Kenta Iwamoto

Kenta Iwamoto was born on February 13, 1997, in Shiroi, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. His upbringing carried a distinctly international character: from 2002 to 2004, he lived with his family in New Jersey, USA, and later spent two years in Somerset, England, during high school. These experiences abroad cultivated an adaptable, cross-cultural perspective that would later define his approach to grappling.

Iwamoto's introduction to martial arts came during junior high school, when he began training judo as an after-school activity. He competed during this period, though his participation scaled back once he entered high school — his judo club had only two other members, making a meaningful competitive environment difficult to sustain. Even so, judo remained his foundational connection to the grappling world.

The moment that pointed Iwamoto toward Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu arrived indirectly through his brother. After his sibling joined a high school judo club, the club's instructor lent them a BJJ instructional DVD aimed at developing ground skills. Watching the program together, Kenta was immediately captivated. He began drilling the techniques with his training partner and even tested submissions during judo competitions — an early signal of his willingness to experiment and adapt on the mat.

At 19, Kenta Iwamoto relocated to Tokyo to pursue his university degree, arriving already holding a black belt in judo. Rather than continue competing in judo, he chose to invest fully in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, beginning his formal training under Atsunori Hiruma, who awarded him his blue belt.

Three years into his BJJ journey, Iwamoto's development gained momentum. He earned his purple belt from Mitsuyoshi Hayakawa, the team leader of Tri-Force — a recognition of both his technical refinement and his competitive readiness. That readiness became undeniable in 2019, when Iwamoto won the ADCC Asia & Oceania Trials in the 66-kilogram division as a purple belt, announcing himself as a legitimate elite-level no-gi competitor.

As his competitive profile grew, Iwamoto made a deliberate choice to abandon gi competition entirely, channeling his training and focus exclusively into no-gi grappling. This decision proved formative, enabling him to build the specialized skill set that now defines his career. On May 31, 2023, Yusuke Honma awarded Iwamoto his black belt — formalizing a journey that had begun on the judo mats of Chiba Prefecture years earlier.

Dominating the ADCC Asia & Oceania Trials

Few competitors in the Asia-Pacific region have matched the consistency Kenta Iwamoto has shown at the ADCC Trials. He won the ADCC Asia & Oceania Trials in 2019, 2022, and 2023, establishing himself as the dominant force in the region across multiple competitive cycles. His 2019 victory at 66 kilograms came as a purple belt, making the performance especially striking.

The Encounter That Changed His Trajectory

The 2022 edition of the Trials produced a defining moment: a match against Jozef Chen that, rather than becoming a rivalry, evolved into collaboration. Chen invited Iwamoto to join his training group, B-Team, in preparation for the 2022 ADCC World Championship in Austin, Texas. During that camp, Iwamoto trained alongside some of the sport's elite no-gi competitors, including Craig Jones, Nicky Ryan, Ethan Crelinsten, and Nicky Rodriguez. The experience exposed him to one of the most competitive no-gi training environments in the world and left a lasting imprint on his game.

Around the same period, Iwamoto earned a 3rd place finish at the 2022 IBJJF World Championship No-Gi at the brown belt level, demonstrating his competitiveness across formats. His decision to forgo the 2024 ADCC World Championship in favor of competing in the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational underscored his standing within the elite no-gi circuit and his alignment with the B-Team competitive philosophy.

Building an International Training Base

What began as a competitive encounter with Jozef Chen at the ADCC Trials grew into one of the most consequential partnerships in Iwamoto's career. Chen's invitation to train with B-Team ahead of the 2022 ADCC World Championship opened the door to an international training network that Iwamoto has maintained and expanded ever since.

Integrated into B-Team's competitive workgroup, Iwamoto trains alongside Craig Jones, Nicky Ryan, Ethan Crelinsten, and Nicky Rodriguez, among the most accomplished no-gi grapplers in the sport. Rather than relocating permanently, he established a dual training base — dividing his time between B-Team in the United States and his established training partners in Japan. This transatlantic structure, reflected in his affiliation with both B-Team and Igloo, allows him to draw from two distinct competitive cultures simultaneously.

Iwamoto competes representing the United States despite being born in Japan — a choice that captures the genuinely international arc of his career. From a judo club in Chiba Prefecture to the highest levels of submission grappling, his path reflects a consistent willingness to seek out the best training environments the world has to offer.