Vanessa English
Vanessa English progressed from training around night shifts to black-belt European gold, while developing her own teaching and competition roles.
Biography
Sources for this profile
BBC News, regional television report from East Midlands Today by Tom Brown, 23 January 2014. The item is a video that will not play without JavaScript; what was recorded is the page's own written description of it.(opens in a new tab)
The BBC report describes her as a home carer from Nottingham, 24 years old and originally from Norfolk, who had taken up the sport four years earlier and trained after night shifts.
Where in the source: A home carer from Nottingham who took up Brazilian Jujitsu as a hobby has been preparing for a title fight in Portugal. Vanessa English, 24, originally from Norfolk, took up the sport four years ago and trains following night shifts.
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At the time of the report she held the world title at purple belt, and was about to travel to Lisbon, where her target that weekend was the European title at brown belt.
Where in the source: She is currently a purple belt world champion but is now aiming for a European brown belt title in Lisbon at the weekend.
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A British public broadcaster covers her as a local athlete from Nottingham who came originally from Norfolk.
Where in the source: Vanessa English, 24, originally from Norfolk
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The report places her in Nottingham and Norfolk, in England.
Where in the source: A home carer from Nottingham who took up Brazilian Jujitsu as a hobby has been preparing for a title fight in Portugal. Vanessa English, 24, originally from Norfolk
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BJJ Eastern Europe, written question-and-answer interview in eight parts, 14 June 2013. Her own answers, in the first person.(opens in a new tab)
She says the school had three female world medallists among its members.
Where in the source: in our school we have three female world medalists
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She introduces herself as a 24-year-old grappler from Nottingham who trains at Gracie Barra Nottingham under Victor Estima and Gareth Neale.
Where in the source: Hi, my name is Vanessa English, I’m a 24 year old grappler from Nottingham, England. I train at Gracie Barra Nottingham under professors Victor Estima and Gareth Neale.
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In the middle of June 2013 she gives her own age as 24.
Where in the source: I’m a 24 year old grappler
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She states that she is ranked first in her division, purple light-feather, in the IBJJF rankings, and that she has won two major titles that year: the European and the world championship.
Where in the source: I’m currently ranked #1 of my division (purple light-feather), according to the IBJJF rankings, and this year have won two major titles including the European championships and the world championships.
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She says she had trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu for three and a half years at that point, having done traditional jiu jitsu first, and that she changed gym when she moved to the Midlands for university.
Where in the source: I first started training BJJ only 3 and 1/2 years ago, I’d been training traditional jiu jitsu before this and when I moved to the midlands for university I had to move to a different gym
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She says that six months into her blue belt she competed at the world championship and came away with bronze.
Where in the source: After six months of being a blue belt I went to compete in the world championships, I came away with bronze.
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She describes stepping in at short notice when the 2011 ADCC was held in Nottingham and a competitor had missed weight, and says she was caught in a knee bar by Luanna Alzuguir.
Where in the source: In 2011 the ADCC was held in Nottingham, a female fighter hadn’t made weight, and I happened to be there to fill in!! I got knee barred by Luanna Alguzuir pretty quickly
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She says of herself that no other adult from Britain had taken a world title before she did.
Where in the source: I was the first adult in the UK to win the world championships
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She says she was not training full time, but trained three times a day on the days she did not work.
Where in the source: I already train a lot, unfortunately I’m not training full-time, but on the days I don’t work I’m training 3 times a day.
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She recounts four matches at the tournament and says she won the first by submission with a choke from side control.
Where in the source: At the tournament I had four matches all together. My first fight I won by submission, a choke from side control, this is one of my favorite submissions.
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She describes the semi-final as the hardest match and says she won it by a single advantage.
Where in the source: but my third match in the semi-finals was the toughest, this girl had just beaten the favorite to win. I managed to win by only one advantage.
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She says she won the final by submission, with the same choke from side control.
Where in the source: In the final I managed to submit, which I was really happy with, and again I used the same choke from side control.
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She thanks her coaches and names Tatami Fightwear as her sponsor.
Where in the source: I would like to thank my professors Victor Estima and Gareth Neale, my sponsor Tatami fight wear
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Shop4 Martial Arts, a retailer's blog, monthly reader-interview series, conducted by the site's editor Steph, 1 October 2014.(opens in a new tab)
A year later she says she both teaches and trains at Gracie Barra Nottingham every day, and that she teaches children from the age of four as well as adults.
