José Steve Ndilu

Born in January 2002 in Belgium, José Steve Nduazulu Ndilu grew up sampling a range of sports — football, basketball, and swimming — before finding the discipline that would define his athletic life. In 2013, a visit to CENS Academy provided his first exposure to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The introduction was far from love at first sight; Steve found little enjoyment in those early classes, yet chose to push through rather than walk away. That decision to embrace discomfort proved to be the turning point of his career, setting him on a path that would ultimately lead to the sport's highest rank.

CENS Academy became the permanent home of Steve's BJJ development, with Khalid Houry serving as his sole instructor across his entire career. Houry guided Steve through every belt promotion from white to black, building a relationship defined by continuity, trust, and shared investment in long-term growth. In July 2025, Houry awarded Steve his black belt — a milestone that formalized more than a decade of dedicated training under one roof.

Steve's lineage traces through a distinguished line of practitioners: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Flavio Behring > Patrick Chaput > Derebey Sebahatin > Khalid Houry > José Steve Ndilu.

During his brown belt years, Steve received an invitation to represent Dream Art in international competition — a testament to his standing among the elite colored belt competitors on the global circuit. He accepted while maintaining CENS Academy as his primary affiliation, preserving the bond with the gym and coach that shaped his game from the outset.

Steve competes as a classical guard player, building his game around a methodical, structured approach to controlling opponents from the bottom position. He competes at middleweight, around 82.3 kg / 181.5 lbs, and has represented Belgium throughout his career.

Blue and Purple Belt Success

Steve's colored belt record stands among the most decorated of his generation. At blue belt, he claimed gold at the IBJJF World Championship in 2021 and followed it with a title at the AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro the same year, announcing himself early as a prospect of genuine international caliber. His progression to purple belt brought continued success — a European Championship title in 2022, multiple podium finishes at the IBJJF World Championship across 2022, 2023, and 2024 — alongside runners-up finishes at the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals in 2023 and 2024 and at the IBJJF Pan Championship in 2024.

Brown Belt Dominance

The brown belt years produced the most complete version of Steve's competitive résumé. He won gold at the IBJJF European Championship in 2025, claimed the IBJJF World Championship title in 2025, added an AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro title in 2024, and took the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals in both 2024 and 2025. Across these results, Steve established himself as one of the defining colored belt competitors of the early 2020s — a competitor whose guard-based approach proved consistently effective against the world's best.

Steve's transition to the black belt division began at The Crown 2025, where he entered the 82 kg division. Facing Mateus Moraes, he fell by referee decision in his first significant test against black belt-level opposition. The result illustrated the sharper competitive margins that accompany the rank, while also framing what lies ahead — a guard-based game refined through years of elite colored belt competition now being calibrated against the sport's highest standard. The Crown appearance marks the opening chapter of what figures to be an extended career at the top level.