The last year honestly hasn’t been great for Felipe Pena. After quitting against Gordon Ryan and coming up short at ADCC, he has a lot of doubters counting him out.

To right the ship, Pena has recently switched camps to Atos to train under Andre Galvao. Maybe training under Galvão will help Pena get back on track and once again become a world champion.

Birth Name:	Leandro Lo Pereira do Nascimento
Date of Birth:	May 11th, 1989
Died:	7 August 2022 (aged 33) São Paulo, Brazil
Place of Birth:	São Paulo, Brazil
Team:	Unity Jiu Jitsu, NS Brotherhood, Barbosa JJ, PSLPB Cicero Costha
Affiliation:	New School Brotherhood
Division:	GI weight classes Lightweight: ?76 kg (168 lb) Middleweight: ?82.3 kg (181 lb) Middle-Heavy: ?88.3 kg (195 lb) Heavyweight: ?94.3 kg (208 lb) Super-Heavy: ?100.5 kg (222 lb) No-GI weight classes Lightweight: ?73.5 kg (162 lb)
Teacher:	Cicero Costha
Rank:	BJJ black belt
Championships:	8x IBJJF World Champion, 8x Pans Champion, 4x Brazilian Nationals Champion

Leandro Lo was one of the most beloved figures in all of BJJ. Everyone within the Jiu Jitsu loved Leandro and were heartbroken by his senseless murder.

Here’s everything you need to know about Leandro Lo. One of the greatest BJJ athletes to ever live that was taken from us too soon.

We’ll detail how Lo got into Jiu Jitsu and became one of the greatest athletes of all time.

Leandro Lo’s Entry Into Jiu Jitsu 

Leandro Lo grew up on the east side of São Paulo. He first discovered Jiu Jitsu when he was around fifteen years old.

Being invited to train for free through a social project called Projeto Social Lutando Pelo Bem. A social project run by local BJJ black belt Cicero Costha.

From the moment Leandro stepped on a Jiu Jitsu mat, he was extremely passionate about training. He would be on the mat all day everyday with Professor Costha absorbing everything about the martial art.

Leandro Rise Through the Ranks

After just one year of training, Lo would receive his junior blue belt. At this point, he had already established himself as one of the best teen grapplers in the world.

In that first year of training, Leandro Lo would win nearly every BJJ competition he entered. Including winning the 2005 IBJJF World Championship in his first attempt.

Leandro would return the next year as an adult belt and take second before his promotion to purple belt. As a purple belt, Leandro would win the CBJJE World Cup and place second at the Brazilian Nationals in 2008.

Then at brown belt, Lo would win back to back Brazilian National titles before being promoted to black belt. Lo would make his black belt debut in 2011 and take over the BJJ world for the next decade.

Leandro Lo’s Competitive Career 

Leandro is the only BJJ competitor in history to win world championships in 5 different weight classes. Here is a breakdown of his eight world championship title reigns.

Leandro Lo’s World Title Wins(2012-2013) 

In his IBJJF World Championship debut in 2011, Leandro came up short of earning a medal. But in 2012, Lo would come into his own and set the BJJ world on fire.

He would compete in the light division against some of the best of the era. In the semifinals, Lo would beat current Rizin MMA champion Roberto Satoshi 7-2 to face Lucas Lepri in the finals.

Lepri had previously beaten Lo, but Leandro would hit a sweep to win the match 2-0. Securing the first world title as a black belt.

Lo would return in 2013 to retain his title in the light division. He would edge out Lepri by advantage in the semifinals to meet Michael Langhi.

Until this point, Langhi was unbeaten, but Leandro would win 2-0 to win his second world title.

Leandro Lo’s World Title Wins(2014-2015) 

After winning world titles at the light division, Leandro would move up to the middle division in 2014. The middle division was just as tough as the light division, but Lo was ready for the challenge.

