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Laurence Cousin

Laurence Cousin Fouillat (born 7 August 1981) is a French submission grappler and third degree black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitor and instructor. Considered a pioneer in the sport, Cousin is regarded as the first European female to receive a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In 2005 she won the CBJJO World Jiu-Jitsu Cup and medalled at the IBJJF World Championship taking place in Rio de Janeiro. In 2007 Cousin became the first woman from outside Brazil to become IBJJF World jiu-jitsu champion.[2]

Laurence Cousin Fouillat
BornLaurence Cousin
(1981-08-07) 7 August 1981 (age 43)[1]
Other namesLaurence Fouillat
ResidenceToulouse
NationalityFrench
Division
StyleBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu
TeamSix Blades Jiu-Jitsu
Acemat/Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu
Behring Jiu Jitsu
TrainerFlavio Behring
Rank3rd deg. BJJ black belt
OccupationBrazilian jiu-jitsu instructor
Websiteacemat
Medal record
Representing  France
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
World Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2015 California, USA -53.5 kg
Silver medal – second place 2008 California, USA -58.5 kg
Gold medal – first place 2007 California, USA -58.5 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2007 California, USA Open Class
Bronze medal – third place 2005 California, USA -58.5 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2003 California, USA -58.5 kg
European Championship
Silver medal – second place 2016 Lisbon, Portugal -64 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Lisbon, Portugal -58.5 kg
Gold medal – first place 2014 Lisbon, Portugal -64 kg
World Master Championship
Gold medal – first place 2019 Las Vegas, USA -58.5 kg
Silver medal – second place 2019 Las Vegas, USA Open Class
Silver medal – second place 2016 Las Vegas, USA -64 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Las Vegas, USA Open Class
Gold medal – first place 2015 Las Vegas, USA -58.5 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Las Vegas, USA Open Class
European Master Championship
Gold medal – first place 2023 Paris, France -58.5 kg
Gold medal – first place 2019 Lisbon, Portugal -69 kg
Gold medal – first place 2019 Lisbon, Portugal Open Class
Gold medal – first place 2018 Barcelona, Spain -58.5 kg
Gold medal – first place 2018 Barcelona, Spain Open Class
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Barcelona, Spain -64 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Barcelona, Spain Open Class

Early life

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Laurence Cousin was born on 7 August 1981, in Saint Germain en Laye, France.[1] From the age of eight she trained in Aikido before discovering Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) through a presentation at her dojo. Looking to train and compete, Cousin joined Europe's oldest BJJ academy Le Cercle Tessier in 1999, becoming their first and only female member.[3] Cousin received her blue belt in 2001 then started to travel to Brazil to train and compete, receiving her purple belt from red belt Flavio Behring at the Behring academy in 2002. As a purple belt Cousin won Bronze at the 2003 World Championship competing in the purple/brown/black division.[a][3] In the year 2004 Cousin received her brown belt[1] and won the 2005 CBJJO World Jiu-Jitsu Cup,[b] she then won bronze in the brown/black division[c] at the 2005 IBJJF World Championship taking place in Brazil.[6] That same year, she was awarded her black belt by Flavio Behring during a seminar of Saulo Ribeiro.[1]

Black belt career

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In 2007 Cousin switched club and started training with François Laurent, David Pierre Louis and Alain Nagera of the Sankuno Academy Paris, all the while working as a Police officer.[7] Representing Behring Jiu Jitsu, she won gold at the 2007 IBJFF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, taking place in Long Beach, California, beating favourite Leticia Ribeiro of Gracie Humaita in the semi-final and Sayaka Shioda in the final.[8] Cousin became the first French and European BJJ black belt world champion, also finishing third in the Open Class category.[1] In 2008 and 2009 Cousin competed at the FILA Grappling World Championship taking place in Fort Lauderdale, winning gold both year in the Gi and No-Gi categories.[d] In 2009 she won the ADCC Submission Wrestling European Championship Trials,[e] then finished fourth at the ADCC World Championship taking place in Barcelona[f] losing to Hillary Williams by points.[12]

In 2010 following a back injury Cousin decided to step away from training and competing.[13] Two years later, in 2012 she left Paris for Toulouse in the south of France where she established, with her husband Erwan Fouillat, her own academy Acemat.[14] In 2013 Cousin returned to competition, winning gold at the IBJJF London International Open in the lightweight division and silver in Open Class, under team Tropa de Elite.[15] in 2014 Cousin became a member of brothers Xande and Saulo Ribeiro BJJ team, making Acemat their first French affiliation.[16] Competing under Acemat /Ribeiro jiu-jitsu, Cousin won double gold at the 2014 London Open International (in both her division and in Open Class) followed by gold at the 2014 European Championship.[3][17]

In 2015 she won gold at the IBJJF World Master, bronze at the IBJJF European championship and competing in Sport Ju-Jitsu, gold at the JJIF Newaza No-Gi European Championships.[18][19] In 2016 Cousin participated in Polaris Pro 3 in England, won silver at the 2016 European championship[20] then won silver at the 2016 World Master IBJJF Championship in her weight class and won bronze in the Open Class.[21] In 2017 Cousin entered the European Master Championship winning bronze in two categories, the following year she won gold in both her division and in Open Class.[22]

