Master Eddie Bravo AKA “The Twister” - His Claim to Fame!

However, the real shock came when he defeated Royler Gracie - the most popular and most feared black belt in the ADCC 2003 Championship.

In the quarter-finals, against all odds, Bravo controlled Gracie (4-time world champion) using his invented rubber guard technique and submitted him with a triangle choke while Gracie unsuccessfully attempted a calculated move, the knee sliding guard pass.

After this match, Bravo went from an anonymous BJJ practitioner to a BJJ legend in mere minutes. Before this match, Gracie had never been beaten in any competition. Bravo changed the course of history as he successfully played his game and claimed fame.

Though Bravo ended up losing to the would-be champion Leo Viera, his mark was already left on the world.

2.3.2. Eddie Bravo vs Gracie, Metamoris 3 - 2014, Epic Rematch

However, the real shock came when he defeated Royler Gracie - the most popular and most feared black belt in the ADCC 2003 Championship.

In the quarter-finals, against all odds, Bravo controlled Royler Gracie (4-time world champion) using his invented rubber guard technique and submitted him with a triangle choke while Gracie unsuccessfully attempted a calculated move, the knee sliding guard pass.

After this match, Bravo went from an anonymous BJJ practitioner to a BJJ legend in mere minutes. Before, this match Gracie had never been beaten in any competition. Bravo changed the course of history as he successfully played his game to claim fame.

Though Bravo ended up losing to the would-be champion Leo Viera, his mark was already left on the world. 

Unlike most tournaments, this promotion tournament did not have points. If none of the combatants submitted before 20 minutes, the match would be declared a draw.

Both of the retired players engaged in a 20-minute long, submission-only grappling match. Bravo proved to the world yet again that his match with Royler Gracie was not just “luck” and that his skills have improved considerably over the decade.

2.3.3. Eddie Bravo vs Gustavo Dantas

Though Eddie Bravo’s competitive work is small, his impact is anything but. After winning the 2002 North American ADCC trials, he got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete in the most-coveted no-gi BJJ tournament i.e., the ADCC Championship 2003.

It all began in Sao Paulo Brazil. May 17, 2003, was a fateful day for Eddie Bravo. At the Ibirapuera Gymnasium, the inexperienced American brown belt, Eddie Bravo, and the illustrious black belt, Gustavo Dantas, competed in the opening round of the 66kg bracket of the prestigious ADCC championship.

With exceptional timing and commendable technique, Bravo overpowered Dantas submitting him in a rear-naked choke. The match left the spectators astounded.

Eddie Bravo has just proved that he was not a regular brown-belt. His skill-set was far above and beyond his rank.

2.4. Eddie Bravo’s BJJ Instructorship

2.4.1. Legacy - The 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu School

After the 2003 ADCC tournament, Bravo came back to the United States not with a trophy, but with a name for himself and a legendary vision for the future of BJJ.

Jean Jacques Machado chose this time to award a black belt to him, allowing Bravo to deliver his vision by establishing a one-of-its-kind BJJ school in Los Angeles - the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu.

The 10th Planet Jiu-jitsu saw an overwhelming influx of novice combatants who were impressed by Bravo’s trapping moves against Royler Gracie and wanted to master it.

Bravo branded his school as an unorthodox no-gi jiu-jitsu learning platform. He officially announced his brand vision in his book, “Jiu-Jitsu Unleashed,” in these words:

“Their system is flawed because they stopped evolving it. They insist that in order to get good at no-gi grappling, you must be a master of grappling with the gi, but this isn’t true, my students are living proof.”

Bravo heavily criticizes the reliance on uniforms by jiu-jitsu masters. He believed it is disadvantageous and impractical in mixed martial arts. He arrived at this conclusion during his time working with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He noticed that the competitors were losing more, mainly because they were training gi-style and competing for no-gi MMA.

2.4.2. Notable Techniques

The “Twister”

Born with a creative genius, Bravo was never one to adhere to traditional protocols. He started evolving conventional trapping methods into more creative positions. Even as a blue belt, he was not short on ideas and didn’t shy away from experimenting.

His old wrestling teachings surfaced during his blue-belt years when he invented the signature technique “The Twister” - a neck crank submission position - to trap his opponents.

The Twister move proved to be the cornerstone of his 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu teaching methodology.

Rubber Guard

In 1999, Bravo improvised the open guard and developed the “rubber guard” technique. Bravo was still a purple belt when he worked on the rubber guard. He believed that this position would provide an edge to fighters over their opponents in a no-gi situation. The fact that the “rubber guard” is a celebrated move among novice and experienced combatants alike proves its usefulness in mixed martial arts.

The most renowned grapplers George Sotiropoulos and Vinny Magalhaes cemented Bravo’s thoughts by using the rubber guard to achieve remarkable success in matches.

The Truck

Eddie Bravo helped refine the “Truck” position and incorporated it as a cornerstone of his system. The desertion of gi added to the popularity of no-gi jiu-jitsu. Bravo believed that the traditional BJJ truck position fails to meet the demands of today’s modern jiu-jitsu and no-gi systems. For Bravo, the truck is a highly-effective position that offers a wide range of submission options.

2.5. Eddie Bravo’s Championships & Accomplishments

International

• ADCC North American Trials
• ADCC World Championship

Records/Medals

ADCC North American Championship Trials
Year	Medals
2002	1 Gold Medal

3. Eddie Bravo’s Main Achievements

No-Gi tournament

1. One-time Champion ADCC North American Trials.

1. He competed in the most historic grappling match against Royler Gracie in 2003.
2. He was the first combatant to make Royler Gracie submit.
3. His no-gi jiu-jitsu methods are getting global recognition.
4. He has established a modern no-gi grappling curriculum that does not rely on gi grips for wins. His curriculum promotes submission methodology rather than point-scoring.
5. Even though the 2014 Metamoris rematch was a draw, it is widely accepted that Eddie Bravo had dominated Royler Gracie.
6. He is a successful coach who has trained black belts and grappling champions like Tony Ferguson.
7. He is a promoter of the Eddie Bravo Invitational; his events helped combatants showcase their unique talents.