Hiryu Niwa

Hiryu Niwa is a Japanese grappler who specializes in jiu-jitsu, a discipline where he holds the rank of black belt under Guilherme Mendes. Hiryu Niwa first gained notoriety in this discipline while competing on the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) circuit, representing the Art Of Jiu-Jitsu academy, a team led by the Mendes Brothers (Guilherme & Rafael). Hiryu Niwa is also the younger brother of another well-known jiu-jitsu competitor, Reon Niwa, and the two are often referred to as the Niwa Bros among fans and enthusiasts of the sport.

Hiryu Niwa Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Hiryu Niwa

Nickname: N/A

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Carlson Gracie > André Pederneiras > Ramon Lemos > Guilherme Mendes > Hiryu Niwa

Main Achievements:

• 2nd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2023)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship NOGI (2022 brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2019 purple, 2021 brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF American Nationals (2021 brown)
• 2nd Place IBJJF World Championship (2021 brown)

Main Achievements (Juvenile):

• 1st Place IBJJF Asian Open (2017 / 2018)

* Absolute
** Weight and Absolute

Favorite Position/Technique: Modern JJ Style

Weight Division: Peso Galo (57,50 kg / 127.0 lbs)

Team/Association: Art Of Jiu-Jitsu (AOJ)

Hiryu Niwa Biography

Hiryu Niwa was born on July 17th, 2001, in Hiroshima, Japan, but moved to Yokohama with his family when he was 1 year old, there remaining throughout his formative years.

Sports entered Hiryu’s life by way of his father, who started practicing jiu-jitsu when Niwa was a child. Hiryu and his older brother, Reon, would often visit their dad while he was training at the local academy and the two became gradually interested in the sport. At the time the club didn’t have kids’ classes, but, in 2008, once they opened, the two brothers joined and started their grappling journey.

The Niwa brothers started training under João Paulo Kuraoka and João Carlos Kuraoka, remaining there for a few years, through the children’s belts up to their blue belt rank.

As Hiryu and Reon became more invested in the competition scene, they joined Takamasa Watanabe who awarded the duo their purple and brown belts.

In 2010 the Niwa brothers met the Mendes Brothers (Guilherme & Rafael) at the Rickson Gracie Cup tournament, in Japan. Hiryu and Reon immediately became fans of the Brazilian duo’s grappling skills and followed their careers and attended their workshops in Japan diligently, as the Mendes progressed and became two of the greatest athletes to ever compete in the sport of jiu-jitsu.

In 2019, nearly 10 years after meeting the Mendes Brothers, the Niwa’s traveled to the United States to compete for the very first time at the IBJJF World Championships. They were unable to win the tournament but the experience brought the realization that, if they wanted to achieve success at the highest level in the sport, they would need to change their lives significantly. With that in mind, the Niwa’s decided to freeze their university tuition and move to California, to become a part of Guilherme Mendes‘ Art Of Jiu-Jitsu competition team.

After joining AOJ, the Niwa brothers found the success they aimed for. Their competitive record helped facilitate their black belt promotion, which took place on the podium steps of the IBJJF World No-Gi Championship of 2022, on December 14, at the hands of Guilherme Mendes.