Jackson Sousa

Jackson Sousa, also known as “Jack” or “Jackzinho”, is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Rico Vieira, a competitor out of the Fightzone academy in Rio de Janeiro – Checkmat Academy headquarters, and another “child” of Vieira’s social project at the Cantagalo slums. For a number of years, Sousa remained in relative obscurity in mainstream Jiu-Jitsu due to his longtime struggle to obtain the US visa which allowed him to compete at the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) Pan and World Championship. This important passport stamp came in 2013 and with it came also consecutive wins at the Mundial (World Championship), No-Gi World Championship, and Pro League, all of which cemented Jackson Sousa’s status as one of the top Jiu-Jitsu athletes of his generation.

Jackson Sousa Jiu Jitsu

Full Name: Jackson Sousa dos Santos

Nickname: Jack, or Jackzinho. All ways of saying, Jackson.

Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rolls Gracie > Romero Cavalcanti > Ricardo Vieira > Jackson Sousa

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship No-Gi (2013*** / 2019***)
• 1st Place IBJJF Pans Championship No-Gi (2014*)
• 1st Place IBJJF European Open (2014 / 2016)
• 1st Place UAEJJF Grand Slam MSK (2019)
• 1st Place IBJJF London Winter Open (2015 / 2016** / 2017**)
• 2nd Place IBJJF World Championship (2016)
• 2nd Place IBJJF World Championship No-Gi (2018 / 2016)
• 2nd Place UAEJJF King of Mats (2018)
• 2nd Place IBJJF Pro League (2013)
• 3rd Place IBJJF European Open (2018/2020)
• 3rd Place UAEJJF Grand Slam LDN (2017)
• 3rd Place ADCC World Championship (2017)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2013 brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF European Open (2012 / 2013 brown)
• 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals No-Gi (2009 purple, 2010** / 2011** / 2012 brown)
• 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2010 purple, 2012 brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF Rio Open (2012** brown)

* Absolute
** Weight and absolute
*** Closed bracket with teammate

Favorite Position/Technique: Distance Guard Passing

Weight Division: Peso Pesado (94kg/207lbs)

Team/Association: CheckMat BJJ

Jackson Sousa Biography

Jackson Sousa was born on the 24th of January, 1990 at the Instituto Fernandes Figueira (IFF) maternity in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His sporting life started early, playing beach football/soccer, but at the age of 10, he was invited by a friend to come and try a Jiu-Jitsu class at the social project led by Ricardo Vieira and Tererê in the Cantagalo Slums where Jackson grew up. Jackson tried one class and was hooked.

At the social project/BJJ school, his main coach was Leandro Martins. An inspirational figure for youngsters of the Cantagalo slums that is often forgotten by the Jiu-Jitsu mainstream. Leandro (an accomplished black belt who was paramount in Tererê’s recovery from drug abuse) led Jackson from white to blue belt, after Jackson reached blue belt level, Ricardo Vieira took over the teenager’s training.

Growing up in the favela, Jackson looked up to several Jiu-Jitsu champions, also born in the Cantagalo slums who found a way to better their lives through BJJ. These were the cases of Alan ‘Finfou’ Nascimento, Bruno Matias, Sandro Vieira, ‘Trator’ (Douglas Rufino) and many others who served as real-life examples to lead by and who kept Sousa away from a life of crime, a life only too common in the harsh Cantagalo environment.

Although Jackson tore up the Brazilian national circuit for a long time, he spent years unnoticed by the foreign media, a media that occasionally miss the diamonds in the rough still existing in Brazil. Those who cannot make a name for themselves at international events due to lack of sponsorship or who find it hard to get a visa approved to fight in the United States. In January 2012 however, Jackson turned a few heads his way after he found the sponsors to come and compete at the European Open in Portugal, a tournament he won gold at his weight division and silver at the open weight. After a couple more attempts at that US visa, in 2013 he was finally accepted to visit American soil. This blessing allowed Jackson to be internationally recognized as one of the top fighters of 2013 a deed he accomplished with 3 consecutive World-class tournament wins (Mundial, World Championship No-Gi, and IBJJF Pro League).

SEXUAL HARASSMENT ALLEGATIONS

On August 19, 2021, Checkmat black belt Samatha Cook accused Jackson Sousa of sexual harassment through her Instagram profile and Facebook accounts, events that had allegedly taken place a few years prior to the post. The claims of Sousa’s wrongdoing by a high-profile personality of the sport sparked many more female jiu-jitsu practitioners to come forward with similar allegations of unsolicited explicit advances from Sousa, published through Cook’s social media account which can be read here.

The accusations sparked outrage and debates across the internet, including in global forums such as Reddit (see here). The social pressure felt at the time led Sousa to momentarily step down from his gym in Hammersmith, London, England, and for Checkmat’s leader, Leonardo Vieira to make a public statement suspending Jackson from the team (see statement here). Another long-running relationship of Sousa, his sponsorship with jiu-jitsu lifestyle brand Shoyoroll, came to a halt as the brand formally ended all sponsorship and affiliation with the IBJJF World Championship silver medalist (see SYR statement from August 20, 2021, here). The brand had in Sousa one of its longest-running representatives and highest-profile athletes in Europe at the time.

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Banner picture by Jits Mag.

Jackson Sousa vs Douglas Oliveira

Jackson Sousa vs Victor Hugo das Neves