10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu

Last updated: July 9, 2026

What is the 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu system?

Eddie Bravo built 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu after earning his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Jean-Jacques Machado in 2003. Bravo had spent time around the UFC and noticed that grapplers who trained in the gi often struggled to apply the same game in MMA, where nobody wears one. His answer was a style trained entirely without the gi, aimed at finishing opponents by submission rather than winning on points.

The goal is the same as any jiu-jitsu: control an opponent on the ground and force a tap. What changes is the toolkit. 10th Planet reaches that goal through positions and grips suited to bare skin, gloves, and shorts, leaning on unusual guards, tight body locks, and an aggressive leg-lock game.

From a single school in Los Angeles, it has grown to more than 100 affiliate academies worldwide, according to Wikipedia. Dropping the gi drew criticism early on, and grapplers still argue over how well some of its positions hold up once strikes are added, but the system has become a fixture in modern no-gi grappling.

Where the name comes from

The name traces to the writer Zecharia Sitchin, who theorized about a tenth planet in the solar system, sometimes called Nibiru, said to be home to an advanced civilization known as the Anunnaki. Bravo picked it to signal a system that stepped outside conventional jiu-jitsu, as though it came from somewhere else entirely.

How the system works

Training happens without the gi, so grapplers wear a rashguard and shorts and control opponents by gripping the body instead of clothing. That one decision shapes everything downstream.

Positions rely on hooks, underhooks, and limb entanglements that still work when there is no fabric to hold. Leg locks, often delayed until brown belt in traditional gi sport, show up early in the 10th Planet curriculum.

The style also carries its own vocabulary. Positions that older schools left unnamed get labels like mission control, the truck, and the electric chair, which makes them easier to teach and talk about. Bravo’s stated aim was a game that transferred cleanly into the cage, where fighters compete in gloves and shorts rather than a jacket.

Signature techniques and positions

Much of the system’s identity lives in a handful of named positions and submissions. A reader does not need to perform these to follow along, only to recognize them when a commentator or coach mentions one.

Technique	What it is
Rubber guard	A flexible closed-guard position where the bottom grappler pulls one shin across the opponent’s shoulder and behind the head, breaking their posture and closing off striking range.
Lockdown	A half-guard entanglement that traps one of the opponent’s legs with a figure-four hook, stalling the pass and opening up sweeps.
The truck	A back-attack control position, with a knee threaded through the opponent’s leg, used to enter submissions including the twister.
The twister	A spine-and-neck lock adapted from a wrestling move (the wrestler’s guillotine), usually finished from the truck. It is the system’s rarest and best-known finish.
Electric chair	A sweep and submission hybrid launched from the lockdown that attacks the hips and lower body.

The rubber guard also branches into its own sub-positions, with names such as mission control and New York, each describing a slightly different way of trapping the head and arm. Bravo laid out the full progression in his 2006 book Mastering the Rubber Guard and covered the twister in a 2007 follow-up, both published by Victory Belt.

10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu vs traditional BJJ

The clearest way to place 10th Planet is next to the traditional gi-based art it grew out of. The two share the same roots and the same belt ranks, but they train and compete differently.

	10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu	Traditional BJJ
Uniform	No-gi only, rashguard and shorts	Usually trained in a gi
Control	Body grips: wrists, underhooks, head and arm	Fabric grips on collar, sleeve, and pants
Leg locks	Introduced from the early classes	Historically held back until brown belt in gi sport
Competition	Submission-only, finishes over points	Often points and advantages under IBJJF rules
Ranking	Standard white-to-black belt	Standard white-to-black belt

One point of confusion is worth clearing up: 10th Planet is not a separate martial art with its own belts. It uses the same Brazilian jiu-jitsu ranking system, from white to black. Because students roll without a gi, some schools mark rank with colored rashguards instead of a cloth belt.

The Eddie Bravo Invitational and its rules

Bravo founded the Eddie Bravo Invitational in 2014. The tournament is submission-only, with no points and no judges. If neither grappler finishes inside regulation, the match goes to overtime, where each competitor starts from back control or the armbar position.

The first event took place in Los Angeles on June 2, 2014. According to Jits Magazine, 29 of its 30 matches ended in submission. EBI gave 10th Planet techniques and the wider leg-lock game a mainstream stage, and other promotions have since borrowed its overtime rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu good for beginners?

Yes. Most affiliate schools run fundamentals classes for people with no grappling background, and the no-gi format lets newcomers start without buying a gi.

Do you need to be flexible to train it?

Flexibility helps with positions like the rubber guard, but it is not a requirement to begin. Mobility tends to improve with regular training.

Is 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu effective?

It is a recognized branch of Brazilian jiu-jitsu with more than 100 affiliate schools, and its techniques appear in high-level grappling. How well certain positions translate to MMA under strikes has been debated since the system began.

Does it use belts?

Yes, the standard BJJ ranking from white to black belt. Rank is sometimes shown with colored rashguards because training is done without a gi.

Who trains 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu?

Eddie Bravo has promoted well-known figures in the system, including podcaster and UFC commentator Joe Rogan, who received his black belt from Bravo. Fighters such as Tony Ferguson have used the rubber guard in the UFC.

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Sources

1. Wikipedia. “10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu.” Accessed July 2026.
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10th_Planet_Jiu_Jitsu
2. Wikipedia. “Eddie Bravo.” Accessed July 2026.
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Bravo
3. Gold BJJ. “Eddie Bravo Invitational (EBI).” Accessed July 2026.
   https://goldbjj.com/blogs/roll/eddie-bravo-invitational
4. Jits Magazine. “Throwback: Watch The First Eddie Bravo Invitational (EBI 1).” Accessed July 2026.
   https://jitsmagazine.com/throwback-watch-the-first-eddie-bravo-invitational-ebi-1/
5. Evolve Daily. “10th Planet Jiu Jitsu 101: The 4 Moves You Need To Know.” Accessed July 2026.
   https://evolve-mma.com/blog/10th-planet-jiu-jitsu-101-the-4-moves-you-need-to-know/
6. Jiu Jitsu Legacy. “Translating Eddie Bravo’s 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Terminology.” Accessed July 2026.
   https://jiujitsulegacy.com/bjj-lifestyle/10th-planet-jiu-jitsu-terminology/
7. Lowkick MMA. “Rubber Guard.” Accessed July 2026.
   https://www.lowkickmma.com/rubber-guard/

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