Also known as | The B Team [1] |
---|---|
Date founded | 2021 [2] |
Country of origin | United States |
Founder | Craig Jones, Nicky Ryan, Nick Rodriguez, and Ethan Crelinsten |
Current head | Craig Jones [3] |
Arts taught | Grappling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu |
Practitioners | see Notable members |
Official website | bteamjj |
B Team Jiu-Jitsu, also known as the B-Team, is a submission grappling team and gym located in Austin, Texas. Led by ADCC silver medalist Craig Jones, it is regarded as one of the top grappling organizations in the world. [4]
The B-Team was started in 2021 after the split of John Danaher's eponymous "Danaher Death Squad", [5] by former team members Craig Jones, Nicky Ryan, Nick Rodriguez, and Ethan Crelinsten. [6] Around the same time, Danaher, Gordon Ryan, and Garry Tonon started New Wave Jiu-Jitsu in Austin. [7]
In 2022, Jay Rodriguez won the ADCC North American West Coast trials in the 88kg division [8] while Izaak Michell won the ADCC Asia and Oceania trials in the 99kg division. [9] During the 2022 ADCC World Championships, the B-Team was represented by seven athletes competing across all weight classes. Nicky Rodriguez won silver in the +99 kg while Craig Jones won silver at −99 kg. [10] [11]
Izaak Michell left the B-Team due to disputes over responsibilities, pay, and ownership of the team.
In January 2023, B-Team member Damien Anderson announced that he was opening a B-Team location in New Jersey. [12]
A list of current and former members: [10]
The ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship is an international submission grappling competition, organised by the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC). The inaugural tournament was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE in 1998. It has been held every two years since 2001, except in 2021 due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Host countries have included Brazil, China, Finland, Spain, the UK, and the US.
UFC Fight Pass is an American subscription-based video streaming service owned by the UFC's parent company, TKO Group Holdings, that launched in December 2013.
Gordon Ryan is an American submission wrestler and first-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, considered by many to be the greatest no–gi grappler of all time due to his accomplishments and dominance. Ryan is a five–time ADCC Submission wrestling world champion, two-time IBJJF No-Gi World champion and a four-time Eddie Bravo Invitational champion.
Felipe Carsalade Araujo Pena is a Brazilian Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and ADCC world champion.
Nicholas Meregali is a Brazilian submission grappler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt competitor. A multiple time world, Pan, European and Brazilian champion at colored belts, Meregali is a 3x IBJJF black belt World Champion and a 2x ADCC World medallist.
John Danaher is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts instructor and coach from New Zealand. He is widely regarded as one of the best instructors and coaches in these sports.
Michael Musumeci Jr. is an American submission grappler and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt competitor.
Nicholas "Nick" Rodriguez, commonly known as Nicky Rod is an American professional submission grappler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) athlete.
Micael Ferreira Galvão, commonly known as Mica Galvão, is a submission grappler, Luta Livre and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt competitor from the Brazilian state of Amazonas. A highly decorated athlete competing since childhood, Galvão was promoted to black belt in 2021, at the age of 17, less than three years after reaching blue belt. In 2022 Galvão won the 2022 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship before testing positive for a banned substance, was stripped of said title and received a one-year suspension ban.
Craig Benjamin Jones is an Australian grappler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt competitor and coach. An IBJJF World No-Gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion as a white belt, Jones is a two-time ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship silver medalist and a three-time Polaris Pro Grappling champion. Jones trains out of Austin, Texas, and is the head of B Team Jiu-Jitsu.
Kade Ruotolo is an American submission grappler and black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu athlete. A competitor with his twin brother Tye since the age of 3, Ruotolo is a IBJJF World champion, Pan Am and European Open champion at coloured belt level. Promoted to black belt in December 2021, Ruotolo won the 2022 ADCC World Championship in the 77kg division, becoming at age 19 the youngest-ever ADCC Submission Fighting World champion. Ruotolo is signed to ONE Championship where he is the current lightweight submission grappling champion.
Giancarlo Bodoni is an American submission grappler and Brazilian jiujitsu black belt competitor from Miami, Florida. A multiple time World, Pan and European championships medallist in colored belts, Bodoni is the 2021 Pan No-Gi heavyweight champion and the 2022 ADCC Submission Fighting World Champion in the 88 kg division.
Brianna Ste-Marie is a Canadian submission grappler, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt athlete. An IBJJF World No-Gi, Pan American, European and American national jiu-jitsu champion in coloured belts, as well as a Combat Jiu-Jitsu and Medusa champion; Ste-Marie is a 2022 World No-GI champion, a 2023 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship medallist and the 2022 ADCC Submission Grappling under 60 kilograms (130 lb) silver medallist.
Haisam Rida is a Ghanaian submission grappler and black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitor. A two-time Asian Open Champion and three-time JBJJF All Japan Champion in lower belt divisions, Rida is an ADCC 2022 Veteran and a black belt Pan-American No-GI silver medallist.
Kaynan Casemiro Duarte is a Brazilian submission grappler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt competitor. Duarte is a two-time champion at both the ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship and World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship in the Heavyweight division.
Dante Leon is a Canadian grappler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt competitor.
Tye Ruotolo is an American submission grappler and black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu athlete. A competitor with his twin brother Kade since the age of 3, Ruotolo is currently the youngest IBJJF World champion at black belt level in the history of the sport. At the 2019 ADCC World Championship, Ruotolo as a 16-year-old was the youngest competitor to participate in the competition and also to reach the semi-finals where he eventually came fourth place. Following promotion to black belt in December 2021, Ruotolo became a two division Who's Number One (WNO) champion, world champion at the 2022 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship and a bronze medalist at the 2022 ADCC World Championship.
Roberto Jimenez is an American-born Ecuadorian grappler and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt competitor.
Cole Abate is an American submission grappler, and black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) athlete. A competitor since early child years with multiple juvenile titles, Abate won, as a 16-year-old blue belt, the 2021 ADCC East Coast Trials.
Mason Fowler is an American former mixed martial arts fighter, submission grappler, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt athlete. A two-time IBJJF World champion, No-Gi World Champion, European Open and Pan-American champion in colored belts, Mason is a black belt European Champion, CBJJ Brazilian Nationals Champion and a two-time ADCC Submission Fighting World Trials winner.