BJJ

Gordon Ryan or Roger Gracie: The Real Goat of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Gordon Ryan or Roger Gracie- The Real Goat of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

1. Gordon Ryan

Gordon Ryan
Photo Credit: @bjjheroes

1.1. Early Life of Gordon Ryan

Gordon Ryan is a resident of New Jersey; he was born in 1995. The young practitioner was fond of increasing his physical potential and mental capabilities. When he was five years old, Gordon Ryan followed the steps of his grandfather and father. Ryan started training in the martial arts of judo and wrestling. After spending little time, he demonstrated remarkable potential due to the innate skill he had taken from his ancestors.


But after a while, he realized that he could not improve his skillset while training in wrestling and judo. So he took a step further and selected Brazilian jiu-jitsu. This initial step polished his talent for grappling-based martial arts.

1.2. BJJ Training

When he reached the age of fifteen, he started training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Ryan belongs to a family with competitive capabilities. His grandfather and father were fond of wrestling and were the best wrestlers of their time. With the inspiration and encouragement of Tom Ryan, Gordon Ryan distinguished his identity as he started training BJJ.


As a teenager, Ryan distinguished himself and appeared as a proficient jiu-jitsu fighter. He was guided to start competing in BJJ tournaments. Soon, he appeared in local BJJ bouts and started competing at the regional jiu-jitsu tournaments. Gordon Ryan was moving up the ranks swiftly and distinguishing himself from the rest of the BJJ grapplers.


He has demonstrated a unique skill set, making him stand out in grappling. His unique style of grappling and submission hinted at his future supremacy.


As Ryan was heading to acquire the most valuable ranks in BJJ, he had the prestige of becoming the black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under coach Garry Tonon.

1.3. Gordon Ryan and Professional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Gordon started his professional career in 2016 and won the most notable championships. Gordon Ryan is an experienced Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) fighter and instructor. Rayn is a great grappler regarded as the best BJJ fighter in GI and No-Gi tournaments.


He is an athlete who has won multiple titles in the most renowned competitions. Gordon Ryan is known for his unique and innovative grappling style. He is the representative of the Danaher Death Squad team.


Instead of competing on the mat, the most proficient fighter has been working as a top-rated coach. Gordon Ryan has also developed an online platform that provides services for BJJ practitioners. 

Gordon Ryan and Professional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Gordon Ryan has won multiple awards due to his dominant performances.


Ryan has gained a unique reputation after giving dominant performances in gi and no-gi competitions. He has become the champion in the heavyweight and absolute divisions of the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship. He also stands out in the leading events of Submission Underground and Eddie Bravo Invitational.

1.4. Grappling Style of Gordon Ryan

Gordon Ryan has unique and dominant capabilities that have emphasized his overall performance. Ryan has exceptional leg lock technique, is the master of exerting the right amount of pressure while applying any submission method, and is technically proficient with various submission holds, which define his grappling fighting style. 

1.5. Gordon Ryan Grappling Academy

Aside from competing in the martial arts of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Gordon Ryan is the BJJ instructor; he owns and runs the institute that is named Gordon Ryan Grappling Academy, from which elite grapplers of BJJ have come, and the fighters of the Ryan BJJ Academy earned a special place after marking a milestone.


In addition, Gordon Ryan has worked in the field of BJJ, which has distinguished him. He created an online platform for BJJ grapplers. Gordon Ryan has contributed to the modern Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

1.6. Gordon Ryan Accomplishments

Gordon Ryan has a unified place in the significant no-gi tournaments; his most profound accomplishment is becoming the ADCC World Champion. With His consistent and dominant grappling style, he has defeated top-level contenders.


Ryan has competed with grapplers of different weight divisions. By competing in multiple weight classes, he has created a milestone and cemented his identity as one of the greatest no-gi fighters of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

2. Roger Gracie

2. Roger Gracie
Photo Credit: @graciemag

2.1. Early Life of Roger Gracie

In 1981, on September 26, Roger Gracie was born in Brazil; he belongs to the ancestral family of the Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Gracie was born in Brazil and inherited the skill set of ground fighting.


Roger Gracie is associated with the Legends family; he is the grandson of the founder of the martial arts of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The father of Roger Gracie is a well-known grappler in the late 90s. The profound grappler was known with the name of ‘’Maurição’’.


