By Jiu Jitsu on April 20th, 2010

Claudio Calasans (Atos)

Claudio Calasans

Claudio Calasans is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Judo black belt (3rd Dan), who fights for the Atos Team out of Rio Claro, Brazil. He became a BJJ sensation almost overnight as he won the World Pro Cup Championship in Abu Dhabi in both his weight and the Absolute (Open Weight) Divisions on April 2010.

Claudio Calasans in Detail

Full Name: Cláudio Calasans Camargo Junior

Nickname: he is often called “Juninho” which stands for little junior

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Reyson Gracie > Osvaldo Alves > Sergio Lisboa > Erivaldo Junior > Claudio Calasans

Main Achievements/Record:

Pan American Champion (2011 IBJJF);
World Cup Champion – CBJJO (2006);
World Champion – CBJJE (2008);
3x World Pro Cup Champion (2010 weight and absolute, 2011);
European Champion (2011)
South American Champion – CBJJE (2009);
Brazilian ADCC Trials Champion 2011 (Grappling);
2nd Place in Brazilian ADCC Trials 2009 (Grappling);
World Silver Medallist (2010)
European Silver Medallist (2011 open weight)

Favourite Jiu Jitsu Position/Technique: He is most known for his offensive closed guard. He is very successful at choking his opponents from the guard (cross choke and even “amassa pão”)

Weight Category: “Leve” (167lbs) and “Medio” (181lbs).

Association/Team: Atos

Claudio Calasans Biography

Claudio Calasans was born in 1984 in a town called São José dos Campos 100 Kilometres from Sao Paulo, Brazil. He is the son of Judo personality Calasans Camargo, the youngest Brazilian Judoka to have ever received his coral belt (white and red – received when he was 38 years old), and his uncle (who is his father’s identical twin) is also a black belt in Judo.

Being part of a family with such a strong judo background, it was only natural that Claudio also picked up the Japanese martial art, and so, when Calasans Junior reached the age of 3, he began his tuition and family tradition. Being a strong Judo competitor since he was but a child, he felt the need to train some Jiu Jitsu when he reached 15 years of age in order to improve his Newaza (ground work), as chokes and armlocks are allowed in Judo from that age onwards. In the beginning he used his new found BJJ skills in Judo competitions, but slowly the Jiu Jitsu “bug” grew in him and he started practicing and competing mainly in the Brazilian Style.

His Jiu Jitsu tuition took place at a Sao Jose de Campos academy called “Liga Jiu Jitsu”, and he trained there from his Blue Belt to his Black Belt, a belt which was awarded to him in the end of 2006 by the hands of his long time master Erivaldo Junior.

Being a very strong competitor, Calasans also joined the Wrestling team in his gym, he was very successful at that discipline also, winning a spot with the Brazilian National Wrestling Team.

After receiving his Black Belt, Claudio’s dream of becoming a professional Jiu Jitsu fighter was getting faded as he was teaching classes at his gym and didn’t have time to train full time. when the Atos Team was formed by a good old friend of Calasans by the name of André Galvão (another big name in Jiu Jitsu), Claudio asked Galvão if he could be part of his team and was immediately accepted. So was forged a strong alliance with the team from Rio Claro, and Claudio now spends most of his time before big competitions preparing in the Southern Brazilian town.

Having fought most of his life as a lightweight, on the 2009 World Cup Claudio decided to try his luck at the absolute division. In order to do that he went through a rigorous weight lifting program, and that is the reason he now fights in middleweight. This new program almost bared fruits immediately as he got to the semi finals of the World Cup Open Weight Division, unfortunately on the other side of the bracket was a man by the name Roger Gracie, a man who many believe to be the best BJJ fighter to have ever competed. Claudio’s end was no different than the others who fought Roger that year as he was submitted from the mount.

In 2010 at the World Pro Cup in Abu Dhabi, came the prize Calasans so vehemently fought for, winning the competition in both the Middleweight and the Absolute divisions.

Claudio Calasans 2011 Fight Record

YEAR	WEIGHT	BELT	OPPONENT	EVENT	RESULT
2011	Absolute	Black	Marcus Almeida	Pan Americano – CBJJE	Loss (5×9)
2011	Absolute	Black	Alexandre Ceconi	Pan Americano – CBJJE	Win (Advantages)
2011	Absolute	Black	Jose Carlos	Pan Americano – CBJJE	Win (Armbar)
2011	Absolute	Black	Frederico Oliveira	Pan Americano – CBJJE	Win (Armbar)
2011	Absolute	Black	Sammy Jamaledine	Pan Americano – CBJJE	Win (Guillotine)
2011	Under 77kg	–	Kron Gracie	ADCC Finals	Loss (Guillotine)
2011	Under 77kg	–	Leo Vieira	ADCC Finals	Loss (Points)
2011	Under 77kg	–	Augusto Mendes	ADCC Finals	Win (Heel Hook)
2011	Under 77kg	–	Daniel Strauss	ADCC Finals	Win (Knee Bar)
2011	Middleweight	Black Belt	n/a	World Championship	Win (Submission)
2011	Absolute	Black Belt	Rodolfo Vieira	World Championship	Loss (Armbar)
2011	Absolute	Black Belt	Tetsuya Kondo	World Championship	Win (Choke)
2011	Under 88kg	–	David Vieira Silva	ADCC Brazilian Trial	Win (Points)
2011	Under 88kg	–	Cristiano “Titi”	ADCC Brazilian Trial	Win
2011	Under 83kg	Black/Brown	Vinicius Corrales	World Pro Cup	Win (Points 6×6, Adv. 2×0)
2011	Under 83kg	Black/Brown	Alan “Finfou”	World Pro Cup	Win (advantages)
2011	Middleweight	Black	Lucas Leite	Pan American	Win (wrist lock)
2011	Middleweight	Black	Clark Gracie	Pan American	Win (points 2×0)
2011	Middleweight	Black	Bruno Alves	European Open	Win (choke from back)
2011	Middleweight	Black	Victor Estima	European Open	Win (points 6×2)
2011	Absolute	Black	Sergio Moraes	European Open	Loss (advantage 1×0)
2011	Absolute	Black	Bernardo Faria	European Open	Win (points 4×2)
2011	Absolute	Black	Augusto Tanquinho	European Open	Win (advantages 2×0)