Gustavo Machado

Gustavo Machado is a grappling instructor, founder of the Gustavo Machado Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Association, and a black belt under Roberto Corrêa (Gordo), who also worked extensively with Jean Jacques Machado and Carlos Gracie Junior. Gustavo had a successful competitive career as a colored belt in his native country of Brazil, later cementing his name in the professional circuit, in 2002 with a bronze medal at the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation’s Pan American Championship.

Gustavo Machado Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Gustavo Pinheiro Machado

Nickname: Machado is often referenced as “Guga”, which is short for Gustavo.

Lineage:  Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlos Gracie Jr > Roberto Corrêa > Gustavo Machado

Main Achievements:

• 3rd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2002)
• 2nd place IBJJF Charlotte Open (2016 M3)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place Atlântico Sul Championship* (1990,1991,1992)
• 1st Place Recreio Sports Center Championship (1991)
• 1st Place Copa Raulf Championship (1990)
• 3rd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (1995)
• 3rd Place Pro-fit Championship (1993)
• 3rd Place Company Invitational Championship (1991)

* Prior to IBJJF this tournament was regarded as the Brazilian Nationals

Favorite Position/Technique: Armlock from Guard

Weight Division: Leve (76,00 kg / 168.0 lbs)

Team/Association: Gustavo Machado BJJ / R1NG

Gustavo Machado Biography

Gustavo Pinheiro Machado was born on August 8th, 1974 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Born in a financially stable family with his father being a banker and his mother a seamstress, Machado was the middle child with three older sisters and a younger sister and brother.

At the age of 14, Gustavo started training Jiu-Jitsu with Professor Jean Jacques Machado, making his first test in competition 1 year later at an in-house tournament. The experience led Machado down the competitive path, competing regularly in the Rio de Janeiro circuit.

When his instructor, Jean Jacques Machado left Brazil to open a gym in the United States (1992), Gustavo started training at the Gracie Barra Academy, under the tutelage of Master Carlos Gracie Jr. and the coaches of the team. There the young carioca climbed the ranks of the sport, making the most of training in one of the top academies of the 1990s. In 2000 Machado was awarded his black belt by Roberto Corrêa.

During the late 1990s, Gustavo moved to the United States settling in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he founded the Gustavo Machado Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy (1999), after one year of teaching at the Old Dominion University in Norfolk VA.

While in the US Gustavo’s jiu-jitsu led him down several paths, not only coaching for sports, but also for self-defense and hand-to-hand combat, prisoner handling, and defensive tactics. Some of the many organizations where he taught include Navy SEALS, Army Special Forces, U.S. Marshals, Police officers, Sheriff Deputies, FBI HRT, and Parole Officers.

In 2019 Gustavo Machado Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy joined forces with Team R1NG BJJ, a team that gathered several of Gracie Barra’s old-school team-mates and joined them into one elite team for all major tournaments with the goal of supporting athletes.