Kristina Barlaan is an American jiu-jitsu black belt under Caio Terra who competes at light-featherweight. She has won IBJJF titles at every belt from blue to black. Her Instagram and online courses cover open guard, training and coaching.

Background

Kristina Sofia Puruganan Barlaan was born on 20 August 1986 in Martinez, California. She started martial arts at 20 with Muay Thai at Cesar Gracie's Gracie Fighter Academy before moving into jiu-jitsu. Caio Terra promoted her to black belt in June 2015. BJJ Heroes traces her lineage through Paulo Strauch and Reylson Gracie to Carlos Gracie Sr., and lists her team as the Caio Terra Association.

Competition highlights

Coloured belts:

• Blue (2009–2010): IBJJF Pan champion in 2010, World bronze in 2010, and American National No-Gi champion at weight and absolute.
• Purple (2011–2012): American National champion in 2012 and open-class silver at the 2012 Worlds.
• Brown (2013–2015): IBJJF Pan champion three years running, from 2013 to 2015, and American National champion in 2014. She took silver at the 2014 No-Gi Worlds and medalled at the Worlds every year at brown belt.

Black belt:

• 2015: American National No-Gi champion.
• 2016: IBJJF European Open champion and Pan silver.
• 2017: Pan silver.
• 2018: Asian Open champion.

GracieMag reported that she was invited to ADCC while still a brown belt, and later covered her first seminar as a black belt, at Seamless Progression Academy.

Style and teaching

BJJ Heroes lists open guard as her favourite position. She sells instructional courses through Digitsu, including one on cross guard and windshield-wiper sweeps. Related pages include our spider guard, De La Riva guard and lasso guard. Follower counts are curated snapshots, not live data.