Robson Chaves, commonly known as Robson “No-Brake” is a judo and jiu-jitsu black belt who worked extensively under the guidance of coaches such as Mario Reis and Moacir Mendes Junior. Robson Chaves first made waves in the sport in 2024 while competing in the brown belt rank of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) where he conquered important titles such as the World & Pan Championships in that division.
Robson Chaves Jiu-Jitsu
Full Name: Robson de Freitas Chaves
Nickname: The nickname started in Portuguese as Sem Freio and was later adapted to English – No Brake(s) – by his jiu-jitsu coach Mario Reis and training partner Monique Elias. The Sem Feio nickname (No Brakes in Portuguese) came about in his youth and was created by Chaves’ friends due to his wild nature as he would do dangerous stunts on the skateboard and his overall daring lifestyle.
Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Alvaro Barreto > Sylvio Behring > Mario Reis > Robson Chaves
Main Achievements:
- #1 Ranked Brown Belt IBJJF (2024)
- 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2024* brown)
- 1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2024* brown)
- 1st Place IBJJF European Championship (2019** blue)
- 1st Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2023 brown)
- 1st Place IBJJF South American Championship (2023** brown)
- 2nd Place IBJJF World Championship (2024 brown)
- 2nd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2021 purple)
- 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2023 brown)
- 3rd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2024 brown)
- 3rd Place IBJJF European Championship (2023** brown)
Favorite Position/Technique: Super Pesado (100,50 kg / 222.0 lbs)
Weight Division: Guard Passing
Team/Association: Alliance
Robson Chaves Biography
Robson Chaves was born in 1996, in Porto Alegre, the capital of the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, growing up in the Rio Branco neighborhood.
Drawn to sports from an early age, Chaves started practicing judo at the age of 5 and became an avid competitor in his teens. He also developed a passion for skateboarding as a child, an activity he maintained throughout his life.
Jiu-Jitsu appeared in Robson’s life as a way to improve his ground techniques for judo (newaza). Following a friend’s advice, in 2015 he joined the famous Academia Sul Jiu-Jitsu, one of the pioneering BJJ gyms in the city where Fernando Fagundes led him.
Chaves showed great potential for jiu-jitsu, and after a conversation with judoka Moacir Mendes (who is also a successful BJJ player), Robson was convinced that he should pursue jiu-jitsu more seriously. With that in mind, then blue belt “No Brake” began his work to reach the top of the IBJJF ladder under the guidance of Moacir Mendes and Mario Reis, the most successful jiu-jitsu coach in the state.
Under the tutelage of Reis, Robson became one of the hottest prospects in Brazil. But despite his achievements at a national level, he was denied a USA visa for 7 years straight, which blocked him from competing in the two biggest tournaments in the sport. In 2024, Chaves was finally allowed entrance into the United States, enabling the talented athlete to compete in the Pan American Championship and the World Championship in California. Robson won gold medals in both tournaments and earned his black belt from Mario Reis on June 1 that year, on the podium of the Mundial.