He would beat Sean Roberts in the quarter finals, followed by beating Victor Silverio in the quarter finals. In the semifinals, Lo would face former No-Gi world champion Victor Estima and beat him by points.

That win would set him up against another grappler that would be rival throughout his career in Otavio Sousa. The two would have a back and forth war, but Leandro would come out on top. Winning his third straight world title and his first in the middle division.

In 2015, Leandro would once again move up to the middle-heavy division to try and conquer another division. He would show that he was just as dominant at middle-heavy. Only getting two points scored on him in three matches to win his fourth straight world title.

Leandro Lo’s World Title Wins(2016, 2018)

At the 2016 IBJJF World Championship, Leandro would move up to the heavy division. This time, he would face even tougher competition than the previous year. He would meet Matheus Diniz in the quarter finals and Keenan Cornelius in the semifinals.

Leandro would beat both of those tough opponents to meet multi time world champion Romulo Barral in the finals. This would be one of the only times in Barral’s career that he would be dominated in a match.

From the start of their match, Leandro controlled the pace and beat Romulo 5-0. Winning his fifth world title in three divisions.

Unfortunately, Lo’s world title streak would get snapped in 2017, but he would come back stronger in 2018. This time in the ultra-heavy division.

It looked like Lo would win his sixth world title, but he would severely injure his shoulder in the division finals. But even with an injured shoulder, Leandro would still compete in the absolute division.

He would put on an epic performance beating some of the world’s best athletes while injured. In the finals, his friend Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida would bow out and give Leandro the win. Earning his sixth world title and his only win in the absolute division.

Leandro Lo’s 2019 World Title Win

After rehabbing his shoulder, Leandro would come back to compete in the super-heavy division. Lo would win his first three matches to meet the young Kayan Duarte in the finals.

The young Duarte would be just a bit quicker than Lo and edge him out to win 5-3. But Duarte would fail the post tournament drug test and was stripped of the world title.

Lo would be awarded the title, which would be the fifth division that he would be a world champion in. The only BJJ athlete that has ever accomplished this feat in the history of the sport.

Leandro Lo’s Last World Championship Win

In 2022, many had begun writing off Leandro Lo as one of the best BJJ athletes in the world. Citing that the many injuries that Lo had suffered over the years had slowed him down.

Many thought the 88 kg division was stacked with talent and Lo would not perform well. Leandro would prove all of his doubters wrong and show he was still one of the best in the world.

He would have one of the most dominant runs of his long and storied career. Lo would blow past his first three opponents, shutting them down with ease.

In the finals, he would meet division favorite Isaque Bahiense, who was the favorite to win in 2022. Lo would shock the world and beat Bahiense 2-0 to win his eight and final world championship.

The crowd went crazy and embraced Lo after the championship win.

Leandro Lo’s Grappling Game 

Leandro Lo had one of the most innovative styles within the modern era of Gi Jiu Jitsu. He was a complete grappler that was as good off his back as he was passing.

What many know Lo for was his highly effective use of a DLR guard blended together with the spider guard. His use of this guard would be the set up for his patented lumberjack sweep variation. People began calling this technique “the Lo sweep.”

Then from playing on top, Leandro Lo had one of the best Torando passes in all of Jiu Jitsu. Being able to cut angles off the push and pass his opponent’s guards with ease.

The way he used the Toreando pass has been studied by numerous top grapplers, who implemented it into their games.

Leandro Lo’s Tragic Death 

On August 7th, 2022, Leandro Lo was senselessly murdered in a São Paulo nightclub by an off duty police officer. Before the murder, Officer Henrique Otavio Oliveira Velozo took a bottle of liquor from Lo’s VIP table.

When confronted for stealing the bottle, Velozo tried to attack Lo’s party, but Lo subdued him. After being let up, Velozo then pulled out his gun and shot Lo directly in the forehead.

Lo was rushed to the hospital, but was pronounced brain dead at the hospital. The BJJ community was heart broken by the senseless killing of one of their most beloved figures.

