James Harbison | BJJ Heroes

James Harbison, commonly known as Jimmy Harbison or as “Jah” is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Lloyd Irvin who gained notoriety in the grappling circuit after winning 3 of the major tournaments in the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) circuit, namely the European Open, Pan American and World Championship.

Jimmy Harbison Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: James Harbison

Nickname: Harbison is often mentioned as “Jah”.

Lineage: M. Maeda > C. Gracie > H. Gracie > R. Gracie > Jorge Pereira > Leo Dalla > Lloyd Irvin > James Harbison

Main Achievements:

1st Place UAEJJF World Pro Cup Trials – Montreal (2011)
2nd Place IBJJF World Pro Cup NoGi (2011)
2nd Place IBJJF New York Open (2010**)

Main Achievements:

1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2011 brown)
1st Place IBJJF Pans Championship (2011 brown)
1st Place IBJJF European Open (2011 brown)
3rd Place IBJJF Pans Championship (2010 brown)

* Absolute
** Weight and absolute

Favorite Position/Technique: Triangle

Weight Division: Peso Medio (82kg/181lbs)

Team/Association: n/a

James Harbison Biography

James Harbison was born in 1991, he began training wrestling early through his school’s sporting program. As he reached high school he changed to a catholic school that did not offer wrestling and as an alternative James’ father proposed practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Halfway through his freshman year he took his parent’s advice and joined a BJJ academy.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu quickly took over Harbison’s extracurricular time and by the end of 2009, Jimmy decided to move to Lloyd Irvin’s training camp where he would have better sparring partners and a more professional atmosphere. Upon taking this big step in his life, he decided to go “underground” cutting all the distractions of his life (including his facebook account) in order to stay focused on his ultimate goal of becoming a world Jiu Jitsu champion. His hard work paid off in 2011 as he won every major tournament in the brown belt middleweight division, also showing an excellent presence in tournaments such as the ADCC and the World Pro Cup that same year. He received his black belt from Lloyd Irvin on June 2011, shortly after his Mundial win.

Jimmy Harbison vs Marcelo Sousa