About Us
About 10th Planet Poway
Established in 2018, 10th Planet Poway has been building a reputation as one of the premiere martial arts academies in all of Southern California. Our academy is rooted in the innovative 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu system and the creative style of the 10th Planet Freaks. We offer world class No-Gi Jiu Jitsu training for all levels. Whether you have goals of competing against the worlds best, getting in shape, or learning something new, 10th Planet Poway is for everyone.
Jiu Jitsu is at the center of what we do, but our academy offers a complete approach to martial arts training. Students can develop their takedowns and positional control through wrestling, improve their striking and conditioning through Muay Thai, and build a well-rounded skill set. We believe great coaching requires more than demonstrating techniques. It means paying attention to each student, recognizing what they need to improve, challenging them appropriately, and creating an environment where consistent effort is valued.
From a child attending their first martial arts class to a world-class athlete refining the smallest details of their game, every student gets thoughtful instruction and coaches who care about their progress. The culture at 10th Planet Poway is built through hard training, accountability, creativity, and genuine support between teammates. We want students to leave each class with more knowledge, skills, and confidence than when they arrived. Our mission is to provide the best instruction to each and every one of our students, and help you reach your goals!
Contact us today to schedule a trial class, and come see what all the hype is about!
The History of 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu
1970–1993 — From Santa Ana to Hollywood
Long before creating 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu, Eddie Bravo was a young musician and athlete growing up in Santa Ana, California. Born in 1970, Eddie developed an early passion for heavy metal, playing drums and guitar, while also participating in football and briefly wrestling during high school. Although his time in wrestling was limited, it introduced him to the control, pressure, and body positioning that would later influence his approach to grappling.
In 1991, at 21 years old, Eddie moved from Orange County to Hollywood with dreams of building a career in the music industry. He performed with bands and eventually formed a band called “Blackened Kill Symphony”, but he also wanted a way to stay active and in shape without relying on traditional gym workouts. That search led him to begin studying karate under Philip Skornia, whose approach combined techniques from several traditional martial arts.
At the time, music remained Eddie’s main ambition and martial arts was primarily a way to stay fit. That began to change with the arrival of the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993. At UFC 1, Royce Gracie repeatedly submitted larger opponents using Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, demonstrating a form of fighting that was unfamiliar to much of the American martial arts community. Gracie’s success caused Eddie to question the effectiveness of what he had previously been learning and sparked the curiosity that would eventually lead him away from traditional martial arts and toward grappling.
1994–1998 — Discovering Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
The story of 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu began in 1994, when Eddie Bravo watched Royce Gracie demonstrate the effectiveness of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in UFC 2. Eddie Bravo began searching for a place to learn the art himself. He eventually found the Machado Brothers academy and began training under legendary Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor Jean Jacques Machado.
Eddie initially continued exploring other martial arts, including Jeet Kune Do, while studying Jiu Jitsu. By 1998, however, he had decided to focus his full attention on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Even as a lower belt, Eddie was constantly experimenting with techniques and looking for ways to adapt traditional positions to No-Gi grappling and mixed martial arts.
One of his earliest innovations came from the wrestler’s guillotine, a powerful spinal-control position Eddie began modifying into a submission. Because Jiu Jitsu already used the name “guillotine” for a different choke, Rigan Machado and Jean Jacques actually named it the Twister. The submission actually became Eddie’s nickname, and would later become one of the most recognizable techniques associated with the 10th Planet system.
1999–2002 — The Development of a New System
After earning his purple belt in 1999, Eddie began developing the position that would eventually become known as the Rubber Guard. It was his variation of full guard that he saw Rickson Gracie and Renzo Gracie using in their fights, where they would grab their own leg from guard in order to help control their opponents posture. His goal was to create an effective guard system for MMA that allowed a grappler to control an opponent’s posture without depending on the grips provided by a traditional Gi.
Over time, Eddie began connecting the Rubber Guard with other positions and attacks, including the Lockdown, Electric Chair, Truck, Twister and a growing network of sweeps, back takes and submissions. Rather than treating techniques as isolated moves, he organized them into systems that allowed students to move from one position to the next based on an opponent’s reaction.
In 2002, Eddie entered the first ADCC North American Trials as a brown belt and won the 66-kilogram division. That victory earned him a place at the 2003 ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship in São Paulo, Brazil, where he would face the greatest challenge of his competitive career.
2003 — The Victory That Changed Everything
At the 2003 ADCC World Championship, Eddie opened the tournament by submitting highly respected Brazilian Jiu Jitsu world champion Gustavo Dantas with a rear-naked choke.
In the quarterfinals, Eddie faced Royler Gracie, a multiple-time ADCC and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu world champion who was widely considered one of the greatest lightweight grapplers of all time. Competing as a brown belt against one of the tournament favorites, Eddie used his developing No-Gi system to control Royler from guard and finish the match with a triangle choke.
The submission became one of the most famous upsets in grappling history. Although Eddie was defeated by eventual champion Léo Vieira in the semifinal, his victory over Royler proved that his unconventional approach could succeed against the highest level of competition.
