Jason Momoa BJJ: The Aquaman Star is a Jiu Jitsu White Belt
Jason Momoa started training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) back in 2017 under Rigan Machado in Beverly Hills. Unfortunately, Jiu Jitsu is not his main focus and he only trains sporadically.
The actor has always been very athletic with an impressive physique at a height of 6’4″ and a body weight of 220 lbs. Therefore, he is the perfect fit for action roles like “Khal Drogo” in Game of Thrones and Aquaman.
Check out Part 3 of our YouTube BJJ Celebrities Series, which also covers Jason Momoa’s complete Jiu Jitsu journey:
Jason Momoa BJJ FAQ
Jason Momoa trains under Rigan Machado
Jason Momoa started training BJJ in 2017. After finishing his first class he posted the following on his Instagram account @prideofgypsies:
“An honor to train with these warriors. Great seeing old friends an meeting new ones… Inspired by my OHANA and my kids, who will be choking me out in a year.”
Jason was inspired to start training by his family and friends as “Ohana” is a Hawaiian term for family. As always he is very respectful and honors the sport and his fellow athletes.
Jason Momoa hung out with BJJ GOAT Gordon Ryan
In 2022 Jason Momoa spent some time with BJJ NoGi champion Gordon Ryan and his girlfriend in Hawaii. On November 12, 2022, he stated on Instagram:
“Had the pleasure of meeting these two badasses, Gordon and Sonny. @gordonlovesjiujitsu we laughed and drank and they choked us all out. It was amazing. Welcome to my Ohana. I can’t wait to see u again my friends, safe travels. and good luck world he’s gonna stay KING. Aloha.”
They obviously had a great time together and formed a close connection as Jason welcomed them to his Ohana (family).
Alongside having fun on the island they rolled and put Jason’s skills to the test. Furthermore, Jason predicts Gordon to stay at the top of the competitive BJJ scene for a long time.
What most people don’t know is that the two also have matching tattoos:
Gordon Ryan himself posted on his Instagram account @gordonlovesjiujitsu on the same day:
“We made a new friend. @prideofgypsies is seemingly one of the nicest and most down to earth people I’ve ever met. What I learned from him and being around him in just 2 short days is priceless. We hung out, I watched him work, which was fascinating, we drank, we grappled, we had many deep conversations, and we had a lot of fun. He is authentic, he cares for and takes care of his friends and family, he fights for what he believes in, and he works very hard. He is someone I am glad to call a friend.”
After praising his new friend he goes on to address their different political views as Jason Momoa leans liberal while Gordon Ryan takes a more conservative stance. The two seem to have accepted each other’s views and get along great:
“As for my overly conservative fan base who were attacking him the other day 😂- we actually did talk politics a little. We agreed on some things, we disagreed on some things, but more than anything we didn’t care about those differences at all and focused on the time we had together. We listened to each other and had a conversation, then changed the subject and enjoyed the night. If you’re on here attacking him for his stances, political or otherwise, just know that you don’t know him, I do, and you won’t get any support from me. After these last few days, he is someone I am now proud to call a friend.”
Gordon addresses Jason Momoa’s impressive physical feats and expects he would do well in a celebrity grappling match.
“He is also a freak of nature that we need to get into a celebrity grappling match at some point .”
The two even made a pact with each other:
“He made me promise I would never respond to a hater online again… I shook hands and everything.. fml, let’s see how this goes”.
Conclusion
Although Jason Momoa doesn’t seem to consistently train BJJ, it is great that he is part of the sport. With his close ties to Gordon Ryan he is in good hands and bound to progress quickly.
Check out our complete list of BJJ celebrities:
Complete List of Celebrities that do BJJ
Which stars do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?
Which belt ranks are the celebrities?
Tom Hardy | Keanu Reeves | Jason Statham | Ed O’Neill | Demi Lovato | Russell Brand | Maynard James Keenan | Ashton Kutcher | Guy Ritchie | Jonah Hill | Joe Rogan | Chuck Norris | Jason Momoa | Mario Lopez | Joey Diaz | Jim Carrey | Henry Cavill | Charlie Hunnam | Millie Bobby Brown | Shaquille O’Neal | Dave Bautista | Vin Diesel | Robert Pattinson | Kelly Slater
