Today there are plenty of celebrities who are on the mat, it's beautiful to see. However, which ones are using their platform to grow the art? Here are some A-list celebrities who are putting jiu-jitsu in the spotlight.

Joe Rogan

There's no doubt that Joe deserves to be on this list. He by far has made the greatest impact on jiu-jitsu and could arguably be the most influential person in the sport. 

"It's made me a better man, it's helped me understand myself, my weaknesses, my strengths, the shit I need to work on. Jiu-Jitsu has been one of the most valuable tools I've ever had in my life."

He's played a critical role in exposing and educating people as a UFC commentator. However, he also is able to reach more of the general public through his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. 

Finally, he has been matside for some of the greatest moments in jiu-jitsu history, including ADCC 2003. He was there holding a crying Eddie Bravo after he tapped Royler. Today, Joe is a blackbelt under his best friend, Eddie Bravo. Eddie even credits Joe with coming up with the name "10th Planet". Jiu-Jitsu wouldn't be the same without him,

Kelly Slater

11-time surfing world champion, Kelly Slater, has trained with some of the best in jiu-jitsu. There has always been a deep connection between jiu-jitsu and surfing, having Kelly on the mats and spending time with our champions is incredibly positive for the sport. After having a formal introduction to the gentle art by Rickson and Kron Gracie, he has continued to train.

"Rickson loves to surf and he was [buying] boards from channel island, my old sponsor. I said, you know what? Give all my free boards to Rickson. Just sponsor Rickson."

Kelly has trained with the Mendes brothers, he has become close friends with Marcus "Buchecha" Almedia and today is a strong advocate that "Kids should do jiu-jitsu before any other sport". Kelly finds time in his busy schedule to tune into the grappling community and was even spotted at ADCC 2019. Here is rare footage of Slater rolling with Victor Belfort acting as referee.

Demi Lovato

"This means the world to me and I couldn't be happier. Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a passion of mine and I can't wait to learn more and more."

These are Demi Lovato's words after being promoted to her two stripe blue belt. Jiu-jitsu is a male-dominated sport and every day we are working to improve that ratio. Having an A-list celebrity like Demi Lovato training is a huge step forward in getting more women onto the mat. Even though she couldn't include jiu-jitsu in her hit documentary, she made a point to release the video above on YouTube which has received almost a million views.

She has trained with many reputable coaches, such as; Orlando Sanchez, Chris Light, Tarsis Humphreys, and Danielle Martins. After receiving her blue belt in under a year, Demi received criticism. However, Orlando Sanchez stepped in to defend his former student.

 “Understand she can afford private lessons every day with badass black belts year-round. She’s trained with me, Danielle Martin, Tarsis Humphries, Randy Couture, and Chuck Liddell. She trains three to four days a week sometimes. So trust me, Demi is a legit badass who works harder than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

Tom Hardy

Jiu-jitsu is a therapy for many people, especially those with PTSD. Today Tom serves as head ambassador for REORG Jiu-Jitsu Foundation, a nonprofit which serves the Royal Marines. Their mission is to provide a platform for serving personnel and veterans to learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, as part of their recovery pathway. Tom started training with the Royal Marines back in 2011 for his lead part in the movie, Warrior. 

Today he is well known for his incredible acting, starring in Inception, Peaky Blinders, Black Hawk Down, Batman: The Dark Knight, Lawless, Bronson and many more. Here is a rare clip of Tom training no-gi in his home academy.

Kate Upton

Why did I add Kate Upton to the list? Because she put Jimmy Fallon in a RNC on one of the most popular talk shows in America. Most celebrities tend to stay quiet about their training. Instead of training in regular group classes, they take private lessons.

"Oh my god I'm obsessed with jiu-jitsu, I just earned my first stripe." 

They don't want to deal (or fight) with the general public. So when they get brought onto a major talk show, most avoid talking about jiu-jitsu all together. Even though Kate has only been training for a short time, props to her for having the stones to share our art on one of the biggest programs in the country. She's excited to be apart of the jiu-jitsu family and she's proud to represent Gracie Barra from Houston, TX.

Jocko Willink

Let's end this list on one of the best. Who doesn't know Jocko at this point? Even though Jocko's not an A-list Hollywood actor, the retired Navy SEAL, former SEAL team instructor, author and podcast host has built an empire off his leadership abilities. He had talked his knowledge from the Military and has made it accessible to people from all walks of life. His content is consumed by CEOs and minimum wage workers.

"Jiu-Jitsu is probably the No.1 activity that I could recommend to someone to improve their lives overall."

Although he is technically a military veteran, I believe today he also qualifies as a celebrity. Regardless, the man is pushing jiu-jitsu forward. He is constantly ranting about all the benefits the sport can bring to your life, how it can help mitigate the side effects of PTSD and how it can improve your ability to understand leadership. If you haven't heard him speak on jiu-jitsu before, check out the above clip from his podcast.