# Vanessa English
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{{short description|Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner from England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox martial artist
|name = Vanessa English
|birth_name =
|other_names =
|nickname = ''Vanessita''[{{cite web | title=Vanessa English martial arts details| website=Awakening Fighters | date=2018-01-28 | url=https://awakeningfighters.com/athletes/vanessa-english}}]
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1989|05|09}}[{{cite web | title=Vanessa English | website=BJJ Heroes | date=2018-07-26 | url=https://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-fighters/vanessa-english}}]
| nationality =
| team =[Gracie Barra](/source/Gracie_Barra)
| occupation =
| rank = ''[BJJ](/source/BJJ) black belt''{{efn|name=belt|under [Victor Estima](/source/Victor_Estima)}}
| trainer = [Victor Estima](/source/Victor_Estima), Gareth Neale
| weight_class =
[GI Weight Classes](/source/Brazilian_Jiu-Jitsu_weight_classes)
* Super feather 53.5 kg
* Featherweight 58.5 kg
| style = [Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu](/source/Brazilian_Jiu-Jitsu)
| website =
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry | {{ENG}} }}
{{MedalSport | [Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu](/source/Brazilian_Jiu-Jitsu)}}
{{MedalCompetition | [World Championship](/source/World_Jiu-Jitsu_Championship)[{{cite web | title=World IBJJF Jiu-jitsu Championship 2018| website=International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation | url=https://www.ibjjfdb.com/ChampionshipResults/926/PublicResults}}]}}
{{MedalBronze | 2018 [California, USA](/source/California%2C_USA) | -53.5 kg}}
{{MedalCompetition | [European Championship](/source/European_Championship_(Brazilian_jiu-jitsu))[{{cite web | title=European IBJJF Jiu-jitsu Championship 2018| website=International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation | url=https://www.ibjjfdb.com/ChampionshipResults/849/PublicResults}}]}}
{{MedalGold | 2018 [Lisbon, Portugal](/source/Lisbon%2C_Portugal) | -53.5 kg}}
{{MedalCompetition |[Abu Dhabi Grand Slam World Tour](/source/Abu_Dhabi_Grand_Slam_Jiu-Jitsu_World_Tour)[{{cite web| title=Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour London results| website=Jiu-Jitsu Times| date=2017-03-19| url=https://jiujitsutimes.com/abu-dhabi-grand-slam-jiu-jitsu-world-tour-london| access-date=23 March 2022| archive-date=27 March 2023| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327111610/https://jiujitsutimes.com/abu-dhabi-grand-slam-jiu-jitsu-world-tour-london/| url-status=dead}}]}}
{{MedalGold | 2017 [London, England](/source/London%2C_England) | -55 kg}}
}}
'''Vanessa English''' (born 9 May 1989), is a [Brazilian jiu-jitsu](/source/Brazilian_jiu-jitsu) black belt competitor and instructor.{{efn|name=belt}} In coloured belt she is a multiple-time European champion, in both Gi and No-Gi, and is the first British-born Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor to win the [IBJJF World Championships](/source/World_Jiu-Jitsu_Championship). English is a 2018 World Championship black belt medallist and the 2018 [European Open](/source/European_Championship_(Brazilian_jiu-jitsu)) black belt Champion.
