Igor Rodrigues, also known as “Baixinho”, is a jiu jitsu lack belt under Marcos Chuck who trains and competes for the Checkmat academy in Rio de Janeiro. Originally from the region of Buzios, Igor became a Capoeira master before turning to BJJ. His biggest achievements to this date in grappling have been his titles at the Brazilian nationals.
The Pan American that took place a couple of months ago, the World Professional Jiu Jitsu Cup and the Brazilian Nationals only a few weeks ago were served as an appetizer of what we can expect from the 2012 Mundial, here is a break down of the event and a few of the fighters you may want to keep an eye on.
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.
Ben Baxter is a jiu jitsu black belt graduated by the iconic Wellington “Megaton” Diaz who trains and competes for the Rafael Lovato Junior academy. Ben is regarded as one of the top competitors in the United States having medalled in many important tournaments
Travis Lutter is a jiu jitsu black belt under Carlos Machado and a former professional MMA fighter, famous for his win of The Ultimate Fighter (season 4) tournament and his run in the UFC’s middleweight division. Before his MMA career, Travis led a very successful grappling one with medals at important tournaments such as the North American ADCC trials and the World Jiu Jitsu Championships.
Vitor Toledo, also known as “Gigante” is a jiu jitsu black belt under Erivaldo Junior with a long list of achievements in the black belt medium heavy weight division. Since moving to the Atos team Toledo started making a bigger impact in the main events of the BJJ calendar, namely two silver medals at the Pan American & the World Pro Cup (2012). Vitor is also the cousin of another established black belt, Eduardo Toledo.
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.
André Terêncio, also known as André “Negão” is one of the leaders of the Brazil 021 jiu jitsu academy, a team with strong roots in Rio de Janeiro, and also in United States, namely in Houston, Texas and Chicago, Illinois where André and his wife Hanette Staack live and teach. Terêncio, who is also one of the most respected referees in the IBJJF roster got together with BJJ Heroes to discuss the developments of his most recent endeavour, the launching of “Brazil 021 Projects”.
An accomplished Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt with numerous medals in some of the most prestigious grappling tournaments in the world, Victor Costa is also the founder of Koral Fight Co. a jiu jitsu brand of kimonos and fightwear.
Rogerio Poggio is a renowned 4th degree Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Master Tolita “Pitoco” Jordan, who is one of the founders of the famous Infight jiu jitsu team. Poggio has also led a successful competitive career with wins at tournaments such as the Mundial, the South American championships and the Brazilian nationals.
Detailed results of the 2012 professional World Jiu Jitsu Cup held in Abu Dhabi. You can find here all the results from all the fights at the adult male black and brown belt divisions (the female results will be added soon). The event was held on the 13th and 14th of April, 2012.
An important figure in the history of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Mr Craig Kukuk is widely recognized as the very first American born black belt in the sport, having learned directly from the Gracie family through Rorion Gracie and later Royler Gracie who awarded Kukuk his black belt.
The best Pan American Jiu Jitsu Championship result database is here, with all the results of the matches from the black belt divisions being shown. The BJJ Pan American took place on March 2012 (and April) in Irvine, California in the United States and it gathered some of the best grapplers in the world.
David Juliano is a BJJ black belt competitor in the feather weight division, who often competes for Atos Jiu Jitsu. David has won important titles at black belt such as the South American title, the European Open and many other tournaments at a national and international level.
Koji Shibamoto is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Judo black belt who is regarded as one of the top grapplers in jiu jitsu’s rooster weight division. A former competitor for the Tokai University judo team, who also represented Japan at international judo tournaments, Koji Shibamoto turned his focus to BJJ in the mid 2000’s where, under the instruction of Mitsuyoshi Hayakawa, he became one of the most acknowledged Japanese fighters of his generation.
One of the main people behind the organization of the World Professional Jiu Jitsu Cup event, Fernando Paradeda is also a well accomplished jiu jitsu black belt under the legendary Ze Mario Sperry, having been one of the strongest BJJ competitors for Brazilian Top Team in the early 2000’s.
Wow, it doesn’t seem right but it is, the Pan American Championship is at our doorstep once again and a year has passed since Rodolfo Vieira made his first big statement of 2011, winning both his weight and the open weight divisions. This year’s event will be held from the 29th of March until the 1st of April.
One of the most widely recognized Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academies in the world, the Gracie Barra academy has also been one of the strongest teams in the BJJ circuit since its inauguration in the 1980’s era. Led by Carlinhos Gracie (son of Gracie Jiu Jitsu founder Carlos Gracie) the Gracie Barra team has conquered many tournaments, being the world jiu jitsu championships their most significant titles.
Samy Al Jamal is a 4th degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and one of the highest ranking BJJ coaches of Arabic origin. He has been one of the great propellers for the sport in countries such as Jordan and Palestine where he made BJJ available by starting the very first grappling and MMA academies in these countries (Source MMA), opening it also to women and the under privileged, forming, very possibly, the first women’s BJJ team in the Middle East and the first MMA academy in Palestine.
