Shelby Murphey

Shelby Murphey was born on July 10, 2003, in the United States, and demonstrated a natural affinity for athletic competition from an early age. She remained active across multiple disciplines — playing soccer for her school and pursuing swimming and gymnastics at a recreational level. It was on the soccer field that she earned the nickname "Bulldog," a testament to her compact frame and relentless physical tenacity that made her a force among her peers.

Her path to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu began not through deliberate pursuit, but through family. Shortly after Art Of Jiu-Jitsu opened its doors in Costa Mesa, California, Murphey's parents enrolled her younger brother in the academy's kids program. Watching her sibling train — and seeing the enjoyment he found on the mats — sparked her own curiosity. That spark led Shelby to Art Of Jiu-Jitsu, where she stepped onto the mats for the very first time and never looked back. From her first class onward, she trained exclusively under Guilherme Mendes, never having another coach or training environment outside of the AOJ workgroup.

Shelby Murphey's belt progression is inseparable from the story of Art Of Jiu-Jitsu itself. She holds the distinction of being the first elite black belt developed entirely within the AOJ system — beginning her very first jiu-jitsu class at the academy and progressing through every rank under the guidance of Guilherme Mendes. This makes her development not only a personal milestone but a landmark achievement for the academy and its coaching philosophy.

Murphey rose through the juvenile and colored belt divisions with remarkable consistency, producing championship-level results that accelerated her promotions. At purple belt, she captured IBJJF World Championship and Pan Championship titles in both 2021 and 2022. Her momentum carried into the brown belt stage, where she added an IBJJF World Championship gold in 2023 before earning her black belt promotion in June of that same year. The trajectory from her first AOJ class to a black belt earned through elite competition reflects both her individual dedication and the effectiveness of the development model Guilherme Mendes has cultivated at the academy.

Juvenile Division: Early Podiums on the International Stage

Murphey's competitive career took shape at the juvenile level, where she established herself as a legitimate force in the lighter weight divisions of international IBJJF competition. At the 2019 IBJJF European Open, she claimed gold in the absolute division — a particularly impressive feat given the physical and technical demands of competing across weight categories. She followed that performance with a 3rd-place finish at the 2019 IBJJF World Championship, adding an early world-stage result to her growing résumé.

At the 2020 IBJJF European Open, Murphey returned and won gold in her weight category, placing 2nd in the absolute division — results that reflected her continued growth while providing an honest measure of her performances during that period.

Purple and Brown Belt: Sustained Dominance Across Major Events

The transition to purple belt marked the beginning of a sustained period of dominance across major IBJJF events. Murphey claimed gold at the 2021 IBJJF European Open, then followed with Pan Championship titles in 2021 and 2022, and back-to-back IBJJF World Championship golds at the same belt level. Entering the brown belt division in 2023, she captured IBJJF World Championship gold and placed 2nd at that year's Pan Championship — results that reinforced her standing as one of the most accomplished competitors in the lighter divisions heading into her black belt promotion.

Immediate Impact After Promotion

Promoted to black belt in June 2023, Murphey wasted little time making her mark at the sport's highest level. Among her earliest black belt outings, she claimed gold at the 2023 IBJJF Asian Open, signaling that the step up to the adult black belt division would bring no disruption to her competitive rhythm.

2024: A Dominant Campaign Across the IBJJF Calendar

The full scope of her black belt capabilities became clear in 2024, when Murphey delivered a dominant campaign across three of the most prestigious events in the IBJJF calendar. She opened with gold at the 2024 IBJJF European Championship, followed by gold at the 2024 IBJJF Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship, and capped the run with the 2024 IBJJF Pan No-Gi Championship title — completing an exceptional competitive year. Competing in the Peso Galo division (48.5 kg / 107.0 lbs), Murphey brings a combination of technical precision, seasoned championship experience, and the physical attributes that earned her the "Bulldog" nickname long before she ever set foot on a jiu-jitsu mat.

Her black belt results stand as a validation of the AOJ development model and of Guilherme Mendes' coaching philosophy. As the first elite black belt built entirely within the Art Of Jiu-Jitsu system, Murphey's ascent to the top of the Peso Galo division represents a defining chapter in the academy's competitive legacy.