Jiu-Jitsu CON was founded on the idea to unite the jiu-jitsu community under one roof.

It is a social event of like minded practitioners, athletes, and fans to gather and attend team summits, free seminars, and competitions. With competitors ranging from adult black belt World Champions, to kids, to Masters 7 athletes in their 60’s, the event feels like a celebration of the art and the jiu-jitsu lifestyle. This year, Jiu-Jitsu CON would also like to honor the founders of our martial art, Carlos and Helio Gracie. Their contributions made it possible for each of us to practice jiu-jitsu today.

The three day event starts on Thursday September 1st and runs through Saturday September 3rd at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Whether you’re going to the event to compete, check out the free seminars and sponsor booths, or support your teammates among thousands of members of the jiu-jitsu community, you’ll be sure to have a great time at the world’s biggest jiu-jitsu event. The following is your complete guide to Jiu-Jitsu CON.

Honoring Carlos and Helio Gracie

At the 2022 Jiu-Jitsu CON, the IBJJF will be honoring the Grand Masters Carlos and Helio Gracie for their contributions to jiu-jitsu. They have contributed more to the gentle art than anyone in jiu-jitsu history and laid the foundation for the jiu-jitsu that we practice today.

Grand Master Carlos Gracie is widely considered the founding father of modern day Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Carlos started training at a young age and spent his life spreading the art to his family and students. He and his brothers opened the original Gracie Academy in the 1920s, teaching thousands of practitioners in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Carlos also participated in challenge matches, where his aim was to prove the superiority of Jiu-Jitsu as a self defense system. In addition to his technical studies on the mats, Carlos also founded the Gracie Diet and preached the importance of both physical and spiritual health. His life experiences and teachings were passed on to his family and to countless Jiu-Jitsu practitioners worldwide.

Grand Master Helio Gracie, younger brother of Carlos Gracie, played a vital role in developing and popularizing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He modified many of the traditional judo techniques to focus more on leverage and body positioning, making it easier for smaller and weaker practitioners to defend themselves. Like his older brother Carlos, Helio also had several challenge matches. His matches with Yasuichi Ono, Takeo Yano, and Masahiko Kimura received national media attention in Brazil. Helio’s lifelong dedication to training Jiu-Jitsu and adhering to the principles of the Gracie Diet allowed him to continue training until he was 95 years old, just days before his passing. His technical and philosophical contributions to Jiu-Jitsu are foundational to the art we practice today.  

Free Jiu-Jitsu Seminars

Jiu-Jitsu CON offers free seminars with some of the best black belt coaches and athletes in the world. Prior year seminar instructors have included Shane Jamil Hill-Taylor, Andre Galvao, Roger Gracie, Romulo Barral, and Xande Ribeiro. This year’s seminar schedule is as impressive as ever. The following seminars will go down at Jiu-Jitsu CON starting Thursday September 1st and will go through Saturday September 3rd. Registration will open two hours prior to each seminar in the Seminar Area. All seminars will have limited capacity and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Robert Drysdale and Amy Campo - Thursday Sept. 1st, 1PM-2PM

Zenith BJJ black belts Robert Drysdale and Amy Campo will teach the first seminar at Jiu-Jitsu CON on Thursday September 1st at 1 PM. Professor Robert Drysdale is the co-founder of the Zenith BJJ Team and a black belt World Champion, winning the prestigious event in 2005. In addition to his success in BJJ, Robert also pursued a career in mixed martial arts, competing at the highest level of the sport in the UFC. After retiring from competition, Robert has shifted his focus to his academy in Las Vegas, helping his students reach their goals both on and off the mat.

Amy Campo is currently one of the best black belt competitors on the scene, winning American Nationals and placing 2nd in the open class at the Worlds in her first year as a black belt. Her style is very submission-oriented, ending many of her black belt matches using a variety of finishes.

Leo Vieira - Friday Sept. 2nd, 11AM-12PM

CheckMat co-founder Leo Vieira is one of the most sought-after coaches in jiu-jitsu. He won World, Pan, and Brazilian National titles prior to dedicating himself to coaching. His academies in Southern California have produced many of the sport’s top competitors, including Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida, Lucas Leite, and Nathalie Ribeiro, among others.

Julio Cesar, Amanda Canuto, Jaime Canuto - Friday Sept. 2nd, 3PM-4PM

Master Julio Cesar co-founded GF Team, one of the most accomplished competition teams in jiu-jitsu. The team headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil produced countless champions such as Rodolfo Vieira, Gutemberg Pereira, and Vitor Oliveira.

