Jason Gagnon

Jason Gagnon was born on September 23, 1986, in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Growing up, he moved across Western Canada before settling in Coquitlam, BC, where he developed into a multi-sport athlete. Baseball, football, and rugby shaped his competitive upbringing, instilling a team-oriented mindset and physical discipline that translated naturally onto the mats.

Gagnon's path to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu began with a passion for mixed martial arts — particularly the UFC — and was set into motion by a dare from a friend that pushed him through the doors of a martial arts gym. That single moment reshaped his athletic identity entirely. His foundational training came under Don Whitefield and Shawn Albrecht at the West Coast BJJ academy, where he took his first deliberate steps in a discipline that would go on to define his competitive career.

In 2011, Gagnon began making regular trips to Los Angeles to train under Rubens Charles "Cobrinha" — one of the most decorated competitors and coaches in the sport's history. Immersed in the elite environment of Alliance, Gagnon's technical development accelerated and his competitive edge sharpened considerably.

After receiving his brown belt from Don Whitefield, Gagnon made the decision to relocate permanently to Cobrinha's Alliance academy. The move was deliberate — he sought a professional competitive environment capable of preparing him for the highest levels of IBJJF competition. The two years that followed proved the wisdom of that choice, as Gagnon emerged as one of the most accomplished Canadian brown belts on the international circuit. In November 2015, Rubens Charles promoted Gagnon to black belt, a recognition of the consistent excellence he had demonstrated across multiple years and multiple continents.

Gagnon's brown belt years stand as one of the most prolific runs by a Canadian competitor on the IBJJF open tournament circuit. He established his international presence early by claiming gold at the IBJJF Asian Open in 2013 — a result that signaled his readiness to compete and win well beyond Canadian borders.

That same year, he captured the IBJJF American Nationals title, a feat he repeated in 2014 to firmly establish himself as the standard-bearer among North American brown belts in his division. The 2014 campaign also delivered one of his most prestigious victories: gold at the IBJJF European Open, one of the most competitive open tournaments on the annual calendar. That title shifted Gagnon's reputation from strong regional competitor to legitimate international force.

Beyond those marquee results, Gagnon accumulated victories at the IBJJF Boston Open in 2014, the Las Vegas Summer Open in 2013, the Las Vegas Spring Open in 2014, and the London Fall Open in 2015. The breadth of his record — spanning North America, Europe, and Asia — underscored a rare consistency and the ability to perform at a high level regardless of venue or competition pool. For Canadian BJJ, his brown belt career represented a genuine breakthrough in international competitive presence.

Following his black belt promotion in November 2015, Gagnon channeled his competitive drive into the Masters division, where he continued to perform at an elite level. At the IBJJF World Masters in both 2016 and 2017, he earned bronze medals — proof that the transition to a new belt and a new division did nothing to diminish his ability to reach the podium against the best in his category.

Gagnon's career arc — from a dare-fueled gym visit in Coquitlam to international brown belt champion to black belt Masters podium finisher — reflects both his athletic longevity and the depth of his commitment to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as a lifelong pursuit. Competing at the Masters level while representing Canada speaks to a sustained investment in high-level grappling that extends well beyond the typical trajectory of an open adult competitor.