Emily Kwok (born 5 October 1980) is a Canadian

submission grappler Submission wrestling, also known as Submission grappling, Submission fighting a form of competition and a general term for martial arts and combat sports that focus on clinch and ground fighting with the aim of obtaining a submission through the ...

and 3rd degree black belt

Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

(BJJ) instructor. A former mixed martial arts (MMA) competitor with a perfect record, Kwok is the first Canadian woman to receive a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the first to become World Champion. As one of the first women to rise to prominence, Kwok is widely regarded as an early pioneer of the BJJ scene in North America.

Career

Emily R. Kwok was born on 5 October 1980, in

Aomori is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 278,964 in 136,457 households, and a population density of 340 people per square kilometer spread over the city's total area of ...

, Japan, from a Japanese mother and a Chinese father, when she was just a baby her family immigrated to Canada. During her late teens in Vancouver Kwok discovered

Sambo , aka = Sombo (in English-speaking countries) , focus = Hybrid , country = Soviet Union , pioneers = Viktor Spiridonov, Vasili Oshchepkov, Anatoly Kharlampiev , famous_pract = List of Practitioners , oly ...

then started training in

(BJJ) in 2001, complemented by

Wing Chun Wing Chun (Chinese: 詠春 or 咏春, lit. "singing spring"), sometimes spelled Ving Tsun, is a concept-based fighting art, form of Nanquan (martial art), Southern Chinese kung fu and close-quarters system of self-defense. In Mandarin, it is ...

and

kickboxing Kickboxing is a combat sports, combat sport focused on kicking and punch (strike), punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is pract ...

, before moving to New York city. She received her blue belt from Renzo Gracie, purple from Takashi Ouchi and brown and black belt from

Ricardo Almeida Ricardo Alves Almeida (; born November 29, 1976) is a Brazilian-American former mixed martial artist and current Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grappler residing in Bordentown, New Jersey. Almeida is a veteran of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, PRID ...

. As a brown belt in the brown/black category, Kwok won the 2007 final defeating black belt Luciana Dias with a score of 17—0 becoming the middleweight World Champion. Kwok became the first Canadian woman to receive a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and in 2007 the first to become Brazilian jiu-jitsu World Champion. Throughout her competitive career Kwok also fought has an amateur and professional MMA fighter for the

Smackgirl Smackgirl was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion focused solely on female fighters. The promotion also held grappling and amateur events along with its main line of professional MMA cards. After financial difficulties throughout 2008 the pr ...

organisation in Korea and Japan. Affiliated with Marcelo Garcia, Kwok founded ''Princeton BJJ'' with Art Keintz in 2010 in Princeton, New Jersey where she trains and teaches, she has also been an early organizer of Women's Grappling Camp. Kwok has been called "a legend ahead of her time" and is widely regarded as a true BJJ pioneer paving the way for women in the sport. In 2018 she won the World Master Championship in Las Vegas. In April 2022 Kwok returned to competition winning gold at the 2022 Pan Championship in the Master 3 / middleweight division. Kwok won gold in January at the 2023 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu European Championship competing in Master 3 / middleweight division.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitive summary

Main Achievements: * IBJJF World Champion (2007) * IBJJF World No-GI Champion (2010) * 2nd Place IBJJF World No-GI Championship (2007 / 2011) * 2nd Place IBJJF American Nationals Championship (2009) * 3rd place IBJJF World Champion (2010) * 3rd Place IBJJF Pans Championship (2008, 2012)

Instructor lineage

Mitsuyo Maeda ,Virgílio, pp. 22–25 a Brazilian naturalized as Otávio Maeda (),Virgílio, p. 9 was a Japanese ''judōka'' (judo practitioner) and prizefighter in no holds barred competitions, also being one of the first documented mixed martial artists of t ...

Carlos Gracie Carlos Gracie (September 14, 1902October 7, 1994) was a Brazilian martial artist who is credited with being one of the primary developers of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Along with his younger brother Hélio Gracie and fellow students Luis França and ...

Helio Gracie Helio may refer to: * Helio AU-24 Stallion * Helio (wireless carrier), a defunct American wireless communications provider (2005–2010); originally a joint venture between SK Telecom and EarthLink, purchased by Virgin Mobile USA in 2008 * He ...

Carlos Gracie Jr. Carlos "Carlinhos" Gracie Jr. is a Brazilian 8th-degree coral belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and instructor. A member of the Gracie family, he is the son of Carlos Gracie, and first cousin to the Machado family brothers. Caree ...

> Renzo Gracie >

> Emily Kwok

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kwok, Emily Canadian practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Living people 1980 births People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championship medalists World No-Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championship medalists Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champions (women) Female Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners Canadian submission wrestlers Canadian female mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners who have competed in MMA (women)