List of Brazilian jiu jitsu grand masters who have reached the 9th or 10th degree in BJJ, being red belts in the martial art, the highest achievable rank in jiu jitsu. In order to be a red belt in the “arte suave” you will require to have been a black belt for at least 48 years. On this section you will find a comprehensive list with complete biographies and stats about these great figures of our martial art.
Geny Rebelo is a Brazilian jiu jitsu Grand Master (9th degree red belt) and a student of Helio Gracie. Founder of the Serrana Academy one of the most important grappling hubs in Brazil from where he developed many legends of this martial art.
Reylson Gracie is a 9th degree red belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu, and one of the most well respected representatives of the Gracie self defence style, being the son of Gracie jiu jitsu founder Carlos Gracie (Sr) and one of its pioneers in the United States where he raised awareness to the his family’s trade. Reylson is also an important figure in the development of jiu jitsu’s vocabulary, having created the names for several techniques, as well as a visionary in this martial art’s gi fashion, being the first producer of coloured gi’s (kimonos). Reylson is also the father of the well known MMA and BJJ fighter Rodrigo Gracie.
Carlos Rosado is a Brazilian jiu jitsu red belt, the highest grade possible in BJJ, being not only the youngest man to ever receive the honour in the sport, but also the only red belt ever awarded by the late Master Carlson Gracie. Regarded by many as the best student from Carlson Gracie’s first generation of black belts, Carlos Rosado is also the founder of the Rosado Jiu Jitsu Academy.
Master José Higino is a Brazilian jiu jisu 9th degree red belt from the famous Oswaldo Fadda lineage. A former student of Master Aderbal Baptista during …
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.
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.
Crézio Chavez is an important figure of Jiu Jitsu having attained the 9th degree (red belt) in the gentle art. Crézio Chavez competed several times for the Gracie Academy in the 1950s decade in Vale Tudo fights ending his career undefeated. Chavez was also a great ambassador of BJJ in Petropolis, Brazil, where he opened the first academy of the region
Helio Vigio is a 9th degree red belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and an important figure in this martial art’s history. A former instructor of the Gracie Academy in the 1950’s, alongside Carlson Gracie, Robson Gracie and Joao Alberto Barreto, Helio Vigio defended the Gracie Jiu Jitsu name in several “Vale Tudo” (No Holds Barred) fights later becoming one of the best BJJ/NHB/MMA referees in the world
Paulo Mauricio Strauch is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Master (9th degree red belt) who trained under Master Reylson Gracie before founding his own academy in 1984. From his academy in Copacabana Master Paulo Mauricio Strauch has taught numerous champions such as the world famous Caio Terra, Alexandre Vieira and many others.
Nahum Rabay is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu red belt (9th degree) and a student of one of the Gracie Jiu Jitsu founders, George Gracie. Aside from being an important musician and a highly regarded figure in Sao Paulo’s BJJ, Nahum Rabay, curiously, was directly involved in the first case of “creontagem” in Jiu Jitsu.
Master Wilson Mattos, also known as Mestre “Shihan”, is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 9th degree red belt who trained with Oswaldo Fadda, Master Wilson formed his own academy in the 1970’s, Equipe Mestre Wilson, a team with affiliates all over the world, in countries like Brazil, the USA and Japan.
One of the first Brazilian men to learn Jiu Jitsu in Brazil, Luiz França became one of Mitsuyo Maeda’s top students, and much like the Gracies, he continued the work of his Japanese instructor in the state of Rio de Janeiro where he started his own, non Gracie, BJJ lineage. This lineage can be seen in some of the biggest teams in the world today.
Deoclecio Paulo, also known as “Mestre Deo” (Master Deo) is a red belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu who started practicing the sport in the 1940’s, being a direct descendant of the Oswaldo Fadda lineage. A highly regarded instructor, Deoclecio Paulo has taught in different areas of Brazil, having also brought Jiu Jitsu to Chile in the 1970’s. Master Deo’s also founded the Associação Deo Jiu-Jitsu one of the top academies in Brasilia.
Carley Gracie, often referred to as: “The Lion of the Gracie Family”, is the 11th child of Gracie jiu jitsu founder Carlos Gracie, and the first person to bring Brazilian jiu jitsu to the United States (in 1972). Carley Gracie is also the father of two jiu jitsu practitioners, Ralston and Clark Gracie, being the later, one of the main BJJ competitors in the world.
Master Francisco Sá is a jiu jitsu red belt and one of the main instigators for jiu jitsu in the region of Ceará, Brazil. Francisco Sá, who was graded as an instructor by Takeo Iano, established his academy in Fortaleza in the 1960’s, an academy that flourished with the combined effort of himself and his son Carlos Pinto Sá (also known as “Sazinho”) becoming a beacon of excellence in that Northern Brazilian state.
Mestre Alvaro Barreto is a jiu jitsu red belt (faixa vermelha) and one of the most important figures in BJJ, being also the brother of João Alberto Barreto and Sergio Barreto, two illustrious figures of the sport. Alvaro Barreto became a certified instructor at the famous Gracie Academy by the age of 17, years before he opened his academy where he instructed and graduated great figures of the sport.
A great figure in Brazilian jiu jitsu, Master Francisco Mansor has had tremendous influence in bringing jiu jitsu to the world. The founder of the Kioto BJJ academy, Master Francisco Mansor was also part of the exclusive group of 6 men to have earned their black belts from the late Great Master Helio Gracie.
Reyson Gracie is a 9th degree red belt in jiu jitsu. Being the third son of Gracie jiu jitsu founder, Carlos Gracie, Reyson helped to spred the jiu jitsu gospel around Brazil, namely in Manaus (state of Amazon) and Bahia where he became the president of the local jiu jitsu federation.
Pedro Hemeterio was one of Carlos and Helio Gracie’s best students through the 1940s and 1950s decades. Hemeterio was also the first student of the gracie academy to achieve the 9th degree in jiu jitsu – red belt. Originaly from the state of Ceará in Brazil, Hemeterio also spent time in Sao Paulo where he helped develop the sport there.
Relson Gracie is the second oldest son of the late Grand Master Helio Gracie, he is also a jiu jitsu coral belt (8th degree) who pioneered the sport, being its messenger in the archipelago of Hawaii (where he was the first to establish a Gracie Jiu Jitsu academy). Relson was also the first Gracie representative to truly embrace surfing, a trend that was followed by many of his family members and BJJ practitioners throughout the world.