Mauricio Motta Gomes

Maurição Motta Gomes
Born Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Residence London, England, UK
Nationality Brazil Brazilian
Style Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Teacher(s) Rolls Gracie, Carlos Gracie, Jr., Joao Alberto
Rank          8th Degree Coral Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Maurício "Maurição" Motta Gomes ( ) is a practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, one of the six people (most commonly known as