Athletes

Kazuo Yoshida was one of the Japanese jiu-jitsu masters who taught in Brazil and contributed to the early development of Brazilian grappling arts, establishing a school in Bahia.

Nick 'Nicky Rod' Rodriguez earned the nickname 'Black Belt Slayer' when, as a blue belt with barely a year of training, he reached the finals of the 2019 ADCC World Championship by defeating three seasoned black belts. A two-time ADCC silver medalist (2019, 2022), he co-founded B-Team Jiu-Jitsu and earned his black belt in December 2023 after just over five years of training, one of the fastest progressions in elite grappling history.

The judo master from Japan who traveled the world and taught Carlos Gracie the art that would become BJJ.

Josh Hinger is a three-time IBJJF No-Gi World Champion (2016-2018) and ADCC bronze medalist, known for his mastery of the guillotine choke, dubbed the 'Hingertine.' A black belt under Andre Galvao at Atos Jiu-Jitsu in San Diego, Hinger became one of the most accomplished middleweight competitors in no-gi grappling and continues to dominate the Masters division.

Vinny Magalhães, also known as Pezão, is one of the top Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitors of his generation, being also a retired mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, and former The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 8 finalist. Vinny worked with instructors such as Royler Gracie, Vini Aieta and Eddie Bravo, becoming well known for his submission orientated grappling style, a style he has used to submit great competitors such as Marcio Cruz, Rodrigo Cavaca, Roberto Cyborg, Bruno Bastos and many others in Grappling competitions. "Pezao" means Big Foot in Portuguese, the name was given by Bernardo Treco from the Gracie Tijuca academy (where Vinny trained). Magalhães was only 14 years old at the time and his feet were disproportionate when compared to his still-developing body frame, thus the name

Vinícius Ferreira Gazola, commonly known as Vinícius "Trator" (Tractor), is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Fábio Gurgel and Michael Langhi, being also one of the top representatives of the Alliance Academy. Widely regarded as one of the top competitors of his generation, Ferreira conquered important titles in the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) circuit, including World, World No-Gi and Pan American gold medals.

Mauro Chueng is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under the legendary Sérgio Bolão and one of the top instructors teaching in the southern region of Portugal, the Algarve - Albufeira. Chueng is also one of the founding members of the Rio Grappling Club, a strong BJJ team with affiliates all over Europe, a team which is led by Mr Chueng and Roberto "Risada" Atalla.

Takeo Yano (矢野 武雄), also known as Takeo Iano, was a Japanese judoka who helped in the establishment of Brazilian jiu-jitsu in Brazil....

Leo Vieira is a two-time ADCC World Champion (2003, 2005) and IBJJF World Champion, considered one of the best lightweight competitors in BJJ history. Known for his technical creativity and competitive longevity, he returned from retirement in 2011 to earn an ADCC silver medal at age 36. As co-founder of Checkmat, Vieira has mentored world champions including Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida and Lucas Leite.

Kaynan Duarte is a four-time ADCC World Champion and two-time IBJJF World Champion, widely regarded as one of the most dominant heavyweights in modern grappling. Training under Andre Galvao at Atos Jiu-Jitsu, he won his first ADCC title in 2019 at just 21 years old and has continued to dominate across weight classes, including capturing the absolute title at ADCC 2024. His explosive wrestling, relentless pressure passing, and submission versatility define his style.

Nicky Ryan is a jiu-jitsu black belt under John Danaher who was once regarded as one of the main representatives of the Renzo Gracie Academy - New York, workgroup also known as the Danaher Death Squad (DDS). Ryan first made waves in the sport when competing as a 13-year-old, a time when he was already winning adult tournaments. His precociousness continued to develop in the professional circuit where Ryan became the youngest athlete (16) to ever compete at the ADCC World Championships at the time (2017). Nicky would leave the DDS team in 2021 allegedly due to a family dispute with his brother, Gordon Ryan. Ryan would go on to form a squad with other training partners who also broke from Danaher that year and formed the B-Team.

Matheus Diniz is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under the illustrious Marcelo Garcia, being part of an incredible generation of athletes produced by the respected grappling coach, a generation that included competitors such as Dillon Danis, Dominika Obelenyte, Jonathan Satava, Marcus Tinoco, and Mansher Khera. Diniz made a name for himself in the sport, competing in the brown belt division, where he conquered important titles such as the World No-Gi and Pan American.

Lucas Barbosa, commonly known as Lucas "Hulk", is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under André Fabiano, who became known among the mainstream grappling community competing for Márcio Rodrigues' team. Lucas Hulk's breakthrough in the sport occurred in 2014 after his dominating performances throughout the "THE TEAM" episodes, a web-based show produced by Copa Pódio in which he participated as a member of Leandro Lo's squad. Lucas Barbosa's talent was later cemented with wins at the IBJJF's World Championships and Brazilian Nationals in the brown belt division.

Known by the mixed martial arts (MMA) community as the leader of the American Top Team (ATT) academy, Ricardo Libório is also widely regarded in Brazilian jiu jitsu as one of the top black belts ever produced by Master Carlson Gracie, and an all-around legend of the sport. Ricardo Liborio was the very first World Jiu Jitsu Champion in the super heavyweight division (above 100kg/221lbs) back in 1996, a division he won weighing little over 83kg (181lbs). He chose to compete at that weight for a chance to avenge his only loss on record against the much heavier Leonardo Castello Branco.

Francisco Pinto Sá, commonly known as "Sázinho" Francisco, is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Master Francisco Sá, being often revered by the grappling community as one of Ceará state's most important figures, due to his efforts in the development of this martial arts style in the northeastern region of Brazil. Sázinho is also known as one of the founders of the SAS team association, and for his coaching talent, having developed important grapplers such as Daniel Beleza, Marcus Aurélio, Hermes França, Wilson Gouveia and many others. Francisco Sá (junior) was born on March 13, 1964 in Fortaleza - Brazil, being the firstborn son of Master Francisco Sá (9th degree red belt in jiu jitsu). Francisco's younger brothers (Guybson Sá and Robson Sá) also became accomplished. Although the Gracie family wandered through the state of Ceará during the 1940's through Carlos Gracie, with George Gracie also spending some time in the northeastern region of Brazil, jiu jitsu did not settle and the only grappling institution remaining by the 1990's was the Sá academy, led by Sázinho's father - Francisco Sá (RIP) and its affiliates. Sázinho progressed through the jiu jitsu belt system under his father's guidance, earning his black belt in 1985, taking over the role of head coach as Master Sá grew older. A well educated man (Sázinho has degrees in both law and physical education), Francisco Pinto Sá understood how the martial art had stagnated in the region by following the same unaltered curriculum set during the 1950's. Seeing the evolution jiu jitsu had in Rio de Janeiro thanks to its sporting streak, Sázinho started organizing tournaments in the hope that these would cause the same effect in the state of Ceará. The tournaments, named Copa Kron, were celebrated in the region bringing athletes from many neighbouring states, connecting otherwise isolated jiu jitsu academies. Sázinho's love for jiu jitsu also led him to break from his own comfort zone in the early 1990's, when he started paying regular trips to Rio de Janeiro to learn and train with the best in the sport/martial art. In Rio de Janeiro Sázinho joined André Pederneiras' classroom, learning from one of the most innovative jiu jitsu academies in the country at the time. The two coaches would merge teams in 1995 with the Sá academy becoming an affiliate of Nova União (NU). With the help of a well structured team in Rio de Janeiro the Sá academy started producing high level athletes, the first one being Marcus Aurélio, quickly followed by Hermes França, Wilson Gouveia (all three later became well known mixed martial arts fighters), but also Guybson Sá, Daniel Beleza and countless others. In 2009, after nearly 15 years of affiliation, Sázinho severed ties with NU to revive his own association SAS. Presided by him, the association grew tremendously in northeastern Brazil, and in the United States of America thanks to the efforts of Guybson Sá (Sázinho's middle brother), Daniel Tavares, Daniel Beleza, etc. While helping the growth of the SAS network, in 2013 Sázinho also presided a new jiu jitsu federation, in an effort to raise awareness to the grappling being developed in his region. This organization, named Confederação Brasileira de Lutas Profissionais (CBLP), was well received with its first tournament CBLP Brazilian National signing up over 1200 athletes, a success that carried over to CBLP's Pan American and World tournaments. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Carlos Gracie was possibly the single most important figure Brazilian Jiu Jitsu history as he was the very first Gracie contact with the roots of BJJ (Japanese Jiu Jitsu). Carlos was born on the 14th September 1902 in Belém do Pará, Brazil. He was the first born son of Gastao Gracie (a 3rd generation Scotsman) in a series of 9 kids which were born ...

Robson Gracie is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu red belt (9th degree), son of the founder of Gracie Jiu Jitsu, Carlos Gracie (Senior) who was an instructor of the 'arte suave' at the Gracie Academy during the 1950's. Robson defended the Gracie family name in vale tudo (no holds barred) fights during the 1950's, he is also the father of famous BJJ personalities such as Ryan, Ralph and Renzo Gracie as well as being the president of the Jiu-Jitsu Federation of Rio de Janeiro (FJJERJ).

Luiz França Filho (1910–1982) was a Brazilian martial artist and one of the primary founders of a non- Gracie lineage of Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ).

Born in October 1st 1913, Helio was the youngest son of Gastao Gracie, a third generation Scotsman. There were 9 brothers and sisters, and Helio stood out since the beginning due to his body type; tall and lanky he was the complete opposite of his brothers who were shorter, and stockier.

Oswaldo Baptista Fadda (August 1, 1920 – April 1, 2005) was a practitioner and developer of Brazilian jiu-jitsu , reaching the rank of "nono grau", a 9th degree red belt .

Reyson Gracie, born February 28, 1942 in Rio de Janeiro, is the third son of Carlos Gracie and a 9th degree red belt.

Rilion Gracie is the youngest male son of Grand Master Carlos Gracie Sr.

The smallest brother who rebuilt the art from the ground up. His principle — technique beats strength — defines BJJ to this day.

Daniel Beleza is a four-time IBJJF World and Pan American champion in the light featherweight division.

Carlos Robson Gracie Sr.

Carlos Pinto Sa is associated with the SAS Team BJJ lineage from Fortaleza, Brazil, founded by Master Francisco Sa.

Helio Vigio is 9th degree red belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and an important figure in this martial art's history. A former instructor of the Gracie Academy in the 1950's, alongside Carlson Gracie, Robson Gracie and Joao Alberto Barreto, Helio Vigio defended the Gracie Jiu Jitsu name in several "Vale Tudo" (No Holds Barred) fights later turning into one of the best BJJ/NHB/MMA referees in the world, featuring in great events such as UFC 1 and Oscar do Jiu Jitsu (Wallid Ismail x Royce Gracie). Helio Vigio also had a son who earned the rank of coral belt in BJJ (Redley Vigio) while leading the life of a law man, becoming one of the most feared chiefs of police in Brazil, famed for his ruthless attitude towards criminals. Not much is know about Helio Vigio before his Jiu Jitsu life. He started training at the Gracie Academy in the 1940's and quickly became one of the Gracie's top students. Training alongside tremendous physical specimens such as Carlson Gracie and Joao Alberto Barreto, Mr Vigio was regarded as one of the most technical fighters of the team who later earned a place as part of the Gracie Academy coaching staff at their 1950's famous headquarters in Avenida Rio Branco. Vigio competed often in both Vale Tudo rules (also known as No Holds Barred) and Grappling rules (submission only). It is said that his last fight was against a famous street hustler of Copacabana by the name of Adão. There was much debate between the pair, unfortunately for Vigio, at the time of the fight his opponent sunk in a deep guillotine as Helio shot for a takedown with which put him to sleep. After leaving his competitive career behind, Helio Vigio established his own academy, becoming also a highly demanded referee in BJJ and NHB. A memorable moment in Helio Vigio's career as a referee occurred in the famous fight between Marcelo Behring and Flávio Molina. The much anticipated bout occurred on the 30th of April 1984 at the famous venue of Maracanãzinho. Fabio Molina challenged the Gracies but was told to fight their representative instead, Marcelo Behring. During the fight Marcelo ran through Molina beating him without mercy until Fabio's corner threw in the towel acknowledging the loss. The referee (Mr Vigio) however, decided to throw the towel back at the corner (allowing Behring to throw a few more unanswered blows) only then stopping the fight. This sort of behavior was accepted at the time and Mr Vigio's reputation was not hindered by this act, in fact he continued being one of the most sought after referees in Brazil. He would be called to referee many of Jiu Jitsu's and Vale Tudo's most important clashes of the 1980's and 1990's and was called upon to referee in the very first UFC alongside his long time friend "Barretao" (Joao Alberto Barreto). A facet of Helio Vigio's life that is less talked about is his work as a police officer. Vigio was the head of the Anti-Kidnapping Police and the Narcotics Bureau in the 1960's all the way to the 1990's. Vigio's reputation, for being a "trigger happy" police officer was often questioned by the general public throughout his career. Vigio's involvement with the "Esquadrão Le Cocq" (which later gave birth to the famous Esquadrão da Morte - Death Squad) has also been documented. The Le Cocq Squad was an unofficial organization created by police officers in Rio de Janeiro around 1965 with the single purpose of avenging the death of a fellow policeman. After avenging their colleague the group continued throughout 3 decades taking justice into their own hands. In 1994 Vigio was dismissed from the police force, accused of corruption as his name popped up in the documents of a known crook, he was cleared of his involvement with gambling (Jogo do Bicho) in 1998 being allowed to return to the agency. Master Vigio's influence in BJJ moved across to many of his family members including his nephew, Julio Vigio (who trained at the Kioto Academy for many years) and Helio's own son Redley Vigio who fought to earn his rank of a coral belt (black and red). Redley Vigio has an extraordinary life story himself. Redley was shot in his spine and became paraplegic. After this tragic incident, Redley continued his work at the academy coaching from his wheelchair. Vigio passed away on December 2016 at the age of 82, at his home in Petropolis, Brazil. I am searching for an autograph from Helio Vigio and Joao Alberto Barreto. If someone can help me out I would really appreciate it. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

George Gracie was an illustrious member of the Gracie family, and the first champion developed by the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu system back in the 1920s and 1930s. George Gracie was taught Jiu-Jitsu techniques by his older brother Carlos Gracie and carried the Gracie flag all over Brazil fighting in different styles such as Jiu-Jitsu, Luta Livre, Wrestling and Vale Tudo (No-Holds-Barred) having had one of the best unbeaten runs of his time.

Joao Alberto Barreto is one of the most important figures in the jiu jitsu community. A red belt under Helio Gracie, Joao Alberto Barreto is famed for his unbeaten competitive record in the 1950's. He was also the Vice President of the first Jiu Jitsu Federation, having helped develop the rules of BJJ at a time when Jiu Jitsu as a sport was at ground zero. Joao Alberto Barreto is also a Law and Psychology graduate; an expert in sports psychology having worked with teams such as Fluminense and published important books on the subject in his native Brazil.

Oswaldo Gracie (aka Oswald Gracie) was one of the eldest sons of Gastão Gracie and one of the founding members of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ). Alongside his famous brothers (Carlos and Helio), Oswaldo Gracie was one of the early pioneers of the Gracie jiu-jitsu system, which was developed from Mitsuyo Maeda's lessons.

George (Jorge) Gracie was taught jiu-jitsu by his older brother Carlos Gracie and fought professionally from 1930 to 1953 with over 75 documented fights.

Reylson Gracie is a 9th degree red belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu, and one of the most well respected representatives of the Gracie self defence style, being the son of Gracie jiu jitsu founder Carlos Gracie (Sr) and one of its pioneers in the United States where he raised awareness to the his family's trade. Reylson is also an important figure in the development of jiu jitsu's vocabulary, having created the names for several techniques, as well as a visionary in this martial art's gi fashion, being the first producer of coloured gis (kimonos).

Gastao Gracie was one of the founding members of the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy, brother of Carlos and Helio Gracie.

Carlos Gracie Junior was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on January 17th, 1956.

Joao Alberto Barreto is a BJJ red belt and one of the most skilled students of Helio Gracie.

Rolker Gracie is an important figure in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, being the 4th son of Helio Gracie and one of the main figures within the Gracie Humaitá organization, arguably the most historical of BJJ academies, from where he has influenced the technical growth of many world champions. Rolker Gracie is also a BJJ coral belt (7th degree).

Carlos Elias, commonly known as "Caique", is one of only 8 non Gracie men to have received the degree of black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu by the late Great Master Helio Gracie. A former member of the Gracie Academy, Carlos Elias "Caique" reached the degree of coral belt (red and black) in 2009 from Rickson Gracie, he is also one of the first men to bring BJJ to Southern California, where he has been located since the 1990's.

Francisco Mansor is a BJJ red belt (9th degree) who was awarded his instructor degree by Helio Gracie.

Rickson Gracie was born in November 20, 1958 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rickson is one of the 9 sons of Jiu Jitsu Grandmaster Helio Gracie (in order: Rorion, Relson , Rickson, Rolker , Royler , Royce , Rerika, Robin, Ricci), spending most of his youth on the mats. Seeing Rickson's potential from an early age, Helio prepared his son and raised him t...

Royler Gracie (born December 6, 1965) is a Brazilian-American retired mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner.

Relson Gracie was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on March 28, 1953. Like every other member of the Gracie clan, he started learning the family trade when he was still a toddler, and his first jiu jitsu competition came at the age of 6. Growing up, Relson did not pay attention to school, and was considered a hard nosed child, spending most of his days on the beach playing football. Even with the constant pressure from his parents, Relson did not do well at school. Seeing that it was hopeless to keep pressing, Relson's father, Helio, decided to push his son towards jiu jitsu, hoping that he coul

Flavio Behring is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Red Belt who was taught the martial art by both Helio Gracie and João Alberto Barreto. Apart from Flavio Behring's personal contribute to BJJ, he also fathered two of the sport's biggest stars in the 1980's, Sylvio and Marcelo Behring. Flavio Behring was born on the 21st of November, 1937. He started learning the trade of Jiu Jitsu when he was 10 years old as a way to stay active and possibly fight back the asthma attacks that he suffered regularly, though this did not work according to plan and in fact more then often the asthma would get worst due to the dust and impurities on the mats when practicing Jiu Jitsu. His first school was Helio Gracie's academy in Rio de Janeiro, where Flavio was taught in individual classes. In 1951 Flavio started being coached at the Gracie Academy in Rio Branco, Helio Gracie had great hopes for Flavio and commissioned João Alberto Barreto (one of the academy's best coaches) to polish the young Behring and make him the best he could be. In this class he started sharing the mats with all the top Jiu Jitsu men of those days, guys like Carlson Gracie, Helio Vígio, Armando Wridt and many others. One day, as Flavio arrived at the gym, Carlos Gracie said to him "lets go for a walk", they drove to a gym where Flavio found out he was about to test himself against one of Oswaldo Fadda's students, a 20 year old who had a black belt in Judo was Flavio's opponent. This was Behring's first test and he was 15 years old at the time. Flavio Behring stated on an interview that he was so nervous he could barely stand straight, and naturally he got taken down repeatedly in the fight, but one of those takedowns he managed to sink his arms around his opponent's neck and put him to sleep. In 1955, Joao Alberto Barreto had a serious knee injury and had to stop coaching at the gym while he convalesced. Flavio Behring who was training full time took his position at the academy with both Barreto and Helio Gracie's consent. At the age of 20 Flavio started coaching on his spare time at a YMCA but when João Alberto Barreto opened an academy in Copacabana, Flavio started helping Barreto on his spare time while working in the advertising industry at the same time. In the 1970's he went on to open a gym in Barra da Tijuca together with Ricardo Murgel who was also a student of Barreto. In 1987 Flavio was offered a job position in São Paulo, Behring and his son Marcelo, who at the time was one of BJJ's shining stars, saw a lot of room for Jiu Jitsu's growth in that state of Brazil, so they went there and developed their school. Marcelo Behring was a famous name in both the fighting and the surfing circuit, and his charisma and dedication drew many bodies to the sport. Marcelo Behring helped develop the sport tremendously in Sao Paulo, but in the early 1990's he succumbed to drug addiction and stopped training, his tragic death in 1994 came as a shock to the Jiu Jitsu community. The Behring clan managed to hold together, and Flavio Behring continued to coach Jiu Jitsu, he received his red belt (the greatest single achievement in Jiu Jitsu) from the hands of his good friend and former coach Joao Alberto Barreto. The most nicest and interesting man in BJJ world!!! The best BJJ coach you can find!!! This is a real Master, a Samurai! One of The best Master and Friend that elevate your Jiujitsu to another stage. From Puerto Rico and also create the first gold medal in the Copa de Mundo no Brasil in 2005 by a young student. Thanks Mestre... Oooossssss Its my honor and joy to be a student of GM Behring. Osssss He is a true legend 🙂 and to be thought by him is unbelieveble I am honoured to be in the Behring Family Flavio Behring is a true gentleman and jiu-jitsu master. I've been honored to learn under him and am so awed at his skill, his attention to details and they way that the 75 year old can do brazilian jiu-jitsu! I love that he represents the real self-defense/valle tudo of the art (which is sadly being replaced with the more tournament style). I've been lucky enough to go to his seminars over the years, eat sushi next to the man (what a great conversation about Brasil we had!), listen to my professor tell me stories of him and really learn to love and respect this man! Flavio Behring is really a BJJ hero! Ive come fond of the newer tourney styled jiujitsu. Im studying under sylvio behring progressive system under a black belt and deffinatly notice that tournament teams dont have as much respect for the actual art but these guys compete and ive never caught them lacking any respect or forgetting the real art. Like any contructive critisism on my thoughts, Till then, Ossss. Grande mestre Flavio ,Honor en conocerlo y llevar nuestro Jiujitsu a otro nivel.. i am happy to learn, form him once a year, when he comes to visit Oakdale MMA. He is the best like professor Tom! Hey, my name is Frankie I train at rawmma/chinos shop as you know I admire you I want to be like you some day. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Aloisio Silva is a Brazilian BJJ black belt under Carlos Robson Gracie and pioneer of women's BJJ.

Carlson Gracie was born on the 13th of August, 1932 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was the son of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Founder Carlos Gracie and he became a top competitor in No Holds Barred/Vale Tudo matches during the 1950's and 1960's era. He was also one of the finest Jiu-Jitsu coaches to have ever lived.

Paulo Strauch is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Royler Gracie and a former ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship competitor. Strauch is also the founder of the Paulo Strauch Academy in South Florida and has produced several notable black belts and competitors.

