Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu -- otherwise known as BJJ -- is a martial arts form that spun out of Japanese forms of combat like Judo. It was innovated by brothers in the Brazilian Gracie family in the 1920s, and their descendants further popularized BJJ thanks to success in prominence in mixed martial arts, particularly in UFC.
With a focus on ground-based submission maneuvers, it’s a form that’s perfect for incorporation into pro wrestling, and so many wrestlers can actually boast a background in BJJ. So let’s take a look at 10 wrestlers who practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 50% of whom have had some contact with a member of the Gracie family.
10 The Undertaker
While The Undertaker has been a WWE lifer since 1990, “The Dead Man” is also a big fan of mixed martial arts, going as far as training in BJJ with Rolles Gracie. The Undertaker’s training with Gracie reportedly happened in secret over 19 months starting in 2010, after which ‘Taker was awarded a black belt by his trainer.
Undertaker has also famously incorporated his training into his move set, most notably using the Gogoplata submission, calling it Hell’s Gate.
9 Becky Lynch
When Ronda Rousey and Becky Lynch got into their highly publicized WWE feud, it had a strong MMA vs. wrestling flavor. But it may surprise some fans to find out that Becky Lynch has also trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
A big fan of former UFC Champion Conor McGregor, Lynch actually trained with McGregor’s coach, John Kavanaugh. Lynch has yet to pursue mixed martial arts, but her Fujiwara Armbar submission, Dis-Arm-Her, could certainly be incorporated into BJJ training.
8 Shane McMahon
Shane McMahon may have grown up in the wrestling business, but he’s also a huge fan of MMA. In the lead-up to his big WrestleMania 32 match with fellow MMA fan The Undertaker, news came out that McMahon had actually been training with Renzo Gracie since the late 2000s while simultaneously training in Muay Thai with Phil Nurse.
Wrestling fans saw McMahon try to incorporate his MMA love into pro wrestling via the failed shoot-style experiment Raw Underground, which never quite hit its potential before disappearing from Raw after only a couple of months.
7 Brock Lesnar
A two-time NCAA All-American wrestler in college, Brock Lesnar took WWE by storm in 2002, becoming a three-time WWE Champion before leaving the company in 2004 to pursue other athletic interests, including mixed martial arts.
Lesnar began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Rodrigo Medeiros in 2008, earning a blue belt in the process. His training in BJJ obviously paid off, as Lesnar ended up with a 5-3 record in MMA as well as a UFC Heavyweight Championship, notably earning his biggest victory at UFC 116 via arm-triangle choke.
6 Daniel Bryan
While Daniel Bryan is a technical wrestler whose style is heavily influenced by legends like Toshiaki Kawada, William Regal, and Dean Malenko, the submission specialist also incorporated a lot of Brazilian jiu-jitsu into his in-ring repertoire.
Not only has Daniel Bryan trained with the aforementioned John Kavanagh alongside Becky Lynch, but also learned his signature maneuver the YES! Lock from Neil Melanson, a grappling coach well versed in BJJ. Bryan’s devotion to the form was so strong that even when he was retired he continued to train in it.
5 MVP
Starting his career in 2002, most fans generally know MVP as a pro wrestler. But Montel Vontavious Porter also trains in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, taking part in various competitions over the years and winning gold medals in the process.
Most recently, MVP won a gold medal in the IBJJF World Masters Tournament in 2020, which earned him a promotion from a purple belt to a brown belt. This achievement allowed him to show off his big win alongside his Hurt Business partners’ championship belts.
4 Shayna Baszler
One of the Four Horsewomen of MMA alongside Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler captured a couple of championships over the course of her career and racked up a 15-11 record. Then she moved on to pro wrestling, where she signed with WWE in 2017, becoming an NXT Women’s Champion and a WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion.
While her training in Muay Thai and catch wrestling are well known, Baszler also trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, where she earned a brown belt.
3 Batista
Over the course of his career, Dave Bautista has pursued a number of disciplines. Pro wrestling and acting are the most famous, but before entering wrestling school he tried to be a bodybuilder, after leaving WWE he entered MMA, defeating Vince Lucero by TKO in 2012.
He’s also trained in various martial arts including Muay Thai, Escrima, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. His BJJ training happened under Cesar Gracie, which earned him a purple belt in 2014.
2 Eve Torres
A three-time Divas Champion during her six-year run with WWE, Eve Torres actually trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Torrance, CA, where he ended up attaining a purple belt.
She didn’t just train, either -- Torres ended up becoming an instructor in women’s self-defense, making her reportedly the first female teacher in the Academy. It was during her training at the Academy that she met Rener Gracie, and ended up marrying him in 2014.
1 Shinsuke Nakamura
One of the fiercest strikers in pro wrestling, Shinsuke Nakamura actually dabbled in some MMA during his early years as the “Super Rookie” in New Japan Pro Wrestling, ultimately racking up a 3-1 record in fighting, with his first match being a loss to Daniel Gracie in 2002.
Nak’s early training involved Vale Tudo -- a Brazilian combat sport that developed parallel to BJJ -- but he continues to train in BJJ to this day. Interestingly, Nakamura was actually offered a chance to fight for UFC in 2005, but his commitments to New Japan forced him to decline.