There’s quite a lot of celebrities who do BJJ, which is making our sport more popular. This got me thinking: which other celebrities would have a talent for Brazilian jiu jitsu? Can we lure them into the sport, to use their fame to reach a bigger audience with our martial art? I hope so! Here’s my list of 10 celebrities who I wish will pick up BJJ and who might have the talent for it.
1. Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson, known for her roles in the Avengers and Lost in Translation, has a background in rhythmic gymnastics and has trained martial arts for specific roles in movies such as Lucy and Black Widow. She probably never did hard sparring before, but she should have some foundational moves mastered already.
2. Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is known for his dedication to fitness and athleticism, so it’s likely that he would do well in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) if he were to pursue training in it. He has a background in pro wrestling so he already knows a lot of grappling moves. Additionally, he’s a real bodybuilder, which indicates that he has a good amount of strength. I think he’d be pretty good on the mats from day 1.
3. Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise is known for his willingness to perform many of his own stunts in movies, which means he might also be able to participate in real live sparring in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. That’s quite rare for celebrities, so it would be very cool. He also has a background in several martial arts and has trained for specific roles in movies such as Mission Impossible
4. Jason Momoa
Jason Momoa, known for his roles in Game of Thrones and Aquaman, has a background in bodybuilding and multiple martial arts, he could potentially excel in BJJ. He’s obviously very strong and a bad dude, and he’s friends with Gordon Ryan!
5. Gal Gadot
Gal Gadot, known for her role as Wonder Woman, has a background in gymnastics and martial arts, which could give her an advantage in terms of understanding and executing the basic moves of BJJ. Could she integrate those into het Wonder Woman movies? Would be cool.
6. Anthony Mackie
Anthony Mackie, known for his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has a background in boxing and wrestling, which gives him a solid foundation to learn Brazilian jiu jitsu. If he hits some sweet arm bars in the Marvel Universe, that will catapult BJJ into the main stream!
7. Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence’s character Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games series is portrayed as a skilled fighter and hunter. Obviously, being proficient in a fictional world does not necessarily translate to real-life abilities or experience in a sport like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). But I definitely think she has the confidence and mindset that it requires.
Let’s get this message out there and sign these influencers to BJJ to grow the sport!
