Ryo Ominami

Ryo Ominami was born on July 10, 1982, in Tokushima, Japan — a city on the island of Shikoku that would later become home to his own Gracie Barra school. Before stepping onto the BJJ mats, Ominami forged a formidable grappling foundation through Kodokan Judo, earning a black belt in the discipline and developing the body awareness, timing, and clinch control that would directly accelerate his growth in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Ominami began training BJJ in 2001, at a moment when martial arts in Japan were experiencing a historic surge in popularity. Pride FC had captivated the country, and Brazilian grapplers were consistently demonstrating the effectiveness of Jiu-Jitsu at the highest levels of mixed martial arts competition. Those performances served as the catalyst that drew Ominami toward the gentle art. His first BJJ coach, Sensei Hayashi, introduced him to the fundamentals of the sport and awarded him his blue belt — the first formal recognition of his growing proficiency on the ground.

Armed with a blue belt and a drive to deepen his understanding of the art, Ominami began making trips to Brazil to train at Gracie Barra's headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. It was during these visits that he crossed paths with Carlos Lemos Jr., the Gracie Barra black belt known as "Escorrega," who would become his most influential mentor. The two developed a close training relationship, and Ominami immersed himself fully in both the technical curriculum and the culture of Gracie Barra — returning to Brazil multiple times and at one point spending an uninterrupted year training at headquarters.

Ominami's dedication on the competition mats earned him a singular distinction at the 2008 Asian Open, where — still competing as a brown belt — he delivered a performance impressive enough that Carlos Gracie Jr. promoted him to black belt directly on the podium. The formal ceremony followed on December 1, 2008, when Ominami received his black belt from both Carlos Gracie Jr. and Carlos Lemos Jr. after one of his extended training stints in Brazil. Following his promotion, Ominami continued refining his craft in the United States, training and working alongside Carlos Lemos Jr., before returning to Japan with a clear sense of purpose.

After years of training across three continents and absorbing the Gracie Barra philosophy at its source, Ominami returned to Tokushima — the city where he was born and raised — to establish an official Gracie Barra school. As the founder of GB Tokushima, he became the driving force behind the school's development, serving as its head instructor and building a local community rooted in the values and methodology of the Gracie Barra global network.

Ominami's sustained commitment to the art earned him promotion to 4th-degree black belt, a rank that reflects not only his technical mastery but also years of dedicated teaching and student development. GB Tokushima stands as a meaningful bridge between the international reach of Gracie Barra and the grassroots BJJ community in one of Japan's lesser-known prefectures — with Ominami himself serving as proof that consistent, world-class training can be cultivated regardless of geography.

Ryo Ominami's competitive career spans multiple continents and disciplines, establishing him as one of the most accomplished Japanese competitors of his generation. He claimed the Asian Open (IBJJF) title three times — in 2006, 2008, and 2010 — with the 2008 victory carrying particular significance as the performance that earned him his on-the-podium black belt promotion from Carlos Gracie Jr.. That same year, he captured the Japan Open at the black belt level, cementing his status as a dominant force in Japanese competition.

Ominami's competitive reach extended beyond Asia when he won the NAGA Championship in Chicago in 2010, demonstrating his ability to perform at an elite level against an international field in a new competitive environment. Earlier in his career, he claimed the All Asian Championship in both 2003 and 2009, and added the C3 Championship to his record as well. Competing in the Pena weight division at 70kg (154lbs), Ominami has represented both Japan and the Gracie Barra Japan team on the world stage — a competitive legacy defined by technical refinement and a consistent willingness to test himself at the highest levels of the sport.