Mauricio Gomescoral belt
Thelineage
Mauricio began training Jiu-Jitsu at age four, when his father - a brown belt - took him to classes at João Alberto Barreto's academy in Rio de Janeiro. As a teenager he trained under Rolls Gracie, winning the Rio de Janeiro State Championship in 1977 and again in 1981, and was awarded his black belt by Rolls himself. He is one of the few men who can say so. He stayed at Rolls' side until his teacher's tragic death in 1982.
In 1998 he relocated to the United Kingdom and built the very first Gracie Barra gym there, taking on the British BJJ scene from the ground up. Today BJJ is the fastest-growing martial art in the UK, and many of its top competitors and instructors trace their lineage directly back to him.
Read Mauricio's Story →“I have been on so many different mats all over the world. That amazes me sometimes looking back.”Mauricio Gomes
An achievement unmatched in the sport.
Roger Gracie became a dominant force in BJJ, widely considered the greatest competitor the sport has produced. His father's teaching was one thread in that record: the same Jiu-Jitsu Mauricio had learned from Rolls.
