Celebrities who Love Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) is a dynamic combat sport and martial art, which is also considered to be a good form of self-defense.  It consists of submissions and grappling.  Typically, it takes approximately eight years to be awarded a black belt in BJJ.  To reach this achievement, one must be physically fit, have endurance, and be extremely dedicated to the sport.  There are a number of celebrities who are well-trained and active participants in the sport.  Among them are Guy Ritchie, Ed O’Neil, John Milius, Ashton Kutcher, Scarlett Johanneson, James Maynard Keenan, Jim Carey, and Keanu Reeves.

Impressively, Guy Richie trained under Renzo Gracie and was awarded his black belts in 2015.  As we all know, the Gracies were the pioneers of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Aside from being well-trained in BJJ, Guy Richie is an excellent director.  He has directed quite a number of films.  In addition, he was at one point in time married to the famous singer Madonna.

Everyone knows Ed O’Neil, from Married with Children and Modern Family, of course.  Besides having an extensive acting career, he has also obtained a black belt in BJJ.  This was achieved in 2007, after 16 years of training under Rorion Gracie.  O’Neil’s interest in the sport was piqued when his friend, John Milius, introduced him to a type of martial art that takes a lot of dedication to master. Other than being a writer/director, Milius also surfs.   A fun fact is that he is the reason that the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) utilizes the Octagon to fight in.  Previously, combat sports used to be take place in a ring or simply on a mat.

Ashton Kutcher is presently a brown belt under the Machado Brothers.  He is quite active in the sport.  The Machado family is extremely well known for their world renowned practitioners and coaches.  Needless to say, anyone studying under them is exceptional.

The appeal of Brazilian jiu-jitsu has been on the rise with women.  The UFC had created a women’s division for Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in 2013.  That year, the first women’s fight in the Octagon was between Rhonda Rousey and Liz Carmouche.  In Hollywood, we have a bad ass woman who has achieved exactly what she set out to do and picked up a wonderful hobby!  Since 2016, Scarlett Johanneson has been training at the Academy of Beverly Hills.  The gym is run by Rigan Machado.  Currently, Johanneson holds a purple belt in BJJ.

Anyone who likes James Maynard Keenan, the lead singer of the band Tool, likely is aware of his intensive training in BJJ.  Keenan began his training in jiu-jitsu back in the 1990s. This was approximately, the same time that Tool was formed. This January, he has been awarded with his black belt.  His wife Jen also practices BJJ. Keenan recently opened up on his wife’s battle with cancer.