Samuel Canquerino is a jiu-jitsu black belt from Brazil who played an important role in the development of the United Arab Emirates national BJJ program while also developing into one of the main competitors in the (former) United Arab Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF) with important wins around the 2010s decade, including a Abu Dhabi World Pro title in the professional division (2012).
Samuel Canquerino Jiu-Jitsu
Full Name: Samuel Hertzog Canquerino
Nickname: Often referred to as “Muca” which is a shortened version of the word “Samuca”, often used as a friendly way of saying Samuel in Portuguese, Canquerino’s mother tongue.
Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlson Gracie > Ze Mario Sperry > Rodrigo Dias & Alex Silva > Samuel Canquerino
Main Achievements:
- 1st Place AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro (2012)
- 1st Place IBJJF South American Championship (2008)
- 1st Place IBJJF German Nationals (2019)
- 1st Place IBJJF German Nationals NOGI (2019)
- 2nd Place AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro (2013)
- 2nd Place AJP Asian Cup (2009)
- 3rd Place IBJJF European Championship NOGI (2015)
Main Achievements (Master):
- 1st Place AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro (2020 M2)
- 1st Place AJP Grand Slam, LDN (2016 M1)
- 2nd Place AJP Grand Slam, ABD NOGI (2017 M1)
- 2nd Place AJP UAE National Pro (2021 M2)
- 2nd Place AJP Asian National Pro (2020 M2)
- 3rd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2021 M2)
- 3rd Place IBJJF Masters World Championship (2022 M2)
Main Achievements (Colored Belts):
- 1st Place CBJJ Sul Brasileiro Championship (2006 purple)
- 1st Place USBJJF American Championship (2007 brown)
- 2nd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2005 blue)
- 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2005 blue)
- 3rd Place CBJJO Copa do Mundo (2006 purple)
Favorite Position/Technique: Half Guard
Weight Division: Peso Leve (76,00 kg / 168.0 lbs)
Team / Association: Sul JJ / BTT / Fight Sports
Samuel Canquerino Biography
Samuel Canquerino was born in February 1985 in Caxias do Sul, in the Serra Gaúcha region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; A place without a strong tradition in Jiu-Jitsu at the time of his formative years, so much so that when Canquerino started training (2001), his teachers were still purple belts.
Growing up, Canquerino was interested in football (soccer) and competed extensively in this sport. As he developed into his mid-teens, and despite moderate success in his chosen sport, he felt that he was missing a focus in his life that he didn’t find in his current activity. For that reason, at the age of 16, Samuel joined a jiu-jitsu club led by two purple belts, Rodrigo Dias and Alex Silva, who led an affiliate of Academia Sul Jiu-Jitsu, a pioneering team from southern Brazil created by Ze Mario Sperry and Walter Mattos.
Although he trained out of a smaller gym, part-time, and far away from the big grappling hubs of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Samuel Canquerino was able to conquer success in the colored belt divisions of the CBJJ circuit, the country’s strongest league. His good form led to his black belt promotion from his coaches, Alex and Rodrigo, on September 18, 2008.
Despite his black belt status, Samuel Canquerino maintained his training under a part-time regime up until he was offered a position in the United Arab Emirates midway through 2009. Samuel moved to the UAE to help develop a new project for the local government, with a nationalized jiu-jitsu movement which offered grappling tuition in several institutions, including the school system.
Despite the heavy workload and the important coaching done in the region, Samuel was also able to train and become one of the big names on the United Arab Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF), which later became the AJP (Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro Tour).
