Laurence Cousin

Born on August 7, 1981, in Saint Germain en Laye, France, Laurence Cousin Fouillat built her athletic foundation through gymnastics before stepping into the world of martial arts. At age 9, her father enrolled her in Aikido — a deliberate choice rooted in his desire for her to develop self-defense skills through a non-competitive discipline. That early immersion sharpened her understanding of body mechanics, leverage, and technical precision, qualities that would serve her well throughout her martial arts career.

By 18, Laurence stood on the verge of earning her Aikido black belt, having invested nearly a decade in the art. It was at this pivotal juncture that David Rivière introduced her to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, redirecting her path entirely. She began training at Cercle Tissier, one of France's most prominent martial arts clubs, and the transition proved transformative. BJJ's competitive structure and grappling depth offered a new dimension that complemented her existing foundation — and the results came quickly.

Laurence's rise through the BJJ ranks was both swift and methodical, driven by natural ability and serious dedication. Within months of starting, she entered her first tournament in June 2000 — and won it. That immediate success set the tone for what followed. She received her blue belt in 2001, and her commitment to growth led her to travel to Brazil, a decision that underscored the seriousness with which she pursued the sport.

Guidance Under Flavio Behring

In Brazil, Laurence came under the guidance of Flavio Behring, one of BJJ's most respected lineage figures. Flavio Behring awarded her the purple belt in 2002, recognizing her technical progress during her time in-country, followed by her brown belt in 2004. Her brown belt campaign delivered immediate results — she won the Copa do Mundo, hosted by the CBJJO, and earned a medal at the Mundial, confirming she was already operating at an elite level before reaching the sport's highest rank.

Black Belt Promotion

In October 2005, Laurence received her black belt in a ceremony that reflected the dual nature of her formative relationships in BJJ — jointly awarded by Saulo Ribeiro and Flavio Behring. The co-promotion by two of the sport's most respected black belts spoke volumes about the regard in which she was held. From her first tournament victory in June 2000 to her black belt in October 2005, her progression spanned approximately five years — a notably fast journey through the ranks, validated by competitive results at every stage.

Laurence Cousin Fouillat's competitive record places her among the most accomplished French BJJ athletes of her generation, with a career that spanned multiple rulesets and international governing bodies at the highest levels of the sport. Competing in the Peso Pena division (58kg/129lbs), she demonstrated consistent excellence across gi, no-gi, and submission wrestling formats throughout her black belt career.

IBJJF and FILA Dominance

The defining moment of her IBJJF career arrived in 2007, when she captured the World Championship title — establishing her unequivocally among the global elite at black belt. That same year, she earned a bronze medal in the absolute division at the Worlds, demonstrating her ability to compete above her weight class against the best in the world. Her 2008 campaign deepened her résumé further, adding a World silver medal at the IBJJF Worlds alongside dominant performances on the FILA circuit, where she won both the World FILA Gi Championship and the World FILA No-Gi Championship — titles she successfully defended in 2009.

ADCC and Versatility

2009 represented her most versatile competitive season. In addition to retaining both FILA world titles, she won the ADCC European Trials Championship, earning her place among the field at ADCC 2009 — widely regarded as one of the most prestigious no-gi submission wrestling events in the world. She finished 4th at that event, a result that reflected her technical sophistication and composure under the sport's most demanding ruleset.

Her earlier achievements further illustrate a competitor who excelled at every rank. The 2005 Copa do Mundo victory and bronze at the 2005 Mundial, combined with a purple belt bronze at the 2003 Mundial, paint a picture of rare consistency — a technical foundation that held up across weight classes, rulesets, and competitive stages throughout her career.

Laurence's affiliation history reflects the deeply interconnected nature of BJJ's top lineages and the long-term relationships that define the sport's community. Her foundational connection to Behring Jiu Jitsu was established through Flavio Behring, who guided her through the purple and brown belt stages and co-awarded her black belt in 2005, forming the institutional backbone of her early black belt career.

In 2007, she changed her training camp while continuing to represent Behring Jiu Jitsu in competition — a distinction that speaks to the loyalty and respect she maintained for the lineage. Her relationship with Saulo Ribeiro and the Ribeiro brothers, which dated back to her black belt promotion in 2005, deepened steadily over the years before being formalized in 2014, when Laurence joined the Ribeiro Jiu Jitsu association. The transition reflected more than a decade of shared trust, values, and ongoing connection with the Ribeiro family rather than any abrupt change in allegiance.

Her affiliation journey — from Cercle Tissier to Behring Jiu Jitsu to Ribeiro Jiu Jitsu — mirrors the organic way relationships evolve across long careers in BJJ, shaped by mentorship, mutual respect, and the natural development of a practitioner's identity within the art.