The IBJJF European Championships are starting in Lisbon, and as every year, they mark a key moment in the Brazilian jiu-jitsu season. A special gathering. Long, demanding, sometimes cruel, but always revealing. This edition is no exception, with a strong French delegation on the Portuguese mats, ready to compete at the highest European level. A...
Fluid berimbolo, back transitions, modern guard game: Léon Larman has built a jiu-jitsu that works. At 27, this Montpellier native competes regularly on the IBJJF and AJP circuits, represents Focus Jiu-jitsu, and ranks among the most active French competitors of his generation on the international scene. Black belt since 2018, currently a member of the...
Las Vegas, December 11, 2024 — In the iconic UFC APEX bowl, under the Las Vegas spotlights, Aurélie Le Vern has written one of the most beautiful pages in French Brazilian jiu-jitsu history. At 34 years old, the French Guiana fighter became the very first French UFC BJJ champion in the featherweight division (-65.7 kg),...
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a ground-fighting martial art born in Brazil in the early 20th century. In France today, it counts over 31,000 practitioners. But since 2024, the discipline has been caught in a conflict between two organizations: the CFJJB, which developed it for 20 years, and France Judo, which recently claimed to have legal...
On the edge of the mat, a father speaks softly to his daughter. Not just any father, not just any coach: Rafael Mendes — multiple-time world champion and a modern jiu-jitsu legend. Yet in this moment, we don’t see the champion; we see the man — grounded, emotional, guiding his little girl before her very...
There are athletes who impose their dominance through raw power, others through constant aggression that gives their opponents no respite. And then there are those, like Bia Mesquita, who make everything look effortless, where each movement flows naturally, almost without visible effort, as if jiu-jitsu belonged to them from the beginning. Bia Mesquita belongs to...
In the second part of the On the Road podcast, Wilfried Sam shifts the conversation with Nicolas Renier and Vincent Nguyen to institutional ground: CFJJB vs France Judo, belt equivalences, and the identity of BJJ and Luta Livre. After part one, which explored the technical evolution of French grappling, this follow-up addresses the split and...
🥋 French Grappling Comes of Age: Luta Livre, Mendes School, CFJJB… and the End of the “Easy High-Level” Myth In the latest episode of the On the Road podcast, Wilfried Sam brings together two major figures of Brazilian jiu-jitsu in France:👉 Nicolas Renier, Luta Livre pioneer, multiple ADCC qualifier, historic no-gi technician, NRFight club.👉 Vincent...
Caio Terra is one of the most respected names in world Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Multiple-time IBJJF world champion, founder of the Caio Terra Association, a master technician—his accolades impress. But what truly stands out is something deeper. In this video, which has become a cult favorite among practitioners, he tells how a bullied, lost teenager became...
Discover the journey of Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida, record holder with 13 IBJJF world titles. From São Vicente to the UFC, his revolutionary style, legendary rivalries, and unique legacy in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. When History Changed at Long Beach A packed arena, the crowd holding its breath… IBJJF World Championship finals 2012, Long Beach. A young Brazilian,...