8 Countries Where Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Is Most Popular (Ranked)

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is most popular in Brazil, the United States, Portugal and France. All 8 countries ranked by scene, champions and tournaments.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu grew out of Japanese jujutsu and judo that reached Brazil in the early 1900s and was reshaped by the Gracie family. Brazil is still its centre, but the United States hosts the world championship and France, Portugal, Japan and the United Arab Emirates have built large scenes of their own.

Below you will find the full ranking, a profile of every country and a separate table of the countries with famous world champions. Unlike team sports, BJJ has no single official count of players, so the ranking rests on tournaments, federations and results.

Countries where Brazilian jiu-jitsu is most popular:

1. Brazil
2. United States
3. Portugal
4. France
5. United Arab Emirates
6. Japan
7. Australia
8. Canada

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Popularity by Country at a Glance

How We Ranked the Countries

Brazilian jiu-jitsu has no worldwide player register, and the numbers circulating online range from a few million to more than ten million practitioners with no reliable source behind them. We therefore did not rank countries by an invented participation figure. We weighed the history of the art in each country, federation and club figures where a federation publishes them, the size and location of major tournaments, and the results of national athletes at the IBJJF World Championship, the Abu Dhabi World Professional Championship and ADCC.

Results are taken from the IBJJF, FloGrappling, national federations and Wikipedia. Where a figure comes from a federation about itself, we say so in the text.

#1 Brazil

• 📅 Origins: Mitsuyo Maeda reached Brazil in 1914 and Helio Gracie adapted the art for ground fighting
• 🏆 Mundial: First World Championship held in Rio de Janeiro on 3 and 4 February 1996
• ⭐ Stars: Marcus Almeida (13 world titles), Roger Gracie, Beatriz Mesquita
• 🥋 Title leaders: The athletes with the most World Championship titles are Brazilian

Brazilian jiu-jitsu was born in Brazil. The judoka Mitsuyo Maeda arrived in 1914, and Carlos and Helio Gracie then built their own style, with Helio adapting the art to a smaller body by relying on leverage and ground fighting.

Brazilian athletes still dominate the sport. As of 2024 Marcus Almeida had won 13 IBJJF World Championship titles and Beatriz Mesquita 10, the highest totals for men and women, and Roger Gracie won 10 as well.

#2 United States

• 📅 Arrival: Rorion Gracie moved to the United States in 1978
• 🏆 World Championship: Held at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California, since 2007
• ⭐ Stars: Gordon Ryan, Mikey Musumeci, Clark Gracie
• 🏟️ Hubs: California, New York and Texas host the most tournaments

The Gracie family brought the art to the United States, and Royce Gracie’s wins at UFC 1, 2 and 4 in the 1990s showed the world how effective it was. Today the United States has the biggest competition calendar outside Brazil, and the IBJJF World Championship has been held at Cal State Long Beach since 2007.

American athletes win at the highest level in both gi and no-gi. The 2025 World Championship at the Walter Pyramid ran from 29 May to 1 June, and Alliance took its 15th IBJJF World team title with 86 points against 74 for Art of Jiu Jitsu.

#3 Portugal

• 🏆 Events: Lisbon has hosted the IBJJF European Open for years
• 🗣️ Language: Shared with Brazil, which eased the spread of the art
• 📅 Arrival: Brazilian instructors settled in Portugal from the late 1990s

Portugal calls itself the home of Brazilian jiu-jitsu in Europe. The shared language and the many Brazilian instructors who moved to Portugal made it easy for the art to spread from the late 1990s, and the IBJJF European Open was held in Lisbon for years.

Because instructors and students move easily between the two countries, Portugal has become one of the places in Europe where Brazilian coaches settle and where competitors from across the continent travel to compete.

#4 France

• 🥋 Federation: The CFJJB works with the French judo federation
• 📅 Affiliation: The CFJJB is affiliated to the IBJJF
• ⭐ Star: Laurence Cousin
• 🏆 Milestone: Cousin won the 2007 World Championship

The French BJJ federation, the CFJJB, works with the French judo federation and is affiliated to the IBJJF. France has become one of the largest organised BJJ scenes in Europe, with a national club network and licensed competitors.

Laurence Cousin became the first non-Brazilian woman to win a black belt title at the IBJJF World Championship in 2007, and she is also regarded as the first European woman to earn a black belt in the art.

#5 United Arab Emirates

• 📅 ADCC: Abu Dhabi Combat Club founded in 1998 by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed
• 🏆 Abu Dhabi World Pro: Began in 2009 as the World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Cup
• 🥋 Federation: The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation runs the national scene

The Emirates have put money and institutions behind jiu-jitsu. Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed founded the Abu Dhabi Combat Club in 1998, and its ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship has been held regularly since, one of the most prestigious no-gi events.

The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation runs the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, which began as the World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Cup in 2009. Brazilian coaches and generous prize money have made Abu Dhabi a regular stop for the best athletes in the world.

#6 Japan

• 📅 Origins: Mitsuyo Maeda, a Kodokan judoka, brought the art to Brazil in 1914
• 🥋 Federation: Japan Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation led by Yuki Nakai
• 🏆 Events: The IBJJF holds Asian events in Japan

Japan is where the roots of Brazilian jiu-jitsu lie. Mitsuyo Maeda taught judo and ground fighting in Brazil from 1914, and his students passed the art to the Gracie family. Today the Japan Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, led by Yuki Nakai, organises tournaments across the country.

Japan does not have the numbers of Brazil or the United States, but it has a loyal competition scene and a strong link to the history of the art, since judo and jujutsu are where Brazilian jiu-jitsu comes from.

#7 Australia

• 📅 Federation: Australian Federation of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu founded in 1994
• ⭐ Stars: Craig Jones, Lachlan Giles
• 🏆 Events: IBJJF Pan Pacific Championship in Melbourne, 2023

BJJ took root in Australia in the 1990s. Peter de Been set up the Australian Federation of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 1994, and the federation still co-runs the Pan Pacific Championship in Melbourne with the IBJJF.

Craig Jones won the IBJJF No-Gi Worlds at purple belt in 2015. He trained under Lachlan Giles in Melbourne and received his black belt in 2016.

#8 Canada

• 📅 Pioneer: Marcus Soares began teaching in Vancouver in 1996 or 1997
• 🏆 Worlds: Emily Kwok, brown belt world champion in 2007
• 🏟️ Events: Toronto International Open, Montreal International Open
• ⭐ Stars: Emily Kwok, Brianna Ste-Marie

Brazilian jiu-jitsu reached Canada in the 1990s, when Marcus Soares began teaching in Vancouver in 1996 or 1997.

The IBJJF now runs open tournaments in Toronto and Montreal. Emily Kwok won a world title at brown belt in 2007, widely described as a first for a Canadian woman, and Brianna Ste-Marie of Montreal won the No-Gi Worlds in 2022.

Which Countries Are Best at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?

Brazilian jiu-jitsu has no official medal table by country, so this table lists verified milestones: the most decorated athletes, the first world champions and the standout results of each country.

Other Countries Where Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Is Growing

These countries just missed the ranking but have a growing jiu-jitsu scene.

More About Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

• History of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu lingo and slang
• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu equipment list

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