Justin Ordinario

Justin Ordinario was born on April 6, 1983, in Houston, Texas, USA, into a family that would soon carry him far from his birthplace. At a young age, he moved with his family to the Philippines, where he spent his formative childhood years. That international upbringing shaped much of his early perspective, though organized sports played little role in his life during that period. He returned to the United States in his teenage years, settling back in Houston around the start of high school. The cultural transitions that marked his youth gave way, in adulthood, to a discipline that would come to define a major chapter of his life.

Justin Ordinario discovered Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2006, at age 24, when he walked into a class at Solis Martial Arts Academy in Houston. There, he trained under Alvis Solis, an instructor affiliated with the Machado Jiu-Jitsu Association. Ordinario's progress through the ranks was steady and purposeful — he completed his entire white-through-brown belt journey under Solis's guidance.

During that period, fellow Solis student Roy Davis took over the gym, stepping into the role of Justin's primary instructor. The continuity of that mentorship proved formative. In January 2016, Davis promoted both Justin and his brother Dustin Ordinario to black belt in the same ceremony — a milestone that reflected years of shared dedication on the mats.

Also in 2016, the Ordinario brothers began supplementary training with Pablo Silva, widely regarded as one of Houston's top Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructors. That relationship added a new dimension to Justin's development as both a competitor and practitioner, and it would go on to shape the identity of his future academy.

Justin Ordinario competes in the Peso Galo division (57.60 kg / 127.00 lbs), one of the lighter weight categories in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Even before earning his black belt, he demonstrated competitive promise — finishing as runner-up at the IBJJF Pan Championship in 2015 at brown belt, and earning a third-place finish at the IBJJF No-Gi World Championship that same year.

Building a Masters-Level Legacy

Following his black belt promotion, Ordinario built one of the most consistent Masters-level competition records in his weight class. His international trajectory accelerated quickly: in 2017, he claimed gold at the IBJJF Pan Championship, a title he would reclaim in both 2019 and 2021, cementing his standing as a perennial threat at that event. His proficiency extended equally to the no-gi format — in 2020, he took gold at the IBJJF Pan No-Gi Championship, and in 2021, he captured the IBJJF No-Gi World Championship title, demonstrating elite-level versatility across both disciplines.

World Masters Championship: Persistence Rewarded

Ordinario's performances at the IBJJF World Masters Championship further underscore the depth of his competitive career. He reached the final in 2019, 2020, and 2021, finishing runner-up on each occasion — a sequence that reflects sustained excellence at the highest level of Masters competition. That persistence was ultimately rewarded in 2023, when Ordinario claimed the IBJJF World Masters Championship gold medal, marking the pinnacle of his competitive journey to date. He also added an AJP Grand Slam Miami gold medal in 2021 to his record, along with a third-place finish at the AJP Grand Slam Tokyo in 2024, affirming that his competitive drive remained active well into his career.

In 2018, Justin Ordinario and his brothers took a decisive step beyond competing by opening their own Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy in Houston, Texas. The school operates under the Ordinario Brothers / Pablo Silva BJJ banner — a name that reflects both the family bond at the heart of the project and the ongoing mentorship of Pablo Silva, whose influence on the brothers had grown substantially since 2016.

The academy marks a natural evolution in Justin's relationship with the sport, transitioning from student to competitor to educator. Dustin Ordinario, who received his black belt alongside Justin in January 2016, serves as a central figure in the school's operations, reinforcing the collaborative spirit that has defined the brothers' journey through jiu-jitsu. The formalized partnership with Silva provides experienced regional leadership while preserving the close-knit identity that characterizes the Ordinario brothers' approach to the art — and their commitment to growing the Houston BJJ community.