Former World’s Strongest Man Martins Licis has achieved another significant milestone in his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey, earning his blue belt under professor Thiago Rodrigues at Torse House. The promotion comes just weeks after his gold medal victory at the ADCC US Open in the +100kg beginner division.
Licis shared the emotional moment on social media, writing:
“Two years in the making! This moment almost had me in tears. I never thought I’d care for belts… all I’ve wanted to do is learn and compete. Nonetheless, when this was sprung up on me by professor Thiago Rodrigues at Torse House, I got emotional. This is just the beginning of a journey, and I am absolutely in love with the sport, this team of wonderful humans, this gym, and my coach Thiago! – I’ll keep putting in the work, and see what I can do in my first Intermediate tournament 💪”
The 2019 World’s Strongest Man has been making impressive strides in BJJ, recently demonstrating his developing skills at the ADCC US Open in San Diego on January 18, where he secured two submission victories over Michael Jimenez and Isaac Lopez to claim gold in the beginner division.
Licis’s transition from elite strongman to dedicated BJJ practitioner has been closely watched within the combat sports community, particularly as his journey intersects with ongoing discussions about strength versus technique. His success challenges the notion that strength athletes can’t adapt to the technical demands of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Throughout his BJJ development, Licis has trained with some of the sport’s top talents, including multiple-time ADCC champion Gordon Ryan. He has also trained at Riga Grappling Club, connecting with his Latvian heritage while honing his grappling abilities.
This blue belt promotion represents not just a recognition of Licis’s technical development, but also his dedication to the sport over the past two years. As he indicated in his post, Licis is already looking ahead to competing at the intermediate level, where his unique combination of world-class strength and developing technical skills will be put to the test against more experienced practitioners.
