Over the years, BJJ has had numerous high profile names and teachers. Whilst many of these are well worthy of their status, sometimes certain people go under the radar. Recently, one of those names who keeps on cropping up is Jason Rau. Known for his highly technical heel hook game, Rau is a professional grappler and holds a black belt in jiu-jitsu under Matt Serra. He has trained extensively with John Danaher at the renowned Blue Basement training facility located at Renzo Gracie Academy in New York City. Throughout his career, he has achieved victories over notable opponents like PJ Barch, Quintin Rosensweig, and others.
It’s not just internet talk who praise Rau though, as many of the BJJ elite have also been very complimentary towards him. On the Lex Fridman podcast, his former teammate Nicky Ryan said, “Yeah one guy is Jason Rau, he trains up in Long Island. He used to compete but not at the same level he would train at. Now he’s focused on his gym and teaching his students. He was extremely good in the training room, world-class. I still believe he’s one of the best in the world, legitimately good but just doesn’t compete anymore.”
Similarly, ADCC legends such as Gordon Ryan, Lachlan Giles, and Craig Jones say that Jason Rau is widely recognized as one of the most technically skilled individuals in the grappling world.
There is even documented footage showing Jason Rau successfully submitting highly skilled grapplers, notably including Craig Jones himself.
As seen in the clip above, Rau mostly specializes in no-gi and is a certified leg lock specialist. As mentioned earlier, these days his priorities lie in teaching and he has even been described as a ‘wizard’ due to his intense eye for detail and technical prowess.