Where in the source: I teach and train at Gracie Barra Nottingham everyday, teaching children from 4 years old up to adults.
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She says she was 16 when she first started training martial arts, and that she did so for no other reason than that she had always wanted to.
Where in the source: I was 16 when I first started training martial arts and for no reason other than I knew I’d always wanted to.
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She gives the order of her martial arts as capoeira first, then traditional ju jitsu, then Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Where in the source: I began learning Capoeira first, which moved onto traditional ju jitsu, then Brazilian Jiu jitsu.
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She lists the countries she has competed in as the USA, the UK, Portugal, Sweden, Italy and the UAE.
Where in the source: I’ve entered many competitions all over the world- USA, UK, Portugal, Sweden, Italy, UAE.
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By October 2014 she says she trains Brazilian jiu-jitsu full time at Gracie Barra Nottingham in order to keep her focus on it.
Where in the source: I want to keep my focus on Brazilian Jiu jitsu so train this full time at Gracie Barra Nottingham.
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Asked for a favourite technique she names no single one, but says she enjoys playing open guard.
Where in the source: I’m not sure I have a single technique that I call my favourite, however I enjoying playing open guard a lot.
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Asked what she is most proud of, she names the purple belt world title and the brown belt European title, but says she takes more pride in how far she has come since her first session, and adds that none of it happened on her own.
Where in the source: Well, of course I’m proud of my achievements at purple belt, winning the world championships. Also, winning the Europeans at brown belt, and numerous other titles at different levels. However, I hold most of my pride on how much I have grown as a person and as a martial artist since I first stepped onto the mats to train BJJ. None of which could have been done alone.
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IBJJF, the federation's own results list for the European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2014.(opens in a new tab)
The federation lists her first in the adult female brown belt light feather division, 51.50 kg, at the 2014 European championship, for Gracie Barra.
Where in the source: Female / Adult / Brown / Light Feather (51.50kg) 1 Vanessa English Gracie Barra
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The same list places her third in the adult female brown belt open class in 2014.
Where in the source: Female / Adult / Brown / Open Class 1 Venla Orvokki Luukkonen Hilti BJJ Jyvaskyla 2 Eirin Cathrine Nygren Frontline Academy 3 Charlotte Valentina Von Baumgarten Alliance 3 Vanessa English Gracie Barra
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IBJJF, the federation's own results list for the European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2018.(opens in a new tab)
The federation lists her first in the adult female black belt light feather division, 53.50 kg, at the 2018 European championship, ahead of Liwia Giles.
Where in the source: Female / Adult / Black / Light Feather (53.50kg) 1 Vanessa English Gracie Barra 2 Liwia Giles Absolute MMA Australia
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BJJ Heroes, Vanessa English(opens in a new tab)
BJJ Heroes records Vanessa English’s birth in Norfolk on 9 May 1989.
Where in the source: First paragraph under the second Vanessa English Biography heading
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According to BJJ Heroes, English first tried Brazilian jiu-jitsu in late 2009 at the invitation of Patrick Martin, who ran a Gracie Barra club in Derby under the Estima brothers’ oversight.
Where in the source: Biography paragraph beginning It was following a friend’s advice
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BJJ Heroes dates English’s black-belt promotion by Victor Estima to 7 June 2015.
Where in the source: Last biography paragraph
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IBJJF, the federation's own results list for the World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2018.(opens in a new tab)
At the 2018 world championship the federation lists her third in the adult female black belt light feather division, 118.00 lb.
Where in the source: Female / Adult / Black / Light Feather (118.00lb) 1 Amanda Monteiro Canuto GF Team 2 Ana Talita de Oliveira Alencar Alliance 3 Gezary Matuda Kubis Bandeira American Top Team Coconut Creek 3 Vanessa English Gracie Barra
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IBJJF, the federation's own results list for the London International Open IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023.(opens in a new tab)
At the 2023 London International Open the federation lists her first in the adult female black belt light division, 64.00 kg.
