Fernando Nascimento Araujo began his jiu-jitsu under Rodrigo Medeiros before moving to the United States and continuing under Francisco 'Toco' Albuquerque of the Nova Geracao team, a Carlson Gracie Sr. black belt. In Brazil he earned recognition as a two-time state champion and national circuit champion and was named Nova Geracao/UGF best athlete of the year in 1998 and 1999. After a period teaching in Norway (Oslo), he relocated to the Czech Republic in 2006 and opened Jungle BJJ in Prague, which he built into the largest grappling gym in the country and the seed of a network of affiliated schools across Europe. He is credited as the central figure who introduced and grew BJJ in the Czech Republic and personally promoted the academy's first black belts.