The 2024 IBJJF European Championships kicked off today in Paris. And while the action got underway at the Institut du Judo in the south of the city, the FloGrappling gang took to the town with Parisian jiu-jitsu star Reda Mebtouche.

We took the metro from our AirBNB in Malakoff to MK Team Jiu-Jitsu in Charonne, where head coach Olivier Michailesco was hosting an open mat. We weren't the only visitors there; the open mat included drop-ins from Brazil, Israel and Saudi Arabia. But the star attraction was Reda Mebtouche.

Post-training group photo at MK TEAM Jiu-Jitsu

Reda is a staple in the Paris jiu-jitsu scene. Nicknamed "the Last Half Gaurdian," he has an innovative coyote half guard, and a tremendous attack game from the crucifix position. He punished Trey and me from the position before showing us some of the idiosyncrasies of his half guard game, and his special love of the John Wayne sweep as a setup.

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Reda has spent time training in Brazil at GF Team, in LA and in Japan, during the heyday of Carpe Diem. His travels have made him a polyglot; during our time with him we caught him speaking no less than four languages, coaching and teaching in many of them while at the gym that day. He's quick to explain that he never learned a single word of a language other than French in school. Jiu-jitsu has taught him to speak English, Portuguese, Japanese and a bit of Spanish.

Reda demonstrating his coyote guard tricks on FloGrappling's Trey Robinson

Head coach Olivier also had a few tricks up his sleeve. The lightweight black belt is a wizard with the lapel, utilizing a particular grip which I, for one, have never seen before. He (and many of his students) used my own lapel to tie up my wrist, creating a "handcuff grip" from the top, the bottom, back control... everywhere. It's a serious problem to deal with, and there are few easy solutions to eliminate the grip. Olivier was passing the control from one hand to the other, giving himself the choice of which hand to leave free, and taking that choice away from me. I'll have to go back to study the tape. It's an interesting gambit to play against an uninformed opponent.

Reda and his friend Alex "Alemão" were excited to show us the town; and it was easy to see why. As we ventured through the metro system and from street to street, they appeared to know every fifth person we came across.

That was never clearer to me than when we walked by a famous desert restaurant. The line was out the door and around the corner when we walked by, but as we passed it, Alex told us: "Let me show you the trick to skipping that queue."

And so he did just that. He walked right past the line and through the door, walking to the back of the shop, where he told his friend in the back of the restaurant that he wanted to show FloGrappling the most famous lemon pie in Paris.

So we went to the desert bar, where the friend cut out a large slice of lemon pie and put it on a plate with six spoons. We walked out of the restaurant, and tasted what is rightfully a renowned lemon pie, as those waiting in line groaned at our apparent disdain for them (I'm sorry; we did it for the video).

Alex 'Alemão' presenting the famous lemon pie

Reda and Alex are what you might call 'hype beasts.'  We dropped into a few designer clothing stores, where — every time — they knew the owner. We walked by Supreme, where there was a line out the door. The owner, looking out the window from the inside of the store, waved them to come in. When they declined, he came out to greet us.

Alex (right) chatting with the owner of streetwear botique 'Structure'

It was the same when we went to get lunch in this strange, underground-feeling market called Marché des Enfants Rouges (market of the red children... for some reason). Reda took us to a traditional Parisian sandwich shop, where he greeted friend and chef Alain 'Maim Maim.' Maim Main introduced himself as the king of the baguette sandwich, but later corrected himself: the prince of the baguette sandwich, because kings in France meet bitter ends. Reda ordered our sandwiches which we took the the park to eat.

Chef Alain Miam Miam

Now, we had the energy to finish the tour, hitting some of the more touristy spots with a new, local feel.

We walked to the Arch de Triomphe before taking a left to see the Eiffel Tower. Nearby, we sat for coffee and a chat.

Walking with Reda to the Arch de Triomphe

On our way out, we were brushed by a man sprinting past us. Five paces behind him, two of the servers from the cafe. The man had stolen something off of one of the tables, and despite their best efforts, the servers couldn't catch up to him. A gentle reminder to guard our belongings.

We're headed to the Institut du Judo tomorrow to catch some of the blue belts as they take the mats at IBJJF Euros. This is the beginning of a long trip which starts in Paris, and which takes us throughout Europe. We'll start here, covering the best action from the European Championships, then visit with those who have qualified for ADCC, those who hope to qualify for ADCC, and some of the legends of jiu-jitsu across the continent. From Paris we'll travel to Dublin, then to Poland, Norway, and London, meeting up with Europe's finest before heading to WNO 22 in Costa Mesa, California. 

ead more about  IBJJF European Championshipa

• Euros watch guide: Everything you need to know about IBJJF Euros in Paris
• Here's the IBJJF No-Gi Grand Prix roster (so far)
• Take a look at the IBJJF Euros brackets
• FILM: The Queen of Jiu-Jitsu Collects Her Crown

You can follow our journey here with the European Blog series. We'll be dropping vlogs, training rounds, interviews and additional content related to IBJJF Euros, ADCC and more, right here on FloGrappling all month long.

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