Kristóf Szucs

Kristóf Szucs is a Hungarian grappler and a black belt in jiu-jitsu under Rômulo Barral, who worked extensively with other instructors such as Max Carvalho and Lucas Rocha while representing team Gracie Barra‘s “Red Shield” in the sport’s international circuit. Szucs was also one of the first athletes from Hungary to gain world wide notoriety in jiu-jitsu after his gold medal performances at some of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) top tournaments as a colored belt.

Kristóf Szucs Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Kristóf Szucs

Nickname: N/A

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlos Gracie Junior > Vinícius Magalhães > Rômulo Barral > Kristóf Szucs

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2014* blue)
• 1st Place IBJJF European Open (2014 blue)
• 1st Place IBJJF European Open NOGI (2016** purple)
• 1st Place IBJJF Asian Open (2015** purple)
• 1st Place AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro (2013* blue)
• 2nd Place IBJJF World Championship (2016 purple)
• 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2014 blue)
• 3rd Place IBJJF European Open (2015 purple, 2018 brown)
• 3rd Place IBJJF European Open NOGI (2014* blue)

* Absolute
** Weight and Absolute

Favorite Position/Technique: Guard Passer

Weight Division: Peso-Pesado (94,30 kg / 208.0 lbs)

Team/Association: Gracie Barra

Kristof Szucs Biography

Kristóf Szucs was born on February 9, 1994, in Kecskemet, Hungary, where he grew up.

Martial arts were an instrumental part of Kristof’s upbringing as his father was an avid judoka who instilled in Szucs the love for competitive combat sports, a path that took him through Japanese Ju-Jutsu and Judo prior to his Brazilian jiu-jitsu experience.

During his time experimenting with JJJ and Judo, Kristof always fancied ground fighting (newaza) over the other dynamics of these grappling-based martial arts, a fact that drove him to seek BJJ. As he lived in a small Hungarian town, jiu-jitsu was not so readily available and as such, he ended up joining a workgroup led by a blue belt at the time, Mr. Sandor Fekete. Kristóf was 16 years old at the time.

Fekete was a member of the Gracie Barra affiliation in Hungary and therefore, it didn’t take long for Szucs to meet the head of the team in his country, Max Carvalho, who became another important figure in the young athlete’s grappling upbringing.

As Kristóf Szucs started traveling to competitions abroad in 2014, meeting many of Team GB’s legends throughout his travels, including Rômulo Barral and Lucas Rocha. He would spend plenty of time during his grappling formative years with Barral though he also linked with Rocha’s gym in Arcadia, particularly during 2017.

In 2019 Szucs moved to San Fernando Valley with his wife, BJJ black belt Tássia Pimenta. Once in California, Kristóf re-joined Barral who promoted the young Hungarian to black belt on October 31, 2020. Szucs would later open his own Gracie Barra affiliate in Roseville, Sacramento, CA.