José Carlos Lima

José Carlos Lima Sobrinho, also known as José Carlos Lima or “Cocó” is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt under Master Júlio César Pereira of GF Team, being also regarded as one of the top rooster weights of his generation in the sport. José Carlos Lima built his reputation as one of the world’s best in the lower belt divisions of jiu jitsu by conquering important titles such as the IBJJF World Championship and the UAEJJF Abu Dhabi World Pro.

José Carlos Lima Jiu Jitsu

Full Name: José Carlos Souza Lima Sobrinho

Nickname: “Cocó” which in Brazilian jargon stands for something along the lines of “cock-a-doodle-doo”. This started as a joke among friends due to the division in which Jose Carlos competes (rooster weight).

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Luis França > Oswaldo Fadda > Monir Salomão > Julio Cesar Pereira > José Carlos

Main Achievements:

• IBJJF Rio Winter Open Champion (2017)
• UAEJJF Abu Dhabi World Pro Champion (2018)
• UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Champion – Abu Dhabi (2018)
• UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Champion – Los Angeles (2017)
• UAEJJF Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Champion – Rio de Janeiro (2017)
• IBJJF Pan American Championship 3rd Place (2017)

Main Achievements (Colored Belts):

• IBJJF World Champion (2016 brown)
• UAEJJF Abu Dhabi World Pro Champion (2016 brown)
• CBJJ Brazilian National No-Gi Champion (2014 brown)
• CBJJ Brazilian National Champion (2012 purple)
• CBJJ Brazilian National Teams Champion (2015 brown)
• IBJJF Rio International Open Champion (2011/2012 purple)
• IBJJF Rio Summer Open Champion (2016 brown)
• IBJJF Rio Summer Open No-Gi Champion (2016 brown)
• CBJJ Brazilian National No-Gi Championship Runner-up (2015 brown)
• CBJJ Brazilian National Championship 3rd Place (2011 purple)

Favorite Position/Technique: Berimbolo, Spider Guard and Toreando

Weight Division: Peso Galo (57kg/128lbs)

Team/Association: GF Team

Jose Carlos Lima Biography

José Carlos Lima was born on September 14, 1992 in Rio de Janeiro – Brazil.

José’s martial arts career started at the young age of 5, through capoeira. At the time Lima lived with his father in the rural outskirts of Rio, but as he moved to Catete in the city’s south Zone at the age of 11, his training habits changed. There he continued training capoeira, but also added jiu jitsu to his after school activities, a sport that gained his admiration from the very first class.

Lima’s first coaches were Marcos Alexandre (Xandao) and Felipe Frank who instilled in José Carlos a great love for the sport/martial art. Within 3 years Jose was hooked on grappling, dropping capoeira to focus solely on the development of his jiu jitsu.

Marcos Alexandre’s academy was an affiliate of GF Team, as such, shortly after receiving his blue belt José Carlos Lima started training occasionally at the GFT headquarters. Lima’s talent was obvious, and as he reached the purple belt grade, Master Júlio César Pereira requested him to train at the Méier gym (HQ) where José Carlos would have tougher sparring and his evolution could be followed closely by the team’s head coach.

After a brilliant brown belt campaign where José Carlos Lima earned 2 world titles (IBJJF and UAEJJF), plus a Brazilian national title (no-gi), Master Júlio César Pereira promoted Lima to black belt, while on the podium of the IBJJF World Championship, on June 2, 2016.