Why Celebrities Are Obsessed with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

The World's Most Powerful People Are Getting Choked Out

Somewhere in a gym in Los Angeles, a billionaire is tapping out to a college student. In New York, an Oscar-nominated actor is drilling guard passes with a plumber. In Laval, Quebec, a parent who just dropped off their kid is learning the same armbar that a UFC commentator spent twenty years perfecting.

This is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. And the list of famous people who train reads like a who's who of entertainment, tech, and business.

But here's the part that matters: none of them started famous on the mat. Every single one walked in as a white belt, felt completely lost, got submitted by someone half their size, and came back anyway.

Their reasons for starting are the same as yours. Their first class felt exactly like yours will. The only difference is that someone wrote about it.

The Black Belts: Decades of Dedication

Earning a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu typically takes 10 to 15 years of consistent training. There are no shortcuts - not for you, not for anyone on this list. A BJJ black belt is one of the hardest belts to earn in any martial art, which is why the celebrities who hold one deserve genuine respect for the work they put in.

Joe Rogan

Arguably the biggest ambassador BJJ has ever had. Rogan holds black belts under both Jean Jacques Machado (gi) and Eddie Bravo (no-gi) - earning two black belts in different systems is exceptionally rare. He started training after watching Royce Gracie dominate opponents twice his size at UFC 2 in 1994.

His podcast - the most listened-to in the world - has featured BJJ legends like Rickson Gracie, John Danaher, and Gordon Ryan. He once said: "Jiu-jitsu is the only martial art that works like it does in the movies - where the little guy can beat the big guy."

That quote resonates because it's true. And it's the reason most people walk into an academy for the first time.

Ed O'Neill

Al Bundy has a black belt. Let that sink in.

Ed O'Neill earned his black belt under the Rorion Gracie lineage after starting training at age 45. He called it "the greatest achievement of my life, apart from my children." Think about that - a man with one of the most successful careers in television history considers his BJJ black belt his proudest accomplishment.

If you're reading this at 40, 45, or 50 and wondering if you're too old, O'Neill answered that question decades ago. (For more on starting later in life, read our guide to starting BJJ at 35+.)

Guy Ritchie

The director of Snatch, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and the Sherlock Holmes films earned his black belt under Renzo Gracie himself. Ritchie trains at Renzo's academy in New York and has been vocal about how BJJ shapes his approach to problem-solving, discipline, and creative work.

Training under Renzo Gracie means Ritchie shares the same lineage as Gracie Laval. The techniques he drills in Manhattan are the same techniques taught on our mats in Laval, Quebec. That's the power of lineage - it connects every student to a system that has been tested and refined for over a century. (Read more about the Renzo Gracie legacy and history.)

Sean Patrick Flanery

The Boondock Saints actor holds a black belt under Shawn Williams, a direct student of Renzo Gracie. Flanery has competed extensively and is known for training with the same intensity as professional fighters. He's proof that acting and competing in BJJ aren't mutually exclusive - both require discipline, preparation, and the willingness to be uncomfortable.

The Brown and Purple Belts: Serious Practitioners

Brown and purple belts represent years of committed training. These aren't casual hobbyists - they've passed the point where most people quit and entered the territory where technique becomes deeply personal.

Ashton Kutcher

Kutcher earned his black belt in 2025 under Rigan Machado, one of the most respected instructors in the world. He trains regularly and has spoken about how BJJ gave him a physical outlet that nothing else could match. A black belt under Machado is no small thing - it represents close to a decade of serious work.

Maynard James Keenan

The frontman of Tool and A Perfect Circle earned his black belt in 2024. Keenan is famously private, but his commitment to BJJ is well documented. For someone whose creative work explores themes of discipline, ego death, and transformation, BJJ is a natural fit. The mat strips away pretense in a way that few other environments can.

Gisele Bundchen

One of the most successful supermodels in history earned her purple belt in approximately two years - an unusually fast progression that speaks to intense, consistent training. Bundchen has talked about BJJ as a practice in presence and resilience, not just physical fitness.

Dave Bautista

The former WWE champion and Guardians of the Galaxy star holds a brown belt. At 6'4" and over 250 pounds, Bautista is exactly the kind of person you'd expect to dominate any physical activity. But BJJ humbled him the same way it humbles everyone. He's spoken openly about how the art taught him that size means nothing without technique.

