Adem Redzovic
Chicago instructor Adem Redzovic turned a beginner problem into teaching concepts and carried BJJ knowledge between Chicago and Bosnia.
Biography
Learning in Chicago and Brazil
Redzovic said that he and his brother Eddie first encountered jiu-jitsu through the early Ultimate Fighting Championship events. Eddie tried the art at a health club, where a much smaller practitioner exhausted and armbarred him; Adem waited a couple of years and began training regularly in Chicago at about seventeen. According to Adem, Eddie then traveled to a Gracie camp in Brazil and became a student of Carlos Gracie Jr. The brothers alternated trips to the Gracie Barra headquarters and brought Brazilian black belts to Chicago. Adem also said they became the first Americans to open an official Gracie Barra school in the United States under Carlos Jr. By 2012, they operated sites in Lincoln Square, Lakeview, and the downtown Loop, with students able to train across all three. Redzovic later developed under members of the Gracie family. His current academy biography describes him as a direct student of several of them, and both Downtown Jiu Jitsu Club and an active partner program identify his present rank as fourth-degree black belt under Carley Gracie. Downtown now operates under the Gracie Allegiance team.Competition in a teaching career
In 2012, Redzovic described a game based on sweeps from the bottom—reversals that put the lower grappler on top—and pressure toward the mount when already on top. He was returning to competition after years away because of injuries, responsibilities, and reduced motivation. Official results preserve what that return looked like. In 2012, competing for Gracie Barra in the Master 1 black-belt super-heavy division, he won gold at both the Long Beach Spring International Open and the New York International Open. He also earned bronze in the same division at the World No-Gi Championship, where competitors grapple without the traditional jacket and trousers known as the gi. In 2013, representing Team Redzovic, he took silver in the adult black-belt super-heavy division at the Chicago Summer International Open No-Gi. These results place his teaching ideas beside experience at a high competitive level, while his own account preserves the interruptions and obligations behind the return.From Chicago to Sarajevo and back
A 2017 Bosnian report described Redzovic as a jiu-jitsu coach of Bosnian origin and said his family had moved from Bosnia to Chicago around 1970. The family connection later became a route for teaching. In March 2015, Redzovic led a multi-day self-defense and jiu-jitsu seminar for students at the International University of Sarajevo and members of local sports clubs. The program combined explanation with practical training and helped promote a newly opened grappling club. A further Sarajevo report in August 2017 identified Redzovic and Muhamed Nesiren as instructors at a completed seminar. It described Nesiren as the Redzovic academy's representative in Bosnia and said the host Activ-R team, established in 2008, belonged to the Chicago academy's network. Another report from March 2017 announced a separate plan: Redzovic was to visit Sarajevo in support of a Redzovic-family youth jiu-jitsu program, and he and Clark Gracie were scheduled to host a public adult seminar on 25–26 March.Students who became teachers
The clearest evidence of a mature teaching practice is the number of students who went on to hold senior rank and instruct others. Stronghold Jiu Jitsu's instructor biographies jointly credit Adem and Eddie Redzovic for several long-term promotions: Chris Pinto received his black belt in 2013, Luis Alejandre in 2016, and Alex Rosario in 2021; Alejandre also received his first degree in 2019. Their biographies preserve the shared role of the two brothers rather than assigning those promotions to Adem alone. At Downtown Jiu Jitsu Club in September 2024, Carley and Clark Gracie attended a seminar and promotion ceremony at which nine of Adem Redzovic's students received black belts. The ceremony brought three generations of the documented teaching line into one room: Carley Gracie, Redzovic, and nine students receiving black belts.Sources for this profile
Downtown Jiu Jitsu Club, About Us (undated; accessed 14 September 2026).(opens in a new tab)
Adem Redzovic currently leads Downtown Jiu Jitsu Club in Chicago and is presented by the academy as its founder.
Where in the source: About Us — About The Founder, opening paragraph
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Downtown Jiu Jitsu Club identifies Adem Redzovic's Brazilian jiu-jitsu rank as black belt.
