Belgian jiu-jitsu competitor Amal Amjahid – a European and World champion – has been promoted to black belt. 

22-year-old Amjahid is a UAEJJF World Pro champion, a title she won in April as a brown belt. She submitted all of her opponents to win gold, including black belt Amanda Monteiro in the final. 

Amjahid is also a two-time IBJJF European Champion at brown belt, most recently winning double gold at the 2018 event in January. 

She was promoted in a ceremony in front of many of the children she coaches at the CENS Academy in Brussells, Belgium. 

With immigration issues resolved, Amjahid moves onward

Amjahid, who is of Moroccan heritage, was forced to miss the most recent IBJJF World Championships in June due to immigration issues. 

The Belgian grappler, who had made half a dozen previous trips to the U.S., decided not to travel to California alone after Khalid Houry, her stepfather and coach, was denied permission to board a connecting flight in London. 

The issue has since been addressed and Amjahid and her stepfather were granted 10 year visas to travel in and out of the United States. 

As a black belt Amjahid will compete in the stacked featherweight division, which includes competitors such as Karen Antunes, Ana Carolina Schmitt and more.