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Eddie Redzovic

Chicago instructor Eddie Redzovic built a Brazil-to-Chicago teaching network and measured success in students who became black belts.

Biography

Eddie Redzovic is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, the founder of Redzovic Jiu Jitsu and its current leader in Chicago. He built the academy by moving knowledge between local students and Brazilian teachers. The route began with a direct lesson in how differently a ground fight could work. Eddie's younger brother Adem later recalled Eddie's first jiu-jitsu session at a health club. A much smaller practitioner exhausted him and finished with an armbar, a submission that extends the elbow joint. Adem said the encounter drew Eddie into the art. Eddie separately described a longer background: he had been drawn to martial arts since childhood, boxed and kickboxed, and turned toward the Gracie system after seeing jiu-jitsu's effectiveness in the early Ultimate Fighting Championship events. Building a route to advanced instruction The academy places the start of Eddie's jiu-jitsu journey in the late 1990s, with training in Chicago, at the Gracie Academy in California and at the Gracie Barra headquarters in Brazil. Graciemag and DNAinfo reported that he became lead instructor and took over a Gracie-affiliated Chicago school in 2000. A current staff biography dates the Redzovic family's establishment of its North Side academy to 2001. The belt sequence makes the range of teachers concrete. The academy says Royce Gracie awarded Eddie his blue belt, while Carlos Gracie Jr. awarded his purple, brown and black belts, culminating in the black belt in 2005. DNAinfo likewise described Eddie meeting Carlos Jr. during regular study trips to Brazil and training under him through black belt. Graciemag later identified Eddie as one of the first Americans Carlos Jr. promoted to black belt and as his first American representative in the United States. The trips were paired with instruction at home. The Redzovic family brought visiting instructors and competitors to Chicago, including members of the Gracie family and other internationally known teachers. Travel out and visits in created an exchange through which Chicago students could learn from teachers connected to the Brazilian academies. By 2015, the organization had expanded from Lincoln Square to additional sites in Lincoln Park and the downtown Loop. Eddie and other members of the Redzovic family taught alongside a staff of ten professors. At that stage, the family's teaching network extended across three parts of Chicago. A family academy with rules for the room Redzovic described his instruction as a combination of physical technique, ego control and responsibility. In his account, the confidence gained through martial arts needed to be carried with good character. A 2016 DNAinfo account showed how those ideas shaped the training room. It described an academy varied across nationalities, religions and professions, with strict sparring rules and an emphasis on equality and friendship after training. Hard rounds ended with a handshake. Students could compete intensely inside the agreed rules and still recognize one another as training partners afterward. Redzovic's own measure of success followed the same priorities. Asked about sporting achievement, he pointed to students whose lives had improved through training and to the development of black belts when that rank had once been scarce in the area. The promotion record documents the second part of that answer. During a 2011 visit by Rolles Gracie and Carlos Lemos, Eddie promoted Andres Arias, Alexander Pinto and Idriz Redzovic to black belt. Stronghold Jiu Jitsu records another group promoted jointly by Eddie and Adem: Chris Pinto received his black belt in 2013, Luis Alejandre in 2016 and Alex Rosario in 2021; Alejandre received his first degree in 2019. Teaching through another medium Outside the academy, Eddie developed a parallel role as the host of The Deen Show. By 2016, he had hosted the weekly online and broadcast program since 2006. It was created to explore Islam and address public misconceptions. Redzovic said he chose dialogue over lectures because he believed conversation engaged American audiences more effectively. He invited guests of different faiths and nationalities and described a setting built around questions, tolerance and discussion. The subject differed from jiu-jitsu, but the format again placed direct exchange at the center of his teaching. The current academy Redzovic Jiu Jitsu continues in Chicago with Eddie as founder and leader. The AJP Tour club directory also names Professor Eddie Redzovic as the person in charge.

Sources for this profile

  • Redzovic Jiu Jitsu, About Us (accessed 14 September 2026).(opens in a new tab)

    • Redzovic Jiu Jitsu identifies Eddie Redzovic as its founder and current leader in Chicago.

      Where in the source: About The Founder, opening paragraph

      Accessed:

    • The academy's current founder biography identifies Eddie Redzovic as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.

      Where in the source: About The Founder, first and fourth paragraphs

      Accessed:

    • Redzovic Jiu Jitsu is the current academy and team name under which Eddie Redzovic teaches.

      Where in the source: About Us heading, founder biography and contact block

      Accessed:

    • The academy says Redzovic began his jiu-jitsu journey in the late 1990s and travelled between Chicago, California and Brazil, training at the Gracie Academy in California and Gracie Barra headquarters in Brazil.

      Where in the source: About The Founder, first paragraph

      Accessed:

    • The academy states that Royce Gracie awarded Redzovic his blue belt, while Carlos Gracie Jr. awarded his purple, brown and black belts, culminating in the black belt in 2005.

