Draft:James Boran
American jiu-jitsu practitioner
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James Richard Boran (born 1956 or 1957) 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 on June 23, 1997 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.
Submission declined on 24 October 2025 by Carolina2k22 (talk).
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| Submission declined on 20 July 2025 by RangersRus (talk). This draft's references do not show that the person meets Wikipedia's criteria for inclusion for people. The draft requires multiple published secondary sources that:
Declined by RangersRus 8 months ago.
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| Submission declined on 13 July 2025 by Gheus (talk). This draft's references do not show that the person meets Wikipedia's criteria for inclusion for people. The draft requires multiple published secondary sources that:
Declined by Gheus 8 months ago.
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Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest policy, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. Surfinsi (talk) 07:00, 4 July 2025 (UTC)
- Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest policy, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. Surfinsi (talk) 07:00, 4 July 2025 (UTC)
- Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest policy, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. Surfinsi (talk) 07:00, 4 July 2025 (UTC)
- Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest policy, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. Surfinsi (talk) 07:00, 4 July 2025 (UTC)
| James Richard Boran | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1956 or 1957 (age 68–69)[1] New York |
| Nickname | "Jim", "Jimmy"[2] |
| Nationality | American |
| Division | Super Heavyweight[2] |
| Style | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Team | Team Avalanche[3] |
| Teachers | Rorion Gracie, Royler Gracie, Royce Gracie, Rickson Gracie, Joe Moreira |
| Rank | |
| Years active | 1987-present |
| Other information | |
| University | Columbia University |
| Website | http://www.boranjj.com/index.htm |
Early life and education
Boran was born in New York and grew up there with his parents, three brothers, and sister.[4] He played football in high school as a lineman, and earned a scholarship to Columbia University.[5] 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.[2][6]
Martial arts
Boran began studying martial arts in college, earning a black belt in Taekwondo.[4][7] He moved to California in 1983 and studied Hapkido for four years.[2]
Boran began studying Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at age 34[8] under the Gracie family after a student of theirs beat him in a sparring match, even though he outweighed the student by 70 pounds.[2][1] 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 on June 23, 1997.[2][1] The next day, he represented the Joe Moreira Jiu-Jitsu school at the fifth annual Jiu-jitsu de Brasil International Championship in Irvine, California. At the tournament, Boran had a match with Jean Jacques Machado and lost via submission.[1] In 1998 he was considered one of the top American BJJ practitioners, having won several national tournaments.[8] In March 2000, he opened his own gym, Boran's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy, in Costa Mesa, California.[3]
Boran is a sixth-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.[4] 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.[2][6]
Personal life
Boran lives in Newport Beach, California.[8]
Instructor lineage
Mitsuyo Maeda → Carlos Gracie → Hélio Gracie → Francisco Mansor → Joe Moreira → James Boran[2]
Championships
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