Pedro Silva de Souza

João Pedro Silva de Souza, often cited on social media as Pedro Silva, Pedro de Souza, or by his nickname Pedro “Bolo”, is a professional jiu-jitsu athlete from the city of Manaus, Brazil, best known for his work as a member of the Dream Art team for whom he conquered many medals in the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) and the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro Tour (AJP) and helped achieve their first team world title in 2023. Pedro de Souza also worked extensively with coaches José Alberto (father), Nabil Aziz, and Cicero Costha.

Pedro Silva de Souza Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: João Pedro Silva de Souza

Nickname: Pedro is often referenced as Bolo by his friends, a reference to his days as a juvenile when he was obsessed with a jiu-jitsu technique labeled the Berimbolo (Bolo in short form). Souza’s persistence in finding this technique back then earned him the nickname.

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Romero Cavalcanti > Alexandre Paiva > Fernando Tererê > Rubens Charles > Michael Langhi > Isaque Bahiense > Pedro Silva de Souza

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2021 purple, 2022 brown)
• 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2023 brown)
• 2nd Place IBJJF European Open (2020 blue)
• 2nd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2022* brown)
• 2nd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2019 purple)
• 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2023 brown)
• 3rd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2023 brown)
• 3rd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2019* purple)

Main Achievements (Juvenile):

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2018**/2019**)
• 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2019**)
• 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2018)

Favorite Position/Technique: Modern Jiu-Jitsu Style (Lapel Guard, DLR, Lasso Guard)

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

Team/Association: Dream Art

Pedro Silva de Souza Biography

Pedro was born on October 29, 2002, in Manaus, Amazonas, where he grew up, up until his mid-teens.

The initiation to jiu-jitsu occurred very early in Pedro’s life. This sport/martial art has a big tradition in Manaus and his father was already a black belt when de Souza was born, making his early days in the sport as early as he could remember when interviewed by BJJ Heroes for this profile. What he did recollect were his first steps in a competitive arena, which were taken at the age of 8.

Pedro Silva de Souza’s first instructors were his father, José Alberto, and Nabil Aziz – often referred to as Mestre Nabil, two coaches who followed Bolo up until he was 15 years old at which point the young Manauara moved to São Paulo where he joined Cicero Costha‘s academy on a scholarship.

The Mestre Nabil school of jiu-jitsu is well-known as one of the strongest grappling hubs in the Amazonas region, having developed big names of the sport such as Alex Sodre, Diego Pato, Diego Sodre, all of which trained regularly with Pedro when he was growing up. It was through one of these athletes, namely, Diego “Pato” Oliveira that de Souza was able to connect with the DreamArt squad in 2012 after roughly 5 years under Costha’s tuition.

DreamArt is a professional jiu-jitsu team started in 2018, which specializes in building up full-time athletes from a hand-picked squad, and Pedro Bolo was one of the competitors Dream Art believed in, hiring the young prospect in early 2022 as a brown belt.

Pedro de Souza received his black belt from the Dream Art leader, Isaque Bahiense, on June 04, 2023.