Leo D’avila is a Jiu Jitsu black belt under Benevenuto Antunes, having become an accomplished grappler with medals at the highest level of the sport, such as the US Nationals, Brazilian Nationals and the Pan American Championships. D’avila is also a coach at the world class Atos Academy in San Diego.
Monir Salomão was a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu coach and founder of the Academia Monir de Jiu-Jitsu in the Vista Alegre neighbourhood where he several high class black belts such as world champion Marcos Barreto and GF Team leader Julio César Pereira as well as Rafael Caldeira.
Fábio Andrade is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu athlete as well as a highly regarded coach of Nova Uniao’s BJJ team and a prime figure in the revamping of the team within the sport in recent years, mentioned by Protocolo BJJ as having ‘the midas touch’ due to his consistency in bringing new talent through his social project academy in Bangu.
Robson Gracie is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu red belt (9th degree), son of the founder of Gracie Jiu Jitsu, Carlos Gracie (Senior) who was an instructor of the ‘arte suave’ at the Gracie Academy during the 1950’s. Robson defended the Gracie family name in vale tudo (no holds barred) fights during the 1950’s, he is also the father of famous BJJ personalities such as Ryan, Ralph and Renzo Gracie.
One of the founders of Gracie Barra and Gracie Gym, Crolin Gracie is the son of Gracie Jiu Jitsu founder, Carlos Gracie (Senior). Crolin was revered as the successor to Rolls Gracie’s throne as the family’s champion in the 1970’s, though a health problem prevented him from following his older brother’s footsteps.
Master Geraldo Flôres is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu red belt (9th degree) from the Oswaldo Fadda lineage, and one of the main developers of Jiu Jitsu in the northern area of Rio de Janeiro. Flôres has also been involved in the development of BJJ figures such as Wendell Alexander, Sergio Bastos and Ignácio Santos Silva.
Eduardo Venâncio, also known in the Jiu Jitsu world as ‘Brigadeiro’, is a black belt in Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under the legendary Ricardo De La Riva (BJJ). Though Brigadeiro did not have the flashiest of careers as a competitor in BJJ, he did manage to establish himself as one of the top coaches in Rio de Janeiro creating strong competitors and over 50 black belts.
João Paulo Oliveira , also known as ‘Jones’, is the coordinator of the competition team of Strauch Jiu Jitsu academy. Considered the by many as Master Paulo Maurício Strauch’s ‘right hand man’, Jones became a regular competitor in the Rio de Janeiro BJJ circuit, having won many titles such as State Champion and America’s Cup Champion.
José Mario Queiroga, more commonly known in the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu community as Zé Mario Esfiha, is a BJJ 4th degree black belt under Roberto Traven, and a World, Pan American and Brazilian National medallist who is also known as one of the founders of the Brasa Jiu Jitsu academy.
Yukinori Sasa is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under the legendary Yuki Nakai, from the renowned grappling academy Paraestra in Japan. Although Sasa is not an avid competitor in the main IBJJF competitions, his skills have earned him medals at the black belt division of the World (Mundial) and Pan American championships, making him one of the top super featherweights of his generation.
A Brazilian native of Japanese descent, Juan Caio Kamezawa, was regarded by the end of 2012 as one of the hottest Jiu Jitsu prospects in the world, since then the Fabio Gurgel and Luciano Nucci (Casquinha) black belt from the Alliance academy has confirmed this status.
John Crouch is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under the legendary Gracie Jiu Jitsu fighter, Royce Gracie. Crouch learned his BJJ skill from the Gracie family having used his knowledge as a coach, teaching both MMA (mixed martial arts) and BJJ at the world famous martial arts academy, MMA Lab.
Ian Behring is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt who is part of one of the most traditional families in BJJ, the Behrings. Ian is the son of Sylvio Behring and grandson of Grandmaster Flávio Behring who earned his place in Jiu Jitsu as a respected coach through his own hard work, first coaching at the worldly renowned X-Gym in Rio de Janeiro, and later moving to the South of Brazil where he joined another big BJJ academy, the Sul Jiu Jitsu.
The Brasa academy is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu team with an amazing history. Having been founded in 2004, Brasa appeared in a crucial time, being the product of an Alliance team split in 2002.
Luis Herédia, also known by his nickname ‘Limão’ within the Jiu Jitsu community is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt which he earned training under Rickson Gracie’s tuition, and a historical figure in the development of the martial art in Hawaii, especially in island of Maui, the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands.
Rockson Gracie was the oldest son of the legendary Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighter and MMA pioneer Rickson Gracie, who was considered by many, to be one of the greatest prospects in BJJ during the 1990’s decade. Rockson Gracie would also become one of the sports saddest losses when he passed away on December of 2000 in New York.
John Lewis is former MMA fighter and a martial artist who holds black belts in a variety of fighting styles, including a black belt in judo awarded by the legendary Gene LeBell and a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Master André Pederneiras, having been mentioned by many as one of the first true mixed martial artists, considering he mastered many different styles in a time when only style specialists were fighting MMA.
Another quick interview made by our Portuguese correspondent Hugo Miranda, during the European open. This time, with the established Jiu Jitsu black belt, Mr Alan ‘Finfou’ do Nascimento. Alan has been living in Sweden for a number of years, raising some of the hottest prospects in the country. Hugo had a quick chat with the black belt at Casal Vistoso in Lisbon.
Another quick interview by our Portuguese correspondent Hugo Miranda, during the European open. This time, with the rising star Jackson Sousa, newly crowned European heavyweight Jiu Jitsu champion, a man who has trained his fare share in London, England
The European Championship is over, but our correspondent in Portugal, Mr Hugo “Sabugo” Miranda got to spend time with a number of fighters and coaches, hearing what they have to say about some issues such as the state of BJJ in Europe and how the basis of the gentle art has evolved.
