Luke Harris is a Canadian judo and jiu-jitsu black belt as well as a retired mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and founder of the Hayabusa MMA apparel brand. Harris was an avid competitor in Canada’s judo circuit in the late 1990s and early 2000s who turned to competitive BJJ in the late 2010s where he became one of the most decorated Masters (+30yo) athletes in the sport, particularly in the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) circuit where he won world titles in the division.
Luke Harris Jiu-Jitsu
Full Name: Luke Harris
Nickname: N/A
Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Romero Cavalcanti > Robert Drysdale > Luke Harris
Main Achievements (Masters):
- 1st Place IBJJF Masters World Championship (2021 M3, 2023** M4)
- 1st Place IBJJF World Championship NOGI (2018* / 2021* M3, 2023 M4)
- 1st Place IBJJF European Championship (2018 / 2019 M3)
- 1st Place IBJJF European Championship NOGI (2018 / 2019 M3)
- 1st Place IBJJF American Nationals (2014 / 2016 M2, 2018 / 2019* / 2020** / 2022** M3, 2023/2024 M4)
- 1st Place IBJJF American Nationals NOGI (2014 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017** M2, 2018** / 2019 / 2020** / 2021 / 2022** M3, 2023/2024** M4)
- 2nd Place IBJJF Masters World Championship (2018 M2, 2019 M3)
- 2nd Place IBJJF World Championship NOGI (2016 M2, 2018 / 2021 / 2022 M3)
- 2nd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2018 M3)
- 2nd Place IBJJF European Championship (2019* / 2022 M3)
- 2nd Place IBJJF American Nationals (2015 M2, 2018 / 2021** M3)
- 3rd Place IBJJF Masters World Championship (2018* M2, 2020 / 2021* M3)
- 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship NOGI (2017 M2, 2019 M3)
- 3rd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2015 M2, 2019 / 2022 M3)
- 3rd Place IBJJF European Championship (2022* M3, 2024** M4)
- 3rd Place IBJJF European Championship NOGI (2018* M3)
- 3rd Place IBJJF American Nationals (2016 M2, 2019 M3, 2024 M4)
- 3rd Place IBJJF American Nationals NOGI (2014* / 2015* M2)
* Absolute
** Weight & Absolute
Favorite Position/Technique: Kneebar from Saddle/Top Half Guard
Weight Division: Super Pesado (100,50 kg / 222.0 lbs)
Team/Association: Hayabusa / Zenith
Luke Harris Biography
Luke Harris was born on July 31, 1977, in Penetanguishene, Ontario, Canada though he grew up in St. Albert, Alberta, where he spent his formative years to adulthood.
The first martial art to captivate Harris was judo, which he started at the age of 8 (1995) under the guidance of Keith Walters & Mark HIcks. Being a high-energy child, Luke practiced several sports growing up, but the Japanese art of throwing was the one he stuck to the most, earning his black belt when he was 18.
As a teenager, Luke added Club Rugby to his activities, playing for St. Albert and, later, the University of Guelph in Ontario. Outside the rugby pitch, he won several Provincial judo championships in Alberta & Ontario while coached by Ron Angus. Luke also medaled at national judo championships and won eastern collegiate nationals (coached by PSU Judo / NCAA wrestling coach Hachiro Oishi).
When he completed his degree in Landscape Architecture at the University of Guelph, Luke Harris opted to pursue his lifelong dream of having a career in judo at the highest level. With this objective in mind, he moved to Japan in 2000, living at the Kodokan Institute in Tokyo, training 2-3 times per day and competing extensively under the tutelage of Sensei Fukazawa & Sensei Kaneo Iwatsuri.
After his experience in Japan, Harris relocated to Montreal, Canada, to train with the Canadian National Judo Team under Nicholas Gill & Sensei Hiroshi Nakamura. It was with judo in mind that Luke started training jiu-jitsu in 2006, following his friend Scott Edward’s (RIP) advice, who believed this would be a perfect fit to improve Harris’ ground skills (newaza).
Luke’s jiu-jitsu training began at Brazilian Top Team (BTT) Montreal, where he met MMA legend George St. Pierre. He would eventually participate in a few of the former UFC Welterweight King’s training camps.
From Montreal, Harris headed to Brazil to compete in a few international judo tournaments, after which he opted to remain in the country to focus on mixed martial arts (MMA) at BTT Headquarters in Rio de Janeiro at a time when the training camp’s heyday with athletes like Ze Mario Sperry, Murilo Bustamante, The Nogueira Brothers, Rousimar Palhares and more.
When he returned to Canada, he began his MMA career, fighting professionally from 2007-2014, amassing a record of 10 wins and 3 losses. His involvement with cage-fighting led Harris to start the Hayabusa Fightwear Inc. brand in 2006 following with Hayabusa Training Centre two years later.
While preparing for all aspects of MMA, Luke Harris earned his black belt in BJJ from coach Robert Drysdale in 2011.
Once his first child was born, in 2014 Luke opted to retire from MMA, which happened shortly after he participated in the famous The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) show produced by the UFC. He went on to focus on his students at the Hayabusa TC and shifted his competitive nature to jiu-jitsu, where he became one of the winningest Masters Division athletes ever in the sport.
