There’s a South African Jiu-Jitsu force of martial arts mastery in our midst, and Luke Griffith just became the champion of Europe! Meet the young man making SA proud:
Rome, Italy (31 October 2023) — In the world of martial arts, jiu-jitsu is said to be the modern twist and tangle of strength with ancient roots. Where the Japanese martial art takes a Brazilian edge, South African endurance and determination are also present in the melting pot of jiu-jitsu magic thanks to local champion Luke Griffith.
Luke recently competed in the European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championships which concluded in Rome last week.
On Friday, Luke earned his place as the adult brown belt double gold champion—a huge notch on his belt at only 22 years old.
“Luke has always had an amazing work ethic,” shares his mother, Michelle.
“His self discipline and commitment to reaching his goals have been astounding! His goal is to be the best in the world,” she adds.
Luke has been competing since the age of 16, but began training when he was around 6/7. Trained by his father who is a jiu-jitsu black belt, the young champ would train before school in the morning alongside his sister, Hannah who now also competes.
Now, he trains under John Danaher in Austin Texas, but his competitive journey has taken him around the world. Earlier this year, he also earned gold in the ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship trials in Poland and won double gold at the IBJJF Pan American games thereafter (with a 100% submission rate).
However, his heart still proudly sings the South African spirit, which is why it’s only fitting that South Africa puts him on our national radar!
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