Brianna Ste-Marie

Main Achievements

Black Belt Accolades:

• 2x 1st Place — IBJJF World Championship No-Gi (2022 / 2024)
• 1st Place — IBJJF The Crown GP Champion (2024)
• 1st Place — IBJJF European Open Championship No-Gi (2024)
• 1st Place — Who’s Number One (WNO) 135 lbs Champion (2022)
• 1st Place — ADCC West Coast Trials (2022)
• 1st Place — ADCC East Coast Trials (2021)
• 1st Place — Combat Jiu-Jitsu (CJJ) Medusa Bantamweight Champion (2021)
• 2nd Place — ADCC World Championship (2022 Silver Medalist)
• 2nd Place — IBJJF World Championship (2024)
• 2nd Place — CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2025)

Colored Belt Accolades:

• 1st Place — IBJJF World Championship No-Gi (2019 purple belt)
• 1st Place — IBJJF World Championship No-Gi (2021 brown belt)

Overview

Brianna Ste-Marie is an elite Canadian grappler representing the Brazilian Top Team (BTT). Universally recognized as one of the premier Jiu-Jitsu competitors of her generation, Ste-Marie built a reputation for defensive poise, high submission rates, and relentless pressure passing, capturing major international titles across both gi and no-gi circuits.

Early Life & Rugby Background

Ste-Marie grew up in Pierrefonds, a suburb of Montreal, and was a highly competitive multi-sport athlete from a young age. At age 11, she shifted her focus entirely to rugby, captivated by the extreme physicality and team camaraderie. She played league rugby for the St-Anne-de-Bellevue club and represented Team Quebec on the national stage, even touring across Ireland and the United Kingdom.

After entering college, she played her final competitive rugby season for Concordia University in the fall of 2015. Looking for a new athletic outlet, she was introduced to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by her father, an avid practitioner. At age 19, she stepped onto the mats at a local BTT affiliate and immediately fell in love with the sport, officially leaving rugby behind in 2016 to pursue grappling full-time.

High-Altitude Competitive Run

Ste-Marie tore through the colored belt divisions, winning nearly every major title available, including the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) World Championship No-Gi as a purple (2019) and brown belt (2021).

On December 4, 2021, she was promoted to black belt. Her transition into the professional ranks was seamless, as she dominated the submission-only circuit and elite international tournaments alike. Her historic run includes winning both the ADCC East Coast and West Coast Trials in back-to-back appearances and capturing a silver medal at the prestigious 2022 ADCC World Championships.

Coaching and Technical Legacy

In addition to her dominant competitive schedule, Ste-Marie is an active coach and highly sought-after seminar instructor across North America. Based out of Mizu Studio in Montreal, she has authored highly regarded technical systems detailing her closed guard maintenance and submission setups, cementing her legacy as both a world-class competitor and an elite modern instructor.