Andre Galvao (Atos)
Andre Galvao
A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu world champion and ADCC champion as well as a black belt under the famous Mestre “Careca”, Andre Galvao also became a founding member of the Atos team, one of the top BJJ teams in the world. A well known figure among the grappling community due to his numerous achievements on the mats and inside the octagon (Andre also fought in MMA) Galvao’s recognized for his flamboyant BJJ style and his battles in the open weight divisions of tournaments around the world. In 2010 Galvao released a book on how he developed his own style of Jiu Jitsu, the book named “Drill to Win” was taken with great interest by BJJers and is today an important reference on the subject.
Andre Galvao in Detail
Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Reyson Gracie >Osvaldo Alves > Luis Dagmar “Careca” > André Galvão
Main Titles:
- 2x World Champion – black belt (2008 & 2005)
- 2x ADCC Champion (2011 weight & absolute)
- World Pro Cup Champion (2012 – WPJJC)
- World Cup Champion – black belt (2006 black)
- World CBJJE Champion (2008 black)
- 4x Pan American Champion – black belt (2008 weight & absolute, 2006, 2011)
- Ultimate Absolute NYC Champion (2011)
Other Important Achievements:
- 2x World Champion – brown belt ( 2004 weight & absolute)
- 2x World Champion – purple belt (2003 weight & absolute)
- World Champion – blue belt (2002)
- 2x World Cup Champion – purple belt (2003 weight & absolute)
- 2x World Cup Champion – brown belt (2004 brown weight & absolute)
- ADCC Silver Medalist 2009
- World Pro Championship Silver Medallist (2012 absolute)
- 2x ADCC Bronze Medallist (2007 weight & absolute)
Favourite Technique: Guard Passing
Weight Division: Meio Pesado (88kg/194lbs)
Team/Association: Atos
Merchandise:
Andre Galvao Biography
Andre Galvao was born September 29, 1982 in Sao Paulo – Brazil. Andre initiated his Martial Arts education with Judo while still a child. It was through his oldest brother that Galvao got to know Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, as his brother already trained in the art of submissions.
Galvao started his BJJ training with Luis Carlos Dagmar “Careca” a student of the illustrious Master Osvaldo Alves when he was 16. It was only on his second year of BJJ training that he met the one person that would become his true master and inspiration, Fernando Augusto also known in the BJJ comunity as “Tereré”.
With the guidance of Tererê Andre Galvao’s BJJ evolved heaps and bounds. Terere was one of BJJ’s main fighters at the time, a World champion and a Pound for Pound best in the early 2000’s. Galvao would follow Terere throughout his split with the Alliance team the birth of Brasa Team and TT’s team. After Tererê stepped aside from the sport in 2005, Galvao went back to his roots and trained under his old master “Careca” receiving his black belt from Dagmar on the 19th of May, 2005.
In an interview to Tatame (a Brazilian Magazine) in 2007, Andre Galvao stated that his idols in BJJ were his coach, Terere – for his personality and the way he brings the crowd to a roar when he competes, Vitor Shaolin Ribeiro for his mad sweeps and “Leozinho” Vieira for his athleticism and what he brings to BJJ.
Galvao’s always been a avid competitor and unlike most BJJ fighters he dedicated himself to fighting in all tournaments, not just the major ones, he relied on this to keep improving his skill set. Andre won 4 World Championships in a row, from Blue Belt to Black belt (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005) wining his weight and the Open Weight Classes in two years in a row in the Purple Belt division and Brown Belt division (2003 and 2004). He made the final in 2006 and 2007 but couldn’t capitalize on the 1st Place. Gold came again in 2008. In that same year Andre Galvao joined the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) obtaining a submission victory over Jeremiah Metcalf, a former Strikeforce fighter, fate would have it that a few months after that fight Galvao himself would join that same fighting organization.
On October 2008 Galvao joined his good friend Ramon Lemos to form a new Jiu Jitsu team. The pair has a strong evangelic background and brought their religious beliefs to the mats. All their students have a similar background, and for that reason they decided to call their team “Atos” – meaning “acts”, a direct reference to “The Bok of Acts”, which is the fifth book of the new testament. The team has had tremendous success in the black belt divisions with several fighters winning both the World Championships, the Pan Ams and the Jiu Jitsu Pro Cup in Abu Dhabi.
Having turned into a professional MMA fighter in 2008, Galvao fought in some of the world’s biggest organizations such as Dream (Japan) and Strikeforce (USA). He left Strikeforce by his own will after a good year (2010) in which he fought three times, loosing the later fight and winning two. He had plans to join the Ultimate Fighter Show (as explained on his intervirew to BJJ Heroes on January 2010), though the plans did not follow through. He returned to BJJ competitions in March 7, winning the World Professional Jiu Jitsu trials in San Diego, California (under 183lbs), winning also the BJJ Pan American a few weeks later – submitting all his opponents, except Eduardo Santoro in the final.
Continuously “stepping it up”, Galvao was remarkable at the 2011 edition of the ADCC, the world’s most prestigious grappling event, winning gold on both his weight and the absolute division, proving why he is considered one of the best in the world.
Andre Galvao’s ADCC 2011 Run
| Stage | Weight | Oponent | Result |
| 1st Round | Under 88kg | Don Ortega | Points |
| 1/4 Finals | Under 88kg | Gunnar Nelson | Points: 3×0 |
| Semi Finals | Under 88kg | Pablo Popovitch | Points: 2×0 |
| Final | Under 88kg | Rousimar Palhares | Points: 9×4 |
| 1st Round | Absolute | Shinzo Ansai | Submission: Mata Leão |
| 1/4 Finals | Absolute | Sergio Moraes | Points: 6×0 |
| Semi Finals | Absolute | Murilo Santana | Points: 0×0; Negative Points: 0×1 |
| Final | Absolute | Pablo Popovitch | Submission: Toe Hold |
Andre Galvao Fight Video’s
Andre Galvao vs Marcelo Garcia (2006 World Championship’s Final)
Andre Galvao in Action (this is a famous video that has circled the internet, the man fighting with Galvao goes for an illegal reaping of the knee, which upsets Galvao)
not to mention all the world and panam championships hes won at lower ranks.
Andre Galvao has been a great influence to my BJJ development. I wrote a blog post about him and include a highlight video.
andre galvao is my hero! i do my best to emulate his style everytime i train…..
glad hes back in competition… only good magical tech is to come from him!
Boa galvao jiujitsu!!!!
A terrific instructor in addition to being one of the best in the sport ever. His ability to teach is surprisingly refined for someone so young, he teaches with the precision of some of the older Gracies.
As a competitor in 2008 he was the most impressive guy on the scene – bar none. Went up a weight division and ruined some of the best guys ever at the Pan Ams winning his weight and absolute, submitting almost everyone. At the worlds that year he again when on a submission spree, completely owning Braulio in the finals. He is the definition of modern jiu jitsu and changed the way the game is played. Proof is his match with Niño when as a new black belt he toyed with a veteran of the sport who was known for being a flashy innovator by seemingly breakdancing through his guard and all over his body. Watch that match with the lnowledge that Niño is one of the greats and be shocked.
Guess you need to add 2011 NYC Ultimate Absolute Champion to this list eh?
Thanks wasted, I have now. Completely forgot about that one.