James Boran

James Richard Boran
James Richard Boran
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Born	New York
Nickname(s)	"Jim", "Jimmy"
Nationality	American
Division	Super Heavyweight
Style	Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Team	Team Avalanche
Teacher(s)	Rorion Gracie, Royler Gracie, Royce Gracie, Rickson Gracie, Joe Moreira
Rank	Taekwondo black belt; 6th deg. BJJ black belt;
Years active	1987-present
University	Columbia University
Website	http://www.boranjj.com/index.htm

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James Richard Boran is an American Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) practitioner with a sixth degree black belt in BJJ. He played football on a scholarship to Columbia University and was signed to the New York Jets as a free agent in 1979. Boran moved to California in 1983 and began studying BJJ in April 1991. He received his BJJ black belt in January 1996 and opened Boran's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in March 2000. Boran is one of the first 12 grapplers outside of Brazil to earn a black belt in BJJ.

Early life and education

Boran was born in New York and grew up there with his parents, three brothers, and sister.^[3] He played football in high school as a lineman, and earned a scholarship to Columbia University.^[4] He played linebacker at Columbia and was plagued by injuries throughout his freshman and sophomore years. He was signed by the New York Jets as a free agent in 1979.^[1]^[5]

Martial arts

Boran began studying martial arts in college, earning a black belt in Taekwondo.^[3]^[6] He moved to California in 1983 and studied Hapkido for four years.^[1]

In April 1991, Boran began studying Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under the Gracie family after a student of theirs beat him in a sparring match, even though he outweighed the student by 70 pounds.^[1]^[7] He studied under Rorion, Royler, Royce, and Rickson Gracie, receiving his blue belt and purple belt from them. In the early 1990s, Boran switched training camps and began studying under Joe Moreira, receiving his black belt from Moreira in January 1996.^[1]^[8] In March 2000, he opened his own gym, Boran's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy, in Costa Mesa, California.^[2]

Boran is a sixth-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.^[3] He is a member of the Dirty Dozen, a group of the first 12 grapplers outside of Brazil to earn a black belt in BJJ.^[1]^[5]

Instructor lineage

Mitsuyo Maeda → Carlos Gracie → Hélio Gracie → Francisco Mansor → Joe Moreira → James Boran^[1]

Championships

Sources:^[1]^[3]

2004 Pan Super Heavy Silver Absolute Sr 3 Silver
2005 Pan Super Heavy Gold Absolute Sr 3 Silver
2006 Pan Super Heavy Gold Absolute Sr 3 Gold
2007 Pan Super Heavy Gold Absolute Sr 3 Silver
2008 Pan Super Heavy Gold Absolute Gold
2009 Pan Super Heavy Gold Absolute Sr 3 Gold
2010 Pan Super Heavy Silver Absolute Sr 3 Bronze
2011 Pan Super Heavy Silver Absolute Sr 3 Bronze
2012 Pan Super Heavy Gold Absolute Sr 4 Gold
2014 Pan Super Heavy Gold Absolute Sr 5 Gold
No Gi World 2008 Gold Super Heavy Gold Absolute Sr 3

2009 No Gi World Super Heavy Gold Absolute Sr 3 Silver
2009 American Nationals Super Heavy Gold Absolute Sr 3 Gold
2010 American Nationals Super Heavy Gold Absolute Sr 3 Gold
2011 American Nationals Super Heavy Gold Absolute Sr 3 Gold
2012 World Master and Senior Super Heavy Gold Absolute Sr 4 Bronze
2013 World Master and Senior Super Heavy Gold Absolute Sr 5 Gold

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 ^1.5 ^1.6 ^1.7 ^1.8 "James Boran". BJJHeroes. 12 April 2016. Archived from the original on 2025-05-16. Retrieved 2025-07-04. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Boran, James. "Boranjj - Home". www.boranjj.com. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 Boran, James. "Biography". Boran Jiu-Jitsu. Archived from the original on 2023-12-10. Retrieved 2025-07-04. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
↑ "The BJJ Dirty Dozen: Who Were The American Jiu-Jitsu Pioneers?". BJJWORLD. 22 January 2020. Archived from the original on 2024-12-04. Retrieved 2025-07-04. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Rogers, Kian (2024-01-23). "Who Are The BJJ Dirty Dozen?". Jits Magazine. Archived from the original on 2025-01-17. Retrieved 2025-07-04. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
↑ "BJJ DIRTY DOZEN". BJJFANATICS. 7 December 2022. Archived from the original on 2025-07-04. Retrieved 2025-07-04. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
↑ BudoVideos.com (2016-05-25). TWIBJJ Episode 103 James Boran part 1 of 2. Retrieved 2025-07-06 – via YouTube.
↑ "BJJ Dirty Dozen: The American Pioneers of Jiu Jitsu". Jiu-Jitsu Legacy. 8 December 2022. Archived from the original on 2024-05-23. Retrieved 2025-07-04. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)

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[:1-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 ^1.5 ^1.6 ^1.7 ^1.8 "James Boran". BJJHeroes. 12 April 2016. Archived from the original on 2025-05-16. Retrieved 2025-07-04. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)

[:4-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Boran, James. "Boranjj - Home". www.boranjj.com. Retrieved 2025-07-07.

[:0-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 Boran, James. "Biography". Boran Jiu-Jitsu. Archived from the original on 2023-12-10. Retrieved 2025-07-04. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)

[4] "The BJJ Dirty Dozen: Who Were The American Jiu-Jitsu Pioneers?". BJJWORLD. 22 January 2020. Archived from the original on 2024-12-04. Retrieved 2025-07-04. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)

[:3-5] 5.0 ^5.1 Rogers, Kian (2024-01-23). "Who Are The BJJ Dirty Dozen?". Jits Magazine. Archived from the original on 2025-01-17. Retrieved 2025-07-04. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)

[6] "BJJ DIRTY DOZEN". BJJFANATICS. 7 December 2022. Archived from the original on 2025-07-04. Retrieved 2025-07-04. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)

[:2-7] BudoVideos.com (2016-05-25). TWIBJJ Episode 103 James Boran part 1 of 2. Retrieved 2025-07-06 – via YouTube.

[8] "BJJ Dirty Dozen: The American Pioneers of Jiu Jitsu". Jiu-Jitsu Legacy. 8 December 2022. Archived from the original on 2024-05-23. Retrieved 2025-07-04. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)

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