Kendall Marie Reusing was born on October 29, 1997, in Dana Point, Orange County, California, into a household where sport was a way of life. Her father, Tom Reusing, played a central role in shaping her athletic identity from the earliest years — an influence that remained a constant thread throughout her development as a martial artist. As a child, Kendall immersed herself in a remarkably broad range of pursuits: gymnastics, judo, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, singing, and acting, reflecting both her innate energy and the supportive environment around her.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu was the first martial art she encountered, introduced to the sport by her parents at the age of five. By seven, she trained alongside her father under coach Ricardo Guimarães, building the technical foundation that would eventually underpin one of the more distinctive competitive profiles in modern grappling. That early, varied exposure to movement-based disciplines — from the balance demands of gymnastics to the throwing mechanics of judo — gave her a versatile physical platform she would draw upon throughout her career.

At age 13, Reusing made a decisive pivot, stepping away from BJJ and judo to concentrate fully on wrestling. The decision proved transformative. During her high school career, she captured the California State Championship and went on to win four US National Championships, establishing herself as one of the top scholastic wrestlers in the country.

In 2012, her performances earned her a place on the international stage with Team USA, and she trained at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs as part of the national program. That environment — elite coaching, high-level training partners, and the discipline of a national athlete's schedule — refined the explosive, pressure-based wrestling style that would later become her hallmark in jiu-jitsu competition.

Reusing remained in that wrestling world until returning to California in 2016, closing her primary wrestling chapter. The years invested in the sport were never lost; her takedown arsenal, top control instincts, and physical conditioning translated directly into her subsequent BJJ career, giving her advantages that most pure BJJ competitors could not replicate.

When Reusing resumed serious BJJ training and competition after returning to California in 2016, the results were immediate. Her wrestling credentials gave her a distinct edge through the colored belt divisions, and she accumulated major titles at a pace that reflected years of high-level athletic preparation rather than a competitor rebuilding from scratch.

At blue belt, she won the IBJJF No-Gi World Championship in 2016. At purple belt, she captured gold at the 2017 IBJJF World Championship and added the UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Pro title in 2018. At brown belt, she claimed the IBJJF No-Gi World Championship in 2018, reinforcing a pattern of success across formats and belt levels. In July 2019, Tom Reusing promoted his daughter to black belt — a milestone that carried particular meaning given the father-daughter lineage at the heart of her development.

The transition to black belt brought no slowdown. Reusing placed second at the UAEJJF Grand Slam LA and won the SJJIF World Championship in 2019, signaling her readiness to compete with the best in the world. She represents Gracie Barra on the international circuit, though her commitment to growth has always extended beyond a single affiliation. In 2020, she traveled to train with the Pedigo Submission Fighting "Daisy Fresh" camp — an aggressive, competition-oriented program — demonstrating a willingness to seek out high-level training environments regardless of organizational lines.

Reusing's BJJ game is built on the platform of an elite wrestling career, and that connection is visible in virtually every aspect of how she competes. Explosive takedowns and relentless top pressure serve as her primary weapons. Once she establishes a dominant position, she transitions with efficiency into submission threats — predominantly chokes and armlocks — rather than accepting stalemates or conceding scrambles.

The 2023 IBJJF No-Gi World Championship absolute final offered a clear illustration of this philosophy. Facing Mika Barros, Reusing relentlessly passed guard until she secured the dominant position she needed, then finished by armbar — a sequence that encapsulates her control-first, submission-second approach. Her 2022 ADCC World Championship debut provided another example: she submitted Giovanna Jara by guillotine choke in the quarter-final, demonstrating that her submission hunting extends beyond top-position grinding into opportunistic finishing from multiple scenarios.

Her 2020 cross-training stint at the Pedigo Submission Fighting "Daisy Fresh" camp reflects an honest recognition that elite wrestling alone does not complete a well-rounded grappler. That willingness to stress-test her game against a different competitive culture has contributed to a style that is both physically dominant and technically layered.

Reusing secured her spot at the most prestigious submission grappling event in the world by winning the 2021 ADCC East Coast Trials, earning the right to compete at the 2022 ADCC World Championship in Las Vegas. Her debut at that level was immediate and impactful — she submitted Giovanna Jara by guillotine choke in the quarter-final, announcing herself as a genuine contender in a bracket stacked with accomplished no-gi specialists.

