Claire North

Claire North is a jiu-jitsu black belt under John Gutta who represents both Tipping Point BJJ and TAC Team in the sport’s global circuit, where she earned an array of impressive competitive achievements despite working full-time in the pharmacy industry. Among the most important moments in North’s grappling career are the medals she conquered at the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation’s (IBJJF) World Championships, Pan Championships, and the American Nationals.

Claire North Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Claire North

Nickname: N/A

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlson Gracie > Rodrigo Medeiros > Johnny Ramirez > Mark Vives > John Gutta > Claire North

Main Achievements:

• 2nd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2020)
• 2nd Place IBJJF American Nationals (2021)
• 2nd Place IBJJF American Nationals NOGI (2021)
• 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2021)
• 3rd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2021)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place IBJJF American Nationals NOGI (2019* brown)
• 2nd Place IBJJF World Championship (2018 brown)
• 2nd Place IBJJF American Nationals (2019* brown)
• 3rd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2016 purple)

* Absolute
** Weight and Absolute

Favorite Position/Technique: Spider Guard

Weight Division: Peso Médio (69kg / 152.5lbs)

Team/Association: Tipping Point BJJ / TAC Team

Claire North Biography

Claire North was born on February 1, 1993, in Des Moines, Iowa, where she grew up.

Drawn to sports from a young age, Claire started practicing soccer competitively during kindergarten, an activity she maintained all the way through to her senior year of high school. While in HS, North also gained an interest in grappling – a curiosity that fueled a desire to apply for the school’s wrestling team. That project, however, would fall flat due to social pressure which, at the time, deemed wrestling as not befitting of a young lady.

At the age of 18, Claire moved to Iowa City, Iowa, to further develop her academic studies at the University of Iowa. While in IC, North started working as a beer cart girl at a local country club where she had a troubling interaction with an intoxicated customer who physically intimidated Claire. The experience led her to research self-defense and martial arts.

During her research of martial arts, Claire discovered jiu-jitsu. A combat sport with a solid self-defense foundation and a strong competitive outlet – something highly valued by North. BJJ was also heavily reliant on grappling, a style of combat Claire had sought to pursue since her high school days. Given how many of North’s preferences were ticked by BJJ, she decided to join her college’s jiu-jitsu club.

Claire worked on her jiu-jitsu skills with coach John Gutta from day 1 with their relationship gradually developing also outside the mats, leading to North and Gutta’s marriage. North also earned her black belt from Gutta on December 19, 2019, then becoming the first female black belt from the State of Iowa.

After Claire finished her university degree in Pharmacy, she moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with her husband to open a jiu-jitsu academy – Tipping Point BJJ. A project started while North worked a full-time job in her chosen profession, and – at a later stage – while further advancing her academic studies with an engineering degree in her field of work. Despite her busy work schedule, North was able to produce very solid results in the sporting world.