Where in the source: About Us — About The Founder, first and second paragraphs
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Downtown Jiu Jitsu Club states that Adem Redzovic holds the fourth degree on his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.
Where in the source: About Us — About The Founder, first and second paragraphs
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The academy biography describes Adem Redzovic as a direct student of several members of the Gracie family and says his fourth-degree black belt is under Carley Gracie.
Where in the source: About Us — About The Founder, second paragraph
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Downtown Jiu Jitsu Club characterizes Redzovic's instruction as conceptual and technically precise, while also emphasizing the mental, physical and emotional dimensions of jiu-jitsu.
Where in the source: About Us — About The Founder, opening paragraph
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Fonseca Martial Arts, Jiu-Jitsu program (undated; accessed 14 September 2026).(opens in a new tab)
Fonseca Martial Arts says its Brazilian jiu-jitsu program operates in partnership with Adem Redzovic and identifies him as a fourth-degree black belt under Carley Gracie.
Where in the source: Jiu-Jitsu program page — introductory program description
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Gracie Allegiance, Downtown Jiu Jitsu Club affiliate page (accessed 14 September 2026).(opens in a new tab)
Gracie Allegiance lists Adem Redzovic as head instructor of Downtown Jiu Jitsu Club in Chicago.
Where in the source: Worldwide Team — Chicago listing for Downtown Jiu Jitsu Club
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BJJ Eastern Europe, interview with Adem Redzovic, 5 April 2012.(opens in a new tab)
In a 2012 interview, Redzovic said his parents were born in the former Yugoslavia and had moved to the United States roughly four decades earlier; he also described a family home in Sarajevo and regular visits to Bosnia before marriage and children reduced his travel.
Where in the source: Interview questions 1 and 5; opening answer and Bosnia section
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Redzovic said he and his brother first encountered jiu-jitsu through the early UFC events. Eddie later tried it at a health club, where a much smaller practitioner tired and armbarred him; Adem said it still took him a couple of years to commit to regular training.
Where in the source: Interview question 2; three-paragraph origin story
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Redzovic said he began training Brazilian jiu-jitsu in Chicago at about age seventeen and also travelled within the United States and to Brazil to study the art.
Where in the source: Interview question 1; first answer
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According to Redzovic, Eddie travelled to a Gracie training camp in Brazil and became a student of Carlos Gracie Jr.; the brothers then alternated trips to Gracie Barra headquarters in Brazil and brought Brazilian black belts to Chicago to help their development.
Where in the source: Interview question 3; Brazil and Chicago training sequence
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Redzovic stated that he and Eddie became the first Americans to open an official Gracie Barra school in the United States under Carlos Gracie Jr.
Where in the source: Interview question 3; final sentence of the answer
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By the 2012 interview, the brothers operated three Chicago training sites: the original Lincoln Square academy, a Lakeview program, and a school in the downtown Loop, with students able to train across the locations.
Where in the source: Interview question 4; academy overview
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Redzovic described a former Chicago student and close family friend named Muhammed who was building a team in Sarajevo, a relationship through which the Chicago academy trusted the Bosnian program's development.
Where in the source: Interview question 5; Sarajevo program discussion
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In 2012, Redzovic connected his study and practice of Islam with discipline, manners, character and continuous self-development, and said he regarded those aims as closely aligned with martial-arts training.
Where in the source: Interview question 6; faith and training section
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Redzovic said in 2012 that his game then emphasized sweeps from bottom and pressure toward mount from top. He also described returning to competition after years away because of injuries, responsibilities and reduced motivation.
Where in the source: Interview question 7; style and competition answer
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Klix.ba, Adem Redzovic and Clark Gracie seminar preview, 23 March 2017.(opens in a new tab)
A 2017 Klix report described Redzovic as a jiu-jitsu coach of Bosnian origin and said the Redzovic family moved from Bosnia to the United States around 1970, making Chicago its new home.
