Amanda Bruse

Main Achievements

Black Belt Accolades:

• 1st Place — IBJJF Pan Championship No-Gi (2024)
• 1st Place — IBJJF American Nationals No-Gi (2025)
• 2nd Place — IBJJF World Championship No-Gi (2023 / 2025)
• 2nd Place — IBJJF European Open No-Gi (2025)
• 3rd Place — IBJJF World Championship No-Gi (2024)

Colored Belt Accolades:

• 1st Place — IBJJF World Championship No-Gi (2020 purple absolute)

Overview

Amanda Dean Bruse is an elite American submission grappler and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt competing under the prestigious Atos Jiu-Jitsu Academy. Renowned for her exceptionally well-rounded skill set and relentless finishing ability, Bruse has quickly established herself as a top contender in the international No-Gi circuit.

From Powerlifting to the Mats

Before discovering Jiu-Jitsu, Bruse was a competitive powerlifter, a sport she pursued passionately starting at age 14. She demonstrated remarkable strength early on, setting several New York state teenage powerlifting records under USA Powerlifting (USAPL).

At age 16, dealing with personal struggles and anxiety, her father encouraged her to try martial arts as an outlet. She took her first formal classes at Black Hole Jiu-Jitsu in Poughkeepsie, New York, training under coach Mike Wacker. Wacker guided her development all the way to the purple belt rank. When her family later relocated to San Diego, California, the 18-year-old found her new training home at the Atos Headquarters under André Galvão.

Rapid Rise and Professional Commitment

Though she initially viewed Jiu-Jitsu as a hobby rather than a career path, Bruse’s trajectory shifted dramatically about a year after joining Atos. At the 2020 IBJJF No-Gi World Championship, she shocked the field by capturing gold in the purple belt absolute division. Realizing her elite potential, she decided to pursue the sport full-time while balancing her academic responsibilities.

On January 13, 2023—after just six years of formal training—she was promoted to black belt by André Galvão. In that same year, she successfully graduated from the University of California San Diego (UCSD) with a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Psychology.

Competitive Style & Legacy

Competing primarily in the Peso Leve (Lightweight) division, Bruse has built a reputation as a highly aggressive submission hunter. Over 64% of her professional victories have come by way of a finish, with her armbars, straight ankle locks, and inside heel hooks serving as her most lethal weapons. Splitting her time between elite competition and her professional growth, Bruse continues to be a driving force for the next generation of American women on the global grappling stage.