In 2019 Cousin won the IBJJF World Master 2 in her weight division and silver in the Open Class as well as becoming for the second time double European Master Champion.[23] In 2022 she became French JJIF Newaza Champion for the fourth time,[14] that same year, competing in Ju-jitsu at the 2022 World Games she won bronze in Newaza (−57 kg) and gold in the National team competition representing France.[24] Cousin won gold in January at the 2023 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu European Championship competing in Master 2 featherweight division.[25]

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitive summary

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Main Achievements:[1][26]

  • IBJJF World Champion in 2007
  • CBJJO World Jiu-Jitsu Cup Champion (2005 brown)[b]
  • IBJFF European Champion (2014)
  • ADCC European Trials winner (2009)
  • IBJJF London International Open Champion (2013 / 2014)[g]
  • 2 x World FILA Gi Champion (2009, 2008)
  • 2 x World FILA Nogi Champion (2009, 2008)
  • 2nd place IBJJF World Championship (2008)
  • 2nd place IBJFF European Championship (2016)
  • 2nd place IBJJF London International Open Championship (2013)
  • 3rd place IBJJF World Championship (2015 Black, 2005 brown, 2003 purple)[h]
  • 4th place ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship (2009)

Instructor lineage

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Cousin's jiu-jitsu instructor lineage can be traced from the Gracie brothers, the founders of the art, to Grand Master Flavio Behring (9th degree):[1]

Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Flavio Behring > Laurence Cousin

Notes

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  1. ^ Women in purple, brown and black belts competed in the same combined division.[4]
  2. ^ a b The Confederacao Brasileira de Jiu Jitsu Olimpico (CBJJO) was established in 2002 as an alternative to the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF/CBJJ).[5]
  3. ^ Women in brown and black belts competed in the same combined division.[4]
  4. ^ FILA became United World Wrestling in 2014.[9]
  5. ^ ADCC Trials are qualifying events for the ADCC World Championship.[10]
  6. ^ The ADCC World Championship is an invitation only event taking place every two years to choose the best No-Gi grapplers in the world.[11]
  7. ^ Weight and Open class in 2014.[26]
  8. ^ purple/brown/black division in 2003.[26]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Laurence Cousin Fouillat". BJJ Heroes. 2012-02-19.
  2. ^ "The Return of the First & Only European Black Belt Adult World Champion, France's Laurence Cousin Fouillat". Bjj Eastern Europe. 2013-10-21.
  3. ^ a b c "Laurence Fouillat". Jits Magazine (in French).
  4. ^ a b "Timeline, The Development Of The Female Division In The IBJJF World Championships". BJJ Heroes – Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Team History, Fighter Stats, Biographies and News. 2021-12-10.
  5. ^ "20 Years of Jiu Jitsu World Championships". BJJ Heroes. 2015-05-12.
  6. ^ "Le JJB des années 2000". Jits Magazine (in French).
  7. ^ Rode, Antony (2008-03-21). "Laurence Cousin Interview". On The Mat.
  8. ^ "Laurence Cousin French female BJJ fighter". Fighter Girls. 2007-08-28.
  9. ^ Foley, Tim (2014-06-14). "FILA Bureau Approves New Name and Logo for International Wrestling". United World Wrestling.
  10. ^ "ADCC Qualifiers Archives • ADCC NEWS". adcombat.com.
  11. ^ Worzel, Ted (2009-08-30). "ADCC World Championship Barcelona 2009". Bleacher Report.
  12. ^ "ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship 2009". ADCC NEWS. 2010-09-26.
  13. ^ "Step by Step: The Only Way to Get to the Top". Girls in Gis. 2020-10-27.
  14. ^ a b "Saint-Orens-de-Gameville. Fouillat et Tarride, une histoire de promesses". ladepeche.fr (in French). 2022-03-21.
  15. ^ "Jiu-Jitsu – Results from Day 1 at the London Open". Graciemag No. 124 BJJ news 2013. 2013-10-19.
  16. ^ "Successful BJJ Academies Run By Women Black Belts". Bjj Eastern Europe. 2018-06-09.
  17. ^ "London Open: Anacoreta, Cousin open class champions; other results". Graciemag #124. 2014-10-20.
  18. ^ ECJ, Photo (2015-06-25). "Toulouse. Ju-jitsu : Laurence Cousin-Fouillat au top". ladepeche.fr (in French).
  19. ^ "JJIF: 2015". JJIF. 2015-03-02.
  20. ^ "European IBJFF Jiu-jitsu Championship 2015". IBJFF.
  21. ^ "2016 World Master Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship Results". FloGrappling. 2022-02-06.
  22. ^ "Master International Jiu-jitsu Championship – Europe 2018". IBJJF.
  23. ^ "World Master IBJFF jiu-jitsu championship 2019". IBJFF.
  24. ^ "2022 World Games Results" (PDF).
  25. ^ "IBJJF Euros 2023". International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation.
  26. ^ a b c Competitive summary
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