- Full Name: Ryan Hall
- Birthday: February 22, 1985
- Affiliation: Fifty/50 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Ryan Hall is definitely one of the heroes of Jiu-Jitsu. During his illustrious career, he established himself as one of the biggest stars of BJJ. He also achieved success in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).
Early years
Ryan Hall was born on February 22 1985 in Arlington, Virginia. He was a keen sportsman from his teenage years and was an avid fan of baseball, American Football and basketball. However, he developed a keen interest in Jiu-Jitsu and started training at a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) gym in New York.
Early Jiu-Jitsu Career
Ryan Hall’s early years in the sport were not particularly spectacular. In those days, he concentrated on Thai Boxing and did not pay much attention to grappling. He lost many fights in the Jiu-Jitsu class and this made him review his fighting strategy. His decision to devote more time to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu changed his destiny forever. He participated in his first BJJ tournament in 2004 and fell in love with this combat style. At this time, he decided to quit school and focus solely on training.
The move to Maryland
One of the most important career decisions of Ryan Hall was his move to the Lloyd Irvin gym in Maryland. After taking part in his first BJJ tournament, Ryan Hall decided he needed a bigger organization to improve his skills. Lloyd Irvin’s gym in Maryland was the perfect place for Hall because the owner of the gym ran an effective organization. It was in this gym that Ryan Hall met competitive grapplers like Mike Fowler and Brandon Vera.
The move to Maryland paid dividends for Ryan Hall because he learned many new things at Lloyd Irvin’s gym and improved his overall game. At Lloyd Irvin’s gym, Ryan Hall improved his grappling technique and made his name as one of the best grapplers in the sport. He also took part in many tournaments in the US and abroad winning a fair number of these events.
Leaving Lloyd Irvin’s gym
In January 2009, Ryan Hall decided to leave the Lloyd Irvin team. This was a controversial move because Hall had become an important member of Irvin’s team and they did not want him to leave. Ryan Hall insisted on leaving and later joined the Brasa Clube de Jiu Jitsu. This team was led by a number renown grapplers and Ryan Hall felt perfectly at home here. Eventually, Ryan Hall set up his own academy in Washington, DC. This academy is called the 50/50 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy and has become an excellent training ground for upcoming grapplers. In April 2010, Ryan Hall received his black belt from the legendary Felipe Costa.
Final Word
Ryan Hall is one of the big names of BJJ. He has achieved a lot in the sport and he is a mentor to younger grapplers and MMA professionals.
