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Jozef Chen

Taiwanese-German black belt Jozef Chen developed his game between China and short B-Team camps, then opened Nomadic Grappling in Shanghai in 2026.

Biography

Jozef Chen developed an international grappling career while keeping much of his learning rooted in China. The Taiwanese-German grappler was born in Taipei to a South African-German mother and Taiwanese father. His childhood took him through Malaysia, Qatar, and several Chinese cities. In Nanjing, he began Muay Thai before taking his first jiu-jitsu class at fourteen, in August 2018, under Guillaume Leclerc. Leclerc remained his main instructor through purple belt. Chen has attributed his rapid development partly to the freedom he found at that early academy. He could study instructionals, test ideas, and use game-based training rather than follow a fixed syllabus. Later visits to B-Team in Austin gave him a way to pressure-test the techniques he had developed at home. The arrangement produced a cycle between independent skill development in Asia and short periods in a high-level competition room. In 2023, Chen represented B-Team at the ADCC European, Middle East and African first qualifier in Warsaw. He won the professional men’s under-76.9-kilogram division ahead of Oliver Taza and Tommy Langaker and qualified for the ADCC World Championship. Chen gave up his invitation to ADCC 2024 to enter the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational instead, where he went 1–1 in the under-80-kilogram division. In March 2025, he received his black belt from Craig Jones at B-Team headquarters in Austin. Later that year, Chen represented Taiwan and B-Team Jiu-Jitsu at the ADCC Asia and Oceania first qualifier in Bangkok, where he won the professional men’s under-87.9-kilogram division and qualified for the 2026 championship at under 88 kilograms. By early 2026, Chen had opened Nomadic Grappling in Shanghai. He described it as a stable Asian training base intended to keep him closer to family, draw regional training partners, and give him regular teaching experience for future instructionals. Shanghai, in his account, became the setting for day-to-day skill development; visits to B-Team were shorter performance camps before major competitions rather than a permanent move to Austin.

Sources for this profile

  • BJJ Heroes, “Jozef Chen”(opens in a new tab)

    • Jozef Chen is a Taiwanese-German grappler, born in Taipei on 30 July 2004.

      Where in the source: Profile introduction and Biography opening — Taiwanese-German; Taipei birth date

      Accessed:

    • Chen began Muay Thai in Nanjing and took his first jiu-jitsu class in August 2018 under Guillaume Leclerc, who remained his main instructor through purple belt.

      Where in the source: Biography — Nanjing martial-arts start and Guillaume Leclerc

      Accessed:

    • In March 2025, Chen received his black belt from Craig Jones at B-Team headquarters in Austin.

      Where in the source: Biography closing — black belt from Craig Jones at B-Team in March 2025

      Accessed:

  • ONE Championship, “5 Things To Know About BJJ Prodigy Jozef Chen,” 14 June 2024(opens in a new tab)

    • Chen was born in Taipei to a South African-German mother and Taiwanese father, and spent his childhood across Malaysia, Qatar and several Chinese cities before taking his first jiu-jitsu class at fourteen.

      Where in the source: Sections 1 and 5 — age at first class; family background and childhood locations

      Accessed:

  • Grappling Insider, “Jozef Chen reveals how he became world-class in just 5 years,” 1 December 2023(opens in a new tab)

    • Chen attributed his rapid development partly to an early Chinese academy that let him test ideas from instructionals and game-based training; he later used visits to B-Team in Austin to pressure-test techniques developed at home.

      Where in the source: Interview report — learning environment, video study and B-Team visits

      Accessed:

  • ADCC, “ADCC European, Middle East & African Championship 2023 (1st Qualifier)”(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2023 ADCC European, Middle East and African first qualifier in Warsaw, Chen won the professional adult men’s under-76.9-kilogram division for B-Team, ahead of Oliver Taza and Tommy Langaker, and qualified for the ADCC World Championship.

      Where in the source: Official results — qualifiers and PRO/ADULT/MEN/-76.9 KG places 1–3

      Accessed:

  • ONE Championship, “ONE Fight Night 23: Ok Vs. Rasulov — Results And Highlights,” 6 July 2024(opens in a new tab)

    • At ONE Fight Night 23 in Bangkok in July 2024, Chen lost a 186-pound non-title submission-grappling match to Tye Ruotolo by unanimous decision.

      Where in the source: Event introduction and Fight Card — Bangkok, July 2024, 186 LBS non-title grappling and unanimous decision

      Accessed:

  • ADCC, “1st ADCC Asia & Oceania Trials 2025”(opens in a new tab)

    • At the 2025 ADCC Asia and Oceania first qualifier in Bangkok, Chen represented Taiwan and B-Team Jiu-Jitsu, won the professional adult men’s under-87.9-kilogram division ahead of James Watson and Claudio Margione, and qualified for ADCC Worlds 2026 at men’s under 88 kilograms.

      Where in the source: Official results — Worlds 2026 qualifiers and PROFESSIONAL ADULT MALE/-87.9 KG places 1–3

      Accessed:

  • Daniel Tay, “An Extension Of Myself: Jozef Chen And The Birth Of Nomadic Grappling,” 17 February 2026(opens in a new tab)

    • In early 2026, Chen opened Nomadic Grappling in Shanghai as a stable Asian training base; he said the gym reduced repeated U.S. travel, kept him near family, could draw regional training partners and gave him regular teaching experience for future instructionals.

      Where in the source: Interview introduction and opening-gym answers — Shanghai location, reasons for local base and teaching

      Accessed:

    • Chen described Shanghai as his regular skill-development environment and B-Team visits as short performance camps before major competitions, rather than a permanent move to Austin.

      Where in the source: Interview training-base section — limited Austin stays and skill-development versus performance phases

      Accessed:

  • Kathrine Burne, Jits Magazine, “Jozef Chen Promoted To Black Belt At B-Team Jiu-Jitsu,” 4 March 2025(opens in a new tab)

    • After qualifying for ADCC 2024, Chen gave up his invitation to enter the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational instead, where he went 1–1 in the under-80-kilogram division.

      Where in the source: Career recap — choice of CJI over ADCC 2024 and under-80-kilogram record

      Accessed:

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