The first American black belt awarded by Renzo Gracie, Matt Serra is a former UFC champion and an ADCC silver medallist, considered to be one of the best grapplers produced by Renzo’s academy in New York.
A great martial artis and true competitor, Fernando “Boi” Marques was one of the best heavyweight grapplers of his generation having won a world title in jiu jitsu back in 2001. A black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Master André Pederneiras , Fernando Marques 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 as well as a former full contact kickboxer.
Valmyr Neto is one of the top BJJ black belts competing and coaching in the United Kingdom. Originally from Belém do Pará (the birthplace of Jiu Jitsu in Brazil), Neto travelled to England after he earned his black belt from Walter “Broca”, where he established his team in the region of Gravesend.
Marcos de Souza is an accomplished Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under his father, Adilson de Souza. Marcos comes from a family of competitors including his father Master Adilson (RIP) and his brothers Mauricio Dai Souza, Roberto Satoshi and Cristiane Yukari de Souza. Originally from São Paulo, Brazil, Marcos moved to Japan in 2007 where he opened a BJJ academy together with his brothers.
The French Laurence Cousin Fouillat is regarded as the first European female black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. An incredibly accomplished grappler Laurence was also the 2nd non Brazilian to win a gold medal at the world Jiu Jitsu championship in the black belt division.
James Puopolo is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Rafael Lovato Junior who became one of the most highly regarded American submission grapplers in the BJJ circuit having won several important tournaments at a national and international level.
Roberto “Toshi”, is the son of the late Master Adilson de Souza, he is also one of the top competitors in the Jiu Jitsu lightweight division. Having been a BJJ black belt since May 2011, Roberto Satoshi has already beaten some of the division’s top athletes, such as Michael Langhi and JT Torres havin won important tournaments including the Mundial, the European Open, the Asian Open and many others.
A professional MMA fighter, Jiu Jitsu black belt and Capoeira Master, Delson Heleno, also known as Pe de Chumbo is part of the elite grapplers of the world, having been a former Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World and Pan American champion at the black belt level. He is a student of Adilson Lima from the city of Teresopolis.
Rigan Machado is a legendary BJJ figure and one of the most feared Jiu Jitsu competitors of the 1980′s. Rigan was the first black belt of Carlos Gracie Junior and the founder of Machado Jiu Jitsu, one of the most prosperous grappling academies in the USA.
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, Michele Tavares, Jussier “Formiga”, Marcelo “Caneta”, Ronny Markes, Claudia Gadelha, Gleison Tibau to name a few, helping to put the northeast region of Brazil on the BJJ map.
Marina Ribeiro is a top Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitor from the Checkmat Team out ofRio de Janeiro,Brazil. A proof of just how talentedMarinais was her meteoric rise to black belt, which took her only 4 years, training under the legendary and former BJJ World Champion, Ricardo Vieira.
Leandro Martins, mostly known as “Leu” is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and one of the most highly regarded super featherweights in the sport having defeated big names such as UFC champion Jose Aldo. A former member of the famed “TT” team, Martins is also recognized as the cousin of the legendary Fernando “Terere”, the man who awarded him his black belt.
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.
Ralph Gracie is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Carlos Gracie Junior (his cousin) and the brother of Renzo Gracie, he was an accomplished Vale Tudo, MMA and Jiu Jitsi fighter in the 1980s & 1990s later becoming also a successful coach from his academy in San Francisco, CA.
Renan Barão is a professional MMA fighter with a Jiu Jitsu background having become the 100th black belt awarded by the Andre Pederneiras in 2011. Originally fighting out of the Kimura/Nova Uniao camp in his naive town of Natal (RN), Barao also trains regularly at Rio de Janeiro with the main Nova Uniao team, sharing the mats with Jose Aldo, Marlon Sandro and many others.
Mark Ramos is an accomplished American fighter who holds a black belt in Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Master Edson Carvalho. Born and raised in New Jersey, Ramos became a very successful competitor earning his black belt in an astonishing 5 and ½ years.
James Harbison (often called “Jim” or “Jimmy” Harbison) is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Master Lloyd Irvin who gained notoriety in the grappling circuit after he won the 3 major tournaments in the IBJJF circuit in the brown belt division (European Open, Pan American & Mundial) in 2011. Since achieving such an impressive landmark, Harbison has been awarded his black belt and is an avid presence in the main Jiu Jitsu tournaments.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu phenom, Samuel Braga, was awarded his black belt by Master Vinicius “Draculino” Magalhaes in 5 years after consecutive wins at the lower belt levels of the main tournaments in the world. Originally from the Gracie Barra Belo Horizonte team, Samuel Braga moved to theUnited Statesopening a Gracie Barra franchise gym in Knoxville, TN.
A fantastic Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner from Danmark, Alexander Trans had a rampant career as a purple and brown belt, winning every major tournament in the world before earning his black belt from Leonardo Vieira late in 2011. Alexander is a Checkmat representative in Copenhagen, training alongside Ida Hansson, Shimon Mochizuki and many others.
The creator of the Baratoplata technique, Rafael Freitas (AKA Barata) is also an accomplished Jiu Jitsu black belt, having competed and won in some of the most respected tournaments in the BJJ international circuit. Barata is also the coach of Gracie Barra New Mexico.