The semi-finals brought a sharply different outcome. Reusing suffered a severe knee injury during the match, forcing her withdrawal from the tournament and cutting short a promising run. The injury required a 14-month recovery — a significant interruption for a competitor who had built considerable momentum. Despite not completing the bracket, her ADCC debut demonstrated that her wrestling-heavy game translated effectively to the highest level of submission grappling and established a clear baseline for what she could achieve once healthy.

The recovery period that followed was among the most demanding stretches of her career, both physically and mentally. Returning from a serious knee injury at the elite level demands not only physical rehabilitation but also the confidence to re-enter competition at full intensity — a challenge Reusing would ultimately meet.

After 14 months of recovery, Reusing chose Polaris 26 in late 2023 as her return to the competitive stage. The event carried additional weight: she was defending the Polaris Open Weight title she had won in 2022, and a successful defense would confirm that her rehabilitation had genuinely restored her to top form rather than simply returned her to the mats.

She delivered. Defeating Leticia Cardozo by decision in the women's Open Weight championship match, Reusing maintained her unbeaten record on the Polaris stage and claimed back-to-back titles at the event. The victory was more than a belt retained — it was a statement about the completeness of her recovery and the durability of her competitive identity.

The same year, Reusing also won the IBJJF No-Gi World Championship absolute title, defeating Mika Barros by armbar in the final after relentlessly dismantling her guard. The 2023 double — Polaris title defense and No-Gi World Championship absolute — confirmed that her return from injury had not diminished her capabilities. If anything, the adversity appeared to sharpen her focus.

Reusing's contribution to the sport extends well beyond her competition record. At Gracie Barra, she teaches classes alongside her father Tom Reusing, maintaining the family training dynamic that shaped her own development and passing that knowledge to the next generation of grapplers. She also mentors junior teammates, bringing her experience as both a decorated wrestler and a black belt champion to bear on athletes at earlier stages of their development.

Beyond the gym, Reusing has built a recognizable public presence within the BJJ community as a commentator and podcast host. Her technical background lends her broadcast work a credibility that resonates with audiences seeking informed analysis, and her podcast platform has allowed her to engage with a broader range of topics affecting the sport. This dual role — active competitor and public voice — positions her as a contributor to BJJ's culture and direction, not only its competitive results.

In early September 2025, Reusing became the subject of significant public discussion within the grappling community after she questioned the participation and prize structure at the Craig Jones Invitational 2 (CJI 2). The event distributed approximately $1.56 million in total prize money — comprising a $1 million team tournament prize, $100,000 allocated to the women's division, and approximately $460,000 in show money at roughly $10,002 per athlete across 46 participants — while featuring only four female competitors alongside forty male grapplers. Reusing's posts called for transparency regarding the limited women's divisions and raised questions about why substantial prize funds could be mobilized for male competitors while women's opportunities at the event remained so narrow.

The response from within the BJJ community was pointed. Gabi Garcia replied publicly, defending the tournament organizers and arguing that progress in women's prize money comes "step-by-step." Garcia drew on her own experience of more than 19 years competing — often for medals or minimal compensation — and cited pioneers including herself and Bia Mesquita as having done the foundational work to open doors for younger athletes. Garcia warned that sustained public criticism of events making strides in athlete pay could endanger future opportunities for women in the sport.

On September 4, 2025, Reusing issued a public apology, deleted her original posts, and acknowledged that she had "spoke too soon, with urgency and emotion." Her statement expressed genuine appreciation for what CJI had done for athlete compensation across the sport: "First off — I'm genuinely grateful for the attention and athlete pay that CJI has created for our sport. What they've done is exciting and meaningful for jiu jitsu as a whole." She also apologized to the CJI team for any hurt caused by the manner in which she had raised her concerns.

Reusing was careful to clarify the nature of her original concern, framing it as a question of transparency rather than a demand for automatic equal pay. "My questions have never been about why women weren't simply paid 'more,'" she wrote. "They've been about transparency of motive." She stated her belief that pay should "reflect the value brought to an organization" and affirmed that "jiu jitsu thrives when women and men are alongside one another," expressing a desire to compete in future CJI events.

The episode drew attention beyond Reusing's individual situation, becoming a focal point for the ongoing conversation within professional grappling about women's representation, prize equity, and how progress in those areas is best advanced — whether through public advocacy or patient, incremental change.