Following in the footsteps of the martial arts legends, Roger Gracie has started training in his family's sport, jiu-jitsu. Gracie is a nephew of Helio Gracie, who is also the most dominant BJJ grappler and a founder of jiu-jitsu. 

2.2. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Practice

Roger Gracie started practicing BJJ when he was quite young. At the age of four, he was under the training of the big names in jiu-jitsu, including Mauricio Gomes and Helio Gracie.


Roger demonstrated great talent in jiu-jitsu; with his dedication and devotion to the sport, he distinguished himself when he was a young child,


Gracie rose through the ranks very fast, and he showcased his proficiency while competing at an early age. Gracie had his first Brazilian national championship when he was only eleven years old. He was the representative of Gracie Barra.


Roger Gracie is regarded as one of the most decorated grapplers in BJJ. 

2.3. Roger Gracie Accomplishments

Roger Gracie is the most proficient grappler who marked his identity in the history of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He has gained popularity with his unmatched capabilities and attained innumerable accomplishments in jiu-jitsu.


Roger Gracie followed the pathway of his inheritance. He started to compete in Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions at a young age. As Roger Gracie approached the higher ranks, he competed in national and international BJJ tournaments. Gracie won the title of world champion when he was a purple belt in BJJ. Gracie acquired the victory and became Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion eight times.


He won the Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Championship when he was ranked as a blue belt in BJJ. The well-known competitor has fought in two weight divisions: middleweight and medium-heavy.


In his remarkable journey of BJJ, he reached the milestone and became the World Champion in 2003. The versatile BJJ fighter has set a record of winning the most world titles in jiu-jitsu history. Roger has become a five-time world champion in ADCC submission wrestling.


Over the decade,, the greatest grappler has remained unbeaten in renowned BJJ tournaments. That is why he is considered to be the greatest grappler and most skilled BJJ practitioner of all time.


He started competing in mixed martial arts (MMA) competitions in 2006. Roger has showcased his world-class grappling skills and won several fights using submission methods.


He won the ONE Championship, Strikeforce, and UFC tournaments.


From 2009 until 2012, Roger Gracie was part of the Strikeforce. He competed with the top and most profound contenders and made a list of his notable wins.


Roger has defeated UFC veterans, including Keith Jardine, Marcus Buchecha, Marcus Almeida, Rodrigo Cavaca, and Frost Murphy. 

2.4. Roger Gracie's Style of Grappling

Roger inherited a distinguished and profound style of grappling from his ancestors. With his determination, he has acquired technical mastery in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.


Gracie is a widely recognized BJJ grappler with technical expertise and accuracy in his techniques. His remarkable moves and application of BJJ methods are unmatched.


He executes the methods with great precision, and his submission methods are well-controlled. It shows that Roger Gracie thoroughly understands the foundational principles of BJJ and its mechanics.


Roger Gracie has a distinguished skill set gained after working with determination. He has a diverse understanding of using leverage in the BJJ bouts. Gracie can take control over his fellow fighters and is enormously skilled in applying submission methods. Moreover, Gracie can apply the submission methods from multiple positions. He is fantastic at setting up the joint locks and hooks.


The sport of Brazilian jiu-jitsu has the fundamental bases of composure and patience. Gracie can execute the submission methods using a calculated approach. 

2.5. Roger Gracie Academy

He had a tremendous impact on the BJJ practitioners, helping in the development and spread of BJJ globally.


Roger Gracie is a well-distinguished grappler and is regarded as the greatest BJJ fighter in the sport's history. The 5th-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu grappler is a BJJ instructor, following the Gracie BJJ heritage. He coaches at the renowned Roger Gracie Academy.


He has marked his identity and holds an unmatched jiu-jitsu record; he was a member of the IBJJF Hall of Fame. He has won ten matches with the submission method.


His unparalleled skill set has taken him to a dignified place, Gracie has displayed his remarkable BJJ methods in the octagon. 

3. Greatest of All Time (Goat) in BJJ

Over the years, the BJJ community has nurtured many talented athletes and put forward some of the best grapplers. However, some of the grapplers have distinguished themselves and marked their names in the history of jiu-jitsu.


