Lloyd Irvin Jr. is a

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...

(MMA) and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt practitioner and coach. The founder of Team Lloyd Irvin, the first non-Brazilian team to take a world team title, he is the head coach to several champion grapplers.

Biography

Lloyd Emory Irvin, Jr. was born May 17, 1969, training from a young age in boxing and wrestling in 1983. After watching Royce Gracie UFC fights, Irvin started training Brazilian jiu-jitsu at a gym in Rockville, Maryland under Mario Yamasaki and Leo Dalla. Receiving his blue belt after a month Irvin continued training and opened his own academy using aggressive advertising campaigns. In 2008 and 2012 Irvin won the Master 2 World No-Gi Championship Super Heavy. In 2008, Lloyd Irvin, his family, and former student

Brandon Vera Brandon Michael Vera (born October 10, 1977), or also known by his ring name as The Truth, is a Filipino and American retired mixed martial artist where he was the inaugural ONE Heavyweight Champion and the 2005 WEC Heavyweight Grand Prix Champ ...

were the victims of a

home invasion A home invasion, also called a hot prowl burglary, is a sub-type of burglary (or in some jurisdictions, a separately defined crime) in which an offender unlawfully enters into a building residence while the occupants are inside. The overarching i ...

robbery. Reportedly, Irvin was able to disarm one of the robbers and send both men fleeing the residence shortly thereafter. There were no reports of injuries.

Team Lloyd Irvin

Irvin became the head coach of the eponymous Team Lloyd Irvin, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu and

organization operating in the

Mid-Atlantic States The Mid-Atlantic is a region of the United States located in the overlap between the nation's Northeastern and Southeastern states. Traditional definitions include seven U.S. states: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virg ...

of the U.S. A number of prominent

grapplers Grappling is a fighting technique based on throws, trips, sweeps, clinch fighting, ground fighting and submission holds. Grappling contests often involve takedowns and ground control, and may end when a contestant concedes defeat. Should ...

and

MMA Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

fighters have attended his academy at one time, such as Mike Fowler, JT Torres, and Ryan Hall. Irvin's team grew to be one of the best, earning medals in some of the most prestigious Brazilian jiu-jitsu championships.

Sexual misconduct allegations

In January 2013, two of Lloyd Irvin's students (Nicholas Schultz and Matthew Maldonado) were arrested and charged for the violent rape of a female teammate on New Years Eve. Irvin came under scrutiny after it was revealed that he had been involved in a 1989 gang rape case, for which he was acquitted while his fellow defendants were all convicted. In the wake of the controversy, reports of abuse, including allegations of sexual misconduct, came up from former students of Irvin. As a result, most of the team's senior competitors, including

Keenan Cornelius Keenan Kai-James Cornelius is an American martial artist. His competitive achievements include what is called the Double Grand Slam in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, having won double gold medals at four major tournaments: the World Jiu-Jitsu Champions ...

, JT Torres, Marcos Yemaso and Jordon Shultz left the team. A December 2013 article on the controversy in the ''

Miami New Times The ''Miami New Times'' is a newspaper published in Miami, Florida, United States, and distributed every Thursday. It primarily serves the Miami metropolitan area, and is headquartered in Miami's Wynwood Art District. Overview It was acquired ...

'', including accounts from former Irvin associates and students, claimed that students were training in a cult like environment. In March 2013 Irvin disbanded his affiliate program, citing the "lynch mob" mentality of his attackers.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align="center" , 1–0 , Arthur Gant , Submission (heel hook) , USVTO – US Vale Tudo Open 1996 , , align="center" , 1 , align="center" , 1:48 ,

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Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Irvin, Lloyd Living people American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu 1969 births