BJ “The Prodigy” Penn

Height: 5’ 9”

Weight: 155/170

Fighting Style: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

“Baby” Jay Dee Penn was born in Kailua, Hawaii and has been fighting out of Hilo at BJ Penn MMA. He is a world champion jiu jitsu competitor, and was the first American to win the World Jiu Jitsu Championship at a black belt level in Brazil. After this victory, the UFC approached him about entering the organization. The fighting prodigy started out with knockouts of Din Thomas and Caol Uno, both well-respected fighters. He fought Jens Pulver for the UFC Lightweight title, but lost by decision. He would fight Uno once more, drawing again to miss out on the belt. After the UFC stopped the Lightweight division, Penn moved up to 170 to face Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes. He submitted Hughes via a rear naked choke in the first round in a massive upset, earning him his first UFC title. Contract issues and other organizations caused the UFC to strip Penn of the belt, but he would reconcile and return to face Georges St. Pierre. Even though he lost against St. Pierre and his rematch with Matt Hughes, he continued on, deciding to drop back 155, which was a more suitable and natural weight class.

Penn dominated everyone the UFC threw at him in the 155-weight class.

BJ Penn—UFC Lightweight Champion, former UFC Welterweight Champion, former Jiu-Jitsu World Champion, and best-selling author—is the most accomplished jiu-jitsu practitioner competing in the sport of MMA. In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: The Closed Guard, Penn offers more than eighty techniques that allow you to dominate while fighting off your back in both jiu-jitsu competition and mixed martial arts.

Through step-by-step photographs and descriptive narrative, he shows numerous techniques for shattering your opponents posture and obtaining control of his body. He covers dozens of collar chokes, arm chokes and triangle chokes. He shows a plethora of straight arm bars, inverted arm bars, kimura locks, Americana locks, omaplata setups and finishes from omaplata control. He also demonstrates a host of sweeps and transitions. Whether you are new to the grappling arts or an experienced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, this book is for you.

BJ Penn Highlights