Ashley Williams is a Welsh-born grappler, and a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Chris Rees, being one of the most well known European athletes of his generation. Williams is mostly recognized for his accolades in jiu-jitsu’s no-gi circuit, particularly his wins at the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) European No-Gi Open, and his performances in submission-only events such as Eddie Bravo Invitational (EBI), Polaris, GrappleFest and Kasai Pro.Ashley Williams was born on July 18, 1992, in Swansea, Wales, growing up in the Morriston neighborhood.A sports fan from his toddler days, Ashley was embedded in sporting culture early in life, a habit he maintained all the way through to adulthood, going on to compete in a variety of athletic endeavors such as football (soccer), rugby, athletics, and gymnastics.Although already linked with different sports during his childhood, at the age of 6 Ash joined the world of martial arts, first through Japanese jiu-jitsu (ju-jutsu/traditional JJ), years later with sporadic ventures into judo and kickboxing.Ashley and his twin brother Joshua, both practiced ju-jutsu for a number of years, but being true to their competitive nature, they craved to test their skills in a sporting environment. When they reached their 15th birthday, coach Kelly Chambers recommended that they give Brazilian jiu-jitsu a try, and give their techniques a challenge under that rule set. Both Williams brothers were black belts in ju-jutsu already and believed in their skills when they joined BJJ academy “CRA” in Swansea to get accustomed to the rhythm and rules of the BJJ game.After one month of training with Chris Rees at CRA (Chris Rees Academy), the two brothers decided to enter a tournament, and although they did not get the results they expected, they were hooked on grappling and kept training with Rees from then on.In 2015, after a solid career in the lower belt divisions of the sport, Ashley was awarded his black belt, while still standing on the podium of the British Open, a competition he had won. The belt was tied around Ashley’s waist by long-time coach Chris Rees and Braulio Estima, becoming (at the time) the youngest Welshman to ever be attributed the black belt (21).While developing his ground game, Ashley Williams also ventured several times into the world of amateur mixed martial arts (MMA), although not with the intent of making a career out of cage fighting, simply to test his ground efficiency.Ashley Williams’s twin brother Joshua is also a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Chris Rees.