Amanda Canuto is a black belt World, World No-Gi, European, and Pan No-Gi Champion. She received her black belt in June 2017 after winning the Worlds at brown belt and has consistently been on the podium of the biggest events ever since.

GF Team black belt Jamie Canuto is a Brazilian National, American National, and World Master Champion. In addition to winning titles, Jamie has developed a style focused around submissions, most notably his armbar from the closed guard.

Michael Langhi - Saturday Sept. 3rd, 11AM-12PM

In 2009, Michael Langhi won his first of three World titles. The Alliance Jiu-Jitsu lightweight went on to become one of the most accomplished competitors of his generation, adding Pan, European, Brazilian National, and No-Gi World gold to his resume throughout his career. Michael has recently taken on a leadership role with Alliance, running the Sao Paulo academy and coaching many students at the tournaments. His experience as a world-class competitor and instructor will make this a seminar every jiu-jitsu practitioner will benefit from.

Tournaments

World Master Jiu-Jitsu Championships (Sept 1-3, 2022)

The World Master Jiu-Jitsu Championships are the largest jiu-jitsu tournament in the world, drawing more and more 30+ year old competitors every year. From 30 year old Master 1 competitors all the way up to 70+ year old master 7 competitors, the World Masters have something to offer every competitor. The first edition of the event was in 2012 and it has grown tremendously every year since then. The master 1 and 2 black belts will compete on Thursday September 1st and the master 3-7 black belts will compete on Friday September 2nd.

Athletes to watch: Joao Miyao, Gabriel Gonzaga, Alexandre “Soca” Freitas, Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro, Megaton Dias, Mario Sperry, Samir Chantre, Jaime Canuto, Sergio Rios, Yago de Souza, Tarsis Humphreys, Gabriel Almeida, Jared Dopp, Melissa Stricker, Maria, Malyjasiak, Piter Frank, Rafael “Formiga” Barbosa, Diego Ferreira, Leandro Vieira, Leonardo Vieira, Bruno Bastos, Alexandre Dantas, Omar Salum, Ricardo Evangelista, Cassio Werneck, Fabio Alano

Jiu-Jitsu CON International & Jiu-Jitsu CON No-Gi International (Sept 1-2, 2022)

Other world-class gi and no-gi tournaments also held at Jiu-Jitsu CON are the Jiu-Jitsu CON International and the Jiu-Jitsu CON No-Gi International. These events are two stars, meaning more ranking points are available for athletes who make the podium. The additional ranking points and magnitude of these events will make for exciting matches for both competitors and spectators.

Gi Athletes to watch: Gabrielli Pessanha, Bianca Basilio, Tainan Dalpra, Melissa Stricker, Johnatha Alves, Maria Malyjasiak, Pablo Lavaselli, Carlos “Bebeto” Oliveira, Fellipe Andrew, Jessa Khan, Lavinia Barbosa, Amanda Canuto, Janaina Maia, Raquel Canuto, Janaina Maia, Thalys Pontes, Israel Almeida

No-Gi Athletes to watch: Amanda Canuto, Carlos “Bebeto” Oliveira, Pablo Lavaselli, Joshua Hinger, Gabriel Almeida, Fellipe Andrew, Bianca Basilio, Raquel Canuto, Margaret Grindatti

Jiu-Jitsu CON Novice International (Sept 1-2, 2022)

The Jiu-Jitsu CON Novice International is one of the biggest novice tournaments in the world, providing a world-class competition for white belt athletes who are newer to competition. If you are competing in this event, be sure to review the schedule and order or fights on ibjjf.com.

Jiu-Jitsu CON Kids International (Sept 3, 2022)

Youth sports are a huge part of our culture and jiu-jitsu is quickly becoming one of the most sought after activities for kids. Confidence, self-esteem, respect, and commitment are all values instilled in kids through jiu-jitsu. If your student or your child is competing at this event, be sure to review the schedule and order or fights on ibjjf.com.

Sponsor Booths

In addition to the tournaments and seminars, there will also be multiple sponsor booths spread throughout the event. Whether you need to recharge your energy with an acai bowl or just enjoy 20+ exhibitors promoting the latest in sports equipment, workouts, techniques, and nutrition, don’t forget to stop by the booths while you’re at the event. Official sponsors include Fighter’s Market, Keiko Sports, Kekoa, Kicksite, Newhope Regeneration, Old Man Strength, Flobottle, Braus, Fuji, Impact Custom Mouth Guards, HiDow, BJJ Tees, Black Armor, Breakpoint, BJJ Link, and Sphere Kimono Company.

Head over to jiujitsucon.com for more information on this historic event.