Skip to content
The BJJ Story
Search
Back to people
Two training partners meeting on the mat.Drawn in cream, forest green, and muted terracotta. People and objects are symbolic illustrations.
Portrait unavailable. General BJJ illustration; not a likeness of this person.Illustration: The BJJ Story

Talal Karaki

Talal Karaki founded 10th Planet Beirut, developing its academy and local grappling events while teaching wrestling and competing abroad.

Biography

Talal Karaki founded 10th Planet Beirut after training at Evolve MMA in Singapore introduced him to the 10th Planet system. The network’s account describes his aim as bringing that training culture and community back to Lebanon. The school would grow through classes in several locations, its own academy and a competition project aimed partly at newcomers. According to the academy’s history, it became a 10th Planet affiliate in December 2018. Its programme initially operated at Tristar Gym Lebanon from 2018 to 2020, with classes also opening in Dawra, Mtaylib and Ghazir. The financial crisis, shutdowns and pandemic created obstacles that required the group to adapt. It established its own academy in Zouk Mosbeh, developing the team there through 2022. In January 2023, it moved into a 400-square-metre facility in Zalka. Alongside those changes came Grapplers’ Club, the academy’s no-gi submission-only competition project. No-gi grappling is practised without the traditional jacket, while submission-only competition centres on making an opponent concede. The project’s stated purpose was to give local practitioners a stage to test and show their skills. Its first event, at 10th Planet Beirut in November 2021, focused particularly on white belts and others new to the sport who wanted an introduction to competition. The events then moved beyond the gym. In June 2022 the project held its 961 Open Mediterranean Sea Edition in Batroun. An August event at Faqra Club used a round-robin format for the middleweights, giving that group a competition in which opponents met across the group. Karaki also competed internationally. He placed fourth in the professional men’s under-76.9kg division at ADCC Southeast Asia on May 27, 2023. At the ADCC Jordan Dead Sea Open on January 5, 2024, he won the adult professional men’s under-76kg division and took bronze in the professional absolute, the division without weight limits. The 10th Planet network continues to list Karaki as Beirut’s head coach. The academy’s current programme names him as the leader of wrestling sessions that complement its no-gi jiu-jitsu. The wider school offers adult and children’s jiu-jitsu alongside striking, strength training and open mat sessions.

Sources for this profile

  • 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu » Blog Archive » Beirut(opens in a new tab)

    • Talal Karaki founded10thPlanetBeirut and remains listed by the10thPlanetnetwork as its head coach.

      Where in the source: WholecurrentofficialBeirutlocationentry andHeadCoachline.

      Accessed:

    • Training at Evolve MMA in Singapore introduced him to the10thPlanet system and inspired his plan to bring a similar training culture and community to Lebanon.

      Where in the source: Entireintroduction/Talalparagraph read in originalcurrentdirectorybody.

      Accessed:

    • The academy combines adult and children’sjiu-jitsu with wrestling, striking, strengthtraining and openmat.

      Where in the source: Wholecurrentnetworkentrythirdparagraph.

      Accessed:

  • 10th Planet Beirut | No-Gi Jiu Jitsu & Martial Arts(opens in a new tab)

    • The Beirut academy became a10thPlanet affiliate in December2018.

      Where in the source: WholeHowWeGotStartedInLebanonsection.

      Accessed:

    • The group initially ran its programme at Tristar Gym Lebanon from2018to2020 and opened classes in Dawra, Mtaylib and Ghazir.

      Where in the source: Wholeopeningstorysection paragraphs3–4.

      Accessed:

    • Its own history describes economic pressure, shutdowns and the pandemic as obstacles requiring changes to the club.

      Where in the source: Whole2019–20challengesparagraph andfollowingphase2/3.

      Accessed:

    • The team then established its own academy in Zouk Mosbeh and developed it through2022.

      Where in the source: EntirePhase2 paragraph.

      Accessed:

    • In January2023 it moved into a400-square-metre facility in Zalka.

      Where in the source: WholePhase3 paragraph, currentlocationcontext.

      Accessed:

  • 10th Planet Beirut | No-Gi Jiu Jitsu & Martial Arts(opens in a new tab)

    • The current schoolprogramme names Karaki as the leader of its wrestling sessions, which complement no-gi training.

      Where in the source: WholeClassesbody, Grappling/Wrestlingsection.

      Accessed:

  • 10th Planet Beirut | No-Gi Jiu Jitsu & Martial Arts(opens in a new tab)

    • Grapplers’Club is the academy’s no-gi submission-only competition project, intended to give localpractitioners a stage to test theirskills.

      Where in the source: WholeGrapplersClub page openingparagraph andallthreeeventblocks.

      Accessed:

    • Its first event took place at10thPlanetBeirut in November2021, with a particular focus on newpractitioners andwhitebelts.

      Where in the source: Wholefirsteventblock, comparedopeningpurpose.

      Accessed:

    • The project held the961Open MediterraneanSeaEdition in Batroun in June2022.

      Where in the source: WholeJune2022eventblock.

      Accessed:

    • In August2022 a Faqra Club event used a round-robin format for its middleweights.

      Where in the source: WholeAugust2022eventblock.

      Accessed:

  • ADCCSoutheastAsia2023, full officialprofessionalmen76.9kgresults(opens in a new tab)

    • Karaki placed fourth in the professionalmen’s under76.9kg division at ADCCSoutheastAsia on27May2023.

      Where in the source: Actualwholeofficialcategory allfourrows with adjacentclassboundaries:1TomoshigeSera/CarpeDiem/Japan,2NikolayVetrov/Phuket/Russia,3BenRoyle/Phuket/UK,4TalalKaraki/10thPlanetBeirut/Lebanon. Wholeeventheader27May2023/ADCCThailand.

      Accessed:

  • ADCCJordanDeadSeaOpen2024, full officialadultprofessional76kg andabsoluteprofessionalresults(opens in a new tab)

    • He won the adultprofessionalmen’s under76kg division at the ADCCJordanDeadSeaOpen on5January2024.

      Where in the source: Actualwholeofficialeventheader5Jan2024/ADCCJordan andfullMenProfessionalAdults76kg:1TalalKaraki/10thPlanetBeirut/Lebanon,2MoahmmedMurad/KnightsMartialArts/Jordan,3GhalebAlharahseh/TopChampionsAcademy/Jordan; next91kgheadingread.

      Accessed:

    • The same event listed him third in its professionalabsolute division.

      Where in the source: WholeAbsoluteProfessional allthreepositions MohammadHasan/TheSourceMmaPalestine/Palestine, MohammadOdetallah/KnightsMartialArts/Palestine, TalalKaraki/10thPlanetBeirut/Lebanon; adjacentbeginner/intermediateboundariesread.

      Accessed:

    • The officialADCCresult identifies his nationality as Lebanon.

      Where in the source: WholebothTalal2024categoryrows explicitlynamecountryLebanon andsameacademy.

      Accessed:

Lineage

No teaching connections are shown on this page.

Open lineage