Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, I began judo at the age of 5. My family moved often and after a few years I could not continue Judo class. In 1989, my family moved into a safer area and I found a karate school that offered Martial Arts - Shoto Kan.

My karate master, Paulo Goes, gave me an opportunity to teach beginners. I had great success and eventually began giving students private lessons. I quickly became friends with everyone in the area of Leblon, my neighborhood in Rio. In 1992, two of those friends, Francisco Albuquerque (Toco) and Rodrigo Medeiros were Carlson Gracie students, they invited me to learn a new martial art, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

In 1994, now I'm a Purple Belt at Nova Geracao Jiu Jitsu, I became a new instructor with a new mission: help new students become champions. I helped Thiago Asfora, Rafael Nogueira(Batata), Diego Asenjo, Bruno Nahom, Alexandre Pimentel (Pulga), among others, build up their respect as top competitors on the world stage.

In 1999, all of my hard work had paid off and I became the 1st Black Belt from Nova Geracao. I received invitations to teach in others cities. I spent 3 months in Minas Gerais, teaching in Manhuacu. I eventually went to Santa Catarina for 6 months and taught in Joinville, where he trained and developed champion Ricardo Toscano.

But two of the greatest opportunities came from his hometown. Ricardo Liborio, Black Belt under Carlson Gracie, invite me to teach in his school in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro. Liborio is a World Jiu Jitsu Champion and nowadays he is the principal coach of American Top Team, so our friendship came from since I was a white belt. My duties: teach and sign up Liborio's school in tournaments, promotion material, payments, advertising's. He give me a chance to me teach my technics to all of then and keep a strong relationship with your students.

The another great opportunity show up, I began teaching Jiu Jitsu in the slums of Dona Marta in Botafogo. Some of my students, the charters from the movie "City of God" and "City of Man", Darlan Cunha and Douglas Silva. In 2001, I started the project Educating Children for the Future. The impoverished children would train Judo and Jiu Jitsu for free everyday (300 children). Gama Filho College paid for the children’s apparel and reimbursed me for his time.

The project suddenly stopped in 2004 when the government cut funding but I continued to teach for my love of jiu jitsu and I continued desire to help the children. I changed their young lives by taking them off the streets and away from the drug trafficking.

Although I continued to teach, without the financial backing from the government, my financial situation became bleak and I was forced to stop going to Dona Marta.

Two years later, with my wife Carol Huber, we choose to have a better life with the hope of spreading the good word of Jiu Jitsu to the United States.

In 2006, I was teaching at the Spear Jiu Jitsu Academy in Germantown, Philadelphia, with my close friend, student and Jiu Jitsu World Champion Noah Spear. In June 2007, we moved to Miami Beach to change adolescent and adult lives teaching Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with friendship, discipline, respect, education and peace, eventually, develop a similar project here.

October 2007( 8 months) teach at Spirit In Motion 6832SW 81 Terrace, Miami FL 33143

November 2007( 1 year) teach at American Top Team South Beach 726 W. 41st St.#200-Miami Beach, FL 33140.

Thanks for your attention.

God Bless Your Day.