When Eddie returned to California, Jean Jacques Machado promoted him to black belt by removing the belt from his own waist and presenting it to Eddie. Later that year, Eddie opened the first 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu academy in Los Angeles and began teaching a system built entirely around No-Gi training.
Where Did the Name “10th Planet” Come From?
Eddie originally considered naming his new system Nibiru Jiu Jitsu, inspired by Zecharia Sitchin’s writings about a mysterious additional planet known as “Nibiru”. His longtime friend and training partner Joe Rogan felt the name might be difficult for people to pronounce and remember, so he suggested 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu instead.
Eddie was not immediately convinced, but the name gradually grew on him. Its unconventional, futuristic feel perfectly matched the creative and untraditional identity of the system. Eddie finally agreed with Joe, and 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu was born.
2003–2013 — Building the 10th Planet System
The decision to train exclusively without the Gi was highly unconventional at the time. Most Brazilian Jiu Jitsu schools treated No-Gi training as a secondary part of their programs, but Eddie believed grapplers should regularly train under the same conditions in which they planned to compete or fight.
He continued refining the Rubber Guard, Lockdown, Truck, Twister and other connected systems while developing a unique terminology that made long technical sequences easier for students to understand and remember. As Eddie taught seminars, released books and instructional material, and trained a new generation of instructors, 10th Planet began expanding beyond its original Los Angeles academy.
The system attracted Jiu Jitsu competitors, wrestlers and mixed martial artists who were interested in a modern, submission-focused approach that did not rely on the traditional Gi. Official 10th Planet academies eventually began opening throughout the United States and internationally.
2014 — The Royler Gracie Rematch
More than a decade after their historic ADCC match, Eddie Bravo and Royler Gracie met again in the main event of Metamoris III. The highly anticipated rematch was contested under submission-only rules with a 20-minute time limit.
The match officially ended in a draw because neither competitor submitted the other. However, Eddie was able to demonstrate how much the 10th Planet system had evolved since 2003. He used the Lockdown to control and weep Royler numerous times, attacked with the Electric Chair submission and spent the closing portion of the match applying a deep Vaporizer calf-slicer.
The performance introduced many viewers to the depth of the 10th Planet system and brought renewed worldwide attention to Eddie’s approach to No-Gi Jiu Jitsu.
The First Omoplata in UFC History
As Eddie Bravo’s reputation grew, 10th Planet headquarters became a destination for accomplished MMA fighters and submission grapplers looking to add his creative No-Gi systems to their games. Eddie began coaching and working with athletes competing at the highest levels of combat sports, helping bring 10th Planet techniques onto some of the sport’s biggest stages. One of those fighters was Ben “Killa B” Saunders.
Later that year after Royler and Eddie’s infamous rematch, Ben made MMA history against Chris Heatherly at UFC Fight Night in Tulsa, with Eddie Bravo in his corner coaching him through the fight. Saunders attacked from his Rubber Guard, secured an Omoplata, and forced the submission just 2:18 into the opening round.
The victory was the first Omoplata submission in UFC history and earned Saunders a performance of the night bonus. That finish became a landmark moment for 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu and demonstrated that its unconventional guard systems could succeed against professional opposition at the highest level of MMA.
2014–2018 — The Rise of the Eddie Bravo Invitational
In 2014, Eddie launched the Eddie Bravo Invitational, commonly known as EBI. The promotion was created to encourage aggressive, submission-focused grappling and eliminate matches decided by small point leads or subjective referee decisions.
EBI matches featured submission-only regulation. When neither competitor secured a finish, the match moved to a unique overtime format in which each athlete received opportunities to attack and escape from back control and the Spiderweb armbar position.
The fast-moving format helped make professional submission grappling more exciting and understandable for a wider audience. In 2016, EBI entered into a broadcast partnership with UFC Fight Pass, beginning with EBI 6 and a commitment to broadcast five live events that year. The partnership placed elite No-Gi grappling in front of UFC’s international audience and helped accelerate the growth of professional submission grappling.
The EBI ruleset eventually spread far beyond Eddie’s own events. Its submission-only regulation and overtime format are now used in tournaments, superfights and local competitions throughout the grappling world.
Combat Jiu Jitsu
Eddie later expanded the EBI concept by creating Combat Jiu Jitsu, a ruleset combining No-Gi submission grappling with legal open-palm strikes once the competitors reach the ground.
The addition of strikes was designed to discourage unrealistic positions, reward control and create a bridge between sport Jiu Jitsu and mixed martial arts. Combat Jiu Jitsu events gave grapplers and MMA fighters another professional platform while continuing Eddie’s goal of testing how Jiu Jitsu changes when strikes become part of the match.
In 2017, Richie “Boogeyman” Martinez became the first Combat Jiu Jitsu welterweight champion, adding another major title to the growing history of the 10th Planet Freaks.