Where in the source: Female / Adult / Black / Light (64.00kg) 1 Vanessa English Gracie Barra 2 Brandy Rene New Ares BJJ
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The same 2023 list places her third in the adult female black belt open class.
Where in the source: Female / Adult / Black / Open Class 1 Tayane Porfírio de Araújo Double Five Tijuca 2 Gabriele da Silva Schuck ZR Team Association 3 Raquel de Oliveira Santos Cantagalo Jiu-Jitsu London 3 Vanessa English Gracie Barra
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Jits Magazine, results report from Kairos Pro Jiu-Jitsu 1, no author byline.(opens in a new tab)
In the group stage at Kairos Pro Jiu-Jitsu 1 she submitted Sula-Mae Loewenthal with a toehold in a gi match.
Where in the source: Vanessa English defeats Sula-Mae Loewenthal via Submission – Toehold (gi match)
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The report notes that Astrid Scholin drew level in the closing seconds and was alone in the group in taking a draw off her.
Where in the source: also for levelling the score with English in the dying seconds to become the only woman in the group to hold her to a draw.
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She won the final of the tournament against Gabi Schuck on a referee decision after the gi match finished level on points.
Where in the source: Final Vanessa English defeats Gabi Schuck via Decision – 1-1 on Points so Referee Decision (gi match)
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Jits Magazine, results report from Grapplefest 16, 3 July 2023.(opens in a new tab)
Grapplefest 16 was held on 1 July 2023.
Where in the source: Grapplefest 16 took place on July 1st, 2023
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She lost a unanimous decision to Adele Fornarino, who thereby became the promotion’s under-60 kg champion.
Where in the source: Adele Fornarino defeats Vanessa English via Decision – Unanimous Fornarino becomes the Grapplefest under 60kg champion
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Jits Magazine, editorial write-up of podcast episode JitsCast #71, 20 April 2026.(opens in a new tab)
The magazine introduces her as an ADCC veteran.
Where in the source: JitsCast #71 features Vanessa English , an ADCC veteran
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She talked about coming up through the coloured belt ranks at a time when very few women were competing at that level in the UK.
Where in the source: Jits Magazine spoke to English about her experience coming up through the colored belt ranks at a time when there were very few women actively competing at that level in the UK.
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The magazine writes that she has also worked off the mats for several promotions, in commentary and in an organisational role.
Where in the source: English has also been an important figure off the mats for several promotions, working in both commentary and an organizational role.
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At Enyo Grappling 8 she competed on a team representing the South of England and won five matches by submission.
Where in the source: English then spoke about Enyo Grappling 8 , where she represented the South of England as a competitor on their team and stole the show with 5 submission wins.
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She looked back at the way she used to divide the year between gi and no-gi competition, and at which of the two she came to prefer.
Where in the source: She also reflected on her old training format of splitting gi and no gi throughout the year, and which one of the two formats she actually ended up enjoying the most.
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Ivan Trindade, Jiu-Jitsu Magazine, Grand Slam London report, 18 March 2017(opens in a new tab)
At the March 2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam in London, English won the women’s combined brown/black-belt 55 kg division in a single match against Mayra Abrahão, decided by a 3–2 advantage margin.
Where in the source: BROWN/BLACK FEMALE heading and complete 55KG paragraph, before 62kg
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Ivan Trindade, Jiu-Jitsu Magazine, 2017 ADWPJJC final-day report, 22 April 2017(opens in a new tab)
At the 2017 Abu Dhabi World Professional championship, English reached the women’s brown/black-belt 55 kg final, where Talita Alencar submitted her with a toehold.
Where in the source: Opening explanation of finals/bronze matches; Female Brown/Black Belt heading; complete 55kg paragraph and neighboring49/62kg entries
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Summit Grappling Academy, About Us(opens in a new tab)
Summit Grappling Academy in Douglas, Isle of Man, lists Vanessa English among its black-belt coaches.
Where in the source: Meet our Coaches and Vanessa English expanded biography; location footer
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Summit Grappling Academy, SGA Club Training, Grading & Awards Night!, 28 December 2025(opens in a new tab)
In December 2025, Summit announced English as a visiting instructor for women’s training and for youth and adult training and grading sessions in January 2026, describing her as a third-degree black belt.
Where in the source: Visiting black belts paragraph and complete January2–3 schedule
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