For many years, Jiu Jitsu was considered a passion rather than a profitable career. The idea of making a living off of Jiu Jitsu seemed unrealistic—until now. In this guide, we’re going to show you how to not only pay for your Jiu Jitsu hobby and supplement your income, but also how to turn Jiu Jitsu into a career. Whether you're looking to cover your training fees, get paid to compete, start a brand, or even open your own academy, the opportunities are there for the taking. It's all about strategically leveraging your skills, building an audience, and using your passion to generate income.
Start Creating Content Early (or Now!): Build Your Brand and Audience
Building a successful Jiu Jitsu career goes beyond training on the mat—it’s about building your online presence. Whether you’re just starting or already have some experience, content creation is the key to expanding your reach. You don’t need to be a world champion to start—it’s never too late. Press record and begin sharing your journey, your insights, and your personality.
Here are some easy ways to start creating content:
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Technique Breakdowns & Educational Content: Share your best techniques and offer step-by-step tutorialsfor beginners and intermediates. If you’re passionate about a specific aspect of Jiu Jitsu—be it guard passes, submissions, or escapes—let your audience in on the secrets.
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Q&A / Ask Me Anything (AMA): Interact with your followers by answering their questions about Jiu Jitsu or personal experiences. This is an awesome way to create engagement and connect on a deeper level.
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Highlight Reels: Show off your top training moments and competition highlights. Share the best footage to prove your skills and get your followers excited about your progress.
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Product Reviews & Demos: Review the gear you use and provide honest feedback. Show your audience the real-world performance of various Jiu Jitsu products. This can include rash guards, gis, or supplements—products you genuinely use and trust.
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Training Vlogs: Take your followers along for the ride. Show them your daily grind, including warm-ups, sparring, and how you prepare for competition.
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Lifestyle Content: Share your personal life, meal prep, recovery routines, and how you balance Jiu Jitsu with other responsibilities. Being relatable helps you build stronger connections with your audience.
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Jiu Jitsu Challenges: Create fun and interactive challenges that your followers can join, like submission drills, sparring challenges, or fitness goals.
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Competition Prep Content: Let your followers into your world as you prep for big competitions. Share what you’re doing to stay sharp, both physically and mentally.
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Success Stories / Case Studies: Show the impact of Jiu Jitsu on your life and others’ lives. Whether it’s your own progress or the breakthroughs of your students, let your audience see the results.
By creating content consistently and diversifying your offerings, you'll start to build your brand. If you’re a black belt and haven’t created content yet, remember—it’s never too late. Start now, engage with your followers, and share what you know.
Why Building an Audience is So Important
Your audience is the key to making money from Jiu Jitsu. Everything you post is an opportunity to connect with future fans, potential students, and sponsors. By creating content that adds value, you build credibility and attract people who are genuinely interested in learning from you or supporting your brand.
The bigger and more engaged your audience, the more doors will open for you. With a dedicated following, sponsorships, product sales, and paid seminars will naturally follow. The bigger your audience, the more influence you have—and brands love partnering with athletes who can drive engagement and sales. This is why building your audience should be your top priority.
Start Monetizing: Turning Your Content into Cash
Once you've started creating content and built a small, engaged audience, it's time to start monetizing. You don’t need to create a product from scratch immediately; there are several ways to earn money from the content you're already creating.
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Private Lessons: Offering private lessons is one of the easiest ways to start making money. Whether in-person or via video call, you can charge for your time and offer personalized guidance.
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Instructional Content: Create and sell online courses or instructionals. Whether it's a guard-focused course or a submission masterclass, you can create valuable resources that will generate passive income over time.
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Curriculum Creation for Gyms: Many Jiu Jitsu gyms struggle with having a well-structured curriculum. Most instructors teach from memory, without a progressive plan in place. This is an opportunity for you to create Jiu Jitsu curriculums for other gyms. Developing a comprehensive curriculum that starts with foundational techniques and progresses through more complex moves can be a valuable service to gyms that lack a formalized structure. Not only can you get paid to create these curriculums, but it’s something you can reuse and build upon for different gyms, and continue to sell or offer as a subscription model. It’s a way to generate ongoing revenue from your knowledge while helping gyms provide a better learning experience for their students.
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Affiliate Marketing & Brand Ambassadorships: Many Jiu Jitsu brands offer ambassador programs where you can promote their gear and earn commissions or receive free products when your followers make purchases using your referral link. This is a great way to start monetizing your content without having to create your own products right away. When brands see that you can create engaging content and connect with their audience, this opens doors to paid sponsorships down the line.
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Sponsorships: As you grow your audience and show that you can create engaging content, paid sponsorshipswill become a reality. From supplements to training gear, brands are eager to partner with athletes who can authentically promote their products.
Get Paid to Compete in Big Events
There are more opportunities than ever for Jiu Jitsu athletes to get paid for competing. Beyond traditional competitions like IBJJF Worlds, there are pay-per-view events, live-streamed tournaments, and specialty grappling promotions where you can earn money just by competing. I'm talking serious cash.
As you continue to grow your audience and reputation, you may even get paid invitations to events. Being noticed by the right promotions can lead to big paydays for showcasing your talent.
Build Your Own Brand: From Academy to Hot Sauce
As your Jiu Jitsu career develops, you’ll have the chance to build a business empire. The key is to continue growing your craft, expanding your audience, and educating yourself about business. Look at athletes like Craig Jones, Dustin Poirier, and Conor McGregor—they’ve all turned their combat sports fame into full-fledged businesses.
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Open Your Own Academy or Promotion: Like Craig Jones, you can start your own Jiu Jitsu academy or even create your own competition promotion. This allows you to build a business around your brand and teaching, while generating a steady income stream.
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Create an Apparel or Supplement Brand: Just like many successful athletes, you can start your own apparel or supplement brand. The key is to create something you’re passionate about and connect it with your Jiu Jitsu brand. That's how Riot Sports was born.
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Start Something Unique: Look at Dustin Poirier and his hot sauce brand. You can create something unique, whether it’s a food product, gear, or an accessory. The possibilities are endless.
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Build a Business Empire: Think big—like Conor McGregor. Whether it’s launching a whiskey brand, starting a clothing line, or creating a fitness app, you can use your brand and audience to create something beyond Jiu Jitsu.
The common thread for all of these athletes is simple: keep growing, both as a Jiu Jitsu competitor and as a business owner. Build your brand, educate yourself, and create businesses you’re passionate about. This is the formula for long-term success.
The Formula for Long-Term Success
Success in Jiu Jitsu isn’t just about competing—it’s about continuously evolving in all areas of your life. The most successful athletes combine their passion for Jiu Jitsu with smart business decisions.
The key to a long-lasting career is consistency, growth, and learning. Keep improving your game, build your audience, and educate yourself about business. By using these principles, you can build a brand that not only makes money but also supports you in the long run.
The Growing Opportunity in Jiu Jitsu
2025 offers more ways than ever to turn your Jiu Jitsu passion into a career. Whether it's through building an audience, selling merch, or teaching seminars, the key is to add value and grow your brand. With consistency, you can start monetizing your Jiu Jitsu and creating new opportunities for yourself.
At Riot Sports, we’re committed to supporting athletes through our ambassador program. By joining us, you become part of our mission to disrupt fight culture and bring a new level of professionalism to combat sports. As a Riot Sports ambassador, you’ll get access to exclusive products, promotions, and opportunities to build your brand and grow your income.
Ready to turn your love for Jiu Jitsu into a career? Join Riot Sports and help us change the face of fight culture. Start your journey today!