The Blue Belts and Beginners: The Most Relatable Group

Here's where it gets interesting. Blue belts and beginners are the most important group on this list - because they're closest to where you are right now.

Tom Hardy

Hardy holds a blue belt and has competed in tournaments, winning gold at the 2022 REORG Open Championships. He entered without telling organizers who he was. No cameras, no fanfare - just a man testing himself against strangers on a competition mat.

That's the spirit of BJJ. On the mat, your resume disappears. Your job title, your bank account, your social status - none of it matters. The only thing that counts is what you've practiced.

Mark Zuckerberg

The Meta CEO doesn't just train - he competes. Zuckerberg has entered BJJ tournaments and posted about his training openly. When one of the richest people on the planet chooses to spend his limited free time getting submitted by training partners, it tells you something about what BJJ offers that money can't buy: earned confidence, honest feedback, and a community that doesn't care about your net worth.

Keanu Reeves

Reeves trained extensively for the John Wick films, working with the Machado brothers to develop the grappling sequences that made those movies feel authentic. But those close to him say the training went far beyond film preparation - he continued training between productions because he found something on the mat that he wasn't finding anywhere else.

Kelly Slater

The greatest surfer in history - eleven world championships - holds a blue belt in BJJ. Slater has said that BJJ complements surfing in ways no other cross-training can, particularly in balance, body awareness, and the ability to stay calm under pressure.

Ivanka Trump

She holds a blue belt and has trained consistently for years. Whatever your politics, the commitment required to earn a blue belt is undeniable. Most people who start BJJ quit before reaching blue - she didn't.

The Late Starters Who Inspire the Most

Anthony Bourdain

The legendary chef, writer, and television host started training BJJ at age 58. He spoke extensively about how the practice helped his mental health, gave him a community, and provided a physical challenge that felt honest in a way his professional life sometimes didn't.

Bourdain once described walking into his first class as one of the most terrifying things he'd ever done. A man who had traveled to war zones and eaten things most people wouldn't touch was scared to step on a mat. That tells you everything about what the white belt experience feels like - and why surviving it changes you. (For more on the mental health connection, read the mental health benefits of martial arts.)

Margot Robbie

Robbie trained BJJ intensively and has spoken about how the practice builds a kind of confidence that no amount of professional success can replicate. For women especially, BJJ creates a relationship with your body that is rooted in capability rather than appearance. (Related: how BJJ helps women build unshakeable confidence.)

Dana White

The UFC president, who has watched more martial arts than almost anyone alive, said: "Starting Jiu-Jitsu is the most humbling experience you can have as a man." He wasn't exaggerating. The first time you roll with someone who weighs 40 pounds less than you and they control you completely, your entire understanding of physicality shifts.

What All of These People Have in Common

They all felt nervous before their first class.

They all got submitted by someone they didn't expect.

They all had a moment where they wanted to quit.

They all came back.

That's it. That's the entire secret. There's no celebrity fast-track, no VIP mat, no special technique reserved for the famous. Joe Rogan's first day looked like your first day will look. Ed O'Neill's first armbar felt exactly like your first armbar will feel.

The difference between someone who trains and someone who doesn't isn't talent, age, or fame. It's the decision to show up.

The Deeper Lesson: Social Proof Works Because It's True

Psychologist Robert Cialdini identified social proof as one of the most powerful drivers of human behavior. When we see people we respect doing something, we're more likely to try it ourselves. That's why this article exists - not to name-drop, but to show you that the smartest, most successful, most scrutinized people in the world looked at every option available to them and chose BJJ.

But social proof only gets you to the door. What keeps you coming back is what happens on the other side of it.

At Gracie Laval, the mat doesn't know your name. It doesn't care what you do for a living or what car you drove to get here. It only asks one thing: are you willing to learn?

You Don't Need to Be Famous to Start

You don't need a black belt goal. You don't need athletic talent. You don't need to lose weight first or "get in shape" before you begin.

You need to walk through the door.

Your first class at Gracie Laval is free. You'll train the same techniques, under the same Renzo Gracie lineage, on the same quality mats as every name on this list. The only difference is that your journey starts in Laval, Quebec - and that's not a lesser version of anything. It's yours.

Book your free trial class or call (438) 533-4348. We're at 3274 Blvd. Saint-Martin O, Suite 201, Laval - free parking at the door. Serving students from across the North Shore, Montreal, and greater Quebec.