Comedian Ronny Chieng has achieved a significant milestone in his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey, earning his purple belt at the legendary Marcelo Garcia Academy in New York. The promotion represents years of dedication to the martial art, marking Chieng‘s progression from the foundational white and blue belt levels to the intermediate purple belt rank.
In typical self-deprecating fashion, Chieng questioned the promotion decision, joking that
“he awarded it to the wrong person because the guy I was rolling with all night was beating the crap out of me, and that guy was like a white belt, so that guy should probably get promoted.”
The comedian’s humble introduction following his promotion was equally modest:
“Hey, my name’s Ronnie. I train at Marcello’s in New York, and I guess I’m a purple belt now.”
Chieng‘s path to this achievement began somewhat serendipitously. As someone who travels frequently for work, he discovered that
“jiu-jitsu is probably the most travel-friendly martial art right now.”
His search for a training facility led him to what many consider the pinnacle of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instruction.
“I walked into, of all the gyms in the world, I walked into Professor Marcello Garcia’s gym,”
Chieng explained.
“The gym I walked into just happened to be the one with the best jiu-jitsu practitioner in the world and the best person doing jiu-jitsu in the world.”
Marcelo Garcia, widely regarded as one of the greatest grapplers of all time, has built an academy culture that reflects his own character and philosophy. Chieng noted this connection between instructor and environment, observing that
“the schools take the personality of the teacher a lot, and you can tell here, you know, Marcello’s, Professor Marcello’s a great guy on and off the mat.”
For Chieng, the journey to purple belt represents more than just technical progression in grappling techniques. It exemplifies the universal appeal of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as a practice that transcends traditional boundaries, allowing practitioners to train alongside world champions and legends of the sport regardless of their day job or celebrity status.
The comedian’s Hawaiian roots also influenced his perspective on training, as he reflected on cultural values:
“The people in Hawaii. We know how to put other people before ourselves. That’s what’s the best thing about Hawaii.”
This promotion places Chieng among the ranks of dedicated intermediate practitioners who have committed significant time and effort to mastering the complex art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under one of the sport’s most respected instructors.