Where in the source: Article body, first three paragraphs after the date
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A March 2017 report announced that Redzovic planned to visit Sarajevo to support a Redzovic-family jiu-jitsu program aimed at youth development and that he and Clark Gracie were scheduled to host a public adult seminar on 25–26 March.
Where in the source: Article body, paragraphs describing program purpose and seminar
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Klix.ba, Bosnian BJJ Community seminar report, 1 August 2017.(opens in a new tab)
A 2017 Sarajevo seminar report identified Adem Redzovic and Muhamed Nesiren as instructors, described Nesiren as the Redzovic academy representative in Bosnia, and said the host Activ-R team was established in 2008 and belonged to the Chicago academy's network.
Where in the source: Article body, three paragraphs after publication date
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Graciemag, Open Guard Translated video feature, 15 July 2014.(opens in a new tab)
A 2014 Graciemag feature presented Redzovic's Open Guard Translated material as a 27-minute conceptual explanation of open-guard variations that began from the beginner problem of repeatedly having his guard passed.
Where in the source: Article body below title and date
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Budovideos, Basically Escaping Side Mount product page (accessed 14 September 2026).(opens in a new tab)
Redzovic's Basically Escaping Side Mount instructional organized side-control survival and escapes around concepts, essential movements and troubleshooting, and explicitly separated self-defence and sport situations.
Where in the source: Product description and contents list above customer reviews
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International University of Sarajevo, event report, 12 March 2015.(opens in a new tab)
In March 2015, Redzovic led a multi-day self-defence and jiu-jitsu seminar for International University of Sarajevo students and members of local sports clubs, combining explanation with practical training and helping promote a newly opened grappling club.
Where in the source: News report paragraphs under event photograph
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ARJJ Online, Downtown Jiu Jitsu Club ceremony recap, 24 September 2024.(opens in a new tab)
At a September 2024 seminar and promotion ceremony at Downtown Jiu Jitsu Club, Carley and Clark Gracie visited Redzovic's academy and nine of Redzovic's students were promoted to black belt.
Where in the source: Ceremony recap, opening four paragraphs and promotion list
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Stronghold Jiu Jitsu, instructors page (accessed 14 September 2026).(opens in a new tab)
Stronghold Jiu Jitsu records several long-term students promoted by Adem and Eddie Redzovic: Luis Alejandre received his black belt in 2016 and first degree in 2019, Alex Rosario was promoted to black belt in 2021, and Chris Pinto received his black belt in 2013.
Where in the source: Instructor biographies for Luis Alejandre, Alex Rosario and Chris Pinto
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International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, Long Beach Spring International Open 2012 results.(opens in a new tab)
The official results for the 2012 Long Beach Spring International Open list Adem Redzovic, representing Gracie Barra, in first place in the Master 1 male black-belt super-heavy division.
Where in the source: Athletes Results By Category — Master 1 / Male / Black / Super-Heavy
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International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, New York International Open 2012 results.(opens in a new tab)
The official results for the 2012 New York International Open list Adem Redzovic, representing Gracie Barra, in first place in the Master 1 male black-belt super-heavy division.
Where in the source: Athletes Results By Category — Master 1 / Male / Black / Super-Heavy
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International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, World Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2012 results.(opens in a new tab)
The official 2012 World No-Gi Championship results list Adem Redzovic, representing Gracie Barra, as a bronze medallist in the Master 1 male black-belt super-heavy division.
Where in the source: Athletes Results By Category — Master 1 / Male / Black / Super-Heavy
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International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, Chicago Summer International Open No-Gi 2013 results.(opens in a new tab)
The official 2013 Chicago Summer No-Gi Open results list Adem Redzovic, representing Team Redzovic, in second place in the adult male black-belt super-heavy division.
Where in the source: Athletes Results By Category — Adult / Male / Black / Super-Heavy
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Lineage
No teaching connections are shown on this page.
Open lineage