Jessa Khan

Jessamine Khan, commonly known as Jessa Khan, is a jiu-jitsu black belt under Guilherme Mendes, who also worked extensively with Rafael Mendes while representing the Art Of Jiu-Jitsu (AOJ) Academy in the sport’s professional circuit. Jessa Khan became widely regarded as one of the sport’s hottest prospects as a teenager, a time when she broke through as an athlete by winning several important tournaments of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF).

Jessa Khan Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Jessamine Jada Khan

Nickname: “Jessa”

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Carlson Gracie > André Pederneiras > Ramon Lemos > Guilherme Mendes > Jessa Khan

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2022)
• 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2021)
• 3rd Place IBJJF Pan Championship NOGI (2021)
• 3rd Place IBJJF European Open (2023)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2019 purple)
• 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2019 purple)
• 1st Place IBJJF European Open (2019 purple, 2020 brown)
• 1st Plae UAEJJF Abu Dhabi World Pro (2019 purple)
• 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2019* purple)

Main Achievements (Juvenile):

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship  (2017** / 2018)
• 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2017 / 2018**)
• 1st Place IBJJF European Open (2017)
• 3rd Place IBJJF European Open Juvenile (2017*)

* Absolute
** Weight and Absolute

Favorite Position/Technique: Open Guard

Weight Division: Peso Galo (48,5kg / 107.0 lbs)

Team/Association: AOJ

Jessa Khan Biography

Jessa Khan was born on October 8, 2001, in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States of America. Although born in Texas, Khan’s childhood was spent in a variety of places due to her father’s profession as a Navy officer.

With a strong connection to sports from an early age, Jessamine played an array of activities prior to her jiu-jitsu career, ranging from ballet to soccer, karate, and tee-ball – being particularly competitive in soccer.

Karate was Khan’s first martial arts experience, one she started at the age of 6. Unfortunately, as Jessa’s family moved to Hawaii, she no longer had access to the Japanese striking art. To make up for that void, the young Texan joined a jiu-jitsu club. An experience that started in January 2010, with the Onzuka Brothers and Shane Agena at O2 Martial Arts.

The love for grappling was instant, and soon Jessa added judo and wrestling to her range of grappling training as a way to improve her jiu-jitsu skills.

Khan earned her yellow belt from the Onzuka brothers / Shane Agena, but as her family continued to be relocated to different navy sites in the US, so did the young grappler’s progression, who, by the time she was 12, already envisioned pursuing BJJ professionally. Continuing her development in various gyms, Jessa earned her orange rank from Kevin Watson at KWBJJ in New Hampshire and her green belt from Gustavo Machado in Virginia.

Jessa first came to the AOJ academy, in Costa Mesa, California, as an orange belt, where she later settled and where her talent truly transpired to a wider audience. Khan’s aggressive style quickly adapted to her new coach’s methodology, which, in return, earned her the reputation of a top-tier prospect.

Jessa Khan earned her blue, purple, brown, and black belts from Guilherme Mendes, the latter in a ceremony that took place on October 6, 2020, two days before her 19th birthday.