Josh Hinger was born on May 28, 1982, in Whittier, California, and grew up in La Habra, where his relationship with grappling took root through high school wrestling. He first competed at Sonora High School in Brea before relocating to Temecula, California, at age 15, continuing his wrestling career at Chaparral High School. His time at Chaparral culminated in a CIF 145lbs division title during his senior year in 2000 — an early signal of the competitive drive that would define his BJJ career.

Three years after graduating, Hinger's return to grappling came through an unexpected reunion. An old wrestling teammate invited him to visit a jiu-jitsu academy, and while Hinger agreed primarily for the chance to get mat time with his buddy, that first class proved transformative. He has recalled the date with precision: July 2, 2003. The experience left such an impression that he returned for an evening class on July 4th, only to find the gym empty — his instructor told him to go to a barbecue and watch fireworks. That small anecdote captures Hinger's immediate and wholehearted conversion to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

The wrestling foundation he built in high school — footwork, level changes, hip pressure, and relentless forward movement — became one of the most valuable assets he carried into both competition and coaching throughout his career.

White to Purple Belt Under Chris Brennan

Hinger's first jiu-jitsu and MMA coach was Chris Brennan, who ran an academy in Lake Forest, California. Under Brennan's guidance, Hinger progressed from white to purple belt while simultaneously launching a professional mixed martial arts career. With only four months of BJJ training, he made his MMA debut in November 2003, going on to compile a 4-1-0 record by 2005 — a telling demonstration of his willingness to test himself under pressure.

Brennan's academy dissolved around 2006 following internal team disagreements and the departure of key figures within the organization. After that chapter closed, Hinger sought new training and began working with Baret Yoshida and Jason Bukich, earning his brown belt under the pair. Training under multiple accomplished practitioners gave Hinger a broad technical base and an adaptability that would come to define both his competitive game and his coaching approach.

Black Belt and the Move to Atos

Hinger eventually found his way to Atos Jiu-Jitsu HQ in San Diego, coming under the direct guidance of André Galvão. The move marked the beginning of the most productive chapter of his competitive life. Working alongside some of the world's top grapplers, Hinger rose quickly through the brown belt ranks and earned his black belt on December 7, 2013 — a date he has spoken about with evident pride as one of the defining milestones of his grappling journey.

Dominating the No-Gi World Championship

On the international competition circuit, Josh Hinger established himself as one of the most consistent performers of his generation at the middleweight division (82kg/181lbs). His most celebrated run came between 2016 and 2018, when he claimed three consecutive IBJJF No-Gi World Championship titles — a rare hat-trick at one of the sport's most competitive events. Winning the same major title three years running at the adult level speaks not only to technical excellence but to the kind of mental consistency that separates good competitors from great ones.

Beyond the No-Gi Worlds, Hinger assembled a wide-ranging list of titles that reflected his ability to perform across formats and venues. He won the IBJJF American Nationals No-Gi in 2014 and 2017, the ACBJJ 7 MW Grand Prix No-Gi in 2017, multiple IBJJF Chicago Spring and Summer Opens, and the IBJJF Seattle Open on multiple occasions. In 2015, he reached the final of the EBI welterweight invitational — a high-profile submission-only event that tested his finishing ability against elite competition in a format that rewarded exactly the kind of aggressive submission hunting that defines his game.

The Las Vegas Triple-Header

In August 2018, Hinger delivered a remarkable display of endurance and range when he entered three IBJJF tournaments in a single week at the Las Vegas Convention Center: the LV Open, the LV No-Gi Open, and the Masters World Championship. Competing in the heavyweight division at 94 kilograms — two full weight classes above his usual middleweight — he collected six gold medals and two silvers across thirteen matches, finishing eight of his wins by submission. The performance underscored his conviction that the experiences and memories forged in competition carry more weight than any single medal.

ADCC 2019: Bronze on the Biggest Stage

Hinger's path to ADCC 2019 World Championship in Anaheim began with a first-place finish at the ADCC West Coast Trials, earning him a spot at the sport's most prestigious submission grappling event. At the event itself, he secured the bronze medal by defeating Jon Blank 3-0 on points — a result that placed him among the elite in a stacked bracket and validated his standing as one of the top no-gi competitors in the world.

