Morgan “Mo” Black is a force to reckon with. Though she’ll be making her ADCC Worlds debut this year, the black belt competitor is no stranger to the spotlight. She’s medaled regularly in some of jiu-jitsu’s most prestigious tournaments throughout her colored belt career, earning multiple IBJJF podium finishes at the majors.
The performance that propelled Mo Black to true jiu-jitsu stardom, however, took place at ADCC East Coast Trials this past year, where Black emerged victorious – and in the process, unseated seemingly invincible teen phenom Helena Crevar of John Danaher’s New Wave team.
Crevar and Black have met a few times in jiu-jitsu competition now, with wins and losses for both athletes – but Black hesitates to call their relationship a rivalry.
“Rivalry is a weird word just because I think it usually comes with a negative connotation,” Black explains. “But any opponent that is going to push you to evolve and level up is a positive thing. I think my wrestling and tactics in our East Coast Trials match is what served me best. At West Coast [Trials], she did a good job with her strategy. I would definitely be excited to have another match with her at [ADCC Worlds]!”
Black loves the pressure of a dangerous opponent. While she knows all the women she’s potentially slated to face in her division at ADCC 2024 – including Crevar – are formidable, she’s not singling any of them out as the one to beat.
“Honestly, all the women are tough and I would love to test myself against any of them,” she tells me, full of good-natured candor.
Though Black’s no stranger to pressure, her coveted spot in the women’s -65kg division at this year’s ADCC will put more eyes on her than ever before. Does that intimidate her at all?
“Sometimes, it does feel like more stress and more pressure,” she admits, regarding her growing visibility in the sport. “But I try to remember that having that pressure is a privilege.”
After all, Black gets to do what she loves – and there’s something remarkably joyous about that. “I do my best when I’m focused on having fun, and don’t worry about if there’s one person or thousands watching,” she elaborates. “I just want to do my best to be myself, and remember how lucky I am to be doing what I love while also representing some pretty cool brands and the people that have supported me!”
To that end, Black’s especially proud to be one of Gaidama’s first ever ADCC Worlds competitors, alongside fellow Gaidama athlete and Trials winner Lyzz Mitrovic. Black’s history with the Gaidama team dates all the way back to her purple belt days, when both she one of Gaidama’s current co-owners, Karla Shelhammer, were sponsored by the same gi company – coincidentally, another woman-owned brand.
Both Black and Shelhammer were purple belts at the time, and met at a Fight 2 Win event in Denver due to their shared sponsorship. It established an early friendship that circled back around years later, when Black – fresh off her East Coast Trials victory – reconnected with Shelhammer and the rest of the Gaidama team. And the rest, as they say, is history.
“I also wore Gaidama before I was sponsored by them,” Black is quick to emphasize. “One of my nightmares has always been having a wardrobe malfunction while competing, so the fact that they built their spats to give full coverage was great!”
Black’s love for all things Gaidama goes beyond the clothes, however – it’s also about the way the brand nurtures and supports jiu-jitsu athletes of all genders. “I would say they’re one of the best sponsors out there right now,” says Black. “Truly investing and taking care of their athletes. I’m proud to be representing them at ADCC.”
Black is particularly excited by Gaidama’s involvement in growing opportunities for women to shine on the ADCC stage, such as sponsoring the promotion’s first ever women’s absolute division.
“It’s been great to see the growth and change of ADCC with expanding weight classes,” says Black. “I think there is even more room to grow there in the near future which is exciting.”
“I feel honored and excited to be a part of the movement and involved in this event as we are starting to see these changes,” she adds. “Seeing women get more opportunity, more weight classes, and paid [more] is what we all want to see. The hope is that the grapplers coming up after us will have it even better.”
At the end of the day, Black wants to pave the way for jiu-jitsu as a viable career path for other women coming up in the sport. “Being a professional female grappler going into ADCC, it’s good to see the advocacy for an increase in pay,” she says. “These events are bigger than they’ve ever been, athletes are starting to be compensated in a way that supports being a full-time grappler, and sponsors are becoming increasingly involved in advocating for athletes, supporting them, and being at the forefront of equality in the sport.
“That’s what Gaidama is doing – and one of the many reasons why I’m thankful to be sponsored by a company like [them].”
Want to channel your inner Mo Black? Shop Gaidama’s black-and-pink G-Team rashguard and grappling shorts set!
Though she’s not usually a grappling shorts girlie, Mo sings the praises of this outfit: “I love the shade of pink they chose – it’s super cute! Sometimes the compression shorts under on some gear can be too restrictive, but I thought these had a good level of compression, so they’re still comfy, but also give you full coverage. They are the first pair of shorts I’ve trained in in years.”
