Thamires Aquino is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Master Júlio César Pereira and one of the top female competitors of her generation. Competing for GF Team (GFT) Aquino earned important titles in the sport’s international circuit, including at the IBJJF World Championship, CBJJ Brazilian Nationals, and UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour – Rio de Janeiro. Thamires is also the twin sister of another prolific jiu-jitsu competitor, Jhenifer Aquino.
Thamires Aquino Jiu-Jitsu
Full Name: Thamires Diógenes de Aquino
Nickname: n/a
Lineage: Luiz França > Oswaldo Fadda> Monir Salomão > Julio Cesar Pereira > Thamires Aquino
Main Achievements:
- 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2024)
- 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2017)
- 1st Place IBJJF Rio Fall Open (2017)
- 1st Place CBJJ South American Championship (2016)
- 1st Place UAEJJF Grand Slam, MIA (2020)
- 1st Place UAEJJF Grand Slam, RJ (2016)
- 1st Place UAEJJF Bento Gonçalves Pro (2017)
- 2nd Place UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Pro (2019)
- 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2018/2017)
- 3rd Place IBJJF European Open (2017)
- 3rd Place UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Pro (2017)
Main Achievements (Colored Belts):
- 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2016 brown, 2015 purple)
- 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2016 brown, 2015 purple, 2013 blue)
- 1st Place CBJJ South American Championship (2015 purple)
- 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Team Nationals (2015 purple)
- 1st Place IBJJF Rio Open (2014 purple)
- 1st Place IBJJF São Paulo Open (2012 / 2013 blue)
- 2nd Place IBJJF São Paulo Open (2014 purple)
- 3rd Place Brazilian Nationals (2014 purple)
- 3rd Place IBJJF Rio BJJ Pro (2014 purple)
Favorite Position/Technique: Open Guard
Weight Division: Peso Galo (48,50 kg/107.0 lbs)
Team/Association: GF Team
Thamires Aquino Biography
Thamires Aquino was born on September 6, 1994, in São Paulo – Brazil.
At the age of 11 Thamires was introduced to capoeira, a Brazilian martial art specialized in kicking, which Aquino did for a few years. As a 14-year-old, she started visiting her mom’s gym, where there were also jiu jitsu classes. This was the first time Thamires had access to grappling.
Interested in finding what jiu-jitsu was about, Thamires decided to do a trial class and immediately felt ‘at home’ on the mats. Her first coach at this academy was André Ricardo da Silva, commonly known by the jiu-jitsu community as “Garapa”.
André “Garapa” awarded Aquino her blue belt, it was at this belt that Thamires first dipped her toes in the competitive jiu-jitsu circuit. She mentioned in an interview to BJJ Heroes on December 2016:
“I always trained hard, and as a blue belt when I competed for the first time I lost. I was really affected by this, but at the same time it instilled in me the desire to train even harder and overcome myself so I wouldn’t lose or feel that way again”.
Indeed Thamires’ talent started to rise from there onward, and for that reason, she required a more competitive training environment to fully develop her potential. She then moved to Cia Paulista‘s headquarters, training under Max Trombini (Garapa’s head coach), and it would be Max who awarded Thamires her purple belt.
As a purple belt, Thamires sought an even stronger team, moving to Rio de Janeiro to train at GF Team‘s headquarters in Meyer. It was at GFT that Aquino earned both her brown belt (June 3, 2015) and black belt (June 6, 2016).
As soon as she earned her black belt, Thamires hit the ground running, winning two important titles in her first 6 months of black belt: The South American Championship and the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam – Rio de Janeiro.
Cover photo by Marco Aurélio Ferreira of Arena JJ.
Thamires Aquino vs Dyna Sena