Master Alvaro Barreto is a Brazilian jiu jitsu red belt (9th degree) and one of the most important men in BJJ, being also the brother of João Alberto Barreto and Sergio Barreto, two illustrious figures of the sport. Alvaro Barreto became a certified instructor at the famous Gracie Academy by the age of 17, before he opened his academy where he instructed and graduated figures such as: Sylvio Behring, Guilherme Machado, Wagner Cardozo and many others. Alvaro Barreto was also the first instructor at the legendary "Corpo Quatro" Academy in Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana. Alvaro Barreto was born on September, 1941 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was the son of Antonio Carlos de Melo Barreto who was involved with the Gracie family through his close friendship with Gran Master Carlos Gracie. In 1952 (age 10), Alvaro Barreto started his training at the Gracie academy on Avenida Rio Branco, heavily influenced by his brother João Alberto who had started his jiu jitsu training 2 years before Alvaro. Alvaro Barreto's first instructors were none other then his brother and the famous Helio Gracie. He trained hard, guided by this amazing duo for years achieving the rank of instructor by the age of 17 . This was prior to the 1960s implementation of the current belt system and only two belts distinguished the rank between student and certified instructor (white to midnight blue). Alvaro Barreto remained at the Gracie academy until he was 18 years old, at which point he moved to Fortaleza in the Northeast of Brazil, to study physical education. He returned to Rio a few years later to apply his physical education knowledge at a local university and joined his brother who had an academy above a textile shop on Avenida Nossa Senhora de Copacabana. In 1968 Alvaro Barreto opens the "Academia Corpo Quatro" in Rua Francisco Sá - Copacabana, making it one of Rio de Janeiro's oldest jiu-jitsu schools. Since then the academy has had a true "who-is-who" roster of instructors, including Master Sylvio Behring, Marcelo "Cazuza" and Sergio "Bolão". It is estimated that Alvaro Barreto directly promoted around 20 black belts, men like Sylvio Behring, Guilherme Machado, Wagner Cardozo and Claudio Hego, but he has participated in the awarding of over 300 black belts (such as Fabricio Werdum, who Behring graduated but Barreto was present for the ceremony). Barreto was promoted to 8th degree black belt in 1992, and was presented with his 9th degree Faixa Vermelha by the Federação de Jiu-Jitsu do Estado do Rio de Janeiro in 2005. Alvaro Barreto still actively practices jiu jitsu, teaching mainly private classes three times a week at Academia Corpo Quatro. Editor's Note: A big thank you to Hywel Teague from BJJ Hacks for all the help in the gathering of information about Master Alvaro Barreto and for the cover picture. I got a chance to go to a seminar with grandmaster Alvaro Barreto here in florida. We went over the front collar choke and the importance of the squeeze. Nothing fancy. It was just an honor to be on the same mat with such a legend. OSS He did two days here in Albuquerque with his son and it was awesome. Worked on fundamentals and his instructions, (good, again, and guard your neck) worked like a charm. Him and his boy, a US Marine, were class acts. His business card and an open invitation to work out if we found ourselves in Rio was very cool. I was in that day at Pedro's school. Both master Barreto and his nephew, a doctor and a black belt At 65 yrs. old, he lifted his 220 lbs. black belt nephew like he was a piece of paper. that's was something! Met him in Brazil with Pedro. He is one of the nicest people I've ever met. He had us do 200 pushups... with him. 75 years old, and didn't skip a beat. Guillerme Machado is the founder Origem Jiu jitsu, he is a Coral Belt and still teaches Jiu Jitsu at 70 years d, he was awarded his blackbelt more than 40 years ago. There isn't many of these guys left, bjj heroes should have a profile on Master Guilherme Machado. A great story he has of submitting Rorion Gracie o the beach. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Rorion Gracie ( Portuguese: ; born January 10, 1952) is a Brazilian-born Gracie jiu-jitsu Grand Master, a prominent member of the Gracie family , writer, publisher, producer, lecturer, lawyer and the co-founder of the Ultimate Fighting Championship .

Robin Gracie (born September 6, 1971) is the youngest son of Grandmaster Helio Gracie.

Jose Carlos Moreira, born July 3, 1961 in Rio de Janeiro, is one of the first non-Gracie BJJ black belts to move to the US and started the first BJJ tournaments in America.

Osvaldo Alves, born 1939 in the state of Acre, was a BJJ red belt and revolutionary coach of the 1970s who introduced conditioning to jiu-jitsu.

Alvaro Barreto is a BJJ red belt (9th degree) who started training under Helio Gracie in 1952.

Jurandir Moura is an Important figure in the Jiu Jitsu and Vale Tudo (no holds barred) history of Brazil, specially in the Northeast region of the country. Having passed away on January 2010, Jurandir Moura was an 8th Degree Instructor (Coral Belt) and the man responsible for the tuition of several important fighters in the 1950's and 1960's era.

Ryron Gracie is Helio Gracie's grandson and the eldest son of Rorion Gracie, being part of the third generation of jiu-jitsu's most illustrious family, the Gracies. A recognizable figure within the jiu-jitsu community, Ryron Gracie became also a familiar face among mixed martial arts (MMA) fans after a series of web episodes named "The Gracie Breakdown" where Ryron and his brother Rener Gracie go over techniques utilized in UFC events. Ryron Gracie is also an instructor at the Gracie Academy.

Rolls Gracie was born on the 28 of March, 1951. He was the son of Gracie Jiu Jitsu founder Carlos Gracie , although he was raised for the most part by his uncle, Helio Gracie , at Carlos' request (as did most of Carlos' children). Rolls started practicing jiu jitsu as a toddler, and embedded in competition as a child when he won every major trophy ...

Deoclecio Paulo, also known as "Master Deo" is a red belt (9th degree) in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu who started practising the sport in the 1940's, being considered at the time of his youth to be the best competitor in Oswaldo Fadda's academy. A highly regarded instructor of his own merit, Deoclecio Paulo has taught in different areas of Brazil, having also brought Jiu Jitsu to the country of Chile in the 1970's.

Neury Gomes is a Brazilian BJJ black belt and early coach of Bruno Bastos in the Nova Uniao lineage.

Antonio de Melo is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Masters Robson Gracie and Geraldo Gonçalves Flores who is currently part of the Brazil 021 team, a team led by the legendary Hanette Staack, Andre Terencio and Carlos Henrique. Melo has been a BJJ black belt since 1993, having medalled in important tournaments such as the LINJJI and the International Masters & Seniors IBJJF competition.

Guilherme Valente is one of the three Valente Brothers who began learning jiu-jitsu from their father Dr.

Rener Gracie (born 10 November 1983) is an American-Brazilian entrepreneur, Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt instructor and coach.

Royce Gracie was born on the 12th of December in 1966 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Being a son of the famous Grand Master Helio Gracie , his introduction to Jiu Jitsu came when he was still a toddler, learning from his father and his older brothers: Rorion, Relson , Rickson and Royler (all important BJJ figures of their own merit).

Álvaro Barreto (1 January 1936 – 10 February 2020) was a Portuguese politician and engineer, and a member of the Social Democratic Party .

Reginaldo Gurgel Almeida is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Master "Sazinho" (from the Takeo Iano lineage) in Fortaleza, who in 2008 moved to the United States where he established a strong SAS team academy, later changing his affiliation to Gracie Barra. Reginaldo Almeida has medalled in important events, such as the World Cup, the Brazilian Nationals and CBJJE's Pan American Championship, he is also a certificated referee by the IBJJF.

Charles Gracie is a member of the Gracie family who runs a network of BJJ academies in Northern California.

Aloisio Silva Jr.

Osvaldo Alves is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu expert who reached the degree of red relt (nono grau/9th degree) in the gentle art. A true legend of the sport of BJJ, many believe he was one of the revolutionaries of jiu jitsu in the 1970's, bringing new positions and a new philosophy to the sport, having coached many of the sport's greatest athletes such as Rolls Gracie, Paulo Filho, Amaury Bitetti, Fredson Paixao and many others. Osvaldo Alves is also the IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation) technical director and the worlds most senior BJJ instructor.

Royler was born on December 6, 1965 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He started being taught by his father as a toddler in a joyful and playful manner, many times playing soccer in his classes, but has he grew into an child, the games went away and the martial art stayed. He started taking his Jiu Jitsu seriously when he was around 7 or 8 years old under his cousin Rolls's tutelage. Royler said that some of his most precious moments were lived in that period, he lived in Botafogo (Rio de Janeiro) and every day he would catch a bus to Copacabana together with his brothers Royce and Rolker to train at

Rolles Gracie (born July 14, 1978) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist , Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, and professional wrestler .

Armando Wridt is one of the 7 Masters that received their red belt from the hands of the late Grand Master Helio Gracie. One of the pioneers of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Armando Wridt defended the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu style in several grappling and Vale-Tudo events - also known as No Holds Barred, the sport that would later become mixed martial arts (MMA). Armando Wridt met Helio Gracie when he was 21 years old; he was in the military service and played Basketball for his regiment and had a friend in common with Helio.

Master Wilson Mattos, also known as "Shihan", is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 9th degree red belt, who previously earned his black belt rank in 1970, while training at the Fadda Academy. A devout follower of Grand Master Oswaldo Fadda, Wilson formed his own academy in the 70's (Equipe Mestre Wilson), a team with affiliates all over the world, in countries such as Brazil, the United States of America and Japan.

Cesar Gracie is a member of the Gracie family, having been graded as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt by Carlos Gracie Senior's son, BJJ red belt Master Robson Gracie. Cesar Gracie spent his youth divided between the USA and Brazil, but settled in the United States in the early 1990s where he opened his own academy, that same academy became one of the most successful BJJ and MMA gyms in the world, with an incredible roster of stars such as David Terrell, the Diaz Brothers (Nick and Nate), Jake Shields and many others. Cesar Gracie, born in 1966, is related to Carlos Gracie Senior (the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu founder) by way of his mother, Sonja Gracie-Gronning. His parents separated when Cesar was

Pedro Valente Jr.

Rickson Gracie ( Portuguese: ; born November 21, 1959) is a Brazilian retired mixed martial artist .

Carlos Valente is a Brazilian BJJ black belt under Rickson Gracie who began training under Rolls Gracie at age 8.

Vinícius Cruz, commonly known as "Vinicinho" is a historic figure in jiu jitsu's roosterweight division, having medalled on multiple occasions in important tournaments such as the Copa Company, the World Championship, the Pan American Championship and many others. A former member of the Carlson Gracie Academy, Vinícius Cruz is often associated with the "loop choke", a technique he perfected during the 1990's applying it often in competition.

Marcus Norat is a former Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt World Champion (2002) and a representative of the illustrious Gracie Humaita in the early 2000's. The man from Belem do Pará, Brazil also became the founder of Norfight, a successful academy in the region, while serving several mandates as the president of Parana's Jiu Jitsu Federation.

Romolo Barros is a Brazilian BJJ practitioner who received his black belt from Rickson Gracie.

Pedro Sauer is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 8th degree coral and black belt under Rickson and Helio Gracie, being one of the highest graded non-Gracie members of the Gracie Humaita team. Widely regarded as one of the most technical practitioners of his generation, Master Sauer is also a highly respected instructor who has produced numerous black belts and world class competitors from his academy in Virginia (USA).

Luis Herédia, also known by his nickname 'Limão', is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt a rank he earned training under Rickson Gracie's guidance. Herédia is a historical figure in the development of the gentle art in Hawaii, especially in the island of Maui, the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands, from where Luis Herédia has formed several world class grapplers.

Marcos da Matta, also known as 'Parrumpinha' or 'Parrumpa', was one of the top Brazilian jiu-jitsu super featherweights of the late 1990's/early 2000's having medalled in the world championship. This Carlson Gracie black belt would join the American Top Team at a later stage and become one of the world's most prestigious grappling coaches. Marcos da Matta was born in 1973, and it took him 14 years to get in touch with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Before that, he grew up on the streets of Copacabana - Rio de Janeiro, playing soccer, foot volley and other sporting activities. On occasion, Parrumpinha would cross paths with one of the greatest legends in Jiu Jitsu and MMA, Master Carlson Gracie as his BJJ academy was in the same burg. Carlson took a shine on young Marcos and invited him to come by the gym, the invitation wasn't promptly accepted as Parrumpinha (much like any other Brazilian child) much rather play soccer instead, but once he did Marcos loved Jiu Jitsu and started practicing it religiously. Two of the biggest influences in Parrumpinha's rise in Jiu Jitsu where Amauri Bitetti (whidely considered one of the best BJJ practitioners to have competed). Amauri taught Marcos the importance of cross training in Judo and influenced his strong guard passing game (Bitetti's specialty). Another big name in da Matta's development was Alvaro Romano. A very important person in the fight game, Alvaro was responsible for the "Ginastica Natural", a form of gymnastics which is used and with great success by fighters in which da Matta is included. One of Marcos da Matta's most famous victories in BJJ came at the purple belt level. He had just been promoted from blue belt, with the intention of meeting Leonardo Vieira in a superfight. Vieira was already tearing up his division and was considered pretty much invincible, but Marcos managed to do the unthinkable and put a stop to Vieira's unbeaten streak. In 2000 Marcos da Matta was one of the famous students to abandon the Carlson Gracie Team, in one of the most talked about team breaks in at the time, after a dispute with their master. Parrumpinha then joined Brazilian Top Team (BTT), an association created in majority by former Carlson students. He went on to win a silver medal in the Mundial (world championships) that year under the BTT banner. After a few years with BTT, Parrumpinha accepted Ricardo Liborio's invitation to come to the United States and be part of the recently formed American Top Team (ATT). Liborio, who was also a former Carlson student and BTT team member, asked Marcos to take care of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu department of the academy. Marcos also took the opportunity of being part of such a major MMA academy to start competing in that sport, picking up a nice fight record along the way. Just saw this Highlight on Grappling Weekly. Amazing agressive Jiu Jitsu! Definitely going to share it with all my training partners Every time when Parrumpa visits us is a celebration of jiu-jitsu, amazing teacher, and good person Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Elcio de Figueiredo Silva is a Carlson Gracie black belt and pioneer of BJJ in Santos, Brazil.

Marcelo Bastos Ferreria (born 26 September 1965) is a Brazilian sailor and Olympic champion.

Luis Carlos Dagmar, known as Careca, is a Brazilian BJJ black belt and instructor from Sao Jose dos Campos who mentored Andre Galvao in his early jiu-jitsu career.

Renato Tavares is a Carlson Gracie black belt (1995) who founded the Renato Tavares Association with over 15 academies in the USA.

Craig Kukuk was the first US native to achieve the rank of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt (1992) by the hands of Royler Gracie. Kukuk is also the co-author of one of the very first Jiu-Jitsu instructionals sold to the American audience, the "Renzo Gracie - Craig Kukuk Brazilian Jiu Jitsu", a historical piece of footage that helped advertise jiu-jitsu in the Northern Hemisphere at a time when this sport/martial art was not yet spread worldwide.

Mauricio Pereira, commonly known as "Russo" is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Laerte Barcelos, and a former freestyle wrestling standout in his native state of Rio de Janeiro. A strong competitor in the Rio grappling circuit during the 1990's, Russo is also known for his work as a jiu jitsu referee for both the IBJJF and the UAEJJF - the two biggest federations in this sport.

Oswaldo "Queixinho" Farret is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Master Pedro Valente. Having competed in numerous BJJ tournaments during his athletic career, Queixinho is currently a well established member of the Valente Brothers team in Miami, Florida (USA).

Kron Gracie was born in 1988 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, though he lived most of his life in Los Angeles, California - United States. Being the youngest son of Rickson Gracie and grandson of Gracie jiu-jitsu Grandmaster Helio Gracie, Kron Gracie became naturally involved with BJJ from his toddler years. A very young Kron Gracie can be seen playing jiu-jitsu with his father in the famous Rickson Gracie documentary entitled "Choke" from 1995. His first record of a competitive medal in BJJ dates back to 1998 when Kron was 10 years old at the American International Championship where Kron achieved

Cássio Cardoso was one of Carlson Gracie's prime black belts. In the 1980's he won every competition available and his only recorded loss was against the late Marcelo Behring, a loss that he avenged a few years later in a fight that lasted one hour. Cássio Cardoso has memorable wins against Rigan and Carlos Machado as well as Carlos "Caique" and was the first fighter to graduate as black belt from the late master Carlson in only 5 years of training.

Jorge Pereira (born 1964) is a Brazilian BJJ coral belt under Rickson Gracie, known as a vale tudo legend of the 1980s-90s.

Rigan Machado was born on the 2 nd of July, 1966 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He had Carlos Gracie as an uncle (Carlos was married to the sister of Rigan's mother) and so Rigan grew up being very close to the Jiu-Jitsu environment, rolling with his cousins from an early age.

Ricardo Rey Diogo, born June 22, 1964 in Rio de Janeiro, is a 4th degree BJJ black belt under Carlson Gracie.

Alessandra Leka Vieira de Souza, born March 14, 1976, is a pioneer of women's BJJ who became the first female black belt World champion in 1999.

Rani Yahya is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Master Marcos Ruas who followed a successful mixed martial arts (MMA) career competing in top organizations such as the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) and Bellator MMA in the bantamweight division. Known for his aggressive grappling and submission hunting style, Yahya has been nominated for multiple Performance of the Night bonuses throughout his MMA career.

One of the main competitors in both Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in the late 1990's and early 2000's, José Mário Sperry, also known as Zé Mário or Zé Maquina, was a big figure of the Pride Fc organization in Japan. Though he was awarded his black belt by the late Master Carlson Gracie, Sperry left the Carlson Gracie Academy at the turn of the century, to form and lead the Brazilian Top Team (BTT), a controversial move at the time that turned him into a persona non grata in his masters circle. BTT would become one of the most successful MMA gyms in the world for most of that decade an achievement highly influenced by Sperry's presence. Jose Mario Sperry was born on the 28th of September 1966, in Porto Alegre - Brazil, later moving to Rio de Janeiro. Like many other martial arts practitioners from his generation, Sperry's first approach to grappling came through Judo, a sport he started with George Medhi. Zé Mario only started Jiu Jitsu when he was already a brown belt in the Japanese art of throwing. After this first approach to BJJ he became obsessed with the "gentle art", making it his life style. This obsession led to a very fast rise to blue belt (one month) a belt received from the hands of Master Carlson Gracie the same person that would award him with the black belt years later. It is said that on his way to black belt, Sperry did not concede one single point or advantage in competitive Jiu Jitsu. In George Medhi's gym, many athletes prepared for the Olympics and Sperry trained with them every day, gaining alot of the physical attributes of an Olympic level athlete. Coming from a Military College, physical training was a big part of his day to day routine, having trained extensively in Water Polo, Volleyball, Football (soccer) and Hammer Throw. Sperry also has a degree in Economy and worked as an economist for a short period. That came to a holt when he was offered a job as a BJJ instructor for an academy in Porto Alegre in 1993. His first No-Holds-Barred fight was in 1995 in Niteroi, Brazil in a show called "Duelo de Titas", his opponent was a fighter by the name of Tyson. Sperry became an amazing competitor in both Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Submission Wrestling winning Gold at all the major tournaments in both sports, also venturing in "Vale-Tudo" the base of what Mixed Martial Arts became. Although he had raised the Carlson Gracie flag for most of his BJJ career, in 2000 Sperry together with Murilo Bustamante, Ricardo Liborio and "Bebeo" Duarte decided to leave the famous team to form their own endeavor (Brazilian Top Team), a break up that was less then amicable, ending in the process the best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu team of that era. One of the reasons behind this break up was the fact that Carlson Gracie had moved to the United States, and fighters like Sperry, Arona who competed in MMA and wanted to train with their master would have to travel to the US (all costs at the fighters own expense). Bustamante and Sperry got the idea of having coaches in Rio that could teach all aspects of the fight game - Wrestling and Kickboxing coaches (leaving BJJ to them) to which Carlson disapproved as he wanted to supervise their training. There was also the commission that the gym took over the fighters purses which weighed heavily on the break up decision. Sperry also became the manager of many important fighters such as the Nogueira Brothers (Rogerio and Rodrigo), Ricardo Arona and many others. in the late 2000's Ze Mario Sperry retired from fighting and coaching, becoming an entrepreneur though keeping his links to Jiu Jitsu. Ze Mario Sperry Highlight Mario will always play an important part in my training in sport BJJ. The ADCC Roberto Travern superfight is missing from Mario Sperry's record Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

An accomplished jiu jitsu black belt (under the legendary Leo Vieira), Victor Costa has won prestigious tournaments such as the Pan American, Brazilian Nationals and the European Open. Victor is also the founder and proprietor of the Koral Fight Co. brand, one of the leading kimono manufacturers in the world.

Master Fernando "Pinduka" was one of BJJ's most important fighters in the 1980's golden era of Jiu Jitsu. A black belt under the late Carlson Gracie, he defended the Gracie Jiu Jitsu name and honor for many years against those who challenged the martial art. He was also one of the people responsible for BJJ's development at the Gama Filho University, where he lectured, that later became GF Team. Pinduka received his coral belt from the hands of Master Robson Gracie, being widely considered one of the most important figures in the history of the sport. Fernando was born in 1953 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He first got in contact with Jiu Jitsu when he was 12 as a way to defend himself. Pinduka had run into trouble with an older kid who stole his marble balls. Fernando couldn't challenge the much bigger thief into a fight, so he threw a rock at his head which knocked the older kid out. Hearing about the ordeal, Fernando's father was fearful for his son's integrity and enlisted him in a jiu jitsu school, where he started being taught by the late Helio Vígio. Pinduka loved training and started competing in 1968, right at the start of the new Rio de Janeiro BJJ federation. He became it's first champion in the junior division at 14 years of age in that same year and remained unbeaten until 1985, training with three legends, Helio Vígio, Rolls Gracie and mainly Carlson Gracie. Pinduka's name grew in the area and he was also known as the "King of Copacabana" for the weight he carried in the area. He was also close to another BJJ legend, Rolls Gracie, in an era that many call the golden days of Jiu Jitsu (the 1980's), the same days when all the feud between Jiu Jitsu and Luta Livre (a form of catch wrestling common in Brazil) began. The reason it all started, according to Pinduka, was because of a fight that occurred between Charles Gracie and Mario Duma, the brother in law of Molina (who trained luta livre). When Rolls found out what the Duma had done to his brother he invaded Molina's academy (where Duma also trained) with his students and all hell broke loose. From that moment on, the bad blood was established and it would take several years before peace was restored. In 1978 Fernando Pinduka managed to achieve what he had been working for so long, his black belt in Jiu Jitsu from the hands of his master, and his degree in Physical Education (aka Gymnastics). His academic monograph was about the insertion of Jiu Jitsu in the University's Curriculum, a request vehemently denied at the time. In 1984 Fernando Pinduka was chosen by the Gran Master Helio Gracie himself to defend the Gracie Jiu Jitsu name against the Luta Livre challengers. The event was called "JJ vs MA - Jiu-Jitsu vs Martial Arts", and it took place in a super packed Maracana, the historic arena in Rio de Janeiro that has hosted several famous fights throughout the years. The fight had very little rules and there were no judges, so after a gruelling 20 minutes of war, the fight was stopped and declared a draw. After completing 3 Masters Degrees in different subjects, Pinduka recharged batteries and applied once again for BJJ in the Univertisy. The request was denied in 1988, 1990 and 1992, the project was refused mainly by the Judo board who held strong influence with "the powers that be" and who believed one grapping art was sufficient in the course. But showing true perseverance, Fernando did not give up and continued pushing his bill. Until in 1993 light shinned upon the people in charge of the University and finally the bill was accepted. Jiu Jitsu stayed in the curriculum of the University from their on, until in 1997 the sport had evolved in such a manner that there was a need to form a team. And so the (now) famous Gama Filho Team was born (today called GFT). The group was handed to Mestre Julio Cesar who transformed that unit into one of the greatest forces of BJJ in Rio de Janeiro. Another episode in Master Pinduka's life, was when he cut his foot and the wound got infected. He went to the doctors, and they told him he would probably lose his foot because they could not kill the bacteria that had entered his blood stream. Carlson Gracie then took Pinduka to his father, Gran Master Carlos Gracie, who was very wise to traditional medicine. Gran Master made a mix of herbs that he applied into the wound and in a few weeks he was fully recovered. Today Master Pinduka still teaches Jiu Jitsu and Gymnastics in Rio de Janeiro. I train with Master Pinduka in Copacabana! He is stern but caring. His style of Jiu-Jitsu is tough and tight! It's been a great honor to train with him. a true legend. i look up to him for accepting all challenges. One of the most talented fighters to ever live. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Milton Regis is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Great Master Francisco Mansur, being also one of the top Kioto Academy instructors, leading the Sayville, NY, branch of the organization. An accomplished black belt with medals at the Pan American (Gi and Nogi) as well as the NAGA and the Brazilian National Championships, Milton Reg was also the co-creator and promoter the Long Island PRIDE, a BJJ competition that has been successfully running since 2007.

