Tanner Rice - 1st American Promoted To Black Belt By Rubens Charles Cobrinha

Tanner Rice is a 1st-degree BJJ Black Belt under Rubens Charles “Cobrinha”. Rice became famous as the first American grappler who got promoted to the Black Belt level at the age of 19. Winning the World Title as a Brown Belt.

Tanner Rice was born on 2nd January 1993 in Redding, California in the United States.

Tanner Rice is the son of Rodner Rice, who himself is a BJJ Black Belt and an old student of John Dill. From the very start, Tanner saw his father practicing BJJ. This intrigued Tanner and only at the age of 6, he started BJJ. The main reason Tanner started BJJ was his father’s fascination with combat sports. His father always supported him and that is why today Tanner Rice is considered among the top emerging American elite BJJ grapplers.

It was Tanner’s father Rod who taught him BJJ. It was also Tanner’s father, who promoted Tanner to the Blue Belt. Just because Rod was influenced by John Dill and James Boran. He taught the same technique to his son. And that is why you can see John Dill and James Boran’s grappling techniques in Tanner’s fighting style.

In 2008, When Tanner was a Blue Belt he met Carlos Diego Ferreira in the United States for the first time. They instantly became friends. Ferreira resided in the US for some time. He is a Brazilian MMA fighter who competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He has an MMA record of 22-17-5.

The friendship between Tanner and Ferreira grew so strong that when Ferreira invited Tanner to Manaus, Tanner readily agreed. Tanner was only 16 years old at that time. It wasn’t easy for him to stay in Brazil as he was not aware of the native language, but he still managed.

In Brazil, Tanner Rice stayed at Ferreira’s house. He remained in the Amazonas for almost a year. As mentioned earlier, he didn’t know a single word of Portuguese but it was the experience of being in the best company of Brazil which provided and urged Tanner to stay in Brazil. Ferreira’s hospitality was the primary thing that touched Tanner.

Tanner did not stay in Brazil futile. Rather he took advantage of his time and trained at Clube Pina which was the academy of Ferreira’s Master, Master Faustino Neto.

Master Faustino Neto is famous for the right reasons as he has instructed BJJ to, World’s best grapplers including Carlos Holanda Vieira, Manuel Ribamar, Bibiano Fernandes, and many more. Under the training of Master Neto, Tanner’s skills were refined to a greater degree.

After a year in Manaus, Tanner left Brazil and went to his hometown. But he did not completely abandon Brazil. He often went there either to get guidance from Master Neto or to visit his MMA friends.

In 2008, the Rice family opened their own academy in the US. Its former name was Amazonas Jiu-Jitsu and its current name is Rice Brothers Academy.

After the formation of Rice Brothers Academy, Tanner and his brothers, Matthew and Sam, joined forces with Rubens Charles Academy. Rubens Charles had a significant effect on Tanner’s fighting techniques that he won the World Title as a Brown Belt.

Later on, Tanner left Rubens Charles and his team Alliance due to some conflict. There is no public record of any event that stated the reason for the conflict.

It was Tanner’s goal to become a Black Belt World Champion. As he competed for the Alliance team, he was fully aware of different fighters’ potential. Tanner thought that his success was being overlooked because of the presence of accomplished fighters in the Alliance team and that is why he decided to move on from the Alliance.

Being a humble person, Tanner thought that he must step out of the way of his seniors

The two fighters first met in Houston, Texas, where Rice was training and competing in BJJ tournaments, and Ferreira was training for his professional MMA fights. Rice had heard of Ferreira’s impressive record and skills as a fighter and was eager to train with him and learn from him.

Despite the differences in their fighting disciplines, Rice and Ferreira quickly hit it off and developed a strong friendship. They found that their mutual passion for martial arts and dedication to training created a strong bond that went beyond their respective disciplines.

Rice began to incorporate some of Ferreira’s striking techniques into his BJJ training, while Ferreira learned new grappling techniques from Rice. The two fighters would train together regularly, pushing each other to become better and more well-rounded athletes. Rice lived a year with Ferreira, their friendship went on peak and they were always there for each other.

Ferreira suffered from a massive knee injury which forced him to be off mats. In that hard time, Rice was there for him. Tanner helped him to rehab his injury and kept him motivated during a difficult time.

Tanner Rice earned his Purple Belt from his MMA friend, Carlos Diego Ferreira.

Under the mentorship of Ruben Charles, Tanner Rice won first place in the IBJJF World Championship 2012 as a Brown Belt.

Tanner Rice received his Black Belt from Cobrinha after his wonderful performance in the World Championship.

At the 2015 UAEJJF Grand Slam LA, Tanner Rice won first place as a Black Belt.

Tanner Rice won first place at the 2015 IBJJF American Nationals as a Black Belt.

Tanner Rice has gained a reputation as a skilled and formidable opponent in the world of martial arts. Known for his aggressive and dynamic style, Rice has proven himself time and again as a fierce competitor.

One of the hallmarks of Rice’s fighting style is his versatility. He is equally comfortable on the ground as he is on his feet, and he has a deep understanding and accurate execution of both offensive and defensive techniques. This allowed him to adapt to his opponent's style and take advantage of their weaknesses in the game.

Rice is also known for his physical strength and endurance. He is able to maintain a high level of intensity throughout a match, and he often wears down his opponents with his relentless constant pressure.

A key aspect of Rice’s fighting style is his own submission techniques. BJJ is a grappling-based martial art that emphasizes submission holds and techniques, and Rice has honed his skills in this area to a high level. He is known for his ability to catch opponents in a variety of submission holds, including armlocks, chokes, and leg locks, and he is constantly working to improve his technique in all areas.

Rice is a fighter who approaches each match with a strategic mindset. He is constantly analyzing his opponent’s movements and looking for opportunities to gain the upper hand. This, combined with his technical proficiency and physical prowess, has made him one of the most respected BJJ fighters.

James Puopolo is a 3rd-degree BJJ Black Belt under Rafael Lovato Jr. He is known for his Butterfly Guard and Kneebar. During the fight, Tanner earned 2 points from the sweep. Later on, James also scored 2 points. Tanner Rice, known for his quick submission techniques, won the match within 4 minutes via an Armbar submission.

Arnaldo Midana is a 2nd-degree BJJ Black Belt under Gilberto Gabas. Known for his Omoplata technique, Arnaldo is skilled in submission techniques. Quickly, Arnaldo scored 2 points from the sweep. Both the fighters gained advantage points. Despite scoring 2 points and 1 advantage point, Arnaldo lost the match by tapping out of the submission. Tanner Rice submitted Arnaldo Maidana via Armbar in 5 minutes and 58 seconds.

Wellington Modena is a 2nd-degree BJJ Black Belt. He is an instructor at One Jiu-Jitsu & Fitness. As Tanner is known for his ground grappling techniques, he maintained the ground position for quite a time on the mat. His strong grips kept Wellington from initiating his own techniques. Tanner took Wellington down from the standing position to the ground. Tanner submitted Wellington via Choke from Back in 5 minutes and 3 seconds.

Tanner Rice x Javier Yamuni - Chicago Summer Open 2015 - Black/ Adult/ Male/ Middle

Tanner Rice x Inacio Neto - Irvine Open 2015 - Black Adult Heavy -Final

Tanner Rice VS John Hansen / Kansas City Open 2020

Tanner Rice vs Eliot Kelly, Black Belt Adult Open Class Final, 2016 San Jose Open

Tanner Rice vs Rafael Vasconcelos / San Francisco Open 2018

Photo Credit: @tanner_the_ginger_rice