Vanessa English (born 9 May 1989), is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt competitor and instructor. In coloured belt she is a multiple-time European champion, in both Gi and No-Gi, and is the first British-born Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor to win the IBJJF World Championships. English is a 2018 World Championship black belt medallist and the 2018 European Open black belt Champion.

Career

Vanessa English was born on 9 May 1989 in

King's Lynn King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is north-east of Peterborough, north-north-east of Cambridg ...

Norfolk, England Norfolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and east, Cambridgeshire to the west, a ...

. At the age of 16 she started

Capoeira Capoeira () is an Afro-Brazilian martial art and game that includes elements of dance, acrobatics, capoeira music, music, and spirituality. It likely originated from enslaved Mbundu people, of the Kingdom of Ndongo, in present-day Angola. The ...

, followed by Japanese jujutsu, then in 2009 Brazilian jiu-jitsu at

Gracie Barra Gracie Barra (GB) is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu academy and team co-funded in 1986 by Carlos Gracie Jr., a son of Carlos Gracie, one of the founders of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. History The Gracie Barra academy was established in 1986 by Carlos Grac ...

Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...

under Pat and Steven Martin; here she began competing as a white belt. In 2012 she moved to Nottingham at another Gracie Barra academy under

Victor Estima Victor Estima is a fourth degree Carlos Gracie, Jr. black belt who, along with his brother Braulio Estima, was coached under Ze Radiola in his native Brazil. He has competed and won at the highest level in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at ...

and Gareth Neale. As a blue belt she won the British Open Championship in both Gi and No-Gi then won bronze at the 2011 World Championship. English started training daily, sometimes following her night shifts as a home carer in

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...

. After receiving her purple belt in 2012, English won the British Open again. In 2013 she became world champion and European champion after winning the 2013 World Championship, the 2013 European Open Championship and the 2013 European Open No-Gi Championship, she became the first British born Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitor to win the IBJJF World Championships in the adult division. After receiving her brown belt in 2014, she won the IBJJF London International Open then won the European Champion two years in a row (2014 & 2015), also winning bronze in the Open Class in 2014.

Black belt career

On 7 June 2015, English was upgraded to black belt by Victor Estima. As a black belt English won the 2018 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu European Championship after defeating Livia Gluchowska in the light-featherweight's division finale. and the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam London. In 2018 she won bronze at the 2018 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship taking place in

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

, In 2023 she won gold at the IBJJF London Open competing in the light division. English was invited to compete at the first Kairos Pro Jiu-Jitsu event on May 7, 2023. She registered 3 wins and 1 draw to win her group and progress to the final, followed by defeating Gabi Schuck by decision to win the tournament. English was invited to compete at Grapplefest 16 on July 1, 2023 for the promotion's vacant under 60kgs title against

Adele Fornarino Adele Marie Fornarino (born 17 September 1999) is an Australian grappler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt competitor and coach. She became champion in two weight classes at the 2024 ADCC World Championship. Early life Adele Fornarino ...

. English lost the match by decision.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitive summary

Main Achievements (Black Belt) * IBJJF European Champion (2018) * Abu Dhabi Grand Slam London Champion (2017) * IBJJF London International Open champion (2023) * IBJJF London Winter Open Champion (2017) * 2nd place Abu Dhabi World Pro Championship (2017) * 2nd place IBJJF London Winter Open (2017) * 3rd place IBJJF London International Open (2023) * 3rd place

IBJJF World Championship The World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament held annually by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. It is widely considered the most important and prestigious jiu-jitsu tournament of the year. The f ...

(2018) Main Achievements (Coloured Belts) * IBJJF World Champion (2013 purple) * IBJJF European Champion (2013 purple, 2014/2015 brown) * IBJJF European Open No-Gi Champion (2013 purple) * IBJJF London Open Champion (2014 brown) * 3rd place IBJJF World Championship (2011 blue) * 3rd place IBJJF European Champion (2014 brown)

Instructor lineage

Mitsuyo Maeda naturalized as Otávio Maeda (),Virgílio, p. 9 was a Japanese people, Japanese-born judo, ''judōka'' and prizefighter in no holds barred competitions. He was known as Count Combat or ''Conde Koma'' in Spanish and Portuguese, a nickname he pi ...

Carlos Gracie Carlos Gracie (September 14, 1902October 7, 1994) was a Brazilian martial artist who is credited with being one of the primary developers of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Along with his younger brother Hélio Gracie and fellow students Luis França a ...

Helio Gracie Helio may refer to: * Helio AU-24 Stallion * Helio (wireless carrier), a defunct American wireless communications provider (2005–2010); originally a joint venture between SK Telecom and EarthLink, purchased by Virgin Mobile USA in 2008 * He ...

Carlos Gracie Jr. Carlos "Carlinhos" Gracie Jr. (born January 17, 1956) is a Brazilian 8th-degree coral belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) practitioner, instructor, and coach. A member of the Gracie family, he is the son of Carlos Gracie, one of the founders of Br ...

> Vanessa English

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:English, Vanessa English practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu English submission wrestlers Living people 1989 births People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Sportspeople from King's Lynn World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championship medalists Female Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners