Adam Kayoom

Born on October 22, 1977, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Adam Shahir Kayoom relocated to Sydney, Australia at the age of nine and wasted little time immersing himself in the world of martial arts. His foundational training was broad and rigorous — earning black belts in both taekwondo and karate, while also studying hapkido, aikido, and the traditional Japanese system of Yagyu Shingan Ryu ju-jitsu. He further extended his education into Kalis Illustrisimo, a Filipino blade-based combat system rarely encountered outside specialist circles, underscoring the depth and seriousness of his early martial development.

A street fight at the age of 18 served as the pivotal turning point that redirected Kayoom's focus toward Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The encounter exposed the limitations of striking-based systems when an opponent forces the fight to the ground — a lesson that proved decisive. From that moment, BJJ became the central pillar of his martial identity, a pursuit that would take him across continents and earn him recognition at the highest levels of the grappling world.

Kayoom's path through the BJJ belt system reflected an internationally minded approach to training, carrying him from Australia to Brazil and through the instruction of several respected figures within the art. His formal BJJ education began in Brazil under Fernando Paradeda, where he built the technical foundations that would define his game. It was also in Brazil that Walter Mattos and Ze Mario Sperry — both well-regarded names within the broader BJJ community — awarded him his blue and purple belts, each leaving a meaningful imprint on his development.

Returning to Australia, Kayoom continued refining his craft under Bruno Panno at Gracie Humaita Sydney, where he earned his brown belt. The culmination of his belt journey came in 2009, when Ricardo Liborio — founder of American Top Team and one of the most respected figures in BJJ history — promoted Kayoom to black belt. The achievement spanned multiple countries and passed through the hands of some of the art's most distinguished instructors, firmly cementing Kayoom's place within the Ricardo Liborio lineage.

Alongside his growth as a BJJ practitioner, Kayoom pursued Muay Thai competition at the highest international level — and excelled. He captured the WPMF (World Professional Muay Thai Federation) World Championship twice in the middleweight division, establishing himself as a two-time world champion in one of striking sport's most demanding competitive formats.

This double world title reign places Kayoom among a rare group of martial artists who have achieved world-level recognition in a striking discipline while simultaneously building elite grappling credentials. His Muay Thai and BJJ backgrounds reinforced each other in competition, shaping a well-rounded and formidable fighter throughout his MMA career. More broadly, the achievement reflects a defining philosophy that has guided his martial arts journey: the relentless pursuit of excellence across multiple combat systems — not superficially, but to the level of world championship.

Kayoom's competitive BJJ record across the late 1990s and early 2000s demonstrated both the quality of his training and his willingness to test himself in demanding environments at home and abroad. At blue belt, he captured the Australian National Championship in 1996 and 1997, and claimed the New South Wales State Championship in those same years — a dominant run that established him as one of the strongest grapplers of his level in the country.

Seeking stiffer competition, Kayoom traveled to Brazil to compete in South American events at purple belt. In 1999, he won the South Brazilian Championship, and the following year he claimed the Cyclone Cup in Niterói — a significant victory achieved in BJJ's home country against a competitive local field. That same year, he earned a silver medal at the South Brazilian Championship, rounding out a strong purple belt campaign abroad. Back in Australia, he continued his state-level dominance, winning the New South Wales State Championship in 2001, 2002, and 2003 at purple belt, adding further depth to an already impressive competitive résumé.

Based in Bangkok, Thailand, Kayoom has established himself as an instructor and a contributing figure in Southeast Asia's growing Brazilian jiu-jitsu community. His primary teaching affiliation is Q23 Academy in Bangkok, where he draws on decades of cross-disciplinary experience to develop students across multiple dimensions of combat sport and self-defense.

His presence in Southeast Asia reflects a broader movement of experienced black belts relocating to the region to build BJJ infrastructure and cultivate new generations of practitioners. The depth of Kayoom's background — encompassing BJJ, two-time world championship-level Muay Thai, MMA competition, and a foundation in traditional martial arts spanning several disciplines and continents — gives him an unusually comprehensive perspective as both a coach and mentor. Q23 Academy serves as the platform through which he continues to share that knowledge and contribute to the long-term development of Brazilian jiu-jitsu in the region.