Leon Larman was born on
April 18, 1997, in the southern France city of Montpellier, and growing up
further north in the small town of Brissac.
Although not a sporty kid during the
early stages of his childhood, Leon took a shine to jiu-jitsu when he first
accompanied his father (an avid BJJ hobbyist) to a grappling academy at the age
of 9. Closely followed by coach David Touzet, Larman quickly showed potential
for the sporting aspect of this martial art, earning a silver medal at the 2013
European Championship as a juvenile.
After earning his purple belt, Leon
moved back to Montpellier for a short period, then training under Julien
Castanier, who promoted the young athlete to brown belt. Larman’s studies would
then lead him to Toulon, where he partnered up with one of France’s most
prestigious black belts, Mr. Julien Gaillard, who awarded Leon his black belt
midway through 2018.
Shortly after being promoted to black
belt, Leon Larman decided to pursue his true passion – Jiu-Jitsu, and place his
academic studies on hold. This mission drove him to California, USA, where he
befriended Caio Terra, becoming a part of the well-known coach’s workgroup
at the Caio Terra Association headquarters.
