Full Name
Edgar A. Bravo (born Edgar A. Cano; legally changed his surname to his stepfather’s name, Bravo)
Nickname
“Twister” (named after his signature spinal-lock submission)
Date of Birth
May 15, 1970
Birthplace
Santa Ana / Hollywood area, California, USA
Team / System
Founder, 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu
Belt
Black Belt (4th Degree, awarded October 2023)
Belt Lineage
Mitsuyo Maeda → Carlos Gracie → Hélio Gracie → Carlos Gracie Jr. → Jean Jacques Machado → Eddie Bravo
Bio
Eddie Bravo began training in wrestling in high school before exploring karate and Jeet Kune Do. Inspired by Royce Gracie’s UFC performances, he turned to grappling and began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Jean Jacques Machado in the early-to-mid 1990s. By 1998 he had committed fully to BJJ, earning his blue belt around that time and developing an early version of the twister. He received his purple belt in 1999 and began developing his signature rubber guard.
In 2003, competing as a brown belt in the 66kg division of the ADCC World Championship, Bravo defeated Gustavo Dantas by rear-naked choke before facing Royler Gracie, a four-time world and three-time ADCC champion, in the quarterfinals. Bravo won the match by triangle choke after roughly nine minutes, a result widely regarded as one of the sport’s notable upsets. He was eliminated in the following round by Leonardo Vieira, but the Gracie win established his reputation.
Shortly after, Machado awarded Bravo his black belt, and Bravo opened his first 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu school at a small gym in Los Angeles, reportedly starting with under twenty students. Facing early financial difficulty, Bravo received support from close friend and student Joe Rogan, whose public profile helped bring wider visibility to the 10th Planet system in both grappling and MMA circles.
10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu grew into one of the most recognized no-gi systems in the world, built around a curriculum that departs from traditional gi-based instruction and includes distinctively named positions and submissions. The system has since expanded to well over 100 affiliated schools internationally, and has influenced MMA fighters including Alan Belcher, Matt Horwich, and Vinny Magalhaes.
In 2014, Bravo founded the Eddie Bravo Invitational (EBI), a submission-only grappling event known for its unique overtime rule, which places competitors in dominant positions to determine a winner if no submission occurs in regulation. That same year, Bravo faced Royler Gracie in a rematch at Metamoris III, a twenty-minute submission-only contest that ended in a draw after Bravo secured a calf slicer that Gracie declined to tap to as time expired.
Bravo was promoted to 4th-degree black belt by Jean Jacques Machado in October 2023, marking twenty years since his original promotion. Outside of jiu-jitsu, he is also known as a podcaster, comedian, and musician, and is a frequent guest on The Joe Rogan Experience.
Signature Techniques
Rubber guard, twister, lockdown (half guard variation), and the electric chair sweep/submission.
Achievements
- Defeated Royler Gracie by triangle choke at ADCC 2003 (as a brown belt)
- Founder, 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu (2003)
- Founder, Eddie Bravo Invitational (EBI), 2014
- Co-creator of Combat Jiu-Jitsu, a ruleset combining submission grappling with open-hand striking
- Draw vs. Royler Gracie in a submission-only rematch at Metamoris III (2014)
- Promoted to 4th-degree black belt by Jean Jacques Machado (October 2023)
Notable Students / Affiliates
Joe Rogan (black belt under Bravo), Denny Prokopos (first 10th Planet black belt), and numerous MMA fighters who have trained in 10th Planet concepts, including Alan Belcher, Matt Horwich, and Vinny Magalhaes.