Samantha Cook

Samantha Lea Cook was born in Kingswood near Bristol, England. During her youth she started in judo then competed in show jumping.{{cite web | last=Passela | first=Amith | title=Samantha Cook expects Abu Dhabi Grand Slam win to inspire European fighters to challenge Brazilians | website=The National | date=14 January 2018 | url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/other-sport/samantha-cook-expects-abu-dhabi-grand-slam-win-to-inspire-european-fighters-to-challenge-brazilians-1.695285}} At the age of 21 she discovered Brazilian jiu-jitsu and after moving to Bristol in 2008, started training under Checkmat's Chico Mendes.{{cite web |date=1 July 2015 |title=High Performance Resources for Athletes and Executives |url=https://www.performwell.co.uk/making-british-history-samantha-cook-quadruple-gold-medallist |website=PerformWell High Performance Coaching}}

In 2014 Cook won the European Championship for the first time as a purple belt.{{cite web |last=Left |first=Maggie |date=8 March 2019 |title=ADGS London: European Champ Samantha Cook Looking for Gold at Home |url=https://www.flograppling.com/articles/6383565-adgs-london-european-champ-samantha-cook-looking-for-gold-at-home |website=FloGrappling}} At the 2015 IBJJF/UKBJJF British Nationals, she won quadruple gold after winning in two divisions in Gi and No-Gi, that same year she moved to London joining Checkmat's affiliate Fight Factory then Fightzone London under Marco Canha. She pursued her training in the evenings while working as a Respiratory therapist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.{{cite web |date=24 July 2020 |title=Samantha Cook |url=https://womenwhofight.co.uk/articles/athlete-stories/samantha-cook |website=Women Who Fight}} As a brown belt Cook won gold at the ADCC European Trials, the first British women to do so at black belt level; then won the 2017 European Open (Gi and No-Gi) followed by a double silver medal at the 2017 World Championship in both her weight division and in absolute.

Her promotion to black belt took place in June 2017. In August, debuting at black belt at Polaris Pro Grappling 5, in a Gi Match at 64 kg, she defeated Nottingham's Vanessa English by judges decision.{{cite web |date=1 November 2017 |title=Polaris 5 – Polaris Pro Grappling |url=https://polarisprograppling.com/events/polaris-5 |website=Polaris Pro Grappling}}{{cite web |date=19 August 2017 |title=Polaris 5 Results: Tonon Beats Danis in Exciting Match! |url=https://www.bjjheroes.com/bjj-news/polaris-5-results-tonon-beats-danis-in-exciting-match |website=BJJ Heroes}} In July 2018 she won gold at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tokyo in the 70 kg division, after defeating Claudia do Val, and gold at the 2018 UAEJJF Grand Slam Abu Dhabi after submitting Thamara Silva. At Polaris 7 she lost a No-Gi match to Finland's world champion Venla Luukkonen after a split judges decision.{{cite web |date=15 July 2018 |title=Polaris 7 Results |url=https://www.attacktheback.com/polaris-7-results |website=Attack The Back}} Cook won bronze at the 2018 IBJJF World Championship then gold at the 2019 European Championship in both Gi and No-Gi (as well as bronze in No-Gi absolute). In 2019 she won bronze again at the World Championship, bronze at the Abu Dhabi World Pro, followed by silver at the UAEJJF Grand Slam, Abu Dhabi. That same year, Cook won gold at the UAEJJF British National Pro and gold at the UAEJJF Netherland National Pro.{{cite web |date=22 April 2022 |title=Samantha Cook – Fighter profile |url=https://ajptour.com/es/profile/25255 |website=Abu Dhabi Jiu Jitsu Pro}}

Main Achievements (Black Belt)

• IBJJF European Open Champion (2019)
• IBJJF European No-Gi Champion (2019)
• UAEJJF Grand Slam, Tokyo (2018)
• UAEJJF Grand Slam, Abu Dhabi (2018)
• 2nd place UAEJJF Grand Slam, Abu Dhabi (2019)
• 2nd place UAEJJF Grand Slam, London (2019)
• 2nd place UAEJJF Grand Slam, Los Angeles (2018)
• 3rd place IBJJF World Championship (2018 / 2019)
• 3rd place UAEJJF World Pro (2019)

Main Achievements (Coloured Belts)

• IBJJF World No Gi Champion (2015 brown)
• ADCC European Trials winner (2017)
• IBJJF European Open Champion (2017 / 2016 brown, 2015 / 2014 purple)
• IBJJF European Open No-Gi Champion (2017{{efn|name=Absolute|Absolute}} brown)
• UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Grand Slam winner (2016 brown)
• UKBJJF/IBJJF British Nationals Champion (2015{{efn|name=Weight and absolute|Weight and absolute}} purple)
• UKBJJF/IBJJF British Nationals No-Gi Champion(2015{{efn|name=Weight and absolute}} purple)
• 2nd place IBJJF World Championship (2017{{efn|name=Weight and absolute|Weight and absolute}}/ 2016 brown)
• 2nd place IBJJF World Championship No-Gi (2016 brown)
• 2nd place UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Grand Slam (2017 brown)

Helio Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Romero Cavalcanti (Jacaré) > Ricardo Vieira > Marco Canha > Samantha Cook{{cite web |date=14 April 2019 |title=Road to Abu Dhabi World 2019 Best Prospects |url=https://jiujitsulegacy.com/news/road-to-abu-dhabi-world-2019 |website=Jiu Jitsu Legacy}}

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Category:Living people

Category:1987 births

Category:English practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Category:People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Category:World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championship medalists

Category:English submission wrestlers

Category:Female Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners

Category:Respiratory therapists