Vinicius Amaral is a BJJ black belt and founder of Academia Game Fight (GFT affiliate).

One of the biggest names for jiu-jitsu in Santa Cruz - California, Claudio Franca is a pioneer for BJJ in the United States, and one of the first instructors to open an academy on American soil. A Francisco Mansor black belt (5th degree), Claudio Franca has greatly developed jiu-jitsu in the USA through his academy and also by organizing and promoting the important US Open BJJ tournament, one of the top competitions in jiu-jitsu's calendar. Claudio Franca was also one of the organizers of the Copa Atlântico Sul an important Brazilian tournament that ran during the 1980s and 1990s.

Marcelo Behring (1965-1995) was the son of red belt Flavio Behring and a black belt under Rickson Gracie who called him his best student.

Pat Miletich is a retired American MMA fighter who became the first UFC Welterweight Champion.

Saulo Ribeiro is a judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Royler Gracie, being widely regarded as one of the greatest grapplers to have ever competed in the sport. A 5-time world champion, Saulo is also a record holder of world titles in different weight classes (4) as well as a 2x ADCC champion, arguably the most important no-gi tournament in the world. Saulo and his younger brother Alexandre Ribeiro founded Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu, one of the most respected associations in this martial art.

Carlos Henrique is a Portuguese masculine blended given name from the German root names Karl and Haimirich .

Louis Vintaloro is a judo and Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Royler Gracie, being one of the pioneers of this grappling style in New Jersey, particularly in the northern area of this American state. Vintaloro is also known as the founder of the Performance Jiu-Jitsu, an academy in which big names of the sport started their careers, names such as Dominyka Obelenyte and JT Torres.

Henry Akins is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Rickson Gracie and a former instructor at Rickson's academy in California, US. Often regarded as one of the best black belts produced by the legendary Gracie, Akins' views on the "fundamentals" of jiu jitsu and his style of coaching are revered by many in the grappling community.

Romero "Jacare" Cavalcanti is an 8th degree Master (red and white belt) as well as one of the best instructors in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu history, having coached hundreds of grapplers and produced some of the best the world has seen in the sport of BJJ, including Fabio Gurgel, Alexandre Paiva, Leonardo Vieira, Ricardo Vieira, Rodrigo "Comprido", to name a few. One of the founding fathers of the Alliance academy, Romero Cavalcanti moved to the United States from his native Brazil in 1995, where he grew the team to an international level. Jacare was also awarded the "On The Mat" Instructor of the Year award in 2009. Romero Cavalcanti was born on October 17, 1952, in Recife, Brazil and moved at a very early age to Rio de Janeiro. His first Jiu-Jitsu coach was Jaildo Gomes (the brother of famous Vale Tudo fighter from the early days, Ivan Gomes), Romero was in his early teens and stayed with Gomes until he was 18 years old, at this time he moved camps to Carlson Gracie's academy affiliate which was run by a brown belt named "Toninho". It was only when "Jacare" Romero achieved his blue belt that "Toninho" started taking him to meet and train at the Gracie Academy with the purpose of Toughening him up. In 1972, "Jacare" moved to New York to study, and abandoned Jiu-Jitsu completely until the end of 1974 when he returned to Rio. During Romero's stay in New York Rolls Gracie visited and the two became good friends. When Romero returned to Rio de Janeiro in late 1974, he restarted his BJJ training with Rolls Gracie, who was considered the best coach and competitor of his time. With Rolls Gracie's teachings, Cavalcanti's jiu-jitsu developed in heaps and bounds, Rolls was innovative and a good role model for Romero who took Rolls as a fatherly figure. With a new coach and a new academy, "Jacaré" had the opportunity to train with many of the great's Jiu-Jitsu figures of that time, people like Carlos Gracie Junior, Rickson Gracie, Mauricio Gomes, Paulo Conde, Ricardo Azoury and many others. In 1982 Jacare Romero was awarded his Black Belt by the hands of Rolls Gracie, being the last Black Belt ever awarded by the legendary martial arts figure, the last of a very strict group of 5. After the tragic death of his mentor, Rolls Gracie (in 1982) Carlos Gracie Junior (Rolls younger brother) picked up the class and the gym, but not for long as Carlos had plans to open his own academy in the Barra da Tijuca neighborhood. As Romero witnessed the terminus of his academy, he chose to start training with Rickson Gracie at his academy in the Humaita area of Rio de Janeiro. After a run at the Gracie academy in Humaita, Romero decided to open up his own BJJ gym, giving birth to the " Jacare Jiu-Jitsu Academy". From this amazing place, several of the best black belts the world had ever seen were formed, competitors such as Fabio Gurgel, Roberto Traven, Jamelao, the Vieira Brothers and many others. In 1993 Romero Cavalcanti and a group of some of his students (who had left the gym - amicably - and now owned their own separate academies) decided to join forces and create a stronger overall team to compete against the bigger teams of their time, this new team was called Alliance. Jacare Romero decided to move to the US to broaden the horizon of his new team in 1995, first in Miami and finally settling in Atlanta. In 2009, a few months after being given the "On The Mat" Instructor of the Year award, Romero Cavalcanti was admitted at a Hospital in Altlanta with a serious illness. After he recovered he returned to his academy, taking care of the Alliance affairs. the nickname was given because he used to wear a lot of lacoste t-shirts I train with Jacare, and his is my coach. Words can't describe how much passion he has for BJJ. There is no other place I would rather train that with Master Jacare. His style of teaching has already left a life time impression on me, and I still have a long way to go. I trained with Jacare when he first opened his gym at the Prado in Roswell. He is a Master at what he does. He got the name Jacare because he used to wear Lacoste shirts to the academy. He told me he got the nickname because of his pointy teeth. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Rodrigo Vaghi is a Brazilian BJJ black belt under Rickson Gracie who founded Team Vaghi BJJ in St.

Marcos Barreto made history as the very first world Brazilian Jiu Jitsu champion in the "Galo" weight division, back in 1996. A black belt under another historical figure in Monir Salomão (from the Oswaldo Fadda lineage), Barreto - aka "Juruna" - abandoned competitive Jiu Jitsu almost completely after his master's death.

Fredson Paixao, born May 13, 1979 in Parintins, Amazonas, is a BJJ black belt under Osvaldo Alves and former IBJJF World Champion.

Marcelo Machado is an illustrious Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Royler Gracie. He was responsible for building one of the strongest and most prestigious BJJ academies in Rio de Janeiro, Gracie Tijuca, a club that has brought to the world champions such as Leticia Ribeiro and Vinny Magalhaes. Marcelo is also responsible for launching one of Jiu Jitsu's pioneer kimono brands, the Machado Kimonos, recognizable as the "M" Kimonos. Marcelo began his journey in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at four years old when his father enrolled him in the Kioto Academy in Rio de Janeiro. The founder and instructor of the academy was Helio Gracie 9th degree red belt, Fancisco Mansur. Marcelo's father, a Cardiologist and General Practitioner, had seen Helio's vale tudo challenge matches in Rio and was amazed by Jiu-Jitsu. When Marcelo was 15 years old and a fourth degree yellow belt under Mansur, one of his friends began training with a then 20 year old Royler Gracie. Marcelo's friend could not stop talking about how great it was training under Royler. Marcelo became convinced that he had to try classes with the young Gracie. Marcelo's father arranged for Marcelo to begin taking private lessons as Royler's house in Copacabana. Marcelo continued for the next six years in this arrangement, taking group classes at Kioto with Mansur and private training with Royler at his house. At the age of 21, and as a brown belt, he left Kioto and made the full transition to Royler's Gracie Humaita Academy. Two years later and still as a brown belt, Marcelo decided to make teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu his profession and open his own academy. He was given special permission from Royler Gracie to be one of the only non-Gracies to be allowed to use the Gracie name for his academy. Marcelo founded the Gracie Tijuca academy in 1993. Tijuca was the name of the borough of Rio de Janeiro where Marcelo lived and where the academy was located. The Tijuca academy boasted one of the largest mats in Brazil at that time (250 square meters). The first instructors at the academy were Marcelo and Gracie Humaita 3rd degree black belt, Arthur Carthiar. In 1995, after 21 years of training, Marcelo was awarded his black belt from the hands of Royler. It was also in 1995, that Marcelo and his sister, Luciana Machado (Simon), created their gi company Machado Kimonos. Their logo is an "M" in the shape of a double bladed axe as Machado means axe in Portuguese. The company was a tremendous success from the start with such fighters as: Royler Gracie, Relson Gracie, Saulo Ribeiro, Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro, Robson Moura, Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Noguera, Ricardo Liborio and Murilo Bustamante wearing their gi's. Both Gracie Humaita and Gracie Barra have previously selected Machado Kimonos to manufacture their official kimonos. Even the famous Brazilian brand Vitamins and Minerals also chose Marcelo and Luciana to make their official kimonos as well. While at Machado Kimonos, Marcelo created two weaves that revolutionized the industry. In 1996, he created summer weave, allowing people to train on the hottest days. In 2001, Marcelo took the best features of the single weave and the double weave and created the hybrid weave. The hybrid is much stronger and more durable than a single weave, but less bulky, heavy and hot than a double weave. The hybrid continues to be one of the company's most popular offerings. In 1998 Arthur left the academy to join the police force. Vini Aieta, another Royler Gracie black belt joined the academy as co-instructor. In 2000, world champion Saulo Ribeiro joined the instructor staff. Under this team of Marcelo, Vini and Saulo, many great fighters were developed. The list includes: Cristiano Marcelo, Fabricio "Morango" Camoes, Leticia Ribeiro, Sergio Lourenco and Vini Magalhães. In 2003, Marcelo left Gracie Tijuca to spend time pursuing a career in law. He took several years off from training due to back injuries, but in 2010 began training again. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Denys Darzi is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black belt 6º Degree under BJJ legend Francisco Mansor from Rio de Janeiro. Competitor since the "Golden Era of BJJ" (the 1980's), Denys had the chance to enter some of BJJ's most celebrated tournaments like the Copa Company, Lightning Bolt Cup and Vansport Cup. Professor Denys is currently teaching and training at his own academy, Denys Darzi Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, in Boca Raton, Florida.

Faustino Neto, commonly as Mestre Pina (Master Pina) is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Osvaldo Alves as well as the founder and head coach of the famous grappling academy: Clube Pina de Jiu Jitsu (CPJJ). A gym from which Faustino Neto developed numerous high level athletes, including Bibiano Fernandes, Alex Martins, Carlos Diego Ferreira, Rodrigo Pinheiro and Carlos "Esquisito" Holanda to name a few. Faustino Neto was born on February 19, 1966 in Manaus the capital city of the state of Amazonas in the North Region of Brazil. Pina initiated in martial arts at the age of 18 through judo, an activity he kept until the day he faced a jiu jitsu based competitor at a judo tournament. Faustino was submitted by his opponent, with the skill of the match victor on the ground swaying Neto to gain an interest in the gentle art. Around 1987 Faustino Pina officially began his jiu jitsu journey, with his first instructor being Carlson Gracie Junior. The following year Pina started travelling regularly to Rio de Janeiro, staying in the Marvelous City for extended periods of time - a process he kept up until 1996. Making the most of the time spent in Rio Faustino Neto became an avid student of Masters Osvaldo Alves and Sergio Penha while earning all belts from Alves. Including the black belt (1997). In 1991, as a purple belt, Pina started coaching jiu jitsu in Manaus. The success of his class would led Faustino to open his own jiu jitsu academy in 2000, which he named "Clube Pina de Jiu Jitsu" (Pina's JJ Club). Even though Master Pina had very little competitive experience, he managed to establish one of the most successful jiu jitsu academies in the world. Producing 100's of high level grapplers and numbers of black belt IBJJF world champions. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Romero 'Jacare' Cavalcanti (born October 22, 1952) was the last black belt promoted by Rolls Gracie before his death in 1982.

Jake Shields is well known for his career as a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, an occupation he built with a style strongly reliant on his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and Wrestling skills, a combination Shields labeled: "American Jiu-Jitsu". A Cesar Gracie black belt in BJJ, Shields achieved numerous medals in grappling before turning his career focus towards cage-fighting, having achieved a gold medal at the Pan American Championship as well as a bronze medal at the ADCC, defeating the famous Leonardo Santos for 3rd place. In MMA Jake Shields fought in two different weight classes, defeating legends such as Hayato Sakurai and Dan Henderson on his way to the Strikeforce middleweight title. Favourite Position/Technique: Sweep Single Takedown and Guillotine Jake Shields was born on the 9th of January, 1979 in Mountain Ranch, California - United States. He grew up somewhat isolated, living in the Sierra Nevada Mountains where he was home-schooled by his parents most of the time. Living out in the mountains, Jake shields and his brothers developed a great love for the outdoors and for adventure sports, mountain biking, caving, and snowboarding were amongst their day to day activities it was also here, at the early stages of his life that Jake developed his love for Vegetarianism. Shields got into wrestling when he started attending middle school, following the footsteps of one of his older brothers. He competed throughout middle-school, high school and college. In the late 1990's he started training kickboxing at the SLO Kickboxing Academy in San Luis Obispo, California, where he met future UFC all of fame, Chuck Liddell. It was also then that Jake Shields started his MMA career, getting paid $200 to fight. He joined the San Francisco State University on a Wrestling Scholarship while caring for his newborn baby daughter, and started really focussing on his MMA career. He joined the Cesar Gracie gym by chance, as it was very close to his house, and there he met a group of people that would change his life, Gilbert Melendez and Nick Diaz. Nick Diaz brought his younger brother Nate Diaz and the 4 would form a tight camaraderie that would last for years to come. In 2005 Jake had one of his best BJJ competitive years. Reaching the gold medal at the purple belt division in the Pan American championships and later that year reaching the semi-final of the worlds most prestigious submission grappling event, the ADCC (Abu Dabhi Combat Club) where he defeated 4 times World Cup Champion, Leonardo Santos. Living with a young daughter in one of the Worlds most expensive cities (San Francisco) took its toll, and Jake had to find fights consistently in order to survive, going against the wishes of his family who wanted Jake Shields to find a normal job. The fact that Shields is regarded as a conservative fighter did not help him get decent pay when compared to the more exciting fighters in the division who would more recklessly "slug it out". It wasn't until he was called to fight at the Elice XC in 2007 that he made his first decent paycheck. Jake stayed with Elite XC being undefeated in the organization. He was later contacted by Strikeforce, another up and coming MMA organization. Fighting for Strikeforce he reached the Middleweight Championship, defeating the legendary fighter Dan Henderson by unanimous decision for the title. One of Jake Shield's highest career moments would be blemished by a fight that occurred only moments after his hand was raised while still on the cage. Jason Miller, a fighter Jake had defeated only 5 months before the Henderson fight came up on the cage to challenge Shields for a rematch. The tight unite that is the Cesar Gracie camp did not like the way Jason introduced himself, and a big scramble occurred live on television. The fight was separated, but a big stain remained in Jake Shields highest moment to that date. As the Dan Henderson fight was the last in Jake Shields's contract with Strikeforce, he moved to the UFC where he dropped again to the Welter Weight division, the weight division where he first started his MMA career. Today Jake Shields calls his style of fighting American Jiu Jitsu, a fluid mix of BJJ and Wrestling, picking up the best of both worlds. Jake Shields Interview about his BJJ and fight against GSP http://jitsmagazine.com/articletraining-7.php Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Luís Carlos, also known as "Manimal" is a famous jiu jitsu black belt under the late Master Carlson Gracie, who followed a career in coaching, having produced high level talent such as Raphael Abi-Rihan or "Guga" Campos. a true "casca grossa" (old school tough guy) Manimal lived with Master Carlson for several years having, being one of the Master's best friends.

Wallid Ismail is a legendary Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt who competed for the Carlson Gracie Academy from the 1980's decade until the early 2000s in both BJJ and mixed martial arts (MMA). Wallid was famed for his "never say die" attitude, his loyalty to his instructor Carlson Gracie, his "clashed" with a few members of the Gracie family as well as his involvement in the jiu jitsu vs luta livre rivalry during the 1990s. After retiring from competitive jiu-jitsu and MMA Wallid Ismail became a fight promoter, leading the Jungle Fight organization in Brazil.

Ricardo Juca is a BJJ black belt known for his fighting strategies for back attacks and mount attacks.

Amin Touati (also known as "Camelinho") is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under the legendary Royce Gracie from Stockholm, Sweden, who moved to Dubai in the UAE and helped grow the sport in that Arab country.

Francisco Toco Albuquerque, born March 27, 1969 in Rio de Janeiro, is a Carlson Gracie 5th degree black belt and founder of Nova Geracao.

Allan Góes is a 6th degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) who was part a famous team that ruled the sport in the late 1980s/early 1990s, led by Carlson Gracie. Allan Goes was also a pioneer mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, having competed in promotions all around the world, when the focus of the Carlson Gracie Academy shifted to cage fighting. Góes was also one of the first of Carlson Gracie's students to bring the famous CGA style of grappling to the United States. Allan Alexandre Góes was born on the 20th of April, 1971 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He started practicing sports when still a toddler, under the guidance of his grandfather, Alcides Goes, who was a Judo expert. As his grandfather grew older he could no longer help Allan with his martial arts tuition, Allan then took free Jiu Jitsu classes at the "Radar" academy in Copacabana, which was led by master Manimal. The class was very early in the morning, at 4am, but it was the only one with free tuition in the neighborhood. In 1983, Allan won his very first medal at a Jiu Jitsu tournament in Teresópolis as a yellow belt. Carlson Gracie was on the stands and saw potential in the young Allan Goes, he immediately asked professor Manimal (one of Carlson Gracie's best friends) to bring Goes to the juvenile class at the famous Carlson Gracie school where he would have more and tougher sparring partners.

Octavio Almeida is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under André Pederneiras (Nova Uniao), being one of the most decorated athletes of his generation in the featherweight and lightweight divisions. A former multiple-time World and Pan American Champion across different belt levels (including two black belt World titles), Almeida is also a successful MMA fighter having competed in ONE Championship.

Many sportsmen dream of one day becoming a legend in their sport, Murilo Bustamante achieved this status in two of the most demanding sports in the world, jiu jitsu (BJJ) and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). At one point Murilo was one of the stars of the famous Carlson Gracie team, arguably the best BJJ team of all time. He then moved on to Mixed Martial Arts and formed one of the stronguest MMA teams the world had ever seen, BTT (Brazilian Top Team), a team he leads to this date. Murilo Bustamante was born on the 30th of July in 1966, at the Arpoador area on the coast of Rio de Janeiro. Being raised with one foot on the beach, it didn't come as a surprise that Murilo wanted to become a professional surfer as a youngster, but the world had other plans for him. Growing up in the angry streets of Rio de Janeiro, Bustamante's first recollection of a fight was at the tender age of 10, and soon after he started his BJJ training under one of the greatest coaches and fighters of all time, Master Carlson Gracie, the son of Gracie Jiu Jitsu founder Gran Master Carlos Gracie Sr.. He began competing in Jiu Jitsu when he was 15, but noticing some wholes in his overall fighting game he started training judo. When he was 18 Bustamante decided to pick up some boxing, he chose Claudio Coelho, a famous boxing coach that soon became a personal friend and that acompanied Murilo Bustamante throughout his career in every fight. In 1991 Murilo Bustamante took part in one of the most legendary Vale-Tudo challenges of all time, it seemed that Bustamante was destined to be in big events for the rest of his life from that moment on. The event was the "Desafio - Jiu-Jitsu vs. Luta Livre" which litterally means BJJ vs Luta Livre Challenge. In question was the honour of these two fighting styles that had been in heated rivalry for many decades in Brazil, causing several street brawls, beatings and gym invasions from both parts in Rio de Janeiro. The plan was to have 3 BJJ fighters who would meet 3 Luta Livre fighters in a ring, the fighting style that would win the majority of the bouts would come out the winner. Murilo Bustamante was one of the BJJ'ers to step up, together with Wallid Ismail and Fábio Gurgel. All three Jiu Jitsu representatives won their respective bouts, ending there and then with the feud (check the fight at the bottom of the page). Murilo stayed away from the obscure world of Vale Tudo (No Holds Barred) for the next 5 years concentrating his efforts on Jiu Jitsu. He returned to the ring again in Brazil to fight Joe Charles, a 260lbs Judoka from California. Murilo finished the fight in the first round with a choke and went on to fight the World Championships just a couple of months later obtaining a Silver Medal. Later that year he was invited to fight in MARS (Martial Arts Reality Superfighting) a show that was trying to rival the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championships) at the time. He managed to reach the final of the tournament against another MMA legend, Tom Erikson in a fight that Sherdog.com called "one of the more notable fights from that period, presaging both an evolution in wrestlers' MMA strategy and the development of weight classes." (Tom Erikson outweighed Bustamante by 100lbs), the fight ended in a draw. Bustamante fought again in 1997 (another win) and returned to BJJ to have a fantastic year in 1999 wining both the Brazilian Nationals in the absolute division and the Mundials in his weight category. He returned to an American MMA organization, the UFC, in 2000 to fight at "the land of the rising sun" for UFC 25 Ultimate Japan. He returned to the organization after it was bought by the Fertitta brothers to fight against Chuck Liddell, Bustamante's first loss in a fight many thought he won (including UFC president Dana White who came to Bustamante's dressing room after the fight to tell him that). Murilo then moved weight categories to a more suitable Middleweight Division where he was offered a fight for the belt against Dave Menne. He finished that fight and went on to defend his belt against Matt Lindland. The fight was very controversial at the time as referee "Big John" McCarthy stopped the fight prematurely when Bustamante had a full armbar in place and was about to submit Lindland. Because the fight was stopped prematurely the fighters had to be re-started from the standing position, Bustamante was extremely agitated at the time, he said in an interview he almost stepped out of the Octagon at the time but managed to keep his cool and submit Lindland again, this time with a "Guilhotina". In between all these career accomplishments, Murilo's life, backstage was filled with turmoil. In 2000, there was a break up of gigantic proportions at the Carlson Gracie Academy. Most of Master Carlson's students left the school with allegations that their master did not spend enough time at the gym coaching preferring to spend his time at his new home in Chicago. The quarrel also had to do with the fighters purses. The first fighter to leave was one of Carlson's protégés, Vitor Belfort, but he was soon followed by others. Murilo was aware of the problems but he was focussing on his fight in Japan at the time, (for UFC 25 against Yoji Anjo) and it wasn't until he returned to Rio de Janeiro after the fight that he learned he had been expelled from the gym. Bustamante did not lose time and soon formed another academy together with his training partner Sérgio "Bolao", called Rio Jiu Jitsu Club. RJJC's life was short as not long after Murilo joined "Bebeo" Duarte and Zé Mario Sperry to found Brazilian Top Team (BTT), this academy would gather some of the best Jiu Jitsu fighters in the World, mainly from the old Carlson Gracie Academy, but also fighters like Alexandre "Pequeno" Nogueira (a former luta livre fighter), Fernando Pontes who at the time had plans to enter MMA and many others. This team would become one of the most successful MMA teams of all time, and together with Chute-Boxe (another Brazilian MMA team from Curitiba) gave birth to a real dynasty in MMA. Unfortunately for BTT, they focussed their fighters' careers too much on the Japanese market, a market that crashed like Wall Street on "Black Thursday" after the shutting down of Pride Fighting Championships. Without many contacts in the United States BTT slowly broke and the relationship between it's leaders deteriorated. A restructuring was in order and Murilo Bustamante was just the man to get the job done. He broke the partnership with Ze Mario Sperry and Duarte and began a long and lonely journey as the sole proprietor of BTT. He abandoned competition due to the necessities of the team, only to return from retirement in 2010 at the age of 43. He fought a tough and much younger "JT Money" Taylor, but was fighting a good fight until he suffered labyrinthitis, a problem he had for many years, though this was the first time it happened inside the cage. Murilo Bustamante recently moved to the United States were he is opening an affiliate of Brazilian Top Team's in the Northern territory. Murilo Bustamante fighting at the Luta Livre vs Jiu Jitsu Challenge Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Founded the IBJJF and Gracie Barra — the world's largest BJJ organization with hundreds of academies across the globe.

Rob Kahn is the first BJJ black belt promoted by Royce Gracie.

Vini Aieta is a Brazilian BJJ black belt associated with the Gracie Humaita team.

Luiz Palhares (born January 19, 1959) is a Brazilian BJJ coral belt who trained under Rolls Gracie and received his black belt from Rickson Gracie in 1984.

Mauricio Villardo Reis (born January 14, 1975) is best known as Mauricio Villardo.

Amauri Bitetti is considered by many as the greatest Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt to have competed, Bitetti was trained by the late Carlson Gracie at the Academia Carlson Gracie becoming an open weight world champion on two occasions, the first man to accomplish this deed, Amauri Bitetti also fought Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) being a pioneer of the sport and a former member of the UFC roster. After his competitive career finished, Amauri Bitetti became a successful MMA fight promoter for the Bitetti Combat organization.

Kid Peligro (real name Gerry Costa) is a BJJ black belt under Royler Gracie who became one of the first BJJ bloggers in 1998.

Douglas Silva is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor representing Brazilian Top Team, competing in the Super Heavy division at the master level.

Fabio Santos (born April 4, 1956) is a Brazilian BJJ coral belt who trained under Rolls Gracie and Rickson Gracie.

Daniel Valverde is an accomplished Judo and Jiu-Jitsu black belt from the state of Bahia in Brazil, having been 10x state champion in Judo and 4x in BJJ (weight and absolute) with experience in the ADCC (the world's most prestigious Submission Wrestling tournament) as well as a World Nogi champion, a title won in 2007. Daniel Valverde well known amongst the MMA fans after taking part in the coaching staff of Team Nogueira at The Ultimate Fighter reality show (TUF 8) which aired in 2008.

Marcus Soares is a Grand Master and direct student of Carlson Gracie who was the first black belt to teach BJJ in Canada (1996).

Cleber Luciano is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Royler and Rolker Gracie as well as a judo black belt with experience in mixed martial arts (MMA). A pioneering jiu-jitsu coach in Huntington Beach, California, where he arrived in the mid 1990s, Luciano made a name for himself as one of the most relevant competitors of his generation through his performances in the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) international circuit, in which Cleber earned Pans, World NoGi as well as World Masters gold medals.

Won the 1996 Mundials in a weight class 20 kg above his own. Co-founder of BTT and American Top Team.

Patricia Silva is a Brazilian BJJ practitioner and daughter of Grand Master Aloisio Silva.

Braulio Estima "Carcará" is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt World Champion and an ADCC open weight & super fight champion. Considered by most, one of the top jiu-jitsu competitors of the 2000's era, Braulio Estima collected trophies throughout his grappling career, both as a fighter and as an instructor. In recent years Braulio has slowed down on his competitive appearances. Braulio is also the older brother of another great jiu-jitsu talent, Victor Estima.

Sylvio Behring is the son of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Master (9th degree) Flavio Behring being also as a red and white belt (8th degree) himself as well as a Judo black belt. Widely regarded as one of the top grappling instructors of his generation, Sylvio initiated his career training under the Barreto Brothers, particularly with Grand Master (9th degree) Alvaro Barreto - going on to become one of Barreto's top students. Sylvio also helped the development of jiu jitsu in different regions of Brazil, including Sao Paulo and Porto Alegre and is brother to the late Marcelo Behring, another key figure in this martial art's history.

Buddy (August 7, 1997 – January 2, 2002), a male chocolate-colored Labrador Retriever , was one of two pets kept by the Clinton family while Bill Clinton was President of the United States.

9th degree red belt Carley Gracie, who is sometimes referred to as "The Lion of the Gracie Family", is the 11th child of Gracie jiu jitsu founder Carlos Gracie, and the first member of the family to bring Brazilian jiu jitsu to the United States (1972). Carley Gracie is also the father of two jiu jitsu practitioners, Ralston and Clark Gracie, being the later, one of the main BJJ competitors in the world.

João Costa is a professional grappler and a jiu-jitsu black belt under Roberto Abreu (Cyborg) of Fight Sports Miami, who worked extensively with Gustavo Saraiva (Gustavinho) at the Caveirinha Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Minas Gerais. A late bloomer, Costa only started prioritizing his grappling career as a brown belt, causing an immediate impact in the sport through his 3 gold medals at the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) Pan American No-Gi Championships (2020 & 2021 [weight and absolute]), which earned him his black belt in June 2021.

Marcus Conan Silveira is a Carlson Gracie black belt who co-founded American Top Team with Ricardo Liborio and Dan Lambert.

Walter Guimaraes is a Carlson Gracie lineage BJJ black belt in the chain that produced Fabiano Gaudio and the Gaudio family of competitors.

Sidney Silva is a Brazilian BJJ black belt who trained under the Rickson Gracie Association after moving to Hawaii.

Luis Roberto Duarte "Bebeo" is a prestigious Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under the late Carlson Gracie who was one of the leaders and founding members of the Brazilian Top Team (BTT) academy in the early 2000's. "Bebeo" also became a coach, promoter, fighter manager and an entrepreneur in the fight business.

Patrick Bittan is a BJJ black belt under Rodrigo "Comprido" Medeiros. A former purple belt world champion and brown belt world champion, Bittan has set himself apart as one of the most promising American-born competitors in the sport's middleweight division. Patrick Bittan also practices Judo and was awarded his black belt in the Japanese grappling art in 2020.

Ricardo de la Riva revolutionized BJJ by creating the De La Riva guard.

Sylvio Behring is a BJJ coral belt (8th degree) who began training at age 4.

Master Marcelo Saporito is a coach at arguably the most iconic Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academy in the world, the "Academia Carlson Gracie" in Rua Figueiredo Magalhaes, Copacabana - Rio de Janeiro, an academy that produced some of the biggest starts in jiu jitsu and MMA. Saporito took the mammoth task of replacing the late Master Carlson Gracie at the helm of the gym, which he did to perfection with over 200 team titles. Marcelo Saporito was born on the 21st of July, 1959 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He started martial arts when he was still a pre-adolescent, at 11 years of age, doing boxing and Tae Kwon Do. He trained the Korean martial art very seriously, having won two Rio de Janeiro state championships in a row (in 1978 and 1979). In 1981 Marcelo decided to try something different, and he joined the AABB Judo club, here he trained the Japanese martial art under Professor Jomar (with whom he holds a Judo brown belt). With time Saporito started getting more interested in grappling and in the efficiency of Brazilian Jiu Jistu, and in 1982 he finally gave BJJ a shot joining the Carlson Gracie academy in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro. Marcelo Saporito trained all his BJJ life with the unequalled Carlson Gracie and achieved all his belts from the Gracie Master, including his black on the 20th of November, 1994. He started giving classes at his master's academy after a personal request from Alberto Santos (another coach at the academy). After Carlson assessed Saporito's skill as an instructor, he was quite impressed and decided to have Marcelo on board as a full time assistant coach. With time his influence in the team was evident and he was asked to take over as the head coach. Today, with Saporito's help, the academy has conquered over 200 trophies, in all ages and sexes, developing World Champions, Pan American Champions, Brazilian Champions and a lot more. Some of Master Marcelo's most famous black belts are: Daniel Christoph, Luis Sergio de Morais Barros, Patricia Hing, Gustavo Granha, Alan Moraes, Orlando Cunha, Wilham Cavalcante, Wilson Borges, Fabio Novaes. Address: Rua Figueiredo Magalhaes, n.44 / 3 Andar Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro. Brazil CEP 22 031-010 Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Marcio Corletta ran the Winner-Behring academy in Porto Alegre where Fabricio Werdum first started training BJJ.

Joe Moreira was one of the first 'non Gracie' Jiu Jitsu black belts to move to the United States, before Royce Gracie brought the martial art to the limelight of the combat sports world, with his win at UFC 1-4. Moreira is also famed as an event organizer and for having handed one of the most controversial black belts in the history of the sport, to Marco Ruas who to many, a sworn enemy of Jiu Jitsu at the time. Joe (or Jose Carlos) Moreira was born on the back of a taxi cab in front of a Rio de Janeiro hospital on the 3rd of July 1961. Moreira started his training in martial arts by his older brother's influence when he was 6 years old through the fighting style of Judo. He began Jiu Jitsu 3 years later, training at the famous Gracie academy which at the time was shared by the brothers Carlson and Rolls Gracie, though his coaching was mainly done by Reyson Gracie and the legendary Fernando Guimaraes "Pinduka". Though surrounded by greatness, Moreira did not settle at the academy and instead moved to Reylson's gym, who was the nephew and student of grand master Helio Gracie. He stayed at Reylson's gym for well over a decade, competing in the scarce competitions available at the time, although he would receive his black belt from Francisco Mansure (1984). He would also receive his black belt in Judo in 1986 and a scholarship to Japan where he trained extensively in Judo, competing in the Judo World Cup there and placing second. He returned to Brazil after a few years in Japan, and started teaching Jiu Jitsu in a sports center in Barra da Tijuca. As the place had a very good infrastructure, Moreira was contacted by Ricielli Santos to make a Jiu Jitsu event there. Santos was famous in the Jiu Jitsu realm for organizing some of the biggest jiu jitsu tournaments in the 1980's (Copa Cantao and Copa Lightning Bolt). The pair agreed on a partnership and organized the very first Copa Atlantico Sul (called Atlantico Sul because that was the name of the sports centre). The organization's roster would change on the following years, but always with Moreira at the helm, and soon it became a reference of Jiu Jitsu in the 1990's, much like a national tournament where the most prestigious BJJ fighters would test their skills. In the early 90's Joe Moreira decided to move to the United States after an invitation from his master Reylson Gracie. He would stay at his masters gym for 4 months, but things didn't quite work out as planned and he decided to separate from Reylson. Luckily Moreira had established a friendship with one of the students at the academy, when the student (named Cab Garrett) heard that Joe was leaving he decided to help the Brazilian, taking the instructor and his wife in his own home. Moreira taught for about a year in Mr Garrett's garage while Mrs Moreira worked at a restaurant. At the time when Joe arrived in America, there were no tournaments, seeing a gap in a field that Moreira knew well, he decided to organize an event, thus emerged the very first Joe Moreira Cup. Joe was also responsible for the organization of the very first Jiu Jitsu Pan American, as Carlos Gracie Junior had few contacts in the states in the event industry, he asked Joe to be in charge of the preparations of the Pan American which occurred inside the Irvine University. Then in 1996 came the opportunity to compete in the UFC. The famous UFC referee "Big" John McCarthy was a student of Joe and got him in contact with the UFC management, but before they signed him on, they asked him to make a test. The test was a closed doors no holds barred fight in an academy against Zane Frazier. Moreira agreed and fought Zane, sweeping him and mounting before the clock stopped the fight. The UFC was impressed and signed him on. He went on to fight twice for the organization losing the first fight by decision against the gigantic Paul Varelans and winning his next fight against the russian Yuri Vaulin. During his time with the UFC Moreira met Marco Ruas, a luta livre (a form of Brazilian Wrestling) fighter who had grown up in the same neighborhood as Joe (Leme in Rio de Janeiro). Ruas asked moreira if he needed training partners and Moreira agreed, from that 28 day training camp, their friendship grew and never broke since. Marco Ruas also introduced another Luta Livre fighter to Joe Moreira, Eugenio Tadeu. Both Ruas and Tadeu had a long history of rivalry against Jiu Jitsu and it's fighters in the battle for the dominance of Martial Arts in Brazil in the late 80's and early 1990's. Even though that rivalry was still pretty much alive, Moreira (maybe recognizing his friend's technical hability) handed them their black belts in Jiu Jitsu, causing an uproar of criticism from the BJJ community at the time. Moreira also attributed Kimo (a famous MMA fighter from the early UFC days) his black belt in Jiu Jitsu. The two met on the backstage of UFC 8, in a day when Allan Goes and "Tank" Abbot fell out with each exchanging harsh words. The next day in the lobby of the hotel, Moreira and Goes were checking out and coincidently so was Kimo and his manager. Suddenly Tank Abbot comes in with Tito Ortiz and a group of 8 more men wanting to cause a fight with the pair of Brazilians. Kimo thought this was unfair and took Allan Goes's side together with his manager, making Abbot and his men back out. Kimo then asked Moreira if he could learn BJJ from him as he was very interested in the martial art, a request immediately accepted by Joe. The two maintained a student/instructor relationship for years. Today Joe Moreira lives is life giving seminars. Awesome stuff Andre. I never knew this about Joe Moreira. I love this site, great work as usual! Thanks for pointing that out Mie. I actually knew that, dunno why I wrote 1 (on two occastions!?) Joe Moreira était dans UFC 4,UFC 7,UFC 8, et 14 Went to a seminar with him years ago and he was awesome. He doesn't get enough credit for all he has done. Amazing article about my amazing father, teacher and amazing friend GM JOE Moreira, I've Been with this amazing human been since 1997 to present. And there's no were I rather be then to be in the best lineage of Moreieas,I'm honor and proud to be one of GM Moreira Black Belts. oss! Master Joe Moreira is a sweet heart of a man. Very kind & friendly. He is also extremely bad ass. I am proud to be in his organization. How is he an 8th degree blackbelt at 55 years of age? Has anyone been able to verify if Joe Moreira actually received his black belt from Francisco Mansur? I remember when I first heard about him, people said he was a Reylson Gracie black belt. After they had a falling out, Moreira stated he got his belt from Mansur because that's how much he wanted nothing to do with Reylson. It seems unusual he would train with Reylson all through even after receiving his black belt to get it during that time from Mansur. Thank you Joe for empowering me and giving me the a diploma as blue belt in 1996, it was an amazing time to meet such amazing hero's of the art and all of you made me a better person. I became an icu nurse and I am now becoming a. Nurse practitioner. The diploma is on the wall now right next to my BS degree and soon to be masters degree.... My path would have been quite different if I had not been part of this art Thank you for everything Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Paulo Filho is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under the legendary Master Carlson Gracie and a former world champion in the sport. Filho is also a judo black belt as well as a former professional MMA fighter, considered at one point in his career as the number 2 "Pound for Pound" fighter in MMA's middleweight division. At the end of the 2000's decade Paulo Filho, then WEC champion, fell victim to an acute case of depression which led to rumours of drug dependence, start jumping the end of a very prosperous MMA career. Favourite Position/Technique: Guard Passing, Mount Position to Armbar Paulo Filho was born on the 24th of May, 1978 in Ilha do Governador, Rio de Janeiro - Brazil. Paulo grew up in the burg of of Cocotá until when he was 8 years old, a time in which he moved with his family to the famous Zona Sul of Rio de Janeiro. It was shortly after the move that Paulao started training Jiu Jitsu, at the Carlson Gracie academy in Copacabana. Carlson Gracie and his coaching staff immediately recognized another stud in the young Paulão and Filho quickly proved his worth for the team at junior tournaments in Rio de Janeiro. To add to his BJJ expertise, Paulo Filho started training Judo at the famous Flamengo (Clube Regatas do Flamengo) later becoming a black belt also in the Japanese throwing trade. As the Carlson Gracie team started turning their focus to MMA, Paulão began training more in nogi (without the use of the kimono) also making his debut in Vale-Tudo (early MMA) while still training at the Carlson Gracie academy. In 1991 Paulo Filho started his love affair with the pit bull dog breed, he became so infatuated with the dogs that when his first pit bull died in 1994 (strangely the dog's name was Hitler), he tattooed it on his shoulder. He would also open a pit bull kennel, housing as many as 40 dogs in a 5000sq meter area in Minas Gerais. At the start of the new millennium, the Carlson Gracie Team broke up and many of the team's main figures left the academy to form a new endeavour. Paulo Filho was one of the members that followed the leaders Murilo Bustamante, Mario Sperry and Bebeo Duarte, to the Brazilian Top Team (the main team formed by the dissidents). Paulao would later move to a different group also formed by former team mates, namely Vitor Belfort, Carlão Barreto and Allan Goes, the "Tough Brothers", though the "Tough Brothers" project was short lived and Paulo Filho soon returned to BTT where he had the best few years of his MMA career, achieving a 16-0-0 record, winning against big names such as Yuki Kondo, Amar Suloev, Murilo "Ninja" Rua, Joe Doerksen and Chael Sonnen. His win over Sonnen marked a dark period in Paulo Filho's career, a period he never recovered from. With rumours that Paulo Filho was suffering from acute depression and addiction to anti-depressives his performances became less then flattering and he was never again picked by a major MMA organization. Sonnen would later avenge his loss, handing Paulo Filho his first defeat in a bout for the WEC organization, a fight to which Paulao showed up above weight, out of shape and looked disturbed. The last Sonnen fight (2008) marked the beginning of the collapse for Paulo Filho's career, though he still managed to compete at a decent level, Paulao admitted later that his heart was not in the game any longer, he would announce his retirement on October 2011 after a series of blunders where he claimed to have not been paid for fighting on 3 separate occasions, he also claimed that his manager Rodrigo 'Riscado' had failed to hand him his prize money, leaving him in serious debt, there were also rumors that he had death threats due to his debt problems. On October 2014 it was reported by BJJ Forum that Filho had been shot on the leg while participating of a rave party at the 'bairro do Joá' in Rio de Janeiro . The news report mentioned that after a physical altercation with another male, Paulo was shot by the man's father. The bullet broke Filho's femur bone. Paulo filho was the champion of the world, closing the category with Murilo Bustamante. If you are in doubt look on youtube, world, 2000. Rato, in 2000 the world champions were Omar Salum (Galo), Robson Moura (Pluma), BJ Penn (Pena), Shaolin (Leve), Terere (Medio), Roleta (Meio Pesado), Gurgel (Pesado), Saulo Ribeiro (Super Pesado), Leo Leite (Pesadissimo) and Comprido (absolute) I think you are referring to 1999 which is already there. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Vitor Belfort, born April 1, 1977, is a BJJ black belt under Carlson Gracie and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion nicknamed The Phenom.

Alexandre Cafe Dantas is a Brazilian BJJ black belt associated with the lineage of Aloisio Silva and Carlos Gracie.

Marcelo Alonso is a (5th degree) black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu under Master Carlson Gracie, being one of Carlson's most famous and respected students. Alonso was an instructor at the Carlson Gracie Academy in Copacabana - RJ for many years, looking after illustrious athletes such as Leo D'Ilha (RIP), Paulo Filho or Renato Tavares before moving to the United States in the late 1990's, settling in the Seattle area.

Sergio Penha is an historic figure in jiu jitsu's landscape. A BJJ coral belt (7 grau) and a Judo black belt under Osvaldo Alves, he rose from purple belt to black belt without stopping at brown and proved his master right by giving the 'almighty' Rickson Gracie the toughest test in his jiu jitsu career. Regarded as a Jiu Jitsu prodigy during the 1980's, Penha is also recognized as one of the main developers of the closed guard position. He later became a successful grappling coach having awarded former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir his black belt among many other high level grapplers.

Master Ricardo Cavalcanti is a well known figure in Brazilian jiu jitsu, having earned his black belt under the legendary Carlson Gracie (1995), later receiving his coral belt by Reylson Gracie (February 2016) - a belt that caused some controversy as it was not recognised by the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJ). In 2001 Master Cavalcanti moved to the United States of America from his native Brazil, where he established his own successful academy (Team Cavalcanti), first affiliated with the Carlson Gracie Academy and later associated with Renzo Gracie.

Marcelo Benring was born in 1965 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was the son of Jiu Jitsu Red Belt, Flavio Behring and brother to BJJ instructor Sylvio Behring. Being from a family with such a strong fighting background, it didn't come as a surprise that Marcelo would start his martial arts training as a child practicing Jiu Jitsu with his father and Judo with master Hélcio Gama (and with George Medhi at a later stage). When Marcelo reached the age of 14, his father gave him a choice, to go and train wherever he wanted. Marcelo chose Rickson Gracie's gym. Though Marcelo Behring trained under the

Rocian Gracie Jr.

Caio Terra is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Master Paulo Mauricio Strauch and one of this sport's most accomplished roosterweights (57.50 kg / 127.0 lbs). Terra is known for his motto 'Technique Conquers All', an expression he tested successfully on numerous occasions, being arguably the most successful 127 lbs athlete to also compete in the open weight division. Caio Terra's outspoken nature against Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) in the sport was an important step towards the drug testing enforced today by the IBJJF.

Rodrigo Medeiros is a Carlson Gracie black belt (1996) and founder of BJJ Revolution Team.

Henrique Machado is a Brazilian BJJ black belt under Osvaldo Alves and also a 5th dan in Judo.

David Terrell is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Cesar Gracie (the 1st awarded by Cesar), who was widely regarded as one of the top grappling competitors of his generation, having medalled at the ADCC tournament and with wins over renowned competitors such as Fernando "Margarida" or Dean Lister and known for never having had a point scored against him in a grappling match. Being a "no gi jiu jitsu" specialist, Terrell transitioned to mixed martial arts (MMA) early in his career reaching UFC title contention.

Joao Silva is a Brazilian BJJ black belt and son of Grand Master Aloisio Silva.

Maurício Gomes, also known as Maurição, was a famous Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitor, active during the 1970's and 1980's decades, who belongs to the elite group of black belts given the rank by the late Rolls Gracie, one of the legendary figures of this Brazilian style of grappling. On top of his long list of trophies in the sport, Maurício was the founder of the first Gracie Barra franchise in the United Kingdom, one of the very first academies to be established in British soil. Maurício Gomes is also the father of Roger Gracie, the most achieved grappler of his generation. Mauricio started training Jiu Jitsu when he was 4 years old at João Alberto Barreto's Academy. Mauricio's father was a brown belt under Barreto and instilled in Maurício the drive to train and compete. When Great Master João Alberto Barreto started paying more attention to his psychology profession, the team lost it's mentor and with a weak competition team, an eager Maurição in his late teens felt the need to join another gym. At this time one of Maurício's best friends, Marcio Stambowsky, was training with Rolls Gracie and mentioned the high level of his classes, his friendship and the top quality provided by Rolls was more than enough for Gomes to join the team, in the year of 1975. Gomes would keep training with Rolls from this moment until the day he passed away (1982), receiving his black belt from the Gracie legend in the meantime. The close proximity to the Gracie family led Mauricio to meet Reila Gracie (sister of Rolls and daughter of Carlos Gracie Senior). The two, Mauricio and Reila would grow fond of each other, and though their relationship didn't last, the pair had a son - Roger Gracie, who would later in his life become one of the most accomplished jiu-jitsu competitors of all time. After his master's sad loss, Gomes abandoned Jiu Jitsu (as many other Rolls' students did), to pursue other career objectives, though never leaving the sport completely and training mainly to keep in shape with Rolls' brother Carlinhos Gracie (who had been an assistant coach at the old academy). Just before the turn of the 21'st century, Maurício came to Birmingham - England, and established an academy there. After he established the academy in the West Midlands area of England, he moved south to the country's capital city, London. In London he opened a series of gyms around the 2000's decade, namely at the Seymor Leisure Centre in Marylebone (which would be handed to Roger Brooking at a later stage). He opened a few other gyms and brought his son from Brazil to help him with the fast growing academies. In 2003 Mauricio heard that the Pan American champion Braulio Estima was trying his luck in London. Mauricio saw great potential in bringing this up and coming BJJ star to train with his son Roger (who was also rapidly becoming a BJJ phenomenon), he brought Estima to his camp handing in the process his Birmingham GB franchise in the hands of Braulio. Today Gracie Barra UK is one of the strongest academies in Europe. .. had the pleasure of training with the Master in Putney London.. absolute legend .. I've only recently started Jiu jitsu, and had absolutely no knowledge of the Art whatsoever beforehand. Anyways I'd be instructed by a couple of different guys (all black belts, and all really approachable and helpful) and this older guy who had this stripped belt. Not knowing what a coral belt was, I figured it must be below a black belt, but regardless, he was my favorite teacher. Obviously, he knows what he's saying and how to explain it in a way that even my daft brain could comprehend, all the professors do. It's that he's so funny. I always leave his classes knackered, excited about the next session, and with a big smile on my face. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Jason Fox (born 31 August 1976), often referred to by his nickname 'Foxy', is a British television personality, adventurer and a former Royal Marine Commando and UK Special Forces soldier.

Carlson Gracie (August 13, 1932 – February 1, 2006) was a practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu .

The French Laurence Cousin Fouillat is regarded as the first European female black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (2005). An incredibly accomplished grappler with wins at the FILA World Championships and the World Cup, Laurence was also the 2nd non Brazilian to win a gold medal at the Mundial de Jiu Jitsu in the black belt division (2007 same year as Rafael Lovato Jr).

Ricardo Marques is a BJJ black belt from the Carlson Gracie lineage, best known as the instructor who awarded Bernardo Faria his black belt in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais.

Nate Diaz, born April 16, 1985 in Stockton, California, is a UFC fighter and BJJ black belt under Cesar Gracie.

Wellington Dias, most commonly known in the Jiu Jitsu community as "Megaton", is a Judo and BJJ black belt famous for a competitive drive which has kept him at the top of his game for two decades. This Gracie Humaitá team representative is the only Jiu Jitsu fighter to have competed in all first 16 editions of the World BJJ Championships as a black belt (from 1996 until 2018), having reached the podium on 4 occasions. Megaton is also the father of Brazilian jiu jitsu star Mackenzie Dern.

Victor Estima is a Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Carlos Gracie Junior, who worked extensively with Zé Radiola during the early years of his career. Victor made a name for himself as one of the top middleweight competitors of his generation, earning medals in important tournaments such as the European Open and World Championships, though he is remembered by many as one of the creators of the "Estima Lock", a common submission used in jiu-jitsu and a position Victor created together with his older brother, Braulio Estima.

Master Julio Cesar Pereira is a highly regarded grappling instructor and a coral belt in jiu jitsu, a rank awarded by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF). Master Julio is well known for his work as a head coach of GF Team (Grappling Fight Team), formerly known as Gama Filho Jiu Jitsu Academy - a team he co-founded and where he developed important athletes such as Rodolfo Vieira, Vitor Henrique Oliveira, Ricardo Evangelista, Igor Silva, and many others.

Ricardo Murgel co-founded the first gym with Flavio Behring in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro in 1970.

Alexandre "Baiano" dos Santos is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under master Neury Gomes, he is also a Pan Pac's medallist belonging to the famous Cia Paulista team. In 2010 he moved to Australia to help Carlos Vieira run Paulista's ever growing franchise in the region. Alexandre dos Santos was born on the 12th of May, 1977 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He started training at Neury Gomes's academy in Vassouras - Rio de Janeiro, influenced by his good friend Carlos "Portugues" Vieira. He trained with master Neury until he received his blue belt, but moved the the "Gracie 22" gym in Leblon (south area of Rio de Janeiro) where he was taught by Helio Soneca. "Baiano" earned his purple and brown belt from Helio Soneca, but he divided his training between Soneca's gym and his old academy in Vassouras (where he started also helping the class). In 2001 he received his black belt from the Oswaldo Fadda protégé. In 2010 Alexandro dos Santos was invited by Carlos Vieira to come to Australia and help with the classes at Cia Paulista Australia.

Shane Rice was the first Canadian native to hold a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under the legendary Rickson Gracie. With a vast competitive curriculum in Gi, Nogi (without the use of the kimono) as well as MMA, Shane Rice was one of the main instructors at Rickson Gracie Academy in California, US.

Takamasa Watanabe is a Japanese BJJ black belt under Rickson Gracie who founded Axis Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Tokyo in 1997, the first official Gracie school in Japan.

Wendell Alexander is one of the most prominent unsung heroes in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The Co-Founder of one of the biggest teams in BJJ, the Nova Uniao, he also coached and graduated as black belts some of the biggest names in the sport, such as Leonardo Santos, Rodrigo "Riscado", Bruno Bastos and many, many others.

Eduardo Rocha (born 30 September 1966) is a Brazilian politician who serves as Secretary of the Civil House of Mato Grosso do Sul , in the government of Eduardo Riedel , as well as a state deputy for ...

Marcos Flexa is a Carlson Gracie black belt (1997) who was head coach of the Carlson Gracie Academy in Rio before moving to Amsterdam in 2001.

A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under the legendary Royler Gracie, Cristiano Marcelo made a name for himself in the BJJ and MMA world first for his successful run as as the coach of the legendary Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) team, Chute-Boxe. With his involvement with the team, Cristiano became himself an acknowledged MMA fighter, reaching the pinnacle of his recognition at the age of 34 after he entered the famous MMA TV show, The Ultimate Fighter: Live.

Andre Pederneiras is the co-founder of Nova Uniao.

John Crouch is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under the legendary Gracie Jiu Jitsu fighter, Royce Gracie. Crouch learned his BJJ skill from the Gracie family having used his knowledge as a coach, teaching both MMA (mixed martial arts) and BJJ at the world famous martial arts academy, MMA Lab (in Glendale, AZ), to some of the prime fighters in the world such as Alvin Robinson, TUF season 9 winner Efrain Escudero and "Smooth" Ben Henderson. John Crouch was born in Philadelphia, PA. in 1964. A football player in his youth, Crouch found out about Jiu Jitsu through Phil Spence, John's Tae Kwon Do instructor who joined a Law Enforcement program at the Gracie Academy in Torrance, California. Upon Spence's return a grappling class was open at the gym, where Crouch began dipping his toes in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the year was 1993 and he was 29 years old. His passion for Jiu Jitsu grew fast, and the following Summer John Crouch decided to spend a month at the Gracie Academy, training day and night with Rorion and Royce Gracie. This cemented his wish to dedicate his life to the Gracie style of fighting, applying for the instructor's program next and moving to California in 1995 to learn the Gracie trade. Crouch spent 5 years with the Gracie family, including one of the Gracie Jiu Jitsu founders, Helio Gracie, who ran the instructor program classes for about 2 years. In 2000 after John received his purple belt, he moved to Denver opening the Mile High Jiu Jitsu club. Crouch remained the coach earning his brown belt and later his black belt (on October 2005) from the hands of Royce Gracie. In 2006 John Crouch moved to Glendale, Arizona becoming the head instructor of the Jiu Jitsu and MMA team at the MMA Lab where he coached a number of top level MMA fighters such as Mitch Clarke, Alex Caceres, Jamie Varner, John Moraga, Alvin Robinson, TUF season 9 winner Efrain Escudero and UFC lightweight superstar Benson Henderson. With a hard work/no nonsense approach to training Crouch steadily asserted himself as one of the prime MMA coaches in the world. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Fabiano Silva is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Ricardo Liborio from the American Top Team (ATT), who also competes in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Fabiano is the head coach of the Temecula (USA) branch of ATT.

John Machado is the youngest of the five Machado Brothers, holding a 7th degree coral belt.

Eric Schafer is an American MMA fighter and BJJ black belt under Pedro Sauer who competed in the UFC.

Paulo Sergio is a 6th degree black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) under Master Romero Cavalcanti, as well as an accomplished judo black belt, who is known as a BJJ pioneer in the southern region of Brazil, and in Paris - France, where he developed a network of academies under his PS Phoenix Jiu Jitsu association. A former Brazilian and European champion, Paulo Sergio is also known for his work as a referee for the sport's most prestigious federations: IBJJF and UAEJJF.

Mauricio Tinguinha Mariano, born February 13, 1975 in Rio de Janeiro, is a BJJ black belt promoted by Carlos Gracie Jr.

Mario Reis is a BJJ black belt under Sylvio Behring who won the IBJJF World Championship in 2003 and mentored Nicholas Meregali.

One of the true legends in the sport of MMA, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, also known as "Minotauro" is considered by many the best heavyweight Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has produced in mixed martial arts. With a prosperous career in BJJ in the late 1990's, Minotauro turned to MMA, where wins over emblematic fighters such as UFC Hall of Fame Randy Couture & Mark Coleman as well as Josh Barnet, Dan Henderson, Mirko Filipovic, Tim Sylvia (just to name a few) gave him world titles in the two top organizations in the world (Pride FC and UFC). Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira was born in Vitoria da Conquista in the state of Bahia, Brazil, on the 2nd of June - 1976. His father was an accountant and his mother was a gym owner, because of this, Nogueira grew up in a gym environment and started training martial arts very early together with his twin brother Rogerio Nogueira (Minotouro), at the age of 4, starting off practicing Judo. The well publicized accident that left Rodrigo in a coma for 4 days happened when he was 11 years old. Nogueira was run over by a truck which left him severely injured, with broken ribs, ripped liver, crushed kidneys and lungs and a torn Achilles tendon. He also lost part of his back muscles, this being the reason why he has a visible gap on his back. Minotauro miraculously survived but he had to learn how to walk again and re-learn the most basic tasks. For a few years after the accident, Rodrigo still felt pain in his back where he was missing part of his muscles and he could not return to competitive sports, it was only when he was 14 years old that he made his comeback to Judo. Trying to make the most of the time he had lost due to his accident, Big Nog started adding sports to his day to day activities, starting to boxe at the age of 15, Jiu Jitsu when he was 17 and even freestyle wrestling at the age of 20. His first BJJ instructor was Guilherme Assad, who came from the Ricardo De La Riva academy. In BJJ Nogueira found a sport in which he excelled, he started adding to his rota regular trips to Rio de Janeiro to train with his master's master, De La Riva, which resulted in many medals in the lower belts, leading up to his black belt earned in 1999.

Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado ( Spanish pronunciation: [rafaˈel βiˈsente koˈre.a ðelˈɣaðo] ; born 6 April 1963) is an Ecuadorian politician and economist who served as the 45th president of Ecuador from 2007 to 2017.

Pedro Fernandes is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Cristiano Carioca from the GFTeam. A 2x IBJJF World No-Gi champion and IBJJF European Open champion, Fernandes has established himself as one of the top competitors in the lightweight division during the 2010s decade.

Javier Vazquez, also known as "Showtime", is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Rodrigo Medeiros, a rank he achieved in 2003, making him most likely the first Cuban black belt in the Brazilian grappling style. Javier is also a wrestler and a retired mixed martial artist with a successful career having competed at some of the top promotions in the world such as KOTC, WEC and the UFC . Javier Vazquez is also married to Rose Gracie, daughter of 9th degree jiu jitsu red belt Rorion Gracie, with whom he runs the "Gracie Tournaments" organization.

Celso Cavallini (born May 20, 1974) is a Brazilian BJJ black belt, Judo black belt, and renowned adventure/extreme sports TV presenter.

Alexandre 'Gigi' Paiva (born March 4, 1967) is a Brazilian BJJ black belt under Romero Cavalcanti and co-founder of Alliance Jiu-Jitsu.

Eduardo Rios, also known as "Teta", is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt under Ricardo Libório and the co-founder of Norway's Frontline Academy, one of the prime grappling gyms in Northern Europe. Part of the world-famous Brazilian Top Team (BTT) during the team's heyday in the early 2000s, Eduardo's succeeding settlement in Norway is acknowledged as a turning point for Scandinavian jiu-jitsu, which greatly beneficiated from the success of Teta's coaching methods and raised the level of European grappling's competitiveness in the sport's international circuit. Eduardo Rios was born on February 26, 1981, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Introduced to martial arts at a young age, by the time Eduardo was 6 years old he was already rolling around in a judo-gi, the first combat sport practiced by Rios, and one he dedicated himself to for years, reaching the rank of brown belt. Both Eduardo's grandfather and uncle were great jiu-jitsu enthusiasts and fans of the Gracie family, and it was through Rios' kinsmen that the young 'Carioca' developed an interest in this Brazilian style of grappling, particularly through his uncle who was also a BJJ practitioner and brought Teta regularly to the academy. The regular contact with BJJ led Rios to join in, in training, then mixing his judo activities with those of BJJ. Teta's official jiu-jitsu tuition started at the Carlson Gracie Academy (CGA), with Master Carlson, Ricardo Libório, and many other future legends of our sport/martial art, although his connection with Libório was the strongest from the workgroup, with the legendary competitor/coach becoming a strong reference in and out of the mats, a real live role model for Eduardo. Eduardo Rios progressed through the belt ranks under Libório's guidance, and when the big Carlson Gracie Team break up occurred, in 2000, Rios followed his mentor's footsteps and joined the newly formed - Brazilian Top Team (BTT), a workgroup co-founded by Ricardo, with the classroom being led mainly by Murilo Bustamante. In 2001 Eduardo Rios was awarded his black belt by Libório, but it was also during this year that Ricardo started spending more time abroad, first in Japan and later in the United States - a distance that would lead to his disassociation from BTT to form his own gym, American Top Team (ATT). At the time, Rios pondered on his own withdrawal from BTT and the Rio de Janeiro life to join his mentor abroad, an idea that never came to fruition. Instead, Teta remained, training under Murilo Bustamante, while also becoming part of the coaching staff at BTT, arguably, the most famous mixed martial arts (MMA) gym in the world at the time. In around 2005/2006 Eduardo Rios started dating a Norwegian, a relationship that led Teta to make regular trips to Scandinavia to visit his girlfriend. He eventually found himself teaching jiu-jitsu in Oslo which led to him co-founding the Frontline Academy together with Nic Ruben and two other partners. Rios covered a serious demand for high-standard BJJ tuition in Northern Europe, a prosperous region with a solid connection to sports. This dynamic helped Frontline's reputation spread across the country and soon enough the gym became a hub for big Scandinavian martial artists such as Joachim Hansen, Jon Olav Einemo, Simeon Thoresen, and many more. The work set forth by Eduardo Rios at Frontline helped strengthen BJJ in Europe, and in time Teta developed his own team of athletes, with many of the Old Continent's brightest stars such as Tarik Hopstock, Anja Bergo, and Alexander Rio spawning from Oslo's iconic academy. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Fernando Yamasaki is a Brazilian BJJ coral belt and younger brother of Mario Yamasaki.

Eduardo Telles, born 1976 in Sao Paulo, is a BJJ black belt under Fabio Gurgel and one of the most creative grapplers in history.

Penny Thomas is a female BJJ black belt and one of the sport's top competitors in the super heavyweight female division. A student of Renato Tavares, Penny Thomas has conquered important titles in her career such as the IBJJF World No-Gi Championship. Thomas is also the co-founder of the Gracie Women's Self-Defense program.

Ricardo Arona is a legendary BJJ and MMA fighter from Niteroi, Brazil.

Kyra Gracie Guimarães (born 29 May 1985) is a Brazilian submission grappler and a 4th degree black belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) practitioner.

Denis Kang is a retired Canadian MMA fighter who earned his BJJ black belt under Marcus Soares in 2004.

Alexandre Ribeiro, commonly known as 'Xande' Ribeiro, is a legendary jiu-jitsu competitor and one of the founding members of the Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu Association. Under the tutelage of some of the world's top coaches, including Royler Gracie, Vini Aieta and his own brother Saulo Ribeiro, Alexandre earned numerous grappling titles, including IBJJF and ADCC World Champion, while also earning the #1 rank in BJJ Heroes' Top BJJ Competitors of All Time list up until 2020. Ribeiro also had a short spell fighting in mixed martial arts (MMA) in 2008, competing for the Japanese promotion Sengoku.

Bruno Bastos is a 5th degree BJJ black belt under Wendell Alexander, former Nova Uniao representative, and founder of the Bruno Bastos Association and LEAD Team.

Joel Tudor is an accomplished surfer with an extensive career in professional longboarding, a successful entrepreneur, and a jiu-jitsu black belt under Rodrigo Medeiros as well as a former representative of the Carlson Gracie Academy - BJJ Revolution Team. Tudor was particularly active in jiu-jitsu at a competitive level during the late 2000s and early 2010s decades, a time when he conquered important medals on the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) circuit such as the American National Championship, competing also in the ADCC World Championships.

Alternate listing for Fabricio Werdum under his initial Corletta academy affiliation in Porto Alegre.

Colin Morrison CBE is a British publishing executive, who is the chairman, non-executive director and consultant of several media and digital companies in the UK, across Europe, the US, and Asia–Pacific.

Bruno Fernandes is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Carlos Gracie Junior, being the founder and head instructor of Montreal's Gracie Barra franchise (Canada). Known as the grappling coach of former UFC champion George Saint Pierre, Bruno Fernandes was also one of the most talented competitors to have graced the sport of jiu jitsu during the 2000's decade.

Marco Vilella, also known as "Gigante" is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Carlos Gracie Juniorwith a fantastic competitive record, having won important trophies such as the "Brasileiro", the Pan American Championship and even the Mundial in the "pesadissimo" weight division.

Marcus Bello is a Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, being also one of the most important figures in the GFTeam. Bello is famed for his exquisite top game with which he defeated many big names of the sport, including legends like Tererê and Marcelinho Garcia.

Jean Jacques Machado was born on February 12, 1968, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Born with Amniotic Band Syndrome , which left him without fingers on his left hand, Machado is related to the Gracie family from his mother's side of the family, given that Lair (Carlos Gracie Junior's mother) is Jean Jacques aunt.

Leandro Lora is a representative of the Brazil 021 Jiu Jitsu team. A former Kioto team member, Leandro has earned his black belt from the prestigious Master Carlos Henrique on July 2010.

Bruno Ferreira is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Nova Geração founder, Master Francisco Albuquerque. Well known for his work as a coach in London, England and for his sporting career, where Ferreira earned medals in important events such as the Campeonato Brasileiro (Brazilian Nationals), the South American Championship, Brazilian Teams Tournament and the London International Open, Bruno has also worked in the world famous United Arab Emirates Jiu-Jitsu development program, before settling in Gaia, Portugal.

Eduardo Avelar de Carvalho is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Leandro Escobar (Tatu), who also worked extensively with coach Luis Carlos Tabinha under the Soul Fighters / Double Five grappling team banner, an association he represented from his childhood all the way up to his professional status. Avelar earned the reputation of being one of the top lightweights of his generation while competing in the lower belt divisions of the sport, where he conquered important tournaments of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) world circuit.

Vinicius Draculino Magalhaes, born July 30, 1971 in Rio de Janeiro, is a BJJ instructor who raised champions such as Romulo Barral and Samuel Braga.

Leo Negao is a Brazilian BJJ black belt from Alliance who gave Fabio Gurgel his nickname The General.

Thales Leites is a retired Brazilian MMA fighter and BJJ black belt who competed in the UFC middleweight division.

BJ The Prodigy Penn earned his BJJ black belt under Andre Pederneiras in just 3 years.

Fábio Gurgel was born on the 18th of January 1970 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His first Jiu Jitsu class was in 1983 when he was 13 years old, he graduated as a Yellow Belt (for under 16 year olds) when he was 14 and ran through the orange belt to achieve his blue belt at 15 years of age from the hands of Romero Cavalcanti.

Bibiano Fernandes, born March 30, 1980, is a 5x BJJ World Champion and 3x Pan American Champion who was the top light-featherweight of his generation.

Rodrigo Feijao is a BJJ black belt under Andre Pederneiras, one of Nova Uniao's main lightweight figures in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Ryan Gracie was born on August 14, 1974, in Rio de Janeiro - Brazil, being the son of Robson Gracie and the younger brother of Renzo, Ralph, Flavia and Charles Gracie. Although born in Rio de Janeiro, Ryan spent his early childhood in Teresópolis, later moving to the Copacabana neighborhood for a short 2-year spell before settling in Barra da Tijuca, on number 246 Gilberto Amado Street. A house that would become famous within the jiu-jitsu community, an emblem of Ryan and his brother's wild lifestyle. Ryan was fully embedded in the family's fighting culture from early on, this much can be witn

Rodrigo Cavaca is an IBJJF World Champion (2010) from Santos, Brazil.

Adam Shahir Kayoom is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under American Top Team founder Ricardo Liborio. An experience mixed martial arts (MMA) competitor, Kayoom stayed as truthful to martial arts as possible having competed and trained in a variety of combat styles throughout his career, including: muay thai (in which he was world champion), Brazilian jiu iitsu, kalis illustrisimo,"Traditional" ju-jitsu (Yagyu Shingan Ryu), hapkido, aikido, taekwondo (black belt) and karate (black belt). Adam Kayoom was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malasya, on the 22nd of October, 1977. He came with his family to Sydney - Australia when he was 9 years old where he settled. Being a martial arts enthusiast, he practiced them diligently from an early age, but it wasn't until he was 18 years old that he found Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ). The reason behind his interest in ground work was simply because he was involved in a street fight that ended on the ground where his technical knowledge was deemed useless. He was mounted by his attacker and ended up being saved by his brother; he immediately started looking for something that provided an option for him when on the ground. The solution presented itself in the form of a tape which had the video of UFC II with Royce Gracie in it. As BJJ was not an option in those days in Australia, Adam travelled all the way to the source of Brazilian jiu jitsu, in Brazil, having Fernando Paradeda as his very first instructor in Porto Alegre - State of Rio Grande do Sul. He travelled to the South of Brazil for years, training and competing there as often as he could receiving his blue and purple belts from two legends of the sport, Walter Mattos and Ze Mario Sperry. He continued his BJJ training where he could while competing also in Muay Thai (Thai boxing) earning the WPMF world title in the striking style. He also trained with Bruno Panno at Gracie Humaita - Sidney, who awarded Adam his brown belt. In 2009 he was awarded his black belt by Ricardo Liborio - leader and founder of American Top. Editor's Note: A big thank you to Tony Gurnick and Infinite MMA, one of Astralia's prime MMA websites, for all the valuable information and for being the bridge between BJJ Heroes and Adam Kayoom for this article. Official Website Adam Kayoom Team Website: www.thailandbjj.com Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Peter de Been is an Australian martial artist who helped pioneer the art of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in Australia....

One of the top female grapplers at the turn of the century, Ana Laura Cordeiro became a star fighting for the Gracie Barra academy for whom she won 4 consecutive world titles. In 2009, at a time when she was already regarded as a possible contender to the top "pound for pound" female jiu jitsu fighter in the world, Ana Laura Cordeiro suffered a terrible back injury that prevented her from competing at the highest level ever since. Ana Laura Cordeiro is still mentioned as one of the greatest female grapplers to have graced the sport despite her short competitive career, having defeated most of the big names of her generation such as Gabi Garcia, Michelle Nicolini, Penny Thomas and many others.

Jeff Joslin is a Canadian BJJ and MMA practitioner who has competed professionally.

Franco Vacirca is a BJJ pioneer in Europe who co-developed GRACIE CONCEPTS with his brother Demetrio.

Rodolfo Vieira is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Master Julio César Pereira, who is widely regarded as one of the best heavyweight Gi competitors of his generation, and particularly one of the top guard passers the sport has seen. Competing for Grappling Fight Team (GFT), Rodolfo was the first big name to come out of the Rio de Janeiro academy, placing the sport's spotlight on a team that has since brought forward many more high-end athletes. On November 2015 Rodolfo Vieira announced his move to American Top Team (ATT) to pursue a career in mixed martial arts, he would join the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) promotion in 2019.

Greg Nelson is an American martial arts instructor who was the first black belt promoted by Pedro Sauer.

Alexandre Freitas, commonly known as Alexandre "Soca", was considered by many as the king of Jiu Jitsu's super-featherweight division in the late 1990's early 2000's. Alexandre "Soca" conquered numerous BJJ and submission wrestling competitions including the prestigious Abu Dhabi Combat Club tournament (ADCC), arguably the most prestigious grappling trophy in the world. Favourite Position/Technique: Choke from the back and Armlock from side control. Alexandre Soca was born on the 6th of September 1972 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was very active as a child, doing many sports with a special attention to surf, and it wasn't until 1988 that he went to his first Jiu Jitsu class, a class he attended trying to follow his brother's footsteps - his brother was a BJJ blue belt at the time. Soca's very first Jiu Jitsu instructor was Jean Jacques Machado in an academy filled with amazing talent, figures like "Draculino", "Soneca", "Risada" and many others were daily on the mats. Alexandre Freitas showed his own talent from the start and progressed through the ranks under Machado's supervision at the famed Gracie Barra academy in Barra da Tijuca. Shortly after Alexandre received his purple belt, Jean Jacques moved to America and Carlos Gracie Junior took charge of his classes. While Alexandre Soca was a purple belt, he also began helping out as an assistant coach at the gym, aiding Roberto Correa and Ralph Gracie. Alexandre received his black belt in 1994 and went on to have a fabulous career as both a competitor and a coach having helped several fantastic grapplers raise up their game, including Kyra Gracie whom he coached until she reached her purple belt. In 2005 he got an invitation to coach one of two academies; one was located in Hawaii and another one in Long Island - NY where he would replace Rodrigo Gracie. Alexandre liked the idea of living abroad and opted to go to Long Island. In his career as a coach, Soca has been known for a preference in creating his own brand. Though he was linked with Gracie Barra for a long time, he chose to fund Soca BJJ distancing himself from the Barra franchise. The successful "Soca BJJ" academy has already graduated several black belts who are spread out all over the world, fighters like Rafael "Capoeira", Paulo de Tarso, "Cabeção", Vinicius Moura, Sydney Machado and even The Ultimate Fighter season 8 finalist Phillipe Nover. Alexandre also ventured in the world of MMA (mixed martial arts) in 2004. He made his debut against the experienced Yoshiro Maeda, displaying a lot of his BJJ skills in the first round but succumbing to a knee strike early in the second round. Maeda was undefeated at the time with 7-0-0 and stayed undefeated until 2005. Alexandre Soca Grappling Record 28 WINS BY POINTS 9 (32%) BY ADVANTAGES 0 (0%) BY SUBMISSION 19 (68%) BY DECISION 0 (0%) BY PENALTIES 0 (0%) BY DQ 0 (0%) 19 SUBMISSIONS WINS Choke from back Armbar Choke Guillotine RNC Triangle 13 LOSSES BY POINTS 11 (85%) BY ADVANTAGES 0 (0%) BY SUBMISSION 2 (15%) BY DECISION 0 (0%) BY PENALTIES 0 (0%) BY DQ 0 (0%) 2 SUBMISSIONS LOSSES Leglock Kneebar Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Cristiano Carioca is one of the most accomplished coaches in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu who is not associated with a big team/academy. From his small gym in Manaus - Brazil named Carioca Team, Cristiano and gis brother Angelo Carioca managed to create a sizable team from which several BJJ stars have blossomed, fighters such as Fernando Vieira, Ivaniel Oliveira, Adriano Martins, Andrezza Façanha and many others. Cristiano Carioca is also famed for his work in MMA, having coached former UFC champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto.

Justin Julian Garcia (born 26 October 1995) is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for V.League 1 club Song Lam Nghe An and the Trinidad and Tobago national team ....

Alvaro Bobadilla is an accomplished Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under GF Team's leader, Master Julio Cesar Pereira. The Super Featherweight Bobadilla has won numerous important tournaments, including the World Cup on 3 occasions and the Brazilian National Teams tournament; he is also one of the main figures out of the GFT camp. Alvaro Bobadilla was born on the 20th of April, 1977 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His mother decided to take him to a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class when Alvaro was 8 years old, hopping that the exercise would help tone down his hyper activeness. Bobadilla ended up falling in love with the sport and never stopped practicing. Bobadilla's first coach was Marcos Barreto, also known as Juruna. He trained under Master Barreto for many years, earning both his blue belt and his purple from the world's first Rooster weight world champion. Bobadilla also trained Judo at the Gama Filho University, he ended up joining the BJJ team at that same university where he was taught by another Master from the same lineage as Barreto, Mr Julio Cesar. Alvaro Bobadilla earned both his brown and his black belt (in 2000) from Cesar.

Ramon Lemos is the co-founder and head coach of Atos BJJ Team.

Nelson Monteiro is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Master Mario Sperry and a founding member of the Brazilian Top Team (BTT). A former ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship competitor, Monteiro has also had an extensive career in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and is currently a successful BJJ and MMA coach.

Vinicius Marinho is a former professional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor who fights out of the world-famous GF Team (Grappling Fight Team) with an extensive curriculum of achievements in the sport. Marinho started training at age 10 and was awarded his coveted black belt rank when he was 19 years of age by Master Julio Cesar.

Ricardo Evangelista is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Master Julio Cesar and one of the main ultra-heavyweight competitors of his generation, a reputation earned at the service of the Grappling Fight Team (GFT) in this sport's international circuit.

Travis Tooke is a 5th degree BJJ black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr.

Benjamin Box Baxter (13 November 1876 – 30 January 1934) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Essendon Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Hermes Franca is a Brazilian MMA fighter who was a former WEC Lightweight Champion and competed for the UFC Lightweight title at UFC 73.

Rodrigo Medeiros is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Carlson Gracie. Rodrigo was also part of the famous Carlson Gracie Academy team that ruled the sport in the 1980s and early 1990s. Medeiros his home country and moved to the United States, where he founded his own team, the BJJ Revolution Team, a group that has grown into a very successful association at a national and international level.

Rousimar Palhares, also known as "Toquinho" or "Paul Harris", is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under the legendary Murilo Bustamante as well as a professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter. He shocked the grappling World in 2005 by winning the Brazilian ADCC trials (arguably the hardest of the ADCC trials around the globe) when he was still a purple belt, although he wasn't allowed to fight in the main event as his visa was denied. In MMA Toquinho has been known for his excessive use of force when submitting his opponents, an excess that saw him being suspended, and later fired from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) roster.

Jeff Higgs is an American BJJ black belt under Fabio Santos who awarded Dean Lister his black belt.

Kayron Gracie the grandson of Gracie jiu jitsu founder Carlos Gracie Senior. He is also the son of Carlos Gracie Junior and an important BJJ competitor of his own merit, having won prestigious tournaments such as the Pan American championship and the world championship. A member of the Gracie Barra academy (which his father founded), Kayron Gracie is a continuation of the Gracie Family's dominance in the sport of jiu jitsu. Favourite Position/Technique: Lapel Chokes and Spider Guard Kayron Gracie was born on the 4th of May, 1988 in Rio de Janeiro - Brazil. He is the oldest son of CBJJ (Confederacao de Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - aka IBJJ) president "Carlinhos" Gracie who is also the founder of Gracie Barra - one of Jiu Jitsu's strongest teams. Though his first sporting passion lied with surfing, Kayron also started training BJJ from a very young age, competing for the first time when he was 9 years old at the Brasileiro (Brazilian National Championship), a competition he would win the following year as a junior yellow belt. When Kayron was 17 years old, he moved to the United States, where he continued to compete (and win) while also beginning a career as a coaching member of the Gracie Barra team. Though he received his black belt from the hands of his father (on October 2009), the main responsible for Krayon's tuition in the sport throughout his life was Marcio Feitosa. Marcio was also his main inspiration as a fighter when growing up. In 2008 Kayron Gracie showed true toughness at the Mundial (World Championship). He fought in the Open Weight, and after a gruelling fight where he was pushed to the limit and ended up puking outside the arena after the win, he returned to the mat in exhaustion to fight Joao Assis (a fight he ended losing). Though he did not medal in the absolute, he did manage to win his weight class. About his lineage... It's not accurated. Think correct is: Carlos Gracie Sr > Helio Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Carlos Gracie Jr... Eu tive a honra de testemunhar alguns dos anos de dedicação e treinos na busca desse aperfeiçoamento. 2011 Kayron Gracie Campeão Panamericano No Gi Meio Pesado E Vice Campeão Panamericano No Gi Absoluto 2012 Kayron Gracie Campeão Panamericano Meio Pesado It is known among bjj circles that Bruno Alves let Kayron have the victory instead of fighting him (closed out essentially) as he knew he could beat him in the finals at the 2008 worlds (brown). Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Stephan Kesting is a BJJ black belt under Marcus Soares known for Grapplearts.com.

Leticia Ribeiro, born February 24, 1979, is a 9x IBJJF World Champion and 6th degree BJJ black belt under Royler Gracie.

Erivaldo Junior is a Brazilian BJJ black belt and instructor at Liga Jiu-Jitsu in Sao Jose dos Campos.

Oliver Reich is a BJJ black belt who received his belt from Rey Diogo in 2007.

Fernando Gurgel is a Brazilian BJJ black belt and co-founder of Alliance Jiu-Jitsu along with Romero Cavalcanti, Fabio Gurgel, and Alexandre Paiva.

Felipe Silva, commonly known as "Bocão" is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Rogério Poggio and Pitoco Jordan, being known as one of the most active competitors of the Infight Jiu Jitsu Academy throughout the 2000's & 2010 decade. Bocão also became one of the main coaches of the team, later joining the United Arab Emirates school system as a grappling coach.

Fabio Prado, also known as 'Pateta' (Goofy) is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Marcelo Clemente from the famous Gracie Ilha academy in Rio de Janeiro. Prado moved to the United States after receiving his black belt and established himself as one of the main grappling coaches in the country, having worked with several professional athletes, namely MMA superstar Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez at team Alpha Male in Sacramento.

Vitor Ribeiro, commonly known as "Shaolin" is a former Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt IBJJF World Champion and CBJJ National Champion, who is regarded as one of the best lightweight competitors to have ever graced the sport. A member of the famous 2x World Champion Nova Uniao team of the late 1990's, Shaolin transitioned to mixed martial arts (MMA) during the 2000's, becoming a big name in cage-fighting also, competing for prestigious MMA organizations such as Strikeforce, Dream, K-1, Shooto and Cage Rage.

Garth Taylor is an American grappler with an extensive list of competitive achievements including a gold medal at the World Jiu Jitsu Championships as a purple belt and a silver medal in the black belt division of the same tournament (in 2001). A black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Claudio Franca, Garth Taylor is also the head instructor of the Kaijin MMA team in Santa Cruz,California.

Otavio Ratinho Couto (born 1971) is a Brazilian BJJ black belt under Romero Cavalcanti.

Jair Lourenco is the leader of the Kimura Nova Uniao team from Natal, Rio Grande do Norte.

Crolin Gracie is a son of Carlos Gracie Sr.

Alan Moraes is a jiu-jitsu black belt under Carlson Gracie Junior, and a former instructor at the world-famous Carlson Gracie Academy in Rio de Janeiro, from where he has produced several high-quality black belts, including world medallist Samir Chantre, and Brazilian national champion Breno Bittencourt. Since leaving Carlson Gracie's academy in 2016, Alan Moraes joined Ares BJJ, one of the top affiliations in the sport.

Mario Reis is a top Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitor in the featherweight division. This fighter from the South of Brazil has won numerous competitions such as the World Championship, the World Cup and many other important tourneys. Reis is also famed for his aggressive style either playing guard or passing and is seen as one of the most entertaining fighters of the division.

Octavio Tata Duarte is a Brazilian BJJ black belt who trained under Jorge Pereira and has been a respected instructor and competitor.

Andre Anderson is a BJJ black belt promoted by Rey Diogo.

Paulo Guillobel is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt (5th degree) under Jorge Pereira, being also one of the most highly regarded figures in the community, as an instructor, competitor and ambassador of this grappling style. Having started his training in Rio de Janeiro - Brazil (1988), Guillobel moved to the US in 2000 where he established his own academy in San Clemente - California, a gym affiliated to the Ribeiro Jiu Jitsu Association.

One of the best heavyweight grapplers of his generation, Fernando "Boi" Marques is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Master André Pederneiras and a former BJJ World Champion (2001). Fernando Boi is also an accomplished freestyle and Greco Roman wrestler, having won national titles and been a part of the Brazilian national wrestling squad for the Pan Americans.

Ricardo Arona is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Ricardo Libório and the Carlson Gracie lineage, being a submission wrestling (no gi) legend, having won the ADCC on 3 occasions. Ricardo Arona also led a successful mixed martial arts (MMA) career having fought some the biggest competitors of his time, fighters such as Fedor Emilianenko, Wanderlei Silva, Mauricio "Shogun", Murilo "Ninja", among many others in the now extinct Pride FC promotion.

Randy Bloom (born 1955) is an internationally exhibited American painter.

Roberto Spider Traven is a BJJ coral belt from Rio de Janeiro who trained under Romero Jacare Cavalcanti of Alliance.

Brandon Powell (born September 12, 1995) is an American professional football wide receiver and punt returner .

João Roque is a former Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt World Champion (in the super featherweight division) and MMA professional fighter - Shooto Japan title contender. Roque was also born in Angola, more than likely the first African native to earn a black belt in Jiu Jitsu (João received his in 1993). As a coach, João Roque has also produced several important competitors from his gym in Brasilia. João Roque was born on the 22nd of July, 1971, in Angola. His family moved to Brazil in 1975, shortly after the war between Angola and Portugal came to an end (1961-1974). The Roque family arrived in Rio de Janeiro mainly to escape the dire situation their origin country was in. He started training Jiu Jitsu when he was 15 years old, after an invitation from a friend. Joao was already very much into sports at the time, training in swimming, volleyball, and long distance running at the Clube de Regatas Guanabara, and it was at that same club that he added Jiu Jitsu to his long list of athletic activities. His first coaches were Marcio Pinheiro and Gerson Velasco, and he stayed under their guidance until he was a purple belt. The Clube de Regatas was more of a gym franchise, there weren't many consistent training partners and a there were lot of new faces arriving all the time. This made it hard for Joao to progress the way he intended. Sensing Roque's angst, Marcio introduced Joao to his own master, the prestigious Oswaldo Alves. When Joao Roque was a purple belt, he did the unthinkable. Running a high fever and extremely debilitated he competed at the "Copa Nastra" winning the event in his weight class, after which he went to the doctor and was diagnosed with hepatitis. In fact, Roque's relentless will to win was put to the test several times in his career, as the event in which he fought with a dislocated finger (when he was a blue belt). It was under Oswaldo Alves that Joao Roque graduated to brown belt. It was also at the Master Alves's gym that Roque started getting interested in MMA (vale tudo in those days). He watched a lot of videos of closed door encounters and witnessed a few of these encounters first hand. This was a time when the Luta Livre vs BJJ rivalry was still running high and defending Jiu Jitsu was a matter of honour. Unfortunately for Joao Roque's training, Master Oswaldo had to move to Manaus leaving the Angolan without a master or a team. It was then that he joined André Pederneiras, right at the start of the Nova União (about the time Pederneiras and Wendell Alexander joined forces to form this team). Joao Roque joined MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) in 1996 in the United States (Oklahoma) with a win by armbar. He went on to compete at the highest level, in some of the best shows in the late 1990's such as the UFC, DEEP and Shooto. Moving from Rio de Janeiro to Brasília, Roque went on to form one of the strongest teams in that state, his gym "Clube Vizinhança" still runs today. Joaa was not born in Angola, Africa. He was born on the island of Goa (a portuguese colony but populated by people from India, hence the turmoil). This is why he competed at the 2000 ADCC as a member of the Portuguese team (and not as a member of the Brazilian team.....becuase he spent much of 1999 teaching up in Toronto Canada, where I was his student, and had thus missed the brazilian trials). Jonesy, there are several interviews where Roque says he was born in Angola (like this one: http://www.jiu-jitsu.net/interviews/roque/). Also, Goa was not in Turmoil in the 1970's, it became an Indian territory in the early 1960's. Angola was also a Portuguese colony up to 1974 when the Portuguese fascist regime fell through and Angola was given independence. Portugal had been at war with Angola, Gine-Bissau and Mozambique for many years before the independence of these countries in the mid 1970's. I know because my family fought in those wars. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Clark Gracie is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Carley Gracie and a member of the Gracie Family as well as one of the top middleweight BJJ competitors of his generation. Clark became known in the sport's professional circuit, not only for his wins but also for his submission oriented grappling style.

Roberto "Gordo" Correa is one of the most important figures in Jiu Jitsu's history. An important competitor during the 1990s, Correa later became one of the head instructors at the Gracie Barra academy, where he helped shape IBJJF world champion grapplers such as Celso Vinicius, Braga Neto, and many others. As a coach Roberto was sought out by many experts in the grappling game, champions like Kyra Gracie and Vinicius Magalhaes though his biggest contribution to the sport was the half guard, a specific position he developed as a purple belt. Roberto Correa was born in 1971 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, growing up in the local neighborhood of Tijuca. As a child, Correa grew up among the Gracie family, being a classmate of Ralph Gracie in kindergarden. It wasn't until later that "Gordo" became acquainted with grappling as his childhood was spent mostly surfing. Though Roberto shared the same beaches and was friends with many BJJ practitioners, it wasn't until 1985 (19YO) that he participated in his first BJJ class. starting off in the famous Tijuca academy led by Jean Jacques Machado. After the famous Machado instructor moved to the USA, Gordo continued to train at this same location, being taught by some of the best instructors of his time, all of a Gracie lineage. It was as a purple belt that Roberto's "Eureka" moment arrived. He injured his knee severely at the time, an injury that prevented him from training, but Roberto opted to return prematurely. In order to keep his knee safe, he started playing from the bottom controlling one of the legs of his opponent with his own legs. This was a position he used defensively to keep his opponents from passing his guard. People had "fallen" into this position before, but Roberto started exploring it to his benefit. He was so fruitful that he started training specifically this position even after his convalescence period being extremely successful both in class and in competition. People started calling it "Meia-Guarda" (English equivalent to Half-Guard) a position that became fundamental for any Jiu-Jitsu fighter of the modern era. Correa received his black belt in 1993 by the hands of Carlos Gracie Junior, the Gracie Barra president. He went on to have a very successful career as a competitor in the black belt divisions winning every major tournament available and being part of the 2 time World Champion Gracie Barra team of the 1990s. In 2007 Carlos Mata, the manager of most of the Gracie Barra MMA fight team members and personal friend of "Gordo" had an argument with Carlos Gracie Junior (the head of the Gracie Barra team), as a result, the team split having most of its fighters join Mata on the way out, some in support, others for contractual reasons. As Roberto Correa had been working with the team for a long time, he felt that he shouldn't abandon the fighters and joined them forming the Gordo Jiu-Jitsu/Evolution. Gordo never openly admitted breaking up with Gracie Barra, having expressed only that he felt the need to support the fighters who were left without a coach. Today Roberto Gordo Correa is regarded as one of the best Jiu-Jitsu instructors in Brazil. Many big names in the Jiu-Jitsu and MMA game come to him regularly to request his technical advice. Banner photo taken by William Burkhardt of BJJ Pix. Roberto Correa "Gordo" vs Rogerio Olegario Didn't Gordo split form Gracie Barra? If so, I would love to hear the story behind that. Gordo never expressed animosity towards Gracie Barra (not to my knowledge), he explained that the split was made to help the fighters (who had split from the team). Check out the last couple of paragraphs. Awesome. Thanks Andre! Your site is for sure one of my favorites on the internet. Any chance at doing an article on Rodrigo Medeiros or Toco of Nova Geracao/BJJ Revolution/Carlson Gracie? Hi Cody, Thank you for the kind words! Toco and Medeiros are definitely on my plans. I will try and work harder on these two, specially Medeiros as I am having alot of people asking about him. you have agreat site! it will be great an article about Helio Soneca from Gracie Barra and Toco Albuquerque from Carlson Gracie now leader of Nova Geracao they are great teachers very respected arround the world Hey, great article. I read every new bio you put on! lol. Any chance of a Ryan Hall bio? love his style and id like to know more about him if possible. I remember while I was training at Gordo Jiu Jitsu Academy, someone telling me that 'Gordo' was his nickname when he was a kid because he was a bit fat/chubby and I guess it just stuck. Can't remember who told me though. Also Gordo Jiu Jitsu was the academy he formed... Gracie Fusion was the MMA team formed with Ryan Gracie... and now Evolve MMA are big sponsors/benefactors and have invested in the club so when they compete it's Gordo Jiu Jitsu/Evolve or something along those lines. Great article and great work over all the site! It's so important to keep the history of the art alive with so many new people beginning to learn jiu jitsu. how about his brother?? Rafael Gordinho Lima He is definitely going to be featured here as well. Already have the information I needed. Just need to start doing some typing 🙂 Rafael "gordinho" just opened a gym by my house. I currently train elsewhere. Is he worth checking out Definitely check him out if you're within 45 minutes of driving Orlyn!! Gordinho is a Brazilian National and World Champion, and is one of the best competitors to come out of the powerhouse Gracie Barra school in Rio! You won't regret it! Beautiful academy too. Hard to imagine BJJ without the half guard. Obrigado "Gordo"! I tapped this guy almost every minute in one day rolling and I went home with sore palm from tapping. My professor is Renato "Babalu" Sobral and he's a black belt under Roberto "Gordo" Correa. He's had great success in MMA and BJJ. You should do a story on him. His gym Babalu's Iron gym in Cerritos, CA is having a 10 yr anniversary in October 2018. He's a great professor and person. My instructor, Jeremy Arel, is a black belt under Gordo. If I remember correctly, he said that the reason Professor Correa has the nickname "Gordo" is because he was relatively large for a newborn baby whenever he was born- although I don't recall the exact weight that was mentioned. Great Article!. I train directly under the Gordo BJJ academy here in south Fl. and see Mestre Gordo Weekly. The embodiment of what BJJ should be holds true. class act, great mestre, amazing BJJ environment always. His black belt instructors, have a very meticulous way of teaching the techniques. really happy to see where it all came from Great Article!. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Ricardo Reis is a Brazilian BJJ black belt and instructor who coached Cassio Werneck.

Leonardo Leozinho Vieira, born March 23, 1976 in Rio de Janeiro, is a legendary BJJ competitor and founder of the Checkmat team.

From BTT's training hall in Rio to Frontline Academy in Oslo. 5th-degree black belt and European Champion.

Yuki Nakai is a legendary martial arts fighter and Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt, who became well known by mixed martial arts (MMA) fans after his famous contest against Gerard Gordeau in 1995, where he was illegally eye-gouged and partially lost his eyesight, winning the fight highly debilitated and reaching the final against Rickson Gracie. Nakai has also been one of the main figures in the development of the Brazilian style of Jiu Jitsu to Japan, for which he was a tremendous ambassador.

Ryo Ominami is a Kodokan Judo and Jiu Jitsu black belt (under Carlos Gracie Junior), who competes for the Gracie Barra Japan team. Ominami leads the Gracie Barra team in the Land of the Rising Sun where he has achieved important personal goals such as winning the Asian Open (IBJJF), the All Japan Championship and even the NAGA in Chicago.

Leandro Nyza is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Master Wendell Alexander, who was brought to Hawaii by former UFC Lightweight & Welterweight Champion BJ Penn. Nyza has since established himself and his academy as one of the strongest in the region.

Vinicius Campelo is a Brazilian BJJ black belt who co-founded Alliance Barra Academy with Octavio Couto in Rio de Janeiro.

Demetrio Vacirca co-developed GRACIE CONCEPTS with his brother Franco and opened their first academy in Zurich in 1988.

Marcelo Cohen is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Marcelo Saporito as well as a former member of the Carlson Gracie Academy. An IBJJF Pan American and American National champion (No-Gi), Cohen is also known for his work as a grappling instructor, recognition conquered while working at The Armory, a Florida (USA) based academy. Marcelo Cohen was born on December 12, 1983, in Rio de Janeiro - Brazil. Being an overactive child Marcelo was enlisted in judo classes at the age of 9, a sport he practiced for many years. Looking for a more challenging and self defense oriented martial art, during his mid-teens Marcelo picked up Brazilian jiu-jitsu training at the famous Carlson Gracie Academy HQ in Rio de Janeiro, where his tuition was handed by head coach Marcelo Saporito. In 2004 Marcelo moved to the United States, settling in Jupiter - Florida. There he continued his grappling training at the well-known martial arts hub 'The Armory' alongside Kurt Pellegrino, Eduardo Guedes, and a few other professional fighters while maintaining close contact with Saporito in his native Rio de Janeiro. His continuous training paid off on December 2012, the day of Cohen's 29th birthday, and also the day he was promoted to black belt. Marcelo would later become the head coach at the prestigious The Armory, where Rodrigo Cavaca, Marcus Almeida 'Buchecha', Raphael Chaves, and many other highly regarded instructors passed before Cohen. Marcelo's work as an instructor would prove to be worthy of the highest praise by many BJJ outlets, including Jiu-Jitsu Magazine - who featured an article on the subject in 2015. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Tim Credeur is a BJJ black belt and UFC veteran from Lafayette, Louisiana.

Vinicius "Vini" Aieta is a highly regarded Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a black belt under Royler Gracie he became the head coach of Gracie Tijuca (an affiliate gym of Gracie Humaitá) who's had tremendous influence in the development of some elite grapplers such as: Leticia Ribeiro, "Xande" Ribeiro, Vinny Magalhaes, Gustavo Correa, Fabricio "Morango" Camoes and many others.

Wander Braga is a Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) black belt under Jorge Pereira, being one of the most well known competitors in the BJJ and no-holds-barred (NHB) circuit during the mid 1990's and early 2000's decades. Wander Braga is also revered for his coaching success, having co-founded the famous Big Brother team and formed high calibre grappling competitors such as Gabriel "Napão" Gonzaga.

Benson Henderson (born November 16, 1983) is an American former professional mixed martial artist , who most recently competed in the Lightweight division for Bellator MMA .

Rodrigo Cavaca is one of the top fighters in the "Pesadissimo" jiu jitsu division, who became one of the main coaches of the Checkmat team, producing several high end athletes through his academy in Santos (Sao Paulo), competitors such asMarcus Almeida, Nivaldo Oliveira, Michelle Nicolini. In 2010 Cavaca had one of his best years as a competitor, winning the world title and the Brazilian national title, cementing his name as one of the great jiu jitsu fighters of his generation, this success was closely tied with Cavaca's advancements on the Straight Ankle Lock, a position he made popular in the sport after working with the American grappling coach Roli Delgado. On October 2013 however, coach Rodrigo Cavaca abandoned the Checkmat team to lead his own team, Zenith Jiu Jitsu alongside Robert Drysdale.

Kevin Casey (born June 15, 1981) is an American MMA fighter and BJJ black belt under Rickson Gracie.

Carlos Lemos Jr.

Régis Lebre is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Royler Gracie, regarded as one of the pioneers in the US East Coast through his work at Steve and DC Maxewell's "Maxwercise" academy in Philadelphia. Not only a revered instructor, but Lebre was also highly successful as a competitor, having earned a Pan American title, Masters & Senior title, and several Rio State championships.

Andre Terencio also known as Andre "Negao" is a great Jiu Jitsu personality and one of the best coaches in BJJ today, having graduated great champions like Hannette Staack. Negao is also one of the founding members of the Brazil 021 team. A team with affiliates all over the world, including the two strongest "BJJ countries", the United States and Brazil. Andre Terencio was born on the 20th of of December 1977 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He started training in the beginning of the 1990's in "Academia Santana" when Andre was only 13years old, because he was an obese child with lack of self confidence. André Negão's first and only instructor was Carlos Henrique, one of the best coaches there was in Brazil at the time, and the man who graded him from white to black belt. After one year of training, André wanted to train more and more, but his humble roots didn't allow the expensive tuition. André then asked his family not to give him anything else throughout the year (no Christmas gifts, no Birthday gifts, nothing), just the money to pay the tuition. It was this dedication that took him up the ranks until black belt.

Rodrigo Cabral, also known as "Brucutu", is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Leonardo Vieira of the Checkmat Team, who was once regarded as one of the most promising students of Vieira (2000s). Although successful as an athlete, Cabral suffered a few serious injury setbacks during his competitive career, which prevented him from reaching his full potential but turned Cabral's attention to coaching. As a coach, and founder of the Fight Factory Academy (Austin, US), Brucutu was responsible for producing important athletes such as Kody Steele, Tiffany Buttler, and the Tackett brothers.

Igor Gracie is the son of Rolls Gracie and a 5th degree black belt under Renzo Gracie.

Guilherme Thiago Teixeira (born 30 January 1992) is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Marília Atlético Clube as a defender ....

Marcus Aurelio is a BJJ black belt and retired MMA fighter from Fortaleza, Brazil.

Nathan Marquardt is a retired American MMA fighter, former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, and 3-time Pancrase Middleweight Champion who competed from 1999 to 2017.

Carlos Vieira Holanda, also known as "Esquisito" is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Master Faustino Neto, and another important competitor to come out of the grappling hub that is Manaus - Brazil, the birthplace of several important grapplers such as Ronaldo Souza, Ary Farias, Saulo Ribeiro. In 2010 Holanda conquered the IBJJF Pan American championship defeating Caio Terra to reach his gold medal, his biggest career accomplishment.

Aldo Caveirinha Januario is a BJJ black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr.

Leticia Ribeiro N.

Ailson Brites, commonly known as "Jucão" is a Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr. and a highly accomplished figure in the sport/martial art, both as a competitor and coach, having been involved in the development of grapplers such as Robson Moura, Suyan Queiroz, Roberto "Tussa" Alencar, to name a few, while conquering medals in important tournaments including the Pan American, European Open, Masters World, International Masters & Seniors and many other championships.

Flávio Almeida, commonly known as "Cachorrinho" is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Carlos Gracie Junior, founder of the Gracie Barra Academy a team which Almeida has represented throughout his career. During the late 1990's Flávio Almeida was widely regarded as one of the top athletes in the sport, though a premature retirement to pursue an academic career took him off the mats for many years. In 2006 Almeida returned to grappling after a successful run in the business world. His return was founded on him opening his own Gracie Barra franchise in the United States. Fábio Almeida is also the younger brother of UFC veteran Ricardo Almeida.

Roger Machado is a 7th degree coral belt with over 55 years of BJJ experience, nephew to Carlos Gracie and Helio Gracie.

Denilson Pimenta is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under the famous instructor Julio Cesar, of the Grappling Fight Team (GFTeam). Denilson Pimenta is regarded as one of the top featherweight competitors of his generation. Denilson grew up on the Favela's in Rio de Janeiro, he started Jiu Jitsu in 1991 as a way to occupy his spare time, in order to focus on something positive and escape the dangers of falling victim to crime.

Roberto Lage is 6th dan in Judo and a 7th degree coral belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, being an important figure for Sao Paulo's Jiu Jitsu landscape. Roberto Lage trained extensively with Octávio de Almeida (senior) becoming a BJJ instructor himself having formed the "Equipe Lage" team from which he has graded several black belts, including Fernando Yamasaki and his own daughter Patricia Lage who was one of the first women to reach the level of black belt in the sport.

Adilson de Souza was a Brazilian BJJ black belt under Octavio de Almeida, father of renowned competitors Marcos de Souza, Roberto Satoshi, and Mauricio Dai Souza.

Keith Owen (d.

Sergio "Babu" is a Brazilian lawyer who dedicated himself to the development of fighter's ground games. A Jiu Jitsu black belt under Sergio Penha, Babu (who is also a Judo black belt and certified Luta Livre instructor) has worked with MMA teams such as BTT (Brazilian Top Team) and Black House, improving the ground game of many fighters including UFC Champion Anderson Silva who at one point called Babu a "walking jiu jitsu enciclopedia".

James Boran is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Joe Moreira, and a pioneering figure for this martial art in the United States, being among the first 12 grapplers outside Brazil to earn a black belt in BJJ, a group often named as the Dirty Dozen. A former American football player, Boran carried his competitive drive to jiu jitsu being highly decorated as a black belt while competing for almost 4 decades in this sport.

Ian Mcpherson is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Master Romero "Jacaré" Cavalcanti, widely regarded as one of the top competitors ever produced by the Alliance team headquarters in Atlanta - Georgia, USA. Mcpherson was a student of both Jacaré and Rubens Charles "Cobrinha" who made a name for himself in the sport by winning the IBJJF World and the Pans Championship as a brown belt back in 2010, ranking as number 5 on Gracie Mag' "Fighters to Keep Your Eye On" that same year.

Andre Monteiro, also known as "Tim", is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, from the Carlson Gracie lineage (under Francisco "Toco") who has medalled in important tournaments such as the Pan American (Gi and Nogi) and the Brazilian Nationals. Andre Monteiro is also a renowned coach, having built his career in from the United States a country he moved to in 2008.

Rigan Machado is an 8th degree coral belt, one of the five Machado Brothers.

Helio Moreira, commonly known as "Soneca", is regarded by many as a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu legend. A black belt under Carlos Gracie Junior, Helio "Soneca" became one of BJJ's top competitors in the late 1990's decade, having also followed a short term career in mixed martial arts (MMA). Moreira was one of the first black belts produced by the Gracie Barra academy, having later become a well respected instructor in jiu jitsu and MMA.

Lucio Lagarto Rodrigues is a BJJ black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr.

Matt Arroyo (born September 1, 1982) is an American former professional mixed martial artist .

Helvécio Penna is an honorable member of the Brazilian jiu-jitsu community and a black belt under the legendary guard player Ricardo De La Riva . Helvécio Penna graduated as a BJJ black belt at the age of 42, quickly becoming one of the starts of the International Masters and Seniors tournament through his successive title runs at the prestigious IBJJF event. Helvecio Penna is also a judo black belt with an impressive resume, having been a part of the Brazilian national judo team in his youth.

José Leão Teixeira, also known by his nickname: "Zé Beleza", is an important figure in jiu-jitsu's history as he was one of the founding members of the Gracie Barra academy and the Escola de Jiu-Jitsu Leão Teixeira a prime BJJ academy in Rio de Janeiro which is renowned for its work with children. Leão Teixeira (who trained extensively with the legendary Rolls Gracie) was also closely connected with the creation of CBJJ/IBJJF, jiu-jitsu's most established governing body.

Fernando Paradeda is a jiu jitsu black belt under both Walter Mattos & Ze Mario Sperry being one of the founding members of Sul Jiu Jitsu, Icon Jiu Jitsu (a world wide BJJ association) and Drill BJJ. Paradeda, who is a former black belt World Cup champion (2003), was also one of the main organisers of the Abu Dhabi World Pro Championship, a competition run by the United Arab Emirates Jiu Jitsu Federation.

Often regarded as the Lance Armstrong of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Lucio Rodrigues also known as "Lagarto", is a decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Carlos Gracie Junior from Gracie Barra who has victoriously battled with cancer, returning to BJJ after his recovery to conquer some of the most important titles in his career, such as the European Open and the World Pro Cup finals in Abu Dhabi. Lagarto is my friend ams my master. He is a great person and teacher with whom I've learned a lot. Every single day he shows us the true meaning of Preserverance. Osss Well, actually the Lagarto biography is incorrect, for example, his achievements, he has a lot more medals in championships...European world, Brazilian, state...etc. There is few thing missing about Lagarto European Champion (2015, 2014*, 2011, 2005, 2004 weight & absolute) World Champion IBJJf (2002 ABSOLUTE - Purple belt)* Lagarto neglects bullying and theft. Lagarto is not a good example for a leader. Leaders ensure BJJ is for all and that the disabled are included. Lagarto ignores his responsibility! Readers, please ignore Dan Livingstone, he is a notorious figure in the UK for having a problem with everyone. Lagarto does not ignore his responsibility, he is a fantastic coach, ambassador, competitor, role model and friend to many in this sport. Dan Livingstone you have a problem with just about everybody in Jiu-Jitsu and it originates with Lagarto, you threw your white belt at him and stormed out because you weren't promoted when you thought you should have been. Since then, you have been on a one man mission to attack everybody in Jiu-Jitsu, under the pretence that Jiu-Jitsu does not care about you and your autism, whilst simultaneously trying to find a place to finally get the recognition you feel you deserve. Which coach is going to take you on with that attitude? None, because you attack everybody so publicly, including some of the hardest working and nicest people in this sport. People who have dedicated their life to spreading the positivism of this wonderful art. You are publicly trying to besmirch this man's image, and he quite rightly (and easily) could build an entire dossier of evidence against you and press charges for both libel and besmirchment. It would be hard to continue harassing people in Jiu-Jitsu from a prison cell. You entered a sport and you tried to call the shots about your own progress over the knowledge of a fantastic competitor, coach and ambassador of Jiu-Jitsu. You also have an issue with common saying 'Jiu-Jitsu for everyone' - Jiu-Jitsu is indeed for everyone, but not everyone is for Jiu-Jitsu. You should take heed of this. There are plenty of disabled competitors and practitioners in this sport and those people will continue to be welcomed. Lagarto himself has students who struggle with disabilities, as do his students. You are shunted, not because of your disability, but because of your blind rage and attitude towards this sport and everyone in it. If you truly want to be a part of Jiu-Jitsu, keep your mouth shut, train and show respect, like the rest of us. The truth is, you're on a self-driven war path to try and change something that does not need to be changed in anybody's head but your own. You are a bitter man who did not get promoted when he thought he should, grow up, stop blaming Jiu-Jitsu and perhaps look at yourself. Yes, you may be on the autism spectrum, but perhaps think of why an entire community is shunning you and why you are on your own on this one. Just because you feel strongly about something doesn't mean your feelings are right. Stop emailing everyone in Jiu-Jitsu, stop sending threatening messages to everyone in UK BJJ, reaching out to Carlos Jnr, Victor, Lagarto and everyone in between is not going to work, you are only alienating yourself because the sport and its ambassadors have done nothing wrong, it's you who has. Please ignore Dan Livingstone's comments, people. Lagarto is a wonderful role model and will continue to be. Lagarto is also European Champion in 2014 in Lisbon super heavy weight European no Gi champion 2016 And pan american champion cBJJe open weight 2007 Maybe would be good to add these titles, just a suggestion Lagarto also set up Gracie Barra Preston and taught full time, for a long time, before moving to London in 2012to open Gracie Barra Knightsbridge (now Gracie Barra Fulham). Notorious, because thats what speaking up makes you. Defender, get a real name profile and debate me on this. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Jean-Jacques Machado is one of the five Machado Brothers and nephew of Carlos Gracie.

Jeff Curran is an American MMA fighter and BJJ black belt under Pedro Sauer who competed in the UFC.

Jose Aldo is a former UFC Featherweight Champion from Manaus, Brazil.

Leonardo Dalla (born 1974) was the first student to receive a black belt under Jorge Pereira in 1993.

Muzio De Angelis is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Alexandre "Gigi" Paiva from the Alliance team. De Angelis is one of the strongest Italian competitors of his generation having won important tournaments such as the Italian National Championship and the European Open. Muzio is also an accomplished coach and the founder of one of the strongest BJJ academies in Italy.

Fabio Andrade, mostly known by his "war name" of Coringa, is a Jiu Jitsu black belt under Master Julio Cesar Pereira from the Grappling Fight Team (GFTeam). The experienced Fabio Coringa was responsible for establishing the first GFTeam branch inAustralia, making an important step in cementing the team at an international level.

Nick Chewy Albin is a BJJ black belt under Renato Tavares (2011) and head instructor at Derby City MMA in Louisville, Kentucky.

Cesar Guimaraes is a BJJ black belt under Walter Guimaraes in the Carlson Gracie lineage.

Guilherme Rocha is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, a rank awarded by his father José Olimpio (also known as Zé Radiola). Widely regarded as one of his generation's best feather/lightweight competitors, a reputation earned by conquering important titles on the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) calendar, Rocha is also one of the top representatives of the ZR Team in the sport's worldwide circuit.

John Lewis is a martial artist and a former MMA professional fighter who holds black belts in a variety of fighting styles, including a black belt in judo awarded by the legendary Gene LeBell and a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Master André Pederneiras, having been mentioned by many as one of the first true mixed martial artists in MMA, considering he mastered many different styles in a time when only style specialists were fighting MMA. Lewis was of tremendous importance when bringing the Nova União academy to the United States, having the first of this team's academies in American soil. John Lewis has also been an important Jiu Jitsu and MMA coach, having helped raise the game of numerous fighters such as Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Egan Inoue, Enson Inoue, Ricco Rodriguez, BJ Penn, Marc Laimon, Robert Drysdale and many others. John Lewis was born on February 8, 1968, on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. Lewis started training martial arts through a form of Japanese kickboxing named Sho Kon Do at the age of 13. later adding Japanese Ju-Jutsu to his training schedule, earning black belts in both martial arts. Lewis was also a student of an American fighting pioneer, the first man to (legally) fight No Holds Barred in the United States Mr 'Judo' Gene Lebell, with whom John stayed from white to black belt. Lebell made Mr Lewis aware of the potential of grappling in a real fight, and with his eyes set on competing in No Holds Barred as well, John decided to seek out Rickson Gracie at his academy in Culver City. It was training under Rickson Gracie's supervision that John achieved the rank of blue belt, shortly after Lewis began his NHB career, fighting in unsanctioned shows (his first 'official fight only came in 1995 against Thomas Puckett). Lewis left Rickson Gracie's school for reasons unknown, and joined (for a brief moment) the Machado Jiu Jitsu academy with John and Carlos Machado. He soon left the Machado gym to join forces with André "Dede" Pederneiras of Nova União. Pederneiras had just formed this new team (NU) with Wendell Alexander at the time, and Lewis came up right at the start of this set up. Lewis visited Brazil to prepare for his fight against Carlson Gracie Junior, the son of Pederneiras' former coach, Carlson Gracie. Teaching 'gringos' the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was somewhat of a taboo at the time (even though the Gracie family had been doing it for a few years) and the media, as well as Carlson (senior) labelled Pederneiras a traitor. None the less, Dede prepared Lewis well for the bout which ended in a draw. André Pederneiras was always regarded as a coach who did not believe in "sandbagging" (the act of keeping a student in a certain belt colour when he is clearly passed the level perceived for the rank), and staying true to his tradition, Dedé graded John Lewis to black belt in 1995, going straight from blue to black belt. Lewis agreed to put his black belt to the test, to silence a few voices in the community who did not agree with the promotion. He competed against black belt Claudio Franca in a superfight, defeating Chico Mansur's well respected student. Through his connections with Pederneiras, Lewis became the first representative of the Nova União academy in US territory. Being the first affiliate gym in Las Vegas at Lewis' "J-Sect Jiu-Jitsu" (also named the first ever MMA gym in the state of Nevada - opened in 1995). Being in the fighting capital of the world (Las Vegas), many fighters started coming to Lewis for advice and his academy thrived due to his knowledge of both the stand up game and the grappling aspect of Martial Arts. In trying to further develop the grappling capabilities of himself and his students, Lewis also bought several high level Nova União coaches to the US, such as Gustavo Dantas or Toni Pontes. Lewis was also responsible for opening a Nova Uniao academy in Honolulu (Kaimuki) where he left Renato 'Charuto' as head instructor. The academy was open for a couple of years but closed due to various reasons. John Lewis mentioned in an interview that the main reason for the closing of the Honolulu academy was the hardship of managing two big gyms at the same time, choosing to keep the Las Vegas academy instead of keeping two substandard gyms. John Lewis has also had a career in the entertainment business, being the owner of John Lewis entertainment group, as well as having been a recorded musician. I think Carlson labeled Dede a traitor for training a guy to fight his kid. It had nothing to do with training "Gringos". It was also not an affiliate gym. It was called JSECT: Lewis and Pederneiras Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. John brought Nova Uniao out of Brazil and was the President of Nova Uniao USA. The reason John Lewis left Rickson's was because he was going to fight Carlson Gracie Jr. Nothing to do with Pederneiras at that time. Johns a great guy I had the pleasure of training under him for years. What is the name of the event he fought in that had him basically banned for life for fighting in any major events? This event was held on a reservation in Canada (Manitoba i think) Mr. T was commentary/host (did joe rogans normal job) i know the internet is trying to hide this event due to being non sanctioned. This event was THE best thing I've seen in MMA but happened in a way and at time that was super bad for the sport. The Gracie family members also fought. And the main event had a massive human trained by the Gracies fight a wrestler. The nickname of the Gracie trained guy "Conan" John Lewis what a true gentleman and one badass dude, DIRTY DOZEN LEGEND. Hi my friend! The event was called Extreme Fighting! Your email address will not be published. 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Raoni Barcelos is a Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Laerte Barcelos (his father) as well as an accomplished Brazilian freestyle wrestler and a professional mixed martial arts fighter (MMA). In submission-grappling, Raoni made a career competing mainly in the no-gi circuit, where he conquered important titles on the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), particularly in the lower belt divisions. He also led a fruitful career as a Freestyle Wrestler, where he competed for the Brazilian National Wrestling Team on many international tournaments, such as the Pan - where Raoni Barcelos obtained a silver medal (2006).

Huanderson Pavão is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 3rd degree black belt and Luta Livre master from the Grapple Fight Team (former Gama Filho). An important figure of the Grappling Fight Team roster, Pavao has a wealth of experience in many different branches of the fight game with wins in BJJ, Luta Livre and having fought at the bigger stages of MMA such as the Japanese organization, Shooto, where he fought Takanori Gomi. Favourite Technique/Position: Guard Passing and "Guilhotina" Huanderson Pavao was born on the 31st of August, 1976 in Rio de Janeiro - Brazil. He started practicing martial arts with his cousin (famous MMA fighter Alexandre "Pequeno" Nogueira), and the martial art chosen was "Luta Livre Esportiva" a form of submission wrestling enrooted in Brazilian culture. His coach was the also famous Eugenio Tadeu. The Luta Livre gym was far away from his house, and after a while the long commute was no longer something Pavao could live with. He started looking for alternatives, but no Luta Livre academies were available close to him. Due to his friendship with Jiu Jitsu fighters who trained close by in a gym at Méier ("Paulinho" and Eduardo "Escopeta") Huanderson decided to give the gi work a try. He then joined the Gama Filho team (today called GFTeam), and studied Jiu Jitsu under the legendary Mestre Julio César Pereira, Huanderson Pavao was 18 years old then. In 2000 (when Pavao as a purple belt) his cousin Alexandre "Pequeno" sent some video recordings of him fighting to a few fight promoters in Japan. The Japanese were amazed at this kid's potential and invited Huanderson to premiere in their organization, Shooto. Pavao's couldn't have asked for a more difficult opponent for his MMA debut as he faced "The Fireball Kid" Takanori Gomi, then a rising star in the Land of the Rising Sun. Pavao lost the fight by decision but got many positive props for the challenge. Unfortunately (for MMA fans) Pavao got offered a scholarship at the University to study law, and chose to finish his course rather then a career as a cage fighter. After receiving his black belt in December 2001, Pavao dedicated a lot of his life to his academic degree. After that he spent a while in Europe (coaching) before returning to Brazil to train and coach at his team GFTeam. Today Pavao displays his vast Gi and Nogi expertise all around the world (when he is not coaching at the GFTEAM Trainning Center). He is available for seminars, and if you need to contact him, you will find him at any of the following: Email: [email protected] Phone: +55 (21) 7848-9649 Facebook: Huanderson Pavão Skype: huandersonpavao Last weekend, i was at a BJJ seminar with Pavao and his wife, Roberta, in La coruña-Spain, and was amazing and very interesting. Thanks. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Robson Moura, also known as "Robinho", is one of the greatest competitors in jiu jitsu's super featherweight division, a weight class he dominated for years achieving 6 world titles in his career. After retiring (unofficially) from his competitive career, Robson Moura dedicated his full attention to his coaching activities in the United States where he developed his own association RMNU (Robson Moura Nations United) one of the most respected grappling affiliations in the US.

Ricardo Vieira, commonly known as "Ricardinho" or "Rico" Vieira, is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Romero Cavalcanti and a former International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) and Confederação Brasileira de Jiu-Jitsu Olimpico (CBJJO) World Champion, who is also regarded as one of the top grappling coaches in the world. Ricardo Vieira, together with his brother Leozinho Vieira leads the famous Checkmat academy. Nicknames: Ricardinho and Rico - The suffix "inho" in Portuguese is usually used as a gentle and warm way of saying someone's name. It can also mean little, like "Little Ricardo". Rico is another way of saying, Ricardo. Ricardo Vieira was born on the 9th of January 1979 in Rio de Janeiro Brazil. Ricardo first stepped on a jiu-jitsu mat at the age of 5, joining the kids class of the legendary Romero Cavalcanti (Jacaré). Rico's natural ability for the sport shined through from the get-go, with multiple trophies, won in the junior leagues, including the Mundial (World Championships) a competition he won in every belt division he competed, from blue belt to black belt. Vieira also played football (soccer) at a high level, making the junior squad of the famous Rio de Janeiro club Flamengo, though an injury kept him from progressing further in this activity. After two straight years in the podium of the "Mundial" as a brown belt (1998 + 1999), Ricardo was promoted to black belt by Jacaré. On his first year in jiu-jitsu's professional circuit, Vieira would face the most feared light-featherweight competitor in the history of the division, Mr. Robson Moura. This epic battle took place in 2001 World Championship's semifinals, with the victory going to Ricardinho in the final seconds, as he went on to win the title. After a few years as a black belt with many more medals around his neck (including the World Cup - CBJJO) Ricardo Vieira slowly started fading from the Jiu-Jitsu competitive scene, this happened due to his coaching functions, assisting Cavalcanti at the team's headquarters. After his master left to the USA (where he formed an academy in Atlanta), Ricardinho took the helm, with Rodrigo "Comprido" Medeiros by his side ( "Comprido" also moved to the US later on, leaving Ricardinho to lead the Rio de Janeiro. In 2002 Ricardo was one of the figureheads of a big split between the main black belts of the Alliance Team, and its management, taking the opportunity to form the "VB Team" with the help of his brothers (the V.B. stands for Vieira Brothers). The VB Team then associated with Brasa Clube de Jiu-Jitsu, which was also formed off the split with Alliance. Ricardo worked with Brasa for the most of 4 years, after which he left to found Checkmat Academy with his brother Leonardo Vieira. Rico Vieira is also a synonym of charity, as he took over Fernando Tererê's project in the Cantagalo Slums of Rio de Janeiro. A project raised to take children off the streets and away from gun crime, a very common end for kids in this impoverished part of the city. The project is based on Jiu Jitsu, teaching those that cannot afford being taught for free while building their social skills and teaching them the benefits of citizenship. In 2009 Ricardo made a reappearance to a BJJ competition in Stockholm, Sweden, winning the absolute division in the Stockholm BJJ Open, he also made another appearance in 2011 at the Brazilian National No-Gi Championship where he won the Master's division as a lightweight. Banner photo taken by William Burkhardt of BJJ Pix. Ricardo Vieira won the worlds 9x not 6. your website is wrong Eli, please do your research (as I have). Ricardo has won the Mundial (IBJJF World Championship) on 6 occasions and 3 times the Copa do Mundo (CBJJO's World Cup). your wrong i know Ricado personaly he has won 9 times do your research i know him personaly im right Eli is an idiot who doesn't understand english and maths. 6 (IBJJF) + 3 (CBJJO) = 9 (Total)! Eli, you are the epitome of retardation. Your mother dropped you on your head to many times to count. Grande Ricardinho meu mestre 9x campeão mundial sinistro Some of the best Jiu-Jitsu in Rio De Janeiro and certainly the most innovative! Ricardinho also won the Brazilian NoGi in 2012 too. 😀 One of the best guys ive ever rolled with ! Super nice to ! Great instructor ! 🙂 Se o mundo do jiu-jitsu brilha com mais estrelas é graças ao rico melhor é mais técnico mestre de jiu-jitsu . My jiu jitsu improved a lot after knowing Ricardinho. It's amazing how deep his knowledge is Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Jair Lourenço is one of the top Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & MMA coaches in the world, having brought to the limelight a legion of incredible fighters such Renan Barão, Gleison Tibau, Michele Tavares, Jussier "Formiga", Arlisson "Kiki", Marcelo "Caneta", Ronny Markes, Claudia Gadelha to name a few, helping to put the northeast region of Brazil on the BJJ map.

André Galvão was born September 29, 1982, in São Sebastião, São Paulo - Brazil.

Banni Cavalcanti is a Brazilian BJJ black belt and instructor from Natal, Rio Grande do Norte.

Moises Murad is a Brazilian BJJ practitioner and founder of the Lotus academy in Sao Paulo.

Eduardo Granzotto Vidal Lima, commonly known as Eduardo Granzotto or simply "Dudu" Grazotto, is a jiu-jitsu black belt under Ricardo Vieira, who also worked extensively with coaches Antonio Carlos Junior, Leonardo Vieira, and Douglas Rufino. A representative of the Checkmat team, developed in the VB Team Cantagalo project & Fightzone Rio de Janeiro academies, Dudu Grazotto first made waves in the sport, competing in Brazil's national circuit as a child, later becoming an international success as an adult. Eduardo Granzotto was born on March 25, 2003, in Curitiba, the capital of the southern Brazilian state of Paraná, but moved to Rio de Janeiro when he was 18 months old. In Rio de Janeiro, Dudu lived with his family in a famous South Zone (Zona Sul) slum named Cantagalo. A place that is very familiar to the jiu-jitsu community for its production of a wide number of accomplished kimono specialists. It was there that Grazotto initiated his journey in this sport at the age of 7, influenced by his father who was a martial arts fan and practiced boxing in a local martial arts club. Grazotto started grappling at a famous non-profit jiu-jitsu project named VB Team Cantagalo, an association started by Ricardo Vieira a few years prior to Dudu's birth (1997). Eduardo's first steps on the mats were taken under the guidance of Vieira and another of the gym' coaches, Douglas Rufino. As a child, Dudu Grazotto started making waves in jiu-jitsu's media as one of the brightest young stars in the sport due to his repeated wins on the national stage, a success that led Eduardo to make the decision to become a full-time athlete by his 13th birthday. Led by Ricardo Vieira, Eduardo Grazotto's career outgrew the national scene into a global success, particularly in North America, where he conquered numerous important titles. It was during one of his stays in the United States, shortly after the IBJJF World Championships of June 2023, that Dudu Grazotto was promoted to the black belt rank, at the Checkmat Headquarters Academy in California. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Ricardo Franjinha Miller (born June 30, 1969) is a Brazilian BJJ black belt under Romero Cavalcanti who founded Paragon Academy in Santa Barbara, California.

Israel Reyes Romero (born 23 May 2000) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Liga MX club América and the Mexico national team ....

Waldomiro Perez Jr.

Marcio Feitosa, one of the biggest names in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, is a black belt under Carlos Gracie Junior, being also his master's right-hand man in relation to Gracie Barra's affairs. A true ambassador of the sport, Marcio Feitosa conquered the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship on multiple occasions as well as the ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Club), the world's most prestigious Submission Wrestling event. When Gracie Barra moved its headquarters to the United States, Marcio Feitosa did the same, being made the international team's main coach and frontman. Marcio Feitosa was born on the 16th of May 1976 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was raised within an upper-class family environment in Barra da Tijuca, one of the best burgs in Rio de Janeiro, but unfortunately, his father abandoned the family leaving Marcio and his brother in charge of the household at the age of 12. Marcio trained extensively at the Gracie Barra academy from a very young age, and when he reached 15, his master Carlos Gracie Junior invited him to be an assistant coach at the gym. This allowed Feitosa to help his mother put some much-needed money towards the bills. Feitosa's hard training ethics paid off and by the age of 19 he received his black belt, just two years after this, he wrote his name in BJJ history by winning the first Pan American BJJ games and the Brazilian Nationals. Feitosa would go on to win the Mundials the next year and become one of the strongest competitors of his generation winning against legendary fighters such as Leonardo Vieira and Vitor Ribeiro. Marcio Feitosa is also one of the most famous Jiu-Jitsu fighters among the Brazilian Jet Set media for his long term relationship with TV actress Taís Araújo. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Roberto Maia is a BJJ black belt and instructor based in Boston, Massachusetts.

Ulpiano Malachias is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr. being also one of the key figures in the Gracie Barra franchise as the proprietor of one of the largest branches of the "Red Shield" academy: The Gracie Barra Westchase in Houston - TX, United States of America.

Alexandre "Gigi" Paiva is a figure of extreme importance in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu's history, not only was he one of the founding members of the multiple world champion team Alliance, he also coached several important grapplers, such as Fernando "Tereré", Leonardo Leite, Mitsuyoshi Hayakawa among many others, including his own son Vitor Genovesi.

Ronaldo Souza, who is also known in the fighting industry as "Jacaré" (alligator in Portuguese) is one of the best grappling competitors of his generation, as well as in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA). Souza reached legendary in jiu jitsu after his wins over some of the best grapplers to have graced the sport, including Roger Gracie, Fernando Tererê, Robert Drysdale, and more.

Walter Mattos, born January 16, 1961 in Rio Grande do Sul, is a historic BJJ figure who trained under both Carlson Gracie and Rolls Gracie.

Rodrigo Munduruca is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Sylvio Behring and Maurício "Behring" Pereira (RIP), who moved to Canada in 1999, helping the development of this martial art in the Northern Hemisphere. While living in the North American continent, Munduruca also became one of the most revered athletes in the Masters Division of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF), where he conquered numerous Pan, European, Asian and World medals.

Adilson de Souza was a Brazilian BJJ black belt under Octavio de Almeida, father of renowned competitors Marcos de Souza, Roberto Satoshi, and Mauricio Dai Souza.

Victor Estima is a fourth degree Carlos Gracie, Jr.

Ricardo Marques is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Sérgio "Bolão" Souza and a member of the Brazilian Top Team (BTT) academy, being the founder of the team's Juiz de Fora branch in Minas Gerais - Brazil. An accomplished competitor in the Masters division, Marques is mostly known for his outstanding work as a jiu-jitsu instructor, being the man behind important athletes such as Leo Saggioro, Bernardo Faria, Diego Gamonal, Waldyr Filho and Leon Denny.

Leonardo Vieira, also known as Leozinho or simply Leo Vieira, is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Romero Cavalcanti, being famous for combining one of the most crowd-pleasing games in BJJ with an amazing track record. Leo Vieira was also the co-founder of important teams such as Brasa Clube de Jiu-Jitsu and Checkmat BJJ, becoming in the process one of grappling's most important coaches by developing athletes such as Marcus Almeida 'Buchecha', Lucas Leite, João Assis, and many others. Leozinho is also one of the Top BJJ Competitors of All Time by BJJ Heroes.

Renato Charuto Verissimo is a Nova Uniao black belt under Andre Pederneiras and retired MMA fighter.

Pedro Duarte is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Murilo Bustamante, as well as a former World Champion of the sport, known for his close connection with the development of Hilti, one of Scandinavia's strongest grappling academies as well as his work for Palm Sports in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a company closely linked with the growth of the sport towards worldwide recognition.

Ralph Gracie is a former no-holds-barred fighter and jiu-jitsu competitor, as well as the founder of the Ralph Gracie Academy, an association with several gyms around the world. Ralph is a member of the Gracie Family - the grandson of Carlos Gracie and son of Robson Gracie, making him brother to Renzo Gracie and Ryan Gracie. He trained extensively with his uncle Carlos Gracie Junior in the early days of Gracie Barra and became a strong representative of the team in many tournaments around the Rio de Janeiro area.

Wagnney Silva Fabiano-Santos is a Brazilian mixed martial artist .

Mauricio Motta Gomes is an 8th degree coral belt, father of Roger Gracie.

Carlos Machado was one of the pioneers of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in the United States of America. A black belt under Gracie Barra founder Carlos Gracie Junior, Carlos Machado came to the USA in the early 1990's where him (and his brothers) formed the Machado Jiu Jitsu academy, one of the main BJJ organizations in the Northern Hemisphere today, a Jiu Jitsu hive from where Carlos Machado has graduated high profile black belts such as Hollywood celebrity: Chuck Norris, former World BJJ champion: Rafael Lovato Junior and former UFC Middlweight title contender Travis Lutter.

Professor Leonardo "The Wizard" Xavier was born on January 3, 1976, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Leonardo Santos is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt from the Nova Uniao team, being one of the most important fighters for BJJ in the early 2000s. With numerous titles in his grappling career, Leo Santos was regarded by many as the best lightweight fighter of his generation, having victories over several great fighters such as Leo Vieira and Tiago Alves amongst many others. in 2006 Leo Santos ended his career with the kimono to follow his brother's footsteps (Wagnney Fabiano) towards MMA fighter, and in 2013 Leonardo Santos was part of the cast of the TUF Brazil 2 reality show, a program produced by the UFC with the intention of seeking high-end Mixed Martial Arts talent in the South American country. Leonardo Santos was born on the 5th of February 1980 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He started training jiu-jitsu when he was 4 years old under the legendary trainer Wendell Alexander (Co-Founder of Nova Uniao) in Sao Joao de Merití (Rio de Janeiro) at the Mello Tenis Club. Although Leo as a kid had other interests (mainly soccer) and didn't enjoy training all that much, he felt obliged to train as his older cousin and brother (MMA fighter Wagnney Fabiano) were avid Jiu-Jitsu practitioners. With time Leo Santos started enjoying the benefits of jiu-jitsu and also started enjoying the BJJ routine, success in BJJ Comps came with this new found love for the gentle art. In 1995 Mr. Alexander (Leo's Coach) joined arms with Dedé Pederneiras to make Nova Uniao, a team that quickly would become one of the strongest BJJ teams in the world, at the time of the merge, Leo Santos was already seen as a star in the making. In 2002 Leo stopped competing at the Mundial (CBJJ World Championships) as this competition did not offer prize money to its competitors. This was something that a lot of fighters pressed for and which catapulted the rise of CBJJO (more explained on the BJJ Mundials Page), Leo Santos started competing in CBJJO's tournaments only (with Gi) and was undefeated for over 5 years in that organization becoming widely considered by the media and the followers of the sport as one of the top 3 lightweights in BJJ at the time. In 2006 after a short spell helping his brother Wagnney with his academy in Canada, Leonardo decided to dedicate himself fully to MMA. This shift would not be as smooth as he wished for, with several setbacks, namely in finding big names to fight against and some problems with promoters and MMA organizations such as BAMMA. In 2013, 7 years after Leonardo began his MMA career, Leo Santos was part of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 2 (Nogueira vs Werdum), a reality TV program produced by the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) which was Leo Santos' first step in the big league of Mixed Martial Arts. Leonardo Santos vs Mitsuyoshi Hayakawa (Superfight) Leonardo Santos vs Roberto Werneck (World Cup 2003) Muito bom, Léo!!! Você é uma fera, moleque!!!!! Tenho muito orgulho de, no passado, ter feito parte da equipe Mello Tênis Clube. Abraço do seu amigo e fã, The butterfly is one of naturs most deadly predators, therefore it is no surprise that the butterfly guard is the deadliest of all guards, If put into the right hands (or perhaps feet)...... Show Leozinho,estudei c ele e fiz parte da nova uniao com o professor Capixa..Moleke fera desde criança gente boa..realizava treinos com ele no mello tenis clube,mas treinava em vista alegre..SAUDADES..nascido e criado no Ipase comigo...FIKO FELIZ POR TI....FABINHO UM ABRAÇO.. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Marcelo Azevedo, also known as "Uirapuru" is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under the illustrious Vinicius Draculino, who filled in Draculino's boots as head coach of Gracie Barra Belo Horizonte head quarters after the departure of the famous instructor to the United States. Marcelo Uirapuru is an accomplished grappler with wins in important Jiu Jitsu tournaments such as the IBJJF Mundial and World No Gi Championships, having also vast experience in MMA.

Romulo Barral is a retired professional grappler as well as one of the top Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coaches in the world. Tipped as "The Number 1 BJJ fighter in the world" by Gracie Mag in 2007, Romulo Barral maintained his top tier black belt status in the years that followed with consistent medals at the top jiu-jitsu tournaments. reaching BJJ Heroes' Top 10 Competitors of All Time ranking. Originally from Belo Horizonte in Brazil, Romulo Barral established his own successful jiu-jitsu academy in California - United States, named Gracie Barra Northridge. Romulo Barral was born on May 3, 1982, in Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais - Brazil. Like many young boys, Romulo fell in love with martial arts through the movies, joining a taekwondo academy when he was 8 years old. Barral carried on training for many years, achieving a black belt in the striking based combat style, though he eventually stopped training by the time he was 19. "Rominho" started training jiu-jitsu when he was 15 years old, at the Gracie Barra BH academy. His first coach there being Cristiano Lazzarini and Vinicius Magalhaes. Barral's true intentions behind joining a grappling club were to learn enough to start fighting mixed martial arts (MMA), a wish that came through in 2004 when he was invited to fight at the Arena BH, a successful debut won by mata Leão choke (RNC). A strong believer in the benefits of the gi game (kimono) for submission wrestling and MMA, he never stopped training with the Gi, even when preparing for this type of events, progressing through Gracie Barra's belt system and earning his black belt on December 2005 from the hands of Vinicius "Draculino". As a black belt, Romulo quickly established himself as one of the top figures in the medium-heavyweight division of jiu-jitsu, through numerous victories at an international level. These victories that didn't pass unnoticed by many MMA aces who invited Romulo do be their BJJ coach, fighters like Dan Henderson, King Mo, Jason "Mayhem" Miller among others had the privilege to train and be taught in the gentle art by Romulo. Romulo Barral moved to the United States in the early 2010s where he taught at Alberto Crane's school in the Los Angeles area. He then opened his own Gracie Barra academy in Northridge, California, a gym that became a hub for GB's top talent. Hi, I believe you could also put IBJJF World Championship 2nd Place (2016) into his "Main Achievements" section. That' s quite a big one missing. Thans! Keep the good job. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Eduardo "Jamelão" da Conceição is a historical Jiu Jitsu black belt under Romero Cavalcanti. Famed for being the "enfant terrible" of the Alliance team for years, Jamelao won several important titles such as the Brazilian National and beat some of the best fighters of his generation, people like Nino Schembri, Fernando Margarida, Jean Jacques Machado and many others.. Eduardo da Conceição was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1974. He started training Jiu Jitsu as a child, after a couple of his friends (Edson and Ralf Pires) made an invitation to join them for a BJJ class at Jorge Pereira's academy, a class led by Silvio Behring. Eduardo loved it and stayed at this same gym until he received his yellow belt. After he received his yellow belt, he moved to Romero Cavalcanti's gym. He did not have any money, so he asked Cavalcanti if he could stay at the academy for free, doing maintenance work at the gym to pay for his tuition, Romero agreed. Also Working as a caretaker at the same time in an upper class house, Jamelao soon became one of the better competitors in the Alliance team, he managed to travel for competitions and study at the same time for many years, this happened mainly due to the help provided by his boss. Unfortunately for Eduardo, as his employer passed away he was left without a steady income and needed to move to Vitoria in the state of Espirito Santo where he opened his own academy. At Vitoria he found many established rival academies, being Rafael "Capoeira" possibly the biggest. Somehow rumours about who was the top fighter started to grow between Jamelao and Capoeira, which led to a few street confrontations between the pair (at one point Rafael showed up at Jamelao's academy with his students wanting to invade the academy - as reported by Eduardo on an interview to Tatame magazine in 2007). After many years of backwards and forwards arguments they decided to take their animosity to the ring (MMA rules), Jamelao defeated Capoeira by unanimous decision in December 2006. Jamelao had a reputation of being somewhat of a hot head, as his antics at the Mundial (World Championships) in 2001 showed. In his fight against Fernando Margarida (who would go on to win the competition) Eduardo stood up and walked away from the fight after he took Margarida down and the referee considered it a guard pull - not awarding the two points. He came back to the mat and fought until the end, in a fight that had moments where it looked like it was going to turn into a brawl. At the end after Margarida won the bout Jamelao refused to shake hands with the winner. Another example was in 2010 at the "5º Submission wrestling de São João da Barra" Jamelao walked out of the mat in the final against Victor Bonfim after a series of points did not go his way. In 2002 Eduardo Jamelão was one of the black belts that left the Alliance team to form the Brasa academy. In 2008 he would join the Vieira brothers to form the Checkmat team. Eduardo Jamelao vs Fernando Margarida (Rickson Cup 2000) Eduardo Jamelao vs Rogerio Passos (Copa Mundial 2007) Eduardo Jamelao vs Eduardo Rios (Copa Mundial 2003) Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Helio Soneca Moreira is a 6th degree BJJ black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr.

BJJ's ambassador in New York. Teacher of John Danaher, Shawn Williams, Matt Serra, and Georges St-Pierre.

Antonio Nino Schembri, born June 1, 1974 in Rio de Janeiro, is a BJJ black belt known as the king of the omoplata.