Penny Thomas

Penny Thomas (born 2 July 1979) is a South African submission grappler and 3rd degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt practitioner and coach. A four-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, she is a Pan American champion, World No-Gi champion, FILA World grappling champion, Grapplers Quest world champion and ADCC Submission Wrestling world champion. Penny Thomas is considered the first BJJ black belt from the African continent.

Penny Thomas
Born (1979-07-02) 2 July 1979[1]
Durban, South Africa[2]
ResidenceMaui, Hawai
Weight150 lb (68 kg; 10 st 10 lb)
DivisionMediumheavy
StyleBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu
TeamGracie Humaita
Maui Jiu Jitsu
Rickson Gracie
Nova Gen BJJ
Teacher(s)Leticia Ribeiro
Luis Heredia
Micah Atkinson
Rank     3rd deg. BJJ black belt
OccupationBrazilian jiu-jitsu instructor
Websitepennythomasjiujitsu
Medal record
Representing  South Africa
Grappling
ADCC World Championship
Gold medal – first place 2007 Trenton, USA +67 kg
Silver medal – second place 2009 Barcelona, Spain +60 kg
FILA World Championship
Gold medal – first place 2012 Cracow, Poland +64 kg
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
World Championship
Gold medal – first place 2007 Long Beach, California −74 kg
Silver medal – second place 2008 Long Beach, California −74 kg
Gold medal – first place 2009 Long Beach, California −74 kg
Silver medal – second place 2010 Long Beach, California −74 kg
Silver medal – second place 2011 Long Beach, California −74 kg
Pan-American Championship
Gold medal – first place 2007 Florida, USA − 74 kg
Silver medal – second place 2009 Florida, USA − 74 kg
World No-GI Championship
Gold medal – first place 2007 California, USA − 71.5 kg
World Master Championship
Silver medal – second place 2019 Las Vegas, USA -74 kg

Biography

Penny Thomas was born on 2 July 1979 in Durban, South Africa.[3] She started training gymnastic's from age 5 becoming part of the South African Junior Olympic team by age 12.[1] In 2001 while training in kickboxing, Thomas was introduced to Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) by Micah Atkinson, who was practising with his brother using a set of Carlson Gracie instructional VHS tapes. At the time South Africa had no formal BJJ schools or qualified instructors. Thomas joined the handful of grapplers after Atkinson received his blue belt from Royce Gracie in London. Thomas started travelling to Brazil to train at the Gracie Humaita Academy and compete full time, giving up her job as a software developer and, together with Atkinson, opened South Africa's first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy, in her garage, Nova Gen Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.[1]

As a blue belt she won a silver medal at the 2003 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship taking place in Rio de Janeiro, the following year she became the 2004 World Champion after winning gold in the medium-heavy division.[4] In 2005 she became South African National Grappling Champion. After being promoted to purple belt she won the 2005 World Championship, the 2006 CBJJO World Jiu-Jitsu Cup and the 2006 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship.[1] In 2006 during a trip to Hawaii, she started training full time under Luis Heredia, a 6th Degree black belt under Rickson Gracie, from whom she received all her belts. In 2007 Thomas won silver competing in the Men's Gi black belt division at the 2007 Triple Crown Aloha State BJJ Championship.[5]

Thomas received her black belt from Heredia in 2008, becoming the first person from the African continent to receive a BJJ black belt,[6] she then moved to San Diego to re-connect with Leticia Ribeiro, with whom she had trained in Brazil.[3] She stayed in California for 5 years with the Gracie Humaita girls team, becoming black belt Jiu-Jitsu world champion twice, Pan American champion, world No-Gi champion and in 2007 ADCC Submission Fighting World champion.[7] In 2012 she won the FILA world grappling championship then the following year moved back to Maui to focus on teaching. In 2019 she won silver at the IBJJF World Masters Championship.[8]

Championships and accomplishments

Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Main Achievements (black belt)[1]

Main Achievements (coloured belts)[1]

  • IBJJF World Champion (2005 purple,[15] 2004 blue[4]
  • IBJJF Pan America Champion (2006 purple[16])
  • CBJJO World Cup Champion (2006 purple)
  • Gracie Worlds Champion (2006 Purple/Brown/black belt)
  • 2nd place IBJJF World Championship (2003 blue[17])
  • 2nd place Triple Crown Aloha State BJJ Championship (2007 black belt Men’s Division[5])

Grappling

Main Achievements:[1]

Instructor lineage

Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie Sr. > Helio Gracie > Rickson Gracie > Luis Herédia > Penny Thomas[1]

Notes
  1. brown and black division[11]

References
  1. "Penny Thomas". BJJ Heroes. 1 March 2011.
  2. "Penny Thomas – Fighter Page". Tapology. 22 November 2020.
  3. "Penny Thomas : " J'adore jouer avec la garde "". La btq du Combat (in French).
  4. "World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2004". World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2004.
  5. "2007 Aloha State Championship results" (PDF).
  6. "Fighters Magazine v35i04". Issuu. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  7. "A Penny Saved is A Penny Earned". Girls in Gis. 24 November 2015.
  8. "International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation -". International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation.
  9. "World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2009". World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2009.
  10. "World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2007". World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2007.
  11. "Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2007". Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2007.
  12. "World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2011". World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2011.
  13. "World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2010". World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2010.
  14. "World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2008". World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2008.
  15. "World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2005". World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2005.
  16. "Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2006". Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2006.
  17. "World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2003". World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2003.
  18. "ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship 2007 • ADCC NEWS". adcombat.com. 7 October 2010.
  19. "Fila Grappling Worlds 2012, Full Review, Results & Pictures". Bjj Eastern Europe. 19 November 2012.
  20. "ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship 2009 • ADCC NEWS". adcombat.com. 26 September 2010.
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