Jiu-Jitsu Grand Slam: what it is and who has won it
The Europeans, Pans, Brazilian Nationals and Worlds make up the most important circuit in gi Jiu-Jitsu; understand how it is counted and who has won all four
In gi Jiu-Jitsu, four championships weigh more than the others on an athlete’s résumé: the Europeans, the Pans, the Brazilian Nationals and the Worlds. Whoever wins all four in a row completes the Grand Slam, a term borrowed from tennis that became a synonym for a perfect season in the IBJJF.
The four Grand Slam tournaments
| Tournament | 2026 dates | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Europeans | January 15–24 | Odivelas, Greater Lisbon (Portugal) |
| Pans | March 24–29 | Kissimmee, Florida (USA) |
| Brazilian Nationals | April 24–May 3 | Barueri, Greater São Paulo (Brazil) |
| Worlds | May 28–31 | Long Beach, California (USA) |
The Worlds held its first edition in 1996 at Tijuca Tênis Clube, in Rio de Janeiro, and has taken place in Long Beach since 2007. The Europeans began in 2004, in Lisbon. The Pans has been held since the 1990s, and the Brazilian Nationals, known as the Brasileiro and organized by the CBJJ, is the main tournament on Brazil’s calendar.
Year or season: how it is counted
The rule book has no formal definition of a Grand Slam. In its own publications, the IBJJF uses the term in two ways. One counts the calendar year: Europeans, Pans, Brazilian Nationals and Worlds, all in the first half of the year. The other follows the federation’s ranking season, which starts with the Worlds of one year and runs through the Europeans, Pans and Brazilian Nationals of the next.
In both cases, the measure is the same: four major titles in a row, at the same belt. When the athlete also wins the open class at all four tournaments, it is called a double Grand Slam.
Who has completed the Grand Slam at black belt
Gabi Pessanha is the leading name on the list. According to the IBJJF, the Brazilian completed five consecutive Grand Slams through the 2025/2026 season. In three of them, from 2022 to 2024, she won weight and open class at all four tournaments.
Among the men, Tainan Dalpra won the Europeans, Pans, Brazilian Nationals and Worlds in 2025 and in 2026 and, by the federation’s season count, is the first man with two Grand Slams. Mica Galvão won all four tournaments in 2024, the same year he won the ADCC.
Diego “Pato” Oliveira and Adam Wardzinski completed the run in the 2024/2025 season, and Mayssa Bastos in 2021/2022. Janaína Lebre won all four tournaments in 2025, all at lightweight.
Before them, American Rafael Lovato Jr. completed the circuit in 2007, Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles in 2017, and Cláudia do Val and Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa in 2018.
The Grand Slam at the colored belts
The count also applies to colored belts and juveniles. In 2026, Kauã “Lasanha” Gomes, from Start Doing, won all four tournaments at juvenile blue belt. “All 4 championships without conceding a single point!”, he wrote on social media. Eliza Nascimento, now a black belt, did the same in 2023 at blue belt.
The Grand Slam in the VF Comunica ranking
The four tournaments are the basis of the VF Comunica ranking, which counts only European, Pan, Brazilian Nationals and World titles.
Who will be the next to complete the Grand Slam? Leave your pick in the comments.
