Tanner Rice

Tanner Rice is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Rubens Charles “Cobrinha”, who became known as the first American born athlete to be promoted by the respected Alliance coach. Rice earned the rank at the age of 19, after winning the 2012 IBJJF world title, being at the time the youngest US native to achieve this deed. Later that year, in his black belt debut, Rice defeated two of the sport’s biggest names (“Megaton” Dias and “Tanquinho” Mendes) cementing his name as one of the most talented athletes in his division.

Tanner Rice Jiu Jitsu

Full Name: Tanner Wade Rice

Nickname: n/a

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Romero Cavalcanti > Alexandre Paiva>Fernando Augusto > Rubens Charles > Tanner Rice

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place IBJJF American Nationals (2015)
• 1st Place UAEJJF Grand Slam, LA (2015)
• 1st Place IBJJF Irvine Open (2015)
• 1st Place ACBJJ North American Championship (2018)
• 2nd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2017 / 2018)
• 2nd Place IBJJF European Open (2017 / 2019)
• 2nd Place IBJJF Santa Cruz Pro (2015)
• 3rd Place UAEJJF Grand Slam, LA (2019)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• IBJJF World Champion (2012 brown)
• IBJJF Pan American Champion (2009 junior blue)
• IBJJF World Championship 3rd Place (2009 junior blue)
• IBJJF Pan American Championship 3rd Place (2012 brown, 2011 purple)

Favorite Position/Technique: Open Guard

Weight Division: Peso Leve (76kg/167lbs), Peso Médio (82kg/181lbs)

Team/Association: Rice Brothers

Tanner Rice Biography

Tanner Rice was born on the 2nd of January, 1993 in Redding – California, United States of America.

Being the son of Rod Rice, a black belt and former student of John Dill (who himself was a student of “Dirty Donzen‘s” own James Boran) it didn’t come as a surprise that Tanner had his initiation in the sport at the young age of 6.

Although Rod took care of the majority of Tanner’s early tuition, awarding him his blue belt (and brown belt years later), Rice’s jiu jitsu was also influenced by coaches John Dill and James Boran.

As a blue belt, around 2008, Tanner met and befriended Carlos Diego Ferreira who was staying in the US for a few months. The friendship between the two led Tanner to follow his friend to his hometown of Manaus in Brazil. Although Tanner was only 16 years of age and did not speak a word of Portuguese, he remained in the Amazonas capital for 1 year, being accommodated in Carlos Diego’s house while training at his Master’s academy – the legendary Clube Pina of Master Faustino Neto, from which great competitors such as Bibiano Fernandes, Carlos Holanda Vieira, Manuel Ribamar and many others emerged.

Tanner left Brazil after 1 year but carried on making frequent trips to Manaus, spending in total around 2.5 years in that South American territory, earning his purple belt from Carlos Diego Ferreira.

The Rice family opened their own academy, Amazonas Jiu Jitsu (now Rice Brothers), in 2008. Later Tanner and his brothers (Sam and Matthew) affiliated themselves with Rubens Charles‘ academy in Los Angeles. The 4x World Champion helped Tanner improve and earn his own world title as a brown belt (2012). Tanner earned his black belt from Cobrinha after this tremendous achievement, and went on to have a successful debut, defeating two very well known competitors at the IBJJF Pro League.

Tanner Rice and his academy ended up severing ties with Rubens Charles and his Alliance team due to a conflict of interests. In having the goal of becoming a black belt world champion, Rice believed his road to success was barricaded by the many senior team members already on the Alliance team, who competed in the same weight category. Rice knew he would likely need to “give way” to his senior peers at the major tournaments in the sport’s calendar.

Tanner Rice vs Augusto Mendes

Tanner Rice vs Javier Yamuni

Tanner Rice vs Inácio Neto