Jonathan Thomas - Top BJJ Black Belt Coach

During his teens, he developed an interest in martial arts. Jonathan Thomas sought some BJJ books and studied positions with his judo training partners, which further raised his curiosity for traditional jiu-jitsu.

After analyzing BJJ books for months, Thomas decided to join a grappling club established by one of Rickson Gracie’s well-known students, Rodrigo Vaghi. After winning frequently at the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) World and Pan American Championships, Thomas became known for his success in the lower ranks of BJJ’s international sporting circuit. Later, he led a successful competitive career as a black belt athlete and coach for the Swedish -grappling academy, Valhalla Jiu-Jitsu.

Born on August 25th, 1986, Jonathan Thomas grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Thomas developed a keen interest in martial arts at a young age and eventually began training a traditional-style self-defense martial arts at a local sports club called Goshin Jitsu.

In the Goshin Jitsu, Thomas also enrolled in a judo class, and it was via this well-known Olympic combat sport that he was introduced to the competitive aspect of martial arts. Thomas astounded his instructors with his skills and work ethic at this local martial arts club.

While growing up, Thomas watched the videos of the first UFC in which Royce Gracie, the smallest martial artist in the event, dominate athletes bigger than him sparked a new interest in Thomas. He looked for the books on positions that Royce Gracie executed in his first UFC bouts. After dissecting books for quite a while, Thomas developed an interest in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and decided to join a grappling club based in Saint Louis, led by one of Rickson Gracie’s top students, Rodrigo Vaghi. Under Vaghi's guidance, Thomas developed into a skilled competitor in both local and national circuits. He dedicated himself to his training, often staying on the mat for longer periods to advance his skills and all this while working on his engineering mathematics degree.

In 2008, when Jon achieved the purple belt level, he decided to hold onto his entry into the professional market as a mathematician to train with Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles at the Alliance Headquarters in Atlanta.

After two years in Atlanta, Thomas joined the professional market, moving to Washington DC where he worked in the satellite industry while training BJJ with Ryan Hall.

Though Jonathan Thomas had created a promising career for himself in the satellite industry, his yearning for training jiu-jitsu full-time compelled him to leave his position in Washington D.C and travel back to Georgia, Atlanta. Though Thomas intended to train with Cobrinha in Atlanta, the latter left for Los Angeles, providing Thomas an opportunity to grow under the tutelage of Lucas Lepri and Master Romero Cavalcanti at the Alliance Headquarters. By this point, Thomas began competing extensively at the lower belt ranks, grasping the attention of the international BJJ circuit through his remarkable wins in the IBJJF tournaments.

It was Lucas Lepri and Cavalcanti, who unanimously promoted Jonathan Thomas to black belt in late 2013. As a black belt, Thomas has competed in various tournaments while working a full-time job, paying visits to European BJJ academies, and leading workshops on BJJ in the Old Continent. More than ten years ago, Jonathan Thomas, a white belt with a love for martial arts, started his journey in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). Thomas encountered many obstacles and disappointments as he moved up the belt system, but he never wavered in his dedication to his training and skill development.

His desire to earn the coveted black belt was fueled by his determination to learn from his instructors and the support of his fellow students. After years of dedication and hard work, Thomas eventually obtained his BJJ black belt. He now spends a significant amount of his time in Sweden, but he also travels the world, leading seminars and engaging with the BJJ community.

Thomas is recognized as one of the best BJJ players in the United States, as he went on to win medals in the IBJJF Pan-American and IBJJF International Open Finals. He achieved his way to the top rankings by winning several competitions. Thomas’s vow to BJJ pays off through his several achievements.

Jonathan Thomas is focused on teaching and tutoring understudies of all levels in the craft of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as a BJJ black belt. His technique for direction accentuates the essentials of BJJ, with specific regard for method, influence, and system. Notwithstanding his specialized skill and excitement for combative techniques, he carries an abundance of involvement in his situation as a teacher. He is committed to giving his understudies a decent, reassuring, and safe learning climate where they can drive themselves and foster both on and off the mat. In his training vocation, Jonathan Thomas is focused on sharing his insight and energy for BJJ with all degrees of understudies, empowering them to understand their maximum capacity in martial arts fighting.

As a serious BJJ specialist, Thomas's training and instructing technique depend on his encounters. Understanding the psychological and actual requests of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he is devoted to helping his understudies acquire the confidence, determination, and specialized capability expected to prevail in craftsmanship.

The most common challenge faced by Jonathan Thomas, and almost all BJJ fighters, is managing training with other responsibilities. In Thomas's case, he had to manage his studies along with his BJJ training. He also had to drop an auspicious career in the rocket-building industry to train with Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles.

Thomas is perceived as a gifted and profoundly regarded Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor. His capability, title achievements, and showing style have a lasting legacy in the BJJ people group. Thomas is known for his abilities in the specialized guarded style of BJJ and his capacity to pass BJJ information on to his students in the best way.

Additionally, his effect on the BJJ should be visible through a few titles and the respect, he gained all through his profession. His legacy incorporates a status for being an excellent teacher and a motivation to foster BJJ among the new students. The BJJ people group proceeds to respect and value Jonathan Thomas' Legacy.

In 2017, at the Miami Spring Open Championship, the American native Jonathan Thomas brought gold to his home by winning the fight with Samir Chantre, in the featherweight division under Pts: 5x4.

In 2020, the Pan NoGi Championship between Thomas and Di Pierro was held in Georgia Jonathan Thomas won the semi-finals, under heavy weight by using the leg lock technique.

Jonathan Thomas vs Samir Chantre / Miami Spring Open 2017

Jonathan Thomas VS Fernando Di Pierro / Pan NoGi Championship 2020

Photo Credit: @jonthomasbjj