A System, Not Just a Submission

If one technique defines Josh Hinger's competitive identity, it is the guillotine choke — so thoroughly his own that the grappling community gave it a name: the Hingertine. What separates Hinger's approach from a conventional interpretation of the submission is the depth of the positional system built around it. Rather than treating the guillotine purely as a choke, Hinger deploys the position to sweep opponents, transition to a mounted finish, take the back, and disrupt guard passing attempts before they develop. In his framework, the guillotine functions as much as a control position as it does a finishing hold.

Influence on Modern No-Gi Competition

Across his competitive career, Hinger finished high-profile opponents with the Hingertine at ADCC Trials and Fight to Win events, consistently hunting the choke regardless of the size or reputation of his opponent. That willingness to attack the neck of anyone at any moment became a calling card — opponents knew the threat was coming and still found themselves caught. Many grapplers and coaches credit Hinger with elevating the guillotine from a supplementary tool to a central weapon in modern no-gi competition, reshaping how a generation of practitioners approaches front headlock situations.

To share the system beyond the Atos mats, Hinger released the Hingertine instructional series — a detailed breakdown of his guillotine methodology for practitioners across all skill levels. The instructional formalized what competitors had already witnessed in tournaments: a coherent, layered system built on decades of refinement.

The Role of an Institutional Anchor

Josh Hinger's role within Atos HQ extends well beyond that of a competing athlete. He functions as a coach, institutional anchor, and training partner of choice for some of the most talented grapplers in the world. André Galvão has described his presence as equivalent to having an additional coach on the mat — someone who communicates technique in the language of the team and bridges the gap between the coaching staff and newer members.

One of Hinger's most direct contributions to Atos has been leading the Friday wrestling practice, channeling his high school championship background and Division III wrestling experience into improving the team's takedown competency. He also runs competition class warm-ups and drills in Galvão's absence, taking on organizational responsibilities that reflect the trust placed in him by the team's leadership. In a training environment populated by some of the sport's most gifted athletes, Hinger's ability to organize sessions and push the pace has had a measurable impact on the squad's preparation.

Mentorship and Athlete Development

Among the athletes Hinger has mentored, Tye Ruotolo and Kade Ruotolo stand out as the most prominent examples. Both brothers have publicly credited "Uncle Josh" with teaching them guillotines and guillotine defense during their formative years as teenage orange belts — a detail that illustrates how early and how meaningfully Hinger's influence operated within Atos. He has also worked extensively with Lucas Barbosa, Cade Marostica, and Andy Murasaki, contributing to the development of multiple elite-level competitors over the course of his tenure with the team.

Hinger's preparation work extended into ADCC 2022 cycles, where he served as a primary training partner for Atos competitors, simulating varied opponents' styles owing to his broad base across gi, no-gi, wrestling, and guard work. His longevity at the elite level — competing at the highest levels of the sport deep into his late 30s — sets a tangible example of professional discipline: strict attention to diet, recovery protocols, and the kind of consistent drilling that keeps a technical game sharp over decades rather than years.

A Platform Built on Candor

Outside of competition and coaching, Josh Hinger reached a significantly wider audience through the Matburn Podcast, co-hosted with Keenan Cornelius beginning in 2019. Running for more than thirty episodes, the show became a genuine hit within the BJJ community for its candid, humorous, and unfiltered approach to topics that more polished media tended to avoid — including steroid use in the sport, mental health challenges faced by professional competitors, and the economic realities of making a living as a full-time grappler.

Hinger's on-air persona — gruff, deadpan, and disarmingly direct — made him a fan favorite. Listeners affectionately embraced the "Old Man Hinger yells at cloud" characterization that emerged when he offered pointed opinions on modern training trends, and his willingness to say plainly what others danced around gave the podcast a credibility that resonated with practitioners at every level.

Coaching Philosophy on the Air

Through those conversations, Hinger articulated coaching philosophies that had previously existed only on the Atos mats: a consistent advocacy for fundamentals over flashy techniques, heavy reliance on positional sparring as the cornerstone of the Atos training culture, and a strong case for cross-training in wrestling and judo as essential tools for any serious competitor.

After Matburn went on hiatus — partly as a result of Cornelius redirecting his focus toward building Legion AJJ — Hinger has discussed the possibility of future projects and has become a frequently sought-after guest on other BJJ media platforms. His perspective as a veteran competitor who witnessed the sport's transformation from regional tournaments to worldwide streaming events gives him a particular authority when speaking about where BJJ has been and where it is heading. The podcast work cemented his reputation as a thought leader: someone whose opinions on training, competition, and grappling culture carry weight precisely because they are grounded in lived experience rather than theory.