Vanessa English
Born (1989-05-09) 9 May 1989[1]
NicknameVanessita[2]
ResidenceNottingham, England
DivisionGI Weight Classes
  • Super feather 53.5 kg
  • Featherweight 58.5 kg
StyleBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu
TeamGracie Barra
TrainerVictor Estima, Gareth Neale
RankBJJ black belt[lower-alpha 1]
Medal record
Representing  England
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
World Championship[3]
Bronze medal – third place 2018 California, USA -53.5 kg
European Championship[4]
Gold medal – first place 2018 Lisbon, Portugal -53.5 kg
Abu Dhabi Grand Slam World Tour[5]
Gold medal – first place 2017 London, England -55 kg

Vanessa English (born 9 May 1989), is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt competitor and instructor.[lower-alpha 1] 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, Norfolk, England. At the age of 16 she started Capoeira, followed by Japanese jujutsu, then in 2009 Brazilian jiu-jitsu at Gracie Barra Derby 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 and Gareth Neale.[6] 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.[7] After receiving her purple belt in 2012,[2] 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.[8] 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.[9]

Black belt career

On 7 June 2015, English was upgraded to black belt by Victor Estima.[10] As a black belt English won the 2018 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu European Championship after defeating Livia Gluchowska in the light-featherweight's division finale.[11] 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,[12] In 2023 she won gold at the IBJJF London Open competing in the light division.[13]

English was invited to compete at the first Kairos Pro Jiu-Jitsu event on May 7, 2023.[14] 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.[15]

English was invited to compete at Grapplefest 16 on July 1, 2023 for the promotion's vacant under 60kgs title against Adele Fornarino.[16] English lost the match by decision.[17]

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitive summary

Main Achievements (Black Belt)[1]

Main Achievements (Coloured Belts)[1]

  • 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[lower-alpha 2] brown[9])

Instructor lineage

Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlos Gracie Jr. > Victor Estima > Vanessa English[1]

Notes

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Vanessa English". BJJ Heroes. 26 July 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Vanessa English martial arts details". Awakening Fighters. 28 January 2018.
  3. ↑ "World IBJJF Jiu-jitsu Championship 2018". International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation.
  4. ↑ "European IBJJF Jiu-jitsu Championship 2018". International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation.
  5. ↑ "Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour London results". Jiu-Jitsu Times. 19 March 2017.
  6. ↑ "Interview with 2013 Purple Belt World BJJ Champ, The UK's Vanessa English". Bjj Eastern Europe. 14 June 2013.
  7. ↑ "Home carer Vanessa English turned Brazilian Jujitsu champ". BBC News. 23 January 2014.
  8. ↑ "Welcome to Female Fighters!". Female Fighters. 29 February 2020.
  9. 1 2 "European IBJJF Jiu-jitsu Championship 2014". International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation.
  10. ↑ "Vanessa English – Fighter profile". Abu Dhabi Jiu Jitsu Pro. 23 March 2022.
  11. ↑ "IBJJF European Open 2018 Results". BJJ Heroes - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Team History, Fighter Stats, Biographies and News. 21 January 2018.
  12. ↑ "Athlete Results". Athlete Results Vanessa English. 22 February 1999.
  13. 1 2 "IBJJF London 2023". IBJJF.
  14. ↑ Burne, Kathrine. "Kairos Pro Jiu-Jitsu Announces Superb Lineup For First Event". JitsMagazine. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  15. ↑ "Kairos Pro Jiu-Jitsu 1 Full Results And Review". JitsMagazine. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  16. ↑ Lindsey, Alex. "Fantastic Lineup Announced For Grapplefest 16". JitsMagazine. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  17. ↑ "Grapplefest 16 Full Results And Review". Jitsmagazine. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
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