Kira Sung

Kira Sung is a professional jiu-jitsu athlete and a black belt under Hyuk-il Kwon of the Seorae Academy in Seoul, South Korea. Although already successful on the international grappling circuit, Sung’s first major breakthrough performance took place at the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) World Championship in 2018, a tournament Kira won, then becoming the first Korean competitor to conquer world title in this sport.

Kira Sung Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Kira Sung

Nickname: N/A

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rickson Gracie > Marcelo Behring > Waldomiro Perez > Roberto Godoi > Marco Barbosa > Chae In-Muk / Sung Hee-Yong > Noh Young-am > Hyuk-il Kwon > Kira Sung

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2018 purple)
• 1st Place IBJJF European Open (2018 purple)
• 1st Place IBJJF Asian Open (2017 purple)
• 1st Place AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro (2017 blue)
• 1st Place AJP Grand Slam, TYO (2017 purple)
• 2nd Place IBJJF World Championship (2017 blue, 2019 brown)
• 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship NOGI (2019 brown)
• 3rd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2017 blue, 2018 purple)
• 3rd Place IBJJF Asian Open (2017* purple)
• 3rd Place IBJJF European Open (2018* purple)
• 3rd Place AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro (2019)

* Absolute
** Weight and Absolute

Favorite Position/Technique: Single Leg X, Toreando Pass

Weight Division: Peso Leve (64,00 kg / 141.5 lbs)

Team/Association: Seorae JJ

Kira Sung Biography

Kira Sung was born on January 29, 1997, in Seoul, the capital of South Korea.

Uninterested in standard sports while growing up, Kira opted to start boxing classes in her mid-teens, a sport she adhered to for a few years. It was through her boxing experience that Kira first gained curiosity for jiu-jitsu as her boxing coach was also a purple belt in BJJ.

Sung was 19 years old when she first started jiu-jitsu at a small local club but immediately started competing, earning her purple belt in a little over 1 year at Myung Hoon Choi’s TNT Academy, after conquering medals at the World and Pan American Championships.

After a succession of positive competitive results, Kira decided to become a professional grappler. To pursue her career goals, Sung joined the Seorae Jiu-Jitsu Academy with coach Hyuk-il Kwon, who guided the talented athlete from her purple belt up to her black belt.

Although under the guidance of Hyuk-il Kwon, Kira Sung made the most of her many travels to the United States during the competition season, training with some of the top instructors and academies in the world, though most commonly at the Atos Headquarters in San Diego, California, with coaches André and Angelica Galvão.

Kira’s great form led her to an IBJJF World Championships gold medal in 2018, as a purple belt, an incredible achievement covered by BJJ Heroes at the time (check the article here) as it crowned Sung as the first Korean athlete to earn a jiu-jitsu world title.

The many victories earned by Kira Sung earned the accomplished athlete her black belt in March 2020, from her instructor Hyuk-il Kwon. Her total time from white to black belt amassed 4 years and 9 months, a very fast run through the BJJ rank system by all accounts.