About Barry Oglesby.

Barry has held many roles in the Irish Martial Arts world; Coach, Athlete, Administrator, Judge, TV Commentator, Writer, Promoter, and Podcaster.

Starting in the late 1990s with his first Taekwondo class, he quickly earned his black belt and became a noted competitor, winning multiple national titles and a bronze medal in the World Championships. He began exploring the then new sports of MMA and Jiu Jitsu in the early 2000s, at the same time that he began coaching his own classes in 2003.

This exploration culminated in an MMA career that took him to the cage and beyond. He became a notable figure as a promoter of MMA shows, a TV commentator on Setanta Sports (now Virgin Sport), and as one of the top judges in Europe.

Jiu Jitsu was and is his first love, and he earned his Black Belt from multiple world champion Robert Drysdale in 2014, becoming just the 13th person from Ireland to do so. He continues to compete in Jiu Jitsu alongside coaching in his academy, Kyuzo.

Barry has had a pivotal role in the growth of competitive Jiu Jitsu in Ireland. Through his company, Ireland BJJ, Irish Jiu Jitsu events have gone from a few hundred people in sports halls to thousands in major arenas. The flagship event, The Irish Open, continues to grow as the most anticipated event in the Irish Jiu Jitsu calendar, and Dublin has now held no less than 3 major underage European Championships.

With a career spanning competition, coaching, promotion, judging, broadcasting and writing, Barry is available for media appearances, commentary, interviews, talks, seminars and workshops. He brings a unique perspective on the development of martial arts and combat sports in Ireland, combining first-hand experience at elite level with decades of experience in coaching, event promotion and the wider industry. He is available to work with broadcasters, media organisations, sporting bodies, schools, clubs and corporate groups on a range of topics, from martial arts and combat sports to coaching, competition, athlete development and the growth of sport in Ireland.