      Where in the source: About The Founder, second paragraph

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Eastern Europe, interview with Adem Redzovic, 5 April 2012.(opens in a new tab)

    • Adem Redzovic recalled that Eddie's first jiu-jitsu experience came at a health club, where a much smaller practitioner tired and armbarred him; Eddie became committed to the art after that encounter.

      Where in the source: Interview question 2, origin story

      Accessed:

  • SAFF, interview with Eddie Redzovic, republished from Al Jazeera (accessed 14 September 2026).(opens in a new tab)

    • In a Bosnian-language interview, Redzovic said he had been drawn to martial arts from childhood, had boxed and kickboxed, and turned to the Gracie system after seeing its effectiveness in the UFC.

      Where in the source: Interview answer on choosing Brazilian jiu-jitsu

      Accessed:

    • Redzovic said he chose a dialogue format for The Deen Show, inviting guests of different faiths and nationalities in an atmosphere of tolerance, because he believed conversation engaged American audiences more effectively than lectures.

      Where in the source: Interview answer on program format and guests

      Accessed:

    • Asked about sporting success, Redzovic identified the students whose lives improved through training as his greatest achievement and described developing black belts at a time when the rank had once been scarce locally.

      Where in the source: Interview answer on sporting achievements

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, Gracie Chicago Jiu-Jitsu, 18 June 2013.(opens in a new tab)

    • Graciemag reported that Eddie became lead instructor of a Gracie-affiliated Chicago school in 2000, then travelled with his brother Adem to Brazil for deeper study.

      Where in the source: About section, opening paragraph

      Accessed:

    • Graciemag described Redzovic as one of the first Americans awarded a black belt by Carlos Gracie Jr. and as Carlos Jr.'s first American representative in the United States.

      Where in the source: About section, Carlos Gracie Jr. paragraph

      Accessed:

    • The Redzovic family regularly brought visiting instructors and competitors to Chicago, including members of the Gracie family and other internationally known teachers, as a complement to their own travel.

      Where in the source: About section, visiting-instructors paragraph

      Accessed:

  • Mark Schipper, DNAinfo Chicago, 5 May 2015.(opens in a new tab)

    • DNAinfo reported that Redzovic took over the gym from its previous owners in 2000 and began regular study trips to Brazil, where he met Carlos Gracie Jr. and trained under him through black belt.

      Where in the source: Academy history, paragraphs on the 2000 takeover and Brazil travel

      Accessed:

    • By 2015, Eddie and other Redzovic family members were teaching alongside a staff of ten professors, and the organization had expanded from Lincoln Square to additional sites in Lincoln Park and the Loop.

      Where in the source: Academy overview and expansion paragraphs

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, Rolles leads the festivities at packed academy, 19 May 2011.(opens in a new tab)

    • During a 2011 visit by Rolles Gracie and Carlos Lemos, Eddie Redzovic promoted Andres Arias, Alexander Pinto and Idriz Redzovic to black belt.

      Where in the source: Article body and named promotion list

      Accessed:

  • Stronghold Jiu Jitsu, instructors page (accessed 14 September 2026).(opens in a new tab)

    • Stronghold Jiu Jitsu records a later generation of students promoted by Eddie and Adem Redzovic: Luis Alejandre to black belt in 2016 and first degree in 2019, Alex Rosario to black belt in 2021, and Chris Pinto to black belt in 2013.

      Where in the source: Instructor biographies for Luis Alejandre, Alex Rosario and Chris Pinto

      Accessed:

  • Mark Schipper, DNAinfo Chicago, 15 February 2016.(opens in a new tab)

    • Redzovic explained his teaching as a combination of physical technique, ego control and responsibility, treating the confidence gained through martial arts as something students must carry with good character.

      Where in the source: Academy culture section near the end

      Accessed:

    • DNAinfo described the academy as unusually diverse across nationalities, religions and professions, with strict sparring rules and an emphasis on equality and friendship after training.

      Where in the source: Academy diversity and sparring paragraphs

      Accessed:

    • Outside the academy, Redzovic had hosted The Deen Show since 2006; DNAinfo described it as a weekly online and broadcast talk show created to explore Islam and counter public misconceptions.

      Where in the source: Profile opening and The Deen Show history

      Accessed:

  • AJP Tour, Redzovic Jiu Jitsu club profile (accessed 14 September 2026).(opens in a new tab)

    • The AJP Tour club directory lists Redzovic Jiu Jitsu in Chicago and names Professor Eddie Redzovic as the person in charge.

      Where in the source: Club profile, Person in charge and Contact Persons blocks

      Accessed:

  • Redzovic Jiu Jitsu, Professor Eddie Redzovic staff biography (accessed 14 September 2026).(opens in a new tab)

    • The academy's current biography says the Redzovic family established Redzovic Jiu-Jitsu Academy on Chicago's North Side in 2001.

      Where in the source: Biography, academy-foundation paragraph

      Accessed:

Lineage

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Open lineage