João Cizeski

João Felipe Cizeski is a professional jiu-jitsu athlete and a black belt under Felipe Pena (Preguiça), who represents the FP Team in the sport’s international circuit – an affiliate of the Gracie Barra Academy. João Cizeski first gained notoriety after his purple belt campaigns when he won several important tournaments on of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) league, including 5 Brazilian National titles.

João Cizeski Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: João Felipe Pacheco Cizeski

Nickname: N/A

Lineage:  Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlos Gracie Jr > Vinicius Magalhães > Marcelo Azevedo > Felipe Pena > João Cizeski

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2019 purple)
• 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals NOGI (2017/2018 purple, 2019** brown)
• 2nd Place IBJJF European Open (2019 purple)
• 3rd Place IBJJF European Open (2019* purple)
• 3rd Place IBJJF South American Championship (2016 blue)
• 3rd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals NOGI (2017* purple)

Favorite Position/Technique: Open Guard / Kneebar

Weight Division: Meio Pesado (88,30 kg / 195.0 lbs)

Team/Association: FP Team

João Cizeski Biography

João Cizeski was born on November 26, 1994, in Criciúma, a municipality in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina.

A sporty child from early in life, João went through a few different activities prior to finding his calling for grappling, but it was in basketball that he felt more at home, a sport he competed in extensively.

By the time Cizeski reached college, his busy schedule prevented him from doing any competitive sports. It was while struggling with this routine that he saw a university colleague with a jiu-jitsu gi in his backpack. The two exchanged a few words and João discovered there was a late-night schedule (10:30 pm) at his friend’s academy, that allowed Cizeski to train there. This ultimately led 17-year-old João Cizeski to Eduardo Milioli’s academy – an affiliate of the Rillion Gracie association.

Under the guidance of coach Eduardo Milioli, João gained a great deal of interest in the competition side of jiu-jitsu. Although ambitious, he soon understood that splitting his time between a part-time job, the university, and training was severely hindering his hopes of becoming one of the top grapplers in the nation. Opting to go with his heart, Cizeski slowly started leaving his academic life behind in favor of the mats.

As a purple belt, João applied for a scholarship at the FP Team, where he met Felipe Pena. To be accepted by the team’s professional program, Cizeski had to go through a strict selection process, where he competed against other athletes looking to conquer that same spot. João pulled through and was accepted by the Belo Horizonte team, then moving to the state of Minas Gerais to pursue a professional career in the sport.

The impact of training in one of the top jiu-jitsu academies in the world made an immediate impact on Cizeski’s career, who went on to win Brazilian National titles both with and without the gi. His performances earned the Santa Catarina native his brown belt from coach Pena in 2019, and later, in February 2021, his black belt, also awarded by Felipe Pena.