Sean Roberts

Sean Roberts is a jiu-jitsu black belt and founder of the Sektor BJJ Academy in Chino, California. During his climb to the black belt rank, Roberts became widely recognized as one of the leading American grapplers of his generation, a reputation cemented by Sean’s performances in Lloyd Irvin’s BJJ Kumite brown belt tournament back in 2013. Prior to launching his own team (Sektor), Roberts worked with a variety of revered coaches such as Ralph Gracie, Kurt Osiander, and Lucas Leite.

Sean Roberts Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Sean Roberts

Nickname: N/A

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlos Gracie Jr. > Ralph Gracie > Sean Roberts

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place UFC Expo/Grapplers Quest (2014**)
• 1st Place IBJJF American Nationals (2018)
• 1st Place SJJIF World Cup (2014**)
• 1st Place Guatemala Open (2015)
• 2nd Place FIVE Super League (2015)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 2nd Place IBJJF World Championships (2008 blue)
• 2nd Place IBJJF Pan Championships (2010 purple)
• 2nd Place IBJJF American Nationals (2008 purple, 2010/2011* brown)
• 3rd Place IBJJF World Championships (2010 purple)
• 3rd Place IBJJF American Nationals (2010* brown)

Main Achievements (Juvenile):

• 1st Place IBJJF American Nationals (2006)

Favorite Position/Technique: Triangle

Weight Division: Peso Médio (82,30 kg / 181.5 lbs)

Team/Association: Sektor BJJ.

Sean Roberts Biography

Sean Roberts was born on October 27, 1989, in California where he grew up. More specifically in Southern California.

Drawn to martial arts from an early age, Roberts started his path in combat-related activities through karate, as a child, which he practiced for a short while. His desire to step on the mats once again returned as Roberts reached his teenage years. Although still a believer of karate, he was dissuaded to pursue the Japanese-striking art by his father, who was a fan of the early UFC events and believed the Gracie family’s style of fighting was better suited for Sean.

After being shown a few tapes of the first two UFC tournaments won by Royce Gracie, Roberts was convinced he wanted to give jiu-jitsu a try. This led 15-year-old Sean to Brad Jackson’s academy, a Ralph Gracie Team affiliate in Orange County.

Training at the Ralph Gracie Academy (OC) Roberts earned his blue belt (from Eduardo Fraga) and Purple belt (from Brad Jackson and Bruno Paulista) while gaining the reputation of being one of the region’s rising grappling stars, particularly after his silver medal at the IBJJF World Championships as a blue belt (2008).

After his initial success, Roberts started visiting the team’s headquarters in San Francisco where he trained with a bigger, more competition-oriented workgroup, under the tutelage of Ralph Gracie and Kurt Osiander, eventually moving to northern California city as a purple belt in 2010.

Through his continuous good results, Roberts earned his brown and black belts from the hands of Ralph Gracie, the latter earned in March 2013.

After 4 years in San Franciso, Sean Roberts returned to his base in the southern part of the state but was forced to change teams due to the lack of competitive sparring in the area under the Ralph Gracie Academy banner. For that reason, Roberts opted to join Lucas Leite‘s gym in La Habra, California, an academy affiliated with Checkmat. A decision that was made with the full approval of Gracie.

After settling in Southern California, Sean Roberts decided to open his own gym named Sektor BJJ in Chino, CA.