If you've researched jiu jitsu academies in your area, you've likely come across the name "10th Planet." But what does that actually mean, and how is it different from traditional Brazilian Jiu Jitsu? Here's a clear introduction for beginners.
Who Is Eddie Bravo?
10th Planet Jiu Jitsu was founded in 2003 by Eddie Bravo, a black belt under BJJ legend Jean Jacques Machado, after Bravo became known for submitting a UFC champion using an unconventional leg-lock technique. Frustrated with what he saw as a slow pace of innovation in traditional BJJ, Bravo set out to build a system from scratch that was specifically optimized for no-gi grappling — rather than adapting techniques originally designed around grabbing a gi.
What Makes It Different From Traditional BJJ?
The core distinction is that 10th Planet is built no-gi from the ground up, rather than being traditional gi jiu jitsu with the gi removed. Traditional BJJ techniques often rely on grips that simply don't exist without fabric to grab. The 10th Planet system instead builds its entire technical framework — guards, sweeps, submissions — around what's actually available when you're training in a rash guard and shorts.
Signature Positions and Concepts
- Rubber Guard: A flexible, hip-based guard system using a practitioner's own leg flexibility for control — one of the system's most recognizable contributions to modern grappling
- Twister: A unique spinal submission that became one of the most iconic techniques associated with the system
- Heavy emphasis on leg locks: 10th Planet helped popularize modern leg lock systems years before they became widely adopted across the broader grappling world
- A focus on transitions over static positions: the system emphasizes constant motion and chaining attacks together rather than settling into a single dominant position
Why It Matters for Beginners
For someone brand new to jiu jitsu, training in a system that's no-gi from day one means there's no awkward translation process later — every technique you learn is immediately applicable to the way you're actually training. The system also has a reputation for being creative and athletic, which tends to appeal to students coming from wrestling, MMA, or general athletic backgrounds, though it's just as accessible for complete beginners with zero combat sports experience.
A Global Network With Strong Local Roots
10th Planet has grown into one of the largest jiu jitsu organizations in the world, with academies across the globe — but the quality of instruction still comes down to the specific coaches at your local academy. At 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Murrieta, head instructor Andrew Murillo is a black belt trained directly under Eddie Bravo, bringing authentic 10th Planet instruction to Southwest Riverside County since 2017.
How 10th Planet Shows Up on Our Mats in Murrieta
Reading about the 10th Planet system is one thing — feeling it is another. At our Murrieta academy, students work the system every class: lockdown and electric chair sweeps from half guard, rubber guard entries from closed guard, and the twister game that made Eddie Bravo famous. Beginners start with the fundamentals — posture, base, and survival — and layer the system's signature positions on top as their understanding grows.
What surprises most newcomers is how logical it feels. Every position has a purpose, every technique connects to the next, and the coaching breaks it down so a brand-new white belt can follow along from day one. You don't need to be athletic or experienced. You just need to show up.
Why No-Gi Fits the Temecula Valley Lifestyle
Southwest Riverside County is an active place — people here surf, hike, train, and live outdoors. No-gi jiu jitsu fits that lifestyle perfectly: no heavy uniform to buy or maintain, training that builds functional fitness, and a skill set that works in real-world clothing. Students drive in from Temecula, Menifee, Wildomar, Lake Elsinore, and Canyon Lake because there aren't many places teaching authentic 10th Planet jiu jitsu in the region — and none with our culture.
If you've been curious about the system, the fastest way to understand it is a free trial class. You'll feel the difference between reading about rubber guard and having a coach walk you through it step by step.
Is 10th Planet Right for You? (Honest Answer)
10th Planet isn't for everyone, and we'll tell you that upfront. If you want a traditional martial arts experience with uniforms, bowing, and Japanese terminology, a traditional gi academy might fit you better. But if you want the most modern, most evolved no-gi grappling system on the planet — taught in a welcoming room by coaches who live it — there's nothing else like it in Southwest Riverside County.
The system rewards curiosity. Students who ask questions, drill with intention, and embrace the weirdness of positions like rubber guard progress fastest. Age doesn't matter much; attitude matters enormously. We've watched teenagers and 50-year-olds alike fall in love with the system for the same reason: it's endlessly deep, and there's always another layer to unlock.
Still on the fence? The free trial exists for exactly this. One session on our mats in Murrieta will tell you more than a hundred articles. Come feel the system for yourself.
The Lineage Behind the System
Understanding 10th Planet means understanding Eddie Bravo. A Jean-Jacques Machado black belt, Bravo broke with tradition in 2003 to build a system exclusively for no-gi — at a time when that was considered heresy. His 2003 ADCC run, submitting world-class opponents with rubber guard and the twister, proved the system on the biggest stage in grappling. Two decades later, 10th Planet affiliates span the globe, and the techniques once called gimmicks are now standard curriculum everywhere.
When you train at our Murrieta academy, you're training in that direct lineage — the same system, the same positions, the same philosophy. It's a living art that keeps evolving, and our coaches stay current with it. Come experience a piece of grappling history on our mats; your first class is free.
Experience the System Yourself
The best way to understand what makes 10th Planet different is to actually train in it. Your first class at 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu Murrieta is completely free — come experience Eddie Bravo's system firsthand from instructors trained directly in his lineage.