Early BJJ in Europe

BJJ first arrived in Europe in the 1990s, brought by Brazilian instructors who settled in countries like the UK, Portugal, and Scandinavia. The spread was accelerated by visiting black belts who gave seminars, often to communities already practicing judo or traditional martial arts.

By the 2000s, European BJJ had its own competitions, such as the IBJJF European Championship in Lisbon, which became one of the largest tournaments outside Brazil. Today, Europe is home to numerous elite athletes and teams, showing how quickly the art took root across the continent.