As of now, Velozo has not been prosecuted, but Lo’s family is currently asking for an audience with a judge. The whole BJJ community is behind Leandro Lo’s family as they’re currently fighting for justice. We’re all behind his family and want to see Velozo punished for his crimes.

The Legacy of Leandro Lo

Leandro Lo was a hero to many in the BJJ community and revered as one of the best ever. He was taken from us far too soon and is incredibly missed.

But Leandro’s legacy lives on by those who knew and loved him. Anybody that met Lo was one of the friendliest people in the world that was universally liked in Jiu Jitu. We miss him dearly, but his legacy and action will be remembered forever.

Yesterday morning on January 19, 2023, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend Marcelo Garcia was diagnosed with stomach cancer.

Garcia, a father of two, is set to begin chemotherapy for three months following his scheduled surgery to remove the tumor.

The 40 year old posted the following message on his Instagram page regarding his diagnosis:

“I’m about to fight the biggest fight of my life, I have stomach cancer and will start chemo for 3 months and back at MSK for surgery remove the tumor. Please keep me and my family on your prayers.

“Get your check ups, listen to your body, all I had was hiccups after eating and I’m glad I went to see a doctor just wanted to say thank you for everyone who’s supporting me now, you all know who you are and I will never forget it.”

Marcelo Garcia is one of the greatest grapplers of all-time, boasting a 4th-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He’s a four-time ADCC champion, if fact the only man in his weight division to win the championship four times, he’s a five-time World Championships gold medalist, a Pan American Championships gold medalist, three-time national BJJ champion in Brazil. That doesn’t even count all his second and third place trophies at those same tournaments, including each a bronze and silver medal at the World Cup.

We can only hope his body reacts well to his surgery and chemo treatment, because this would be a serious hit in the MMA and grappling worlds.

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The ninja choke is a super effective submission we don’t see often, but is really effective. For those that enjoy using guillotine and darce chokes, the ninja choke would be a great submission to learn.

Here is everything that you need to know about the ninja choke submission. Going over the submission’s origins, how it works, and important tips for locking it in.

What is a Ninja Choke? 

The ninja choke is a submission that was originally a Gi technique using your lapel to choke your opponent. This submission in BJJ is primarily done from top side-control, where you sneak the choke in like a ninja. Some call it a ninja choke, while others just call it a lapel choke.

In modern grappling, there is a No-Gi version of the ninja choke that is becoming more popular to use. Especially in MMA, where we most recently saw Said Nurmagomedov hit the choke in the UFC.

A ninja choke is a mixture of a guillotine choke with a darce/anaconda choke with no arms in. One hand hooks under the opponent’s neck and you grab your other bicep like an RNC to lock in the choke.

How Does the Ninja Choke Work? 

The ninja choke works the same as all other front headlock chokes. You’re bending the opponent’s neck downward and pressing your arms into their corroded arteries.

Doing this shuts off the blood to their head, which forces your opponent to submit or go to sleep. It’s as simple as a guillotine or an RNC.

Basic Ninja Choke/Guillotine Counter

The first ninja choke we’ll take a look at is a counter for when your opponent defends a guillotine. You grab a guillotine and pull guard, but your opponent defends by grabbing your forearm and dropping your shoulder down.

When your opponent pulls your choke hand away, this opens space around their neck. Your top arm is then going to rewrap around your opponent’s neck.

As you shoot your hand through, you’re going to attach it to your bicep. Your original choke hand for your guillotine now becomes your top arm for the ninja choke. Break your opponent’s control of your wrist, and place your hand on the back of their head.

The finish of the choke will be the same as a guillotine mixed with an RNC. Force your opponent’s head down. Keep your chest over their head, and squeeze with your whole body to get the tap.

Ninja Choke From Closed Guard 

The next ninja choke that we’ll take a look at is also from closed guard, but going straight to the choke. This setup starts with breaking your opponent’s posture by pulling their head down with both hands.

