JP Tran
John-Paul Tran · United States
A Gui Mendes student at AOJ, the American is a five-time IBJJF juvenile world champion, gi and no-gi, and won the Europeans, Pans and Worlds at blue belt in 2026.
- IBJJF juvenile world titles, gi and no-gi
- 5
Who is JP Tran
John-Paul Tran, known as JP, trains at Art of Jiu-Jitsu, AOJ, in Costa Mesa, California, under Gui Mendes. In 2026, in Juvenile 2, he won the IBJJF Europeans, Pans and Worlds at blue belt featherweight.
He joined AOJ as a yellow belt. In August 2024, he won gold at the first ADCC Youth World Championship, in Las Vegas, in the under-17 division.
In 2025, in Juvenile 1, he became world champion with double gold, at featherweight and in the light open class, and also won the No-Gi Worlds, again in his weight and the open class. At the end of the year, he was named Standout Juvenile Athlete (Male) at the 2025 Jiu-Jitsu Awards by VF Comunica, the same edition in which Gui Mendes was named Coach of the Year.
In 2026, he opened the season with the European title in Lisbon. At the Pans, in Florida, he won featherweight and the light open class. At Worlds, in Long Beach, he won featherweight again and took bronze in the open class. He also won the American Nationals, gi and no-gi.
His coach saw it early. “JP is one of those kids who you can tell have something special,” Gui Mendes said in a 2025 interview. JP Tran is on VF Comunica’s list of 10 Jiu-Jitsu talents who could blow up in 2027.
Major titles
2026
- IBJJF Worlds Juvenile 2, featherweight Gold
- IBJJF Worlds Juvenile 2, light open class Bronze
- IBJJF Pans Juvenile 2, featherweight and light open class Gold
- IBJJF Europeans Juvenile 2, featherweight Gold
- IBJJF American Nationals Juvenile, featherweight, gi and no-gi Gold
2025
- IBJJF Worlds Juvenile 1, featherweight and light open class Gold
- IBJJF No-Gi Worlds Juvenile 1, weight and open class Gold
- IBJJF Europeans Juvenile 1, lightweight Bronze
2024
- ADCC Youth World Championship Under 17 Gold
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