Joe Baize
Joe Baize helped build Nice Guy Submission Fighting and developed a teaching approach that connects guard passing with leg attacks.
Biography
Sources for this profile
BJJ Heroes, Joe Baize(opens in a new tab)
The straight ankle lock is listed as his preferred technique.
Where in the source: Favorite Position/Technique
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Joe Baize is also known as Joseph Baize, an American grappler from Beaver Dam, Kentucky.
Where in the source: Full Name and biography opening
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He began taekwondo at eight; seeing Royce Gracie fight Ken Shamrock redirected his interest towards grappling.
Where in the source: Biography second paragraph
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Initially learning through magazines and fight recordings, he found structured training at fifteen with Jason Keaton at Louisville Pankration, two hours away.
Where in the source: Biography paragraph beginning His newfound love
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A Hook’N Shoot poster led him to contact nearby fighter Warren Brooks; they became training partners and later founded Nice Guy Submission Fighting.
Where in the source: Biography paragraph beginning One year
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Josh Johnson, of the Luiz Palhares association, awarded Baize his BJJ black belt in 2011.
Where in the source: Biography paragraph beginning Throughout
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Gokor Chivichyan taught him leg submissions and awarded him level-five instructor certification in Hayastan.
Where in the source: Penultimate biography paragraph
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In 2018 he joined Josh Hayden’s Owensboro Gracie; by late 2019 he had joined Tom DeBlass’s association.
Where in the source: Final biography paragraph
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During high school he played varsity football at Ohio County High School and took up powerlifting.
Where in the source: Biography paragraph beginning During his school days
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BJJ Heroes identifies his 2010 ADCC North American success as victory in the USA East Coast Trials.
Where in the source: Main Achievements, 1st Place ADCC USA East Coast Trials (2010)
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Sherdog Fight Finder, Joe Baize(opens in a new tab)
Baize was born on 8 June 1983.
Where in the source: Fighter header AGE / Jun 8, 1983
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Sherdog records his professional MMA debut as a submission win over Georgie Cortez at Hook’N Shoot: Driven on 16 September 2000.
Where in the source: FIGHT HISTORY - PRO, final row, result/opponent/event/method/date columns
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His MMA record includes heel-hook wins over Anthony White in September 2007 and Jerry Burns in January 2008.
Where in the source: FIGHT HISTORY - PRO, Anthony White and Jerry Burns rows
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After fighting Douglas Lima in August 2008, he returned for a May 2016 bout with Cameron VanCamp, losing both by TKO.
Where in the source: First two FIGHT HISTORY - PRO rows
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BJJ Fanatics, Joe Baize biography, Benjamin Strusnik, 12 November 2021(opens in a new tab)
Alongside martial arts, Baize developed through self-directed study of VHS footage and travel to instructors before regular local training became available.
Where in the source: Early biography paragraph beginning This new obsession
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Grapplingbloggen, ADCC North American Championships 2010 results, citing ADCombat(opens in a new tab)
At the ADCC North American Championships in New Jersey on 20 November 2010, Joseph Lee Baize of Nice Guy Submission won the under-98.9 kg division ahead of Nolan Dutcher and James Puopolo.
Where in the source: Event/date introduction and complete -98.9kg podium, places 1–3
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FloGrappling, public athlete results and event card(opens in a new tab)
At the 2011 ADCC World Championships, Baize lost his under-99 kg match to Rodolfo Vieira by armbar.
Where in the source: 2011 table, 09/24 row with columns DATE/W-L/METHOD/OPPONENT/WT/EVENT
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Baize defeated Joe Dierkhising by decision at Fight to Win 150.
Where in the source: 2020 table, 08/21 row, W / Decision / J. Dierkhising / Light Heavyweight / Fight to Win 150
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His subsequent recorded wins include a decision over Kyle Hughes at Fight to Win 157 in November 2020 and an outside heel hook against Drew Puzon at Emerald City Invitational in August 2021.
Where in the source: 2020 11/14 and 2021 08/07 rows
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Hywel Teague, FloGrappling, EBI 8 report, 12 September 2016(opens in a new tab)
At EBI 8 in September 2016, Baize submitted Ezra Lennon by heel hook in the first round, then lost to Felipe Fogolin in the quarterfinals.
Where in the source: Full EBI 8 Results: First Round and Quarter Finals
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FloGrappling, public athlete results and event card(opens in a new tab)
Fight to Win 150 on 21 August 2020 matched Joseph Baize of Owensboro Gracie against Joe Dierkhising for the Masters black-belt no-gi light-heavyweight title.
Where in the source: Masters Black Belt NOGI Light Heavy Weight Title heading and paired athlete/team row
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BJJ Heroes, firsthand Jesseray Childrey interview, August 2020(opens in a new tab)
Jesseray Childrey recalled meeting the Nice Guy team after competing against Baize; Bobby Emmons then invited him to cross-train, leading to regular weekends and eventually full-time training there.
Where in the source: Interview paragraph beginning In the meantime, continuing through Eventually; accessible public original-article archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20250616072555/https://www.bjjheroes.com/interview/jesseray-childrey-i-enjoy-the-finality-of-sub-only
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BJJ Fanatics, Joe Baize instructional publisher(opens in a new tab)
BJJ Fanatics currently presents Baize as a third-degree BJJ black belt associated with Tom DeBlass.
Where in the source: Opening product description and heading Master The Lower Body Attacking Game
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Devastating Lower Body Submission Attacks covers grip mechanics, heel-hook variations and entries from half guard, deep half and reverse De la Riva.
Where in the source: Course Content Volumes 1–3
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BJJ Fanatics, Joe Baize instructional publisher(opens in a new tab)
BJJ Fanatics identifies Baize as a member of the Tom DeBlass Association.
Where in the source: What Will You Learn, paragraph beginning Now as a member
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The follow-up course develops links between passes, kneebars and heel hooks, with sequences from half guard and single-leg X and a section of leg-lock drills.
Where in the source: Course Content Volumes 1–3
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BJJ Fanatics, Joe Baize instructional publisher(opens in a new tab)
His High Percentage Leg Attacks From Top course connects guard opening and passing with leg attacks: its syllabus moves from standing setups to leg-drag heel hooks and counters to De la Riva guard.
Where in the source: Full Course Content / So What Exactly Do You Get, Parts 1, 2 and 4
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BJJ Fanatics, Joe Baize instructional publisher(opens in a new tab)
His published instructional catalogue also includes Reverse Toe Hold Mastery.
Where in the source: Joe Baize instructor collection, four named products
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