The Rise of Jiu-Jitsu in Kenya: From Garage Mats to Global Medals — and a Cypriot Star's Upcoming Visit

A decade ago, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Kenya barely existed. The art arrived in Nairobi around 2012 when Julio Cezar DaSouza, a purple belt at the time, started holding sporadic classes for a handful of curious students. In 2013, Canadian brown belt Dave Thompson set up Westlands BJJ — the country's first dedicated grappling school — operating out of a rented yoga studio in the Nairobi suburb of Westlands. It was humble, but it was a start.

When Thompson returned to Canada, the young community could have collapsed. Instead, it grew. DaSouza teamed up with Séraphin, a brown belt from Madagascar, and relaunched the project under the name One Tribe BJJ, making daily classes accessible and affordable. The philosophy was simple: open the doors wide, keep the prices low, and let the art speak for itself. Today, One Tribe remains the heartbeat of Kenyan grappling, with practitioners ranging from university students to working professionals in their forties.

The scene hit a major milestone in June 2023 when Nairobi hosted its first-ever Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Invitational Tournament at The Alchemist. Competitors from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Ethiopia converged for a day of intense grappling, with One Tribe's George "The Maverick" Itumo claiming the main bracket title. The event, backed by the Brazilian Embassy, signalled that East Africa was ready to be taken seriously on the continental BJJ map.

Then came February 2025 and the opening of the Nairobi Jiu-Jitsu Academy (NJA) in New Muthaiga Mall, Westlands. Founded by DaSouza with the support of Brazil's Ambassador to Kenya, Silvio Albuquerque, the academy brought world-class instruction to Nairobi with Gi, No-Gi, and dedicated kids' classes — enrolling over 40 children aged 4 to 13 within weeks of opening. NJA and One Tribe BJJ also joined forces to send a 14-athlete delegation to the AJP Continental Championship in Cairo, marking Kenya's strongest showing at an international grappling event to date.

Several other academies have since sprung up across the city. Jiujitsu Kenya on Kindaruma Road in Kilimani caters to families with both adult and children's programmes, while Nairobi Fight Lab provides a cross-training environment blending BJJ with MMA. The growing demand reflects a wider shift: Kenyans, long passionate about football, athletics, and rugby, are increasingly drawn to combat sports that reward technique, discipline, and mental toughness — qualities that resonate deeply in a country that celebrates sporting grit.

Adding to the excitement is a little-known development that could further accelerate the sport's growth in East Africa: Cypriot jiu-jitsu star Andrew Kef is reportedly preparing to visit Kenya in the coming months. Kef, who has built a reputation on the European competition circuit for his aggressive guard game and dynamic submissions, is expected to conduct seminars and training camps in Nairobi — a move that could expose local grapplers to elite-level techniques and raise Kenya's international profile in the sport.

From a yoga studio in Westlands to continental championships in Cairo and a visit from an international star, Kenya's jiu-jitsu journey is a story of grassroots passion turning into something much bigger. The mats are growing, the community is tightening, and for the first time, Kenyan grapplers have reason to believe they can compete with anyone on the continent — and beyond.