Gordon Ryan: The King of Grappling
He has dominated the no-gi scene for many years and is now considered the GOAT of no-gi Jiu-Jitsu. Gordon Ryan is not only a master on the mats but also a marketing genius who attracts attention to himself and the sport of Jiu-Jitsu. He is a big part of that nowadays. People competing in no-gi can profit more from competitions or by creating Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructional videos.
Who is Gordon Ryan
- Born on July 8 1995, in New Jersey
- Started BJJ at the age of 15 under Miguel Benitez
- He got his black belt in 2016 from Garry Tonon
- 7 Times ADCC and 2 times IBJJF World Champion
Most Significant Accomplishments in the Last Years
- 2024 – Won his fights in ADCC
- 2024 – Won against Josh Saunders
- 2023 – Beats Felipe Pena in Who’s Number One
- 2022 – Won the ADCC again and beat Andre Galvao in the super fight
- 2021 – He announces he is going to retire, so no major wins during this year
Gordon Ryan Record
- 82 percent submission rate
- 98 wins and five losses (only one submission loss)
- RNC stands for 33% of his submission wins
- Inside Heal Hook for 10% of his wins
Personal Life
Gordon has been open about suffering from stomach health issues, which have stopped him from competing several times. This was part of his early retirement in 2021. Lately, he has said that with the help of experts, his condition has improved significantly, but he is still not 100 percent recovered. He frequently shares updates about his health and treatments on his Instagram page. If you’re a fan of Gordon Ryan, I recommend following his Instagram account. He also has an IG account where he shares technical breakdowns.
He is almost always seen with his girlfriend, Nathalia Santoro, who is a brown belt under John Danaher. She is often the training partner featured in Gordon Ryan’s videos.
After the team split, with some members leaving to form the B-Team, his brother Nick Ryan also left. It seems that Gordon and Nick are no longer in contact.
Gordon Ryan BJJ Fanatics – Best Selling Videos
Gordon Ryan’s five most popular BJJ Fanatics videos
- Shall not Pass
- The Pillars of Defence
- Systematically Attacking the Legs
- Systematically Attacking the Guard
John Danaher and Gordon Ryan’s videos are by far the best-selling instructionals at BJJ Fanatics, which is no surprise. Gordon has long used his fights to promote his videos. You can often see him using certain moves he teaches in his videos. He is one of the few who are so good that he can often choose what to use, and in a few matches, he even called out how he would finish the game before it even started.
Being able to showcase what he teaches in live competition is something I believe is part of his success in selling videos. The best techniques to learn are those that have been battle-tested, and you can be confident that what he teaches works. Compared to other instructors, you can often see learning things with a very low probability of working in a competition.
Which video to start with depends on where you are in your BJJ journey. As John Danaher always says, the most essential skill to learn first is how to escape and work from the bottom. So, the Gordon Ryan Pillars of Defence are a great place to start.
His YouTube Channel
Following Gordon on social media, I have seen how he builds a brand around his name that extends beyond BJJ content. He attempts to reach a wider audience and appears to succeed.
The latest attraction to his brand is his Gordon Ryan YouTube channel. This showcases his life, and so far, there is a mix of Jiu-Jitsu content and videos where he shares his passion for cars. The channel was launched in 2024 and is still in its early stages, but it already has over 60,000 subscribers.
Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu – Opening in Texas
It has been no secret that Gordon Ryan and the team have been looking for a location to open their gym in Houston, Texas. Recently, there have been updates with pictures of the new gym featuring the new Fuji mats installed. They are targeting June as their opening day.
Gordon has revealed that the New Waves’ new name is Kingsway Jiu Jitsu. The gym will be open to all levels and everyone, including drop-ins.
Summary
Gordon Ryan is the largest star in grappling, and his completion record and interest in his BJJ fanatics instructionals speak for themselves.
He had been very open about his health issues and was far from complete, but in June 2024, he stepped back onto the mat and competed against the Australian ADCC veteran Josh Saunders. He viewed this match as a test to assess his readiness for ADCC 2024, determining if he was healthy enough to compete this year. And he was ready, as he had won all his matches in the ADCC 2025 finals in Las Vegas.
We have also picked and sorted the Best Gordon Ryan Instructionals for Beginners to Advanced.
Explore his videos on BJJ Fanatics Now
