Penny Thomas (born 2 July 1979) is a South African submission grappler and 3rd degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt practitioner and coach. A four-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, she is a Pan American champion, world No-Gi champion, FILA world grappling champion, Grapplers Quest world champion and ADCC Submission Wrestling world champion. Penny Thomas is the first BJJ black belt from the African continent.