== Career ==
Vanessa English was born on 9 May 1989 in [King's Lynn](/source/King's_Lynn), [Norfolk, England](/source/Norfolk%2C_England). At the age of 16 she started [Capoeira](/source/Capoeira), followed by [Japanese jujutsu](/source/Jujutsu), then in 2009 [Brazilian jiu-jitsu](/source/Brazilian_jiu-jitsu) at [Gracie Barra](/source/Gracie_Barra) [Derby](/source/Derby) under Pat and Steven Martin; here she began competing as a white belt. In 2012 she moved to Nottingham at another Gracie Barra academy under [Victor Estima](/source/Victor_Estima) and Gareth Neale.[{{cite web | title=Interview with 2013 Purple Belt World BJJ Champ, The UK's Vanessa English | website=Bjj Eastern Europe | date=2013-06-14 | url=https://www.bjjee.com/interview/interview-with-2013-purple-belt-world-bjj-champ-the-uks-vanessa-english}}] As a blue belt she won the British Open Championship in both Gi and No-Gi then won bronze at the [2011 World Championship](/source/World_Jiu-Jitsu_Championship). English started training daily, sometimes following her night shifts as a [home carer](/source/Home_care_in_the_United_Kingdom) in [Nottingham](/source/Nottingham).[{{cite web | title=Home carer Vanessa English turned Brazilian Jujitsu champ | website=BBC News | date=2014-01-23 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-nottinghamshire-25861254}}] After receiving her purple belt in 2012,[{{cite web | title=Welcome to Female Fighters! | website=Female Fighters | date=2020-02-29 | url=https://femalefighters.co.uk/home-ff | access-date=23 March 2022 | archive-date=26 December 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241226141219/https://femalefighters.co.uk/home-ff | url-status=dead }}] After receiving her brown belt in 2014, she won the IBJJF London International Open then won the European Champion two years in a row (2014 & 2015), also winning bronze in the Open Class in 2014.[{{cite web | title=European IBJJF Jiu-jitsu Championship 2014| website=International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation | url=https://www.ibjjfdb.com/ChampionshipResults/232/PublicResults}}]
== Black belt career ==
On 7 June 2015, English was upgraded to black belt by Victor Estima.[{{cite web | title=Vanessa English – Fighter profile | website=Abu Dhabi Jiu Jitsu Pro | date=2022-03-23 | url=https://ajptour.com/en/profile/32251}}] As a black belt English won the [2018 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu European Championship](/source/European_Championship_(Brazilian_jiu-jitsu)) after defeating Livia Gluchowska in the light-featherweight's division finale.[{{cite web | title=IBJJF European Open 2018 Results | website=BJJ Heroes - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Team History, Fighter Stats, Biographies and News | date=2018-01-21 | url=https://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-news/ibjjf-european-open-2018-results}}] and the [Abu Dhabi Grand Slam London](/source/Abu_Dhabi_Grand_Slam_Jiu-Jitsu_World_Tour). In 2018 she won bronze at the [2018 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship](/source/World_Jiu-Jitsu_Championship) taking place in [Long Beach, California](/source/Long_Beach%2C_California),[{{cite web | title=Athlete Results | website=Athlete Results Vanessa English | date=1999-02-22 | url=https://ibjjf.com/athletes/vanessa-english}}] In 2023 she won gold at the IBJJF London Open competing in the light division.[{{cite web | title=IBJJF London 2023| website=IBJJF| url=https://www.ibjjfdb.com/ChampionshipResults/2082/PublicResults}}]
English was invited to compete at the first Kairos Pro Jiu-Jitsu event on May 7, 2023.[{{cite web |last1=Burne |first1=Kathrine |title=Kairos Pro Jiu-Jitsu Announces Superb Lineup For First Event |url=https://jitsmagazine.com/kairos-pro-jiu-jitsu-announces-superb-lineup-for-first-event/ |website=JitsMagazine |date=19 April 2023 |access-date=9 May 2023}}] She registered 3 wins and 1 draw to win her group and progress to the final, followed by defeating Gabi Schuck by decision to win the tournament.[{{cite web |title=Kairos Pro Jiu-Jitsu 1 Full Results And Review |url=https://jitsmagazine.com/kairos-pro-jiu-jitsu-1-full-results-and-review/ |website=JitsMagazine |access-date=9 May 2023}}]
English was invited to compete at Grapplefest 16 on July 1, 2023 for the promotion's vacant under 60kgs title against [Adele Fornarino](/source/Adele_Fornarino).[{{cite web |last1=Lindsey |first1=Alex |title=Fantastic Lineup Announced For Grapplefest 16 |url=https://jitsmagazine.com/fantastic-lineup-announced-for-grapplefest-16/ |website=JitsMagazine |access-date=3 May 2023}}] English lost the match by decision.[{{cite web |title=Grapplefest 16 Full Results And Review |url=https://jitsmagazine.com/grapplefest-16-full-results-and-review/ |website=Jitsmagazine |date=3 July 2023 |access-date=3 July 2023}}]
== Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitive summary ==
Main Achievements (Black Belt)