The athletes are considered to be the best submission grapplers based on various factors, including style, variation, and the perfect application of the techniques.


In jiu-jitsu history, fighters are well-known for their submission style. Gordon Ryan and Roger Gracie are considered the best grapplers of jiu-jitsu. Both of them have competed in notable BJJ tournaments and acquired numerous titles.


In the martial arts of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, there is an exciting debate about the BJJ practitioners Gordon Ryan and Roger Gracie. People have always wanted to know who the best BJJ grappler in Brazil is, in jiu-jitsu. The renowned grapplers are famous for their profound grappling methods. Let us find out the answer to the question: 

3.1. Submission Expert in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Both fighters, Gordon Ryan and Roger Gracie, have a dignified place in BJJ and a unified approach to submission methods. The GOAT debate is based on the factors of longevity and sustained excellence of an athlete. 

3.2. Gordon Ryan Versatility and Innovation

Over the last ten years, Gordon Ryan has emerged as the most formidable BJJ fighter. He has accomplished numerous titles from the ADCC and no-gi tournaments. Ryan has unmatched grappling abilities, and his dynamic style is based on flexibility and perfect technique execution.


Gordon Ryan is renowned for his innovative methods, which he has used in no-gi and tournaments. His ability to apply BJJ tactics and comprehension of grappling techniques make him an extremely dangerous opponent.


Gordon Ryan has won most matches via submission methods; out of 167 games, Ryan has won 155 bouts. Most of his wins were on Rear-necked choked (RNC). Ryan has been considered the best grappler who can apply the submission method from the back.

3.3. Roger Gracie Sustained Excellence

For the duration of his career, Roger Gracie has maintained a high level of performance and won multiple world titles. Roger has distinguished himself by winning competitions via submission methods. Roger Gracie has participated in notable tournaments in which he has squared off the top contenders. Gracie has competed in the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) matches and knocked down the top-rated BJJ grapplers in no time.


When we talk about applying submission methods, Roger Gracie has a unified place in this regard. He is renowned for his exceptional BJJ submission techniques. He has won eight matches via rear-neck choke (RNC) and submitted well-known contenders, including Ronaldo Souza. Gracie has won matches in the super heavyweight division.


Roger has revolutionized the BJJ techniques and uses variations of the submission methods. His style is based on leg locks and back attacks.


After carefully analyzing the two top contenders' arguments, submission methods, and achievements, the experts and the Jiu-Jitsu community widely regarded Gordon Ryan as the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ).


Gordon Ryan was well-known for his extraordinary technical skill and capacity to execute submission techniques effectively. Ryan is also known for his profound knowledge of BJJ. He remains calm and has the ability to use his time effectively. He can make the application of submission methods very easy and effective at the same time.


Danaher further says that Ryan is a dedicated fighter who works on continuous improvement. Gordon Ryan is the fighter who has introduced revolutionary changes in the martial arts of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Moreover, this innovation brought versatility, which helped many BJJ fighters.


Rayn had a deeper understanding of BJJ, which enabled him to change and develop highly effective strategies. His innovative submission method can be easily executed in GI and no-gi tournaments.


Ryan has an exceptional memory that allows him to adapt to various challenges in BJJ competitions. Gordon can work according to the situation and make quick adjustments to execute the submission method as per the requirements, which made him stand out during the BJJ tournaments.


These quick adjustments during the competitions show Gordon Ryan's ultimate comprehension. His mental capabilities, physical prowess, and problem-solving skills helped him to mark his name as a GOAT in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. 

4. Conclusion

Although grapplers Roger Gracie and Gordon Ryan are among the top contenders in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the GOAT debate is ultimately arbitrary. It depends on the values of the profound and distinguished factors. The athlete who dominates the modern era versus historical significance and longevity. This GOAT topic will also likely continue among fans and experts in the BJJ sport.


John Danaher, the most influential figure, has provided insight and valuable perspectives on the dominant figure in BJJ. He has shared the factors that highlight Gordon Ryan's extraordinary capabilities. According to him, Gordon Ryan is the greatest grappler of all time because of his innumerable capabilities. His effective technical adoption and efficient BJJ training have made him a great grappler. 

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