Once their posture is broken, keep one hand on their head to keep them from raising their head up. This hand is also going to slightly pull your opponent’s head to the side of your body.

You do this so your choke arm can slide around your opponent’s neck. Much like a darce choke.

The only difference here is that you’re hooking just under your opponent’s neck and not also their arm. Also like the darce, when your hand comes through, you’re going to place it on the back of your opponent’s head. 

Your top arm is then going to reach across your opponent’s back as you slightly sit up. If you have long arms, you can just grab your bicep without doing this. 

But reaching over does provide you with more control and places your arm at the back of your opponent’s head. When you just grab the bicep, your opponent can pull their head out easier to escape the choke.

Once you’ve locked in your ninja choke, give your opponent a nice controlled squeeze to get the tap.

Ninja Choke From Standing 

In MMA, we’re seeing the ninja choke get used more as a counter against a single leg. Here is how the submission works from standing.

When your opponent grabs a single leg, you first have to address it by putting on the whizzer. Grab your thigh with one hand and palm your opponent’s head to push them away with the other.

Naturally when you push your opponent’s head away, they will try to force their head back in. You’re going to set your trap by letting them bring their head back to your body.

As they come back, take your hand off your thigh, bring it up, and hook it around your opponent’s neck. Then to finish, grab your own bicep, place your top hand on your opponent’s back, and squeeze.

Ninja Choke From Bottom Side Control 

The buggy choke isn’t the only submission that you can do from bottom side-control. You can also hit a tight ninja choke from this position.

A quick warning with trying a ninja choke from bottom side-control. You also put yourself in danger of being put in a Von Flue choke. Be aware of the trap and address it before going for your submission.

This setup starts when your opponent has head and arm control on top in side-control. You’re going to take a guillotine choke around your opponent’s neck. 

At the same time, you’re grabbing your opponent’s near shoulder to take the pressure off your neck. Failing to do this step will make it easy for them to lock in the Von Flue choke.

With your guillotine grip, you’re going to cup your opponent’s chin and turn it to create space. Next, your inside arm is going to slide from under your opponent’s body and around their neck.

Once your choke hand comes through, take the back of your top arm and force your opponent’s head down. This is to keep them from popping their head up and to bring your top arm closer for your choke hand to grab.

After locking in your grip, pinch your elbows together and crunch down to put on the pressure.

Ninja Choke in the Gi(Lapel Choke)

The last variation of the ninja choke that we’ll detail is in the Gi. More people refer to this variation as a lapel choke, but you might hear some call it a ninja choke.

This lapel choke is done on top in side-control, using your own lapel. Start the technique by staying heavy on your opponent and putting shoulder pressure on their chin.

Once they’re prone, start pulling out your inside lapel. Make sure to hold it at the end, so you get enough material.

Next, pass your lapel across your opponent’s body to your other hand next to their neck. From there, the next steps are put together for the finishing sequence. 

Place your hand on your opponent’s hip to block it, along with placing your head next to your hand. From there, just lift their head up using your lapel, which sets in the choke.

Important Tips For Using the Ninja Choke

The ninja choke is rather easy to pull off, but you can’t forget the details. Here are the important details and tips you must remember to be successful with the ninja choke.

• Break Opponent’s Posture: In order to get the choke, the posture of your opponent’s head must be broken. This is the same principle for all front headlock chokes.
• No Arms-In: Remember that you’re just hooking around your opponent’s neck and not their arms like an anaconda or darce choke.
• Tricep On Back Of Opponent’s Head: Be sure to keep your tricep on the back of your opponent’s head. If you don’t do this, your opponent is more likely to slide their head out.
• RNC Grip: Remember that you’re using the same grip as an RNC where you grab your bicep.
• Elbows Together: When you go for the finish, remember to bring your elbows together and use a controlled squeeze with your body. You’re more likely to get the tap when you put these two movements together.