Nathalia Santoro

Nathalia Santoro holds a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu — a rank that reflects years of disciplined technical development and sustained mat time. The brown belt represents an advanced stage of the BJJ journey, and Santoro's progression through the ranks signals a serious, long-term commitment to the art.

Her training background is rooted in the high-level environment surrounding Gordon Ryan and their shared training circle, exposing her to some of the most analytically rigorous and systematically refined approaches to grappling developed in the modern era. That immersion has shaped not only her technical foundation but her overall understanding of the game.

Within the BJJ community, Santoro commands recognition as a practitioner in her own right. Her standing as a brown belt places her among grapplers with deep technical knowledge and the capacity to both execute and articulate complex concepts on the mat — a distinction that extends beyond her proximity to elite competition.

Alongside her development as a practitioner, Santoro has taken on a meaningful instructional role within the BJJ community. Teaching at the brown belt level demands more than technical proficiency — it requires the ability to break down complex movement patterns, positional concepts, and submission mechanics in ways that transfer to students across skill levels.

Santoro's coaching work connects her to the broader pedagogical ecosystem shaped by Gordon Ryan and John Danaher, whose New Wave Jiu-Jitsu methodology has had a significant influence on modern grappling instruction. Her role as an instructor reflects a natural extension of her training rather than a departure from it. Notably, the October 2025 legal incidents discussed below arose in part while she was reportedly traveling to fulfill training and teaching obligations — underscoring how central jiu-jitsu remained to her daily schedule at that time.

Santoro has been in a long-term relationship with Gordon Ryan since approximately 2016. The two are partners who have shared much of their personal and professional lives over that period, though they are not legally married. Ryan's status as one of the most dominant submission grapplers in the sport's history — a multiple-time ADCC champion and widely regarded as the top no-gi competitor of his generation — has inevitably shaped how Santoro is perceived in BJJ circles.

Their relationship places her at the center of the New Wave Jiu-Jitsu training environment, built around Ryan and longtime coach John Danaher. That circle, defined by its systematic and intellectually rigorous approach to no-gi grappling, stands as one of the most influential forces in contemporary BJJ. Training and living within that environment has directly informed Santoro's growth as both a practitioner and an instructor. While her visibility in the community carries an association with Ryan's career, her identity as a brown belt and instructor establishes a distinct standing that holds on its own terms.

October 16 Incident — Evading Detention and Firearms Charges

In October 2025, Santoro became the subject of serious legal proceedings in Austin, Texas, following two separate incidents. On October 16, 2025, Austin Police Officer Katigbak attempted to stop a green Porsche SUV bearing no license plates in North Austin. The vehicle failed to yield, initiating a pursuit spanning approximately 15 miles at speeds exceeding 120 mph before officers deployed low-speed intervention techniques to bring it to a stop.

Officers approached with weapons drawn and ordered Santoro out of the vehicle. During the roadside evaluation that followed, she was uncooperative, stating at various points that she was traveling to train and then to teach jiu-jitsu. She declined to provide a breath sample, and during a subsequent blood draw she became agitated, directing a threatening statement at the medical technician administering the procedure. Officers recovered two loaded firearms with chambered rounds from the vehicle.

The charges arising from the stop included Evading Detention Using a Motor Vehicle, classified as a third-degree felony, along with firearms-related charges. Santoro posted bond of $3,000 on October 17, 2025, subject to conditions prohibiting her from operating a vehicle without a valid license and insurance.

October 22 Incident — Reckless Driving

On October 22, 2025, Travis County Sheriff's Deputy C. Jensen responded to a separate crash on FM 1826. Santoro, by her own admission traveling approximately 90 mph in a 55 mph zone, lost control on a bend, struck a utility pole, and came to rest roughly 30 feet from the roadway. She was charged with Reckless Driving in connection with that incident, with bond again set at $3,000.

Legal Proceedings and Public Record

Pretrial appearances in both matters were scheduled for December 15, 2025, in Travis County Court at Law. Santoro did not appear in person at that hearing; her attorney represented her while she traveled to Thailand. Bodycam footage from the October 16 arrest became publicly available on January 5, 2026, following an earlier public-records request that the Austin Police Department had declined to fulfill without publicly stating a reason.

These incidents represent a serious and consequential chapter in Santoro's life. They are documented here in the interest of completeness and accuracy, but they do not define her identity within the BJJ community, where she remains recognized as a brown belt practitioner and instructor with deep ties to one of the sport's most prominent training environments.