2017 — Tony Ferguson Becomes a UFC Champion
Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson became one of the most successful mixed martial artists to represent 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu. At UFC 216 in 2017, Ferguson submitted Kevin Lee with a triangle choke to win the UFC Interim Lightweight Championship.
Following the victory, Eddie promoted Ferguson to black belt. In a symbolic passing of the torch, Eddie gave Tony the same physical black belt Jean Jacques Machado had removed from his own waist and presented to Eddie after the 2003 ADCC World Championship.
Ferguson’s success helped demonstrate how 10th Planet techniques, wrestling and unconventional movement could be blended into an effective style for elite-level MMA.
2018 — Team 10th Planet Wins QUINTET.2
In 2018, Team 10th Planet traveled to Japan to compete in QUINTET.2, a five-on-five elimination-style grappling tournament founded by MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba.
Represented by Geo Martinez, Richie Martinez, PJ Barch, Adam Sachnoff and Amir Allam, Team 10th Planet defeated teams containing accomplished competitors from Jiu Jitsu, Judo and mixed martial arts to win the championship.
The victory was an important team accomplishment and demonstrated that 10th Planet athletes could succeed not only under EBI rules, but across different formats against internationally recognized competition.
A New Generation of 10th Planet Competitors
As the system expanded, a new generation of athletes began representing 10th Planet at ADCC, IBJJF No-Gi Worlds, EBI, Combat Jiu Jitsu, QUINTET, Polaris, Who’s Number One, UFC Fight Pass Invitational and other major grappling events.
- Geo “Freakahzoid” Martinez became one of the defining competitors of the early EBI era, winning EBI 1, EBI 2 and EBI 10. He also won the ADCC North American Trials and represented 10th Planet in four ADCC World Championships. He’s had some of the most exciting matches in grappling history.
- Richie “Boogeyman” Martinez represented 10th Planet in professional grappling and MMA for more than a decade. In addition to becoming the first Combat Jiu Jitsu welterweight champion, he captured IBJJF World No-Gi titles at the black-belt master level in both 2023 and 2025. He currently owns and operates 10th Planet San Diego, one of the most successful Jiu Jitsu academies in the world.
- Jesse “JT Money” Taylor is a Poway native, former collegiate wrestler, two-time “The Ultimate Fighter” finalist, and winner of “The Ultimate Fighter 25: Redemption”. He is a 2nd Degree 10th Planet Black Belt, and has built a long professional MMA career around relentless wrestling, pressure, and submission grappling. Jesse has over 57 professional MMA fights, with numerous submission victories against high-level competition. Today, he brings that experience back to Poway as a coach in wrestling, Jiu Jitsu, and MMA.
- PJ Barch became a regular presence on the sport’s biggest stages, reaching the semifinals of the 77-kilogram division at the 2022 ADCC World Championship and finishing fourth. He returned in 2024 and improved on that performance, defeating Elijah Dorsey by inside heel hook to earn the ADCC bronze medal at 77 kilograms.
- Kyle Boehm established himself as one of 10th Planet’s most accomplished heavyweight competitors. In 2022, he won the ADCC West Coast Trials’ over-99-kilogram division, defeating Daniel “Big Dan” Manasoiu in the final to qualify for the ADCC World Championship. Throughout his career, Boehm has earned victories over major names such as Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa, Pedro Marinho, Dante Leon, João Rocha, Tex Johnson, and Devhonte Johnson. He has also won the BJJ Fanatics Grand Prix, King of the Mats Invitational, and Submission Underground 24, while competing at ADCC, EBI, CJI, Who’s Number One, QUINTET, and other premier professional grappling events.
Along with competitors such as Keith Krikorian, Jon “Thor” Blank, Grace Gundrum, Andy Varela, Ben Eddy and many others, this generation helped prove that 10th Planet was no longer simply an alternative style of Jiu Jitsu. It had become an established competition team capable of producing champions, contenders and influential athletes across multiple generations.
10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Today
10th Planet Jiu Jitsu has developed into an international network of academies, instructors, competitors and students. Official affiliates can now be found throughout the United States and in countries across Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and other parts of the world.
The system’s athletes have won IBJJF No-Gi World titles, European and Pan championships, EBI championships, Combat Jiu Jitsu championships, ADCC Trials, team grappling tournaments and major professional MMA titles. They have competed at the highest levels of the UFC, ADCC and professional submission grappling.
What began as one athlete’s attempt to make Jiu Jitsu more effective without the Gi has grown into one of the most recognizable systems in modern grappling. Despite that growth, the philosophy remains the same: question traditional assumptions, test techniques against resistance and continue evolving the art through creativity, competition and real experience.
It took some time, but 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu has grown into one of the most recognized and respected systems in modern No-Gi grappling. With more than 200 academies around the world, 10th Planet has developed elite competitors, world-class coaches, and generations of athletes who continue to succeed at the highest levels of the sport.
As the system keeps evolving and new talent continues to emerge, 10th Planet is positioned to remain a major influence in Jiu Jitsu for years to come.