Philippe Pomaski

Philippe Pomaski is a Swiss grappler and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Leonardo Vieira, who also worked extensively with Gabriel Rollo (Palito), Thiago Abreu (Baiano), Claude Jäger and Roberto Abreu (Cyborg). Pomaski gained notoriety in the BJJ world as a colored belt division, being referenced as one of Europe’s rising stars by BJJ Heroes in 2015, a reputation he would further cement as a black belt with important wins in the European circuit.

Philippe Pomaski Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Philippe Basil Pomaski

Nickname: N/A

Lineage:  Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Romero Cavalcanti > Leonardo Vieira > Philippe Pomaski

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place IBJJF European Open NoGi (2019)
• 1st Place IBJJF Munich Open (2019)
• 1st Place UAEJJF Switzerland National Pro (2019)
• 1st Place Porto Jiu-Jitsu Challenge (2019)
• 1st Place IBJJF Geneva Open (2018**)
• 1st Place IBJJF Geneva Open NoGi (2018*)
• 1st Place IBJJF Madrid Open (2018)
• 2nd Place UAEJJF Grand Slam Moscow (2019)
• 2nd Place IBJJF Amsterdam Open (2018)
• 3rd Place ACBJJ World Championship (2018)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship NoGi (2012 Blue)
• 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship NoGi (2016 Brown)
• 1st Place UAEJJF Grand Slam LA (2015 Purple)
• 1st Place FPJJ São Paulo State Championship (2013 Purple)
• 1st Place IBJJF Atlanta Pro (2016 Brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF San Diego Pro (2017 Brown)
• 1st Place UAEJJF Las Vegas Pro (2016 Brown)
• 1st Place FPJJ Campeonato Internacional São Paulo (2015** Purple)
• 2nd Place IBJJF European Open (2015** Purple)
• 2nd Place UAEJJF Abu Dhabi World Pro (2015 Purple)
• 2nd Place ACBJJ World Championship (2017 Brown)
• 3rd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2012 Blue)
• 3rd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2015 Purple)
• 3rd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2016 Brown)
• 3rd Place IBJJF Brazilian Nationals (2013 Purple)
• 3rd Place ACBJJ World Championship (2017* Brown)

Favorite Position/Technique: Well Rounded

Weight Division: Meio Pesado (88,30 kg / 195.0 lbs)

Team/Association: Basel JJ/Checkmat

Philippe Pomaski Biography

Philippe Pomaski was born on January 01, 1991, in Basel, Switzerland.

Prior to finding jiu-jitsu, Pomaski spent his formative years playing a variety of sports, including football (soccer) and basketball. Although competitive, none of the traditional sports available truly inspired young Pomaski, and with that in mind, by the time he was 12 Philippe started taking an interest in martial arts, then starting kung fu classes.

Pomaski’s initial experience with kung fu only lasted for a short period, given the lack of sparring or any type of testing to the techniques learned in class. Philippe returned to martial arts as a 15-year-old, this time with muay Thai, a much more engaging striking art.

Although very excited about Thai boxing and interested in competing, given his age, Pomaski required written permission from his parents to enter the ring. Something his parents were opposed to.

While training MT, Pomaski started watching mixed martial arts, particularly the, now extinct, Japanese promotion Pride FC. There, his favorite fighters were mainly grapplers. Men such as Ricardo Arona, Rodrigo “Minotauro” and members of the Gracie Family. Adding to his interest in MMA jiu-jitsukas, one of his close friends, who had grappling knowledge, showed him a few submissions and convinced Philippe to seek BJJ tuition. He was nearly 18YO when he joined the BJJ Team Basel with coach Claude Jäger.

While under coach Claude’s tuition, Pomaski grew more fascinated by grappling, so much so that at the age of 21, blue belt Pomaski moved to Miami, Florida – USA (2012) to train with Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu. It was the famous Fight Sports founder who graduated Philippe to purple belt after winning NoGi worlds that year 2012.

At the start of 2013, Philippe moved to Santos, a coastal town in Sao Paulo state (Brazil), where he joined Rodrigo Cavaca’s classroom. During that period, Pomaski met and befriended Gabriel Rollo (Palito) and Thiago Abreu (Baiano), two students of Cavaca who had their own team Checkmat affiliate (The House) in Santos which, Pomaski started visiting regularly.

Later that year (2013) Cavaca left the Checkmat team, and Philippe decided to remain with Checkmat at The House, training under Palito and Baiano.

After two years in Santos, training under Palito and Baiano, Pomaski became widely recognized as one of the best purple belts in the world. In an attempt to further develop his BJJ career, Philippe moved California to train at Checkmat HQ with master Leo Vieira. It was Vieira who promoted the Swiss talent to his brown and black belt ranks, the latter on June 5, 2018, in the presence of his other two coaches – Rollo and Abreu.

Also in 2018 Philipe decided to return to his hometown of Basel to re-join with academic life, studying political science at the local university.