Abraham Marte

Abraham Marte is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Abraham Tabar from team Basico BJJ of the Dominican Republic. One of the top ultra-heavyweight competitors of his generation, Marte was also the first high-end submission grappler to come out of this Caribbean nation, and the first to medal at the World Championships in a black belt division.

Abraham Marte Jiu-Jitsu

Full Name: Abraham J. Marte Messina

Nickname: He is often called “Loco” which means crazy in Spanish, Abraham’s native tongue. The name started among his Jiu-Jitsu training partners due to Abraham’s obsession for Jiu-Jitsu.

Lineage: Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rickson Gracie > Marcelo Behring > Fernando Yamasaki > Abraham Tabar > Abraham Marte Messina

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place IBJJF World Masters Championship (2014**)
• 1st Place IBJJF Pan American Championship No-Gi (2015)
• 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2015 / 2013)
• 3rd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2013)

Main Achievements:

• 1st Place IBJJF World Championship (2012 brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF Rio Open (2011 brown)
• 1st Place CBJJO World Cup (2011 brown)
• 1st Place IBJJF New York Open (2009 purple)
• 2nd Place IBJJF World Championship (2011 brown)
• 2nd Place IBJJF Pan American Championship (2012 brown)
• 3rd Place IBJJF World Championship (2009 purple)
• 3rd Place IBJJF Pans Championship (2010 brown)

* Absolute
** Weight and absolute

Favorite Position/Technique: Closed Guard

Weight Division: Pesadíssimo (over 221lbs/100kg)

Team/Association: Basico BJJ / GF Team

Abraham Marte Messina Biography

Abraham Marte Messina was born on June 27, 1980, in San Domingo, Dominican Republic. Marte’s father was a former sports minister and through his father’s connections with the sporting world, he started practicing Judo as a youngster.

In the late 1990’s Abraham saw the first UFC’s and was amazed by Royce Gracie‘s technique, which he used to win the first two editions of the event. Although Marte wanted to start doing the Jiu-Jitsu of the Gracie family, he lived in a small and isolated country which did not have access to the martial art. It was only by the end of 2001 that Abraham Marte finally had his first BJJ class. Abraham found out about this academy that was teaching Jiu-Jitsu by the intermediate of a friend named Samuel. The classes were taught by Abraham Tabar, a Judo black belt who loved newaza (the groundwork aspect of Judo) and would often travel to the United States to learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from people such as Romero Cavalcanti (and later Royce Gracie and Fernando Yamasaki).

Though Abraham Marte enjoyed Jiu-Jitsu thoroughly he had to stop training in 2002 due to a serious injury to his back. At the time Abraham was employed as a DJ, working nights and leading a life of excess but with time and dedication, he left his former life behind in order to recover and come back to BJJ, which he did in 2006.

Being a natural athlete at Jiu-Jitsu he decided to start competing for fun. His first big competition was taken when he was a blue belt in Puerto Rico, a tournament he won in his weight division and the absolute, this was an important landmark in Marte’s competitive life as it instilled the desire to compete more often.

Though Messina could only train 4x per week, he still managed to compete regularly abroad, winning several important medals. In his constant quest for improvement and testing within the sport, Abraham Marte traveled often to Brazil where he met and befriended Joao Gabriel Rocha. The two created a strong bond and while in Brazil, Abraham Marte trained extensively at the Soul Fighters academy, spending time at the Rocha household as a guest of the family.

Abraham Marte’s passion for Jiu Jitsu overflowed to his wife who also became a BJJ enthusiast and competitor.

Banner picture taken by Preston Smith Photography & Design

Abraham Marte vs Zander Heinen

Abraham Marte vs Ronis Gracie