BJJ Legends Who Paved the Way for Women In Jiu-Jitsu

Yvone Magalhães Duarte is one of the most influential figures in BJJ history, serving as an inspiration for female BJJ competitors and helped pave the way for them in a sport once considered only for males. She was the first female BJJ black belt, having received her black belt in 1990 from Osvaldo Alves.

Duarte is also honored to be one of the people involved in the development of the female divisions in BJJ competitions in 1985. In 1997, she became the first female to start a female Jiu-Jitsu team named “Equpe Yvone Duarte.” Duarte was promoted to a 6th-degree black belt in 2020, becoming the first female BJJ competitor to receive this honor. Later in 2021, Duarte became the first female BJJ coral belt holder.

Rosângela da Silva Conceição, also known as “Zanza,” is one of the top competitors skilled in BJJ, wrestling, and judo. She was interested in and wanted to learn grappling during a time when there were few females in this field. There was no female BJJ weight class in São Leopoldo at that time, so Conceição left her state to train with stronger competitors.

In 1998, when the CBJJ World Championship announced a female division, Conceição entered and became the first BJJ female practitioner to earn a BJJ world title. At that time, there were only two female weight divisions: lightweight and heavyweight. Conceição was a purple belt at that time.

Later, Conceição won multiple gold medals in World Championships, ADCC Trials, Pan American, and Brazilian Nationals. She was one of the first female BJJ fighters to prove females were strong enough to handle BJJ.

Conceição also worked with children with Down syndrome at Darcy Vargas Children’s Hospital, teaching them the basics of judo and conditioning workouts. In this way, she executed the most positive side of martial arts. Conceição also worked as a UAE coach when she was invited by Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed to a grappling event. Her contributions to the creation of female divisions in martial arts can never be forgotten.

Alessandra Vieira de Souza, also known as “Leka”, became the first female black belt to become a BJJ world champion in 1999. She helped pave the way for female jiu-jitsu competitors and became the first female to promote another female, Cindy Omatsu, to the rank of black belt.

Vieira was very passionate about jiu-jitsu. She was promoted to a blue belt in a record time of six months after starting her jiu-jitsu training. In 2001, Vieira was invited to train the female class. Around this time, more women started to participate in jiu-jitsu and had the opportunity to enter world championships. Vieira eventually moved to live in Los Angeles and worked at Rigan Machado’s academy as a coach.

Vieira promoted three female competitors to black belts. She also won various medals in several World, Pan, and ADCC championships. In 2008, Vierira took a break, got married, and had a baby. In 2010, she wanted to come back but suffered from severe spinal injuries during a fight that kept her from taking part in BJJ. A few years later, Vieira returned and resumed her BJJ career as a coach at Checkmat Academy. Now, Vieira is working at an affiliate gym located in California leading classes for female practitioners.

She became a member of the Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame in 2014 and was chosen as Competitor of the Year. In 2018, she launched Wonder Woman BJJ Project to promote women in BJJ. She won the Pan Masters Championship in 2019. She gained her 6th Degree belt from Leo Viera in 2022. The same year she was inducted in the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame.

Juliana Vieira Borges is an elite judo practitioner, grappler, and wrestler who became the first woman to earn the title of ADCC Open and Absolute Weight Champion.

Borges is also a multiple-time World and Pan Champion in the blue, purple, and black belt divisions. She also earned a list of achievements in judo and freestyle wrestling.

Letícia Ribeiro is one of the 10 elite female BJJ competitors and a member of the IBJJF Hall of Fame. She is a seven-time Gi World Champion, a two-time No-Gi World Champion, and a two-time Pan American Champion.

Ribeiro started BJJ training to get into shape and lose weight after she found weightlifting to be unhelpful. She started her BJJ career at the Gracie Tijuca gym, an affiliate of Gracie Humaitá Academy. At this academy, she trained under famous fighters and was promoted to the rank of black belt by Royler Gracie and Vini Aieta.

Now Ribeiro is working as a coach at Gracie Humaitá Academy alongside elite grapplers and coaches like Mackenzie Dern, Penny Thomas, Bia Mesquita, and others. She also leads a female team that represents Gracie Humaitá. Ribeiro’s women's BJJ training camp is recognized as the top BJJ program for females in the world.     

Penny Thomas is the first South African BJJ black belt world champion. She is an inspiration for South African females who wish to get into BJJ training. Thomas is also a good mathematician, software developer, and artist, having won many awards in all these fields.  

Thomas was a former member of the South African Junior Olympic gymnastics team. She was forced to leave due to a spinal injury. Later, Thomas began to learn BJJ for self-defense but soon began to look for chances to compete competitively in BJJ.

Thomas regularly visited Brazil for competitions. She opened a BJJ gym in her garage and started teaching BJJ. She also met another BJJ legend, Letícia Ribeiro. Thomas moved to San Diego, California to train with Ribeiro and still works alongside her at Gracie Humaitá.

Thomas is a four-time Gi World Champion and a one-time No-Gi World Champion. She is also an ADCC, Pan American, and Grappler Quest Superfight Champion.   

Hannette Staack started her BJJ career under Master Flavio Figueiredo and “Professor” Fernando Cruz. Staack trained under both of them until she earned her purple belt. But when Cruz left BJJ coaching, Figueiredo introduced Staack to another BJJ coach, Andre “Negão” Terencio. At this point, Staack was an average BJJ student.

Under the supervision of Terencio, Staack improved her BJJ skills. In 2002, she came into the spotlight after winning her first world championship at the 2002 IBJJF World Championship by winning all five fights at black belt level. Later, she won five more gold medals competing in more World Championships.

In the 2007 ADCC absolute weight division, Staack faced Rosangela Conceição and submitted her via a flying armbar. This was one of Staack’s most famous fights as she gained international recognition after winning this fight.

Now Staack is running her own academy, Brazil 021 School of Jiu-Jitsu, along with her husband and coach, Terencio, and Terencio’s professor, Carlos Henrique.

Laurence Cousin Fouillat became the first female European to earn a BJJ black belt in 2005. She would go on to become one of the most accomplished grapplers in the European BJJ community. Cousin is the second non-Brazilian to become a Mundial de Jiu-Jitsu Champion.

Cousin started her martial arts career learning Aikido but later transitioned to jiu-jitsu. She immediately took a liking to jiu-jitsu and decided to pursue a career in BJJ. Cousin won multiple BJJ medals at World Championships, ADCC Trials, World FILA Gi and No-Gi Championships, and World Cup Championships.

During Cousin’s black belt promotion, she met Saulo Ribeiro. The cousin would later become part of the Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu Association and teach her knowledge to other BJJ competitors. 

Michelle Nicolini is an elite female grappler who has won a gold medal eight times in the Gi World Championship and two times in the No-Gi World Championship. She is also an ADCC, Abu Dhabi Pro, European Open, and Pan Champion. Nicolini was also inducted into the IBJJF Hall of Fame.

Nicolini started her martial arts career learning capoeira for three years. Later, she joined Rodrigo Cavaca’s academy and trained under Robert Drysdale. She earned all of her belts under Drysdale. Nicolini has become a role model for female grapplers.

Nicolini also debuted in MMA in 2011 in Inka FC 11. Her MMA record is 6-3-1. Out of the six victories, Nicolini won five of them via submission. She also has never lost a fight via submission in MMA. Nicolini is currently the Strawweight Champion of One Championship.

Kyra Gracie is the first female Gracie family member to receive a black belt. She was also considered one of the best grapplers amongst the colored belt divisions. Now she is one of the most accomplished female grapplers, having won multiple gold medals in major jiu-jitsu championships. Kyra is a three-time ADCC Champion, five-time World Champion, and two-time Pan and CBJJ Brazilian Nationals Champion.

Kyra is the granddaughter of Robson Gracie. She started her BJJ training as a child under her three uncles, Ryan, Renzo, and Ralph Gracie. Later, when Kyra turned 11, she started taking regular BJJ classes. Kyra was promoted to black belt by Carlos Gracie Junior.

Kyra Gracie is one of the most well-known BJJ personalities in the world. She was offered work as an actress. Kyra is currently working with one of the most famous gyms in the world, Atos Jiu-Jitsu.  

Much like other combat sports, Brazilian jiu-jitsu was once a male-dominated sport, created by and only allowing men only divisions were introduced for almost two years. But over time, various strong female martial artists took an interest in and started BJJ training along with their friends and brothers.

These BJJ ladies not only proved themselves in BJJ competitions but also paved the way for other female BJJ competitors to participate in jiu-jitsu. In 1998, when female divisions were announced for the first time, Gracie women were not allowed to participate in the championship. Now two females from the Gracie family are promoted to black belt. Kyra Gracie is multiple times world and ADCC champion.

Now there are many female-only BJJ academies and teams established worldwide. Many athletic women are learning BJJ to pursue careers, but also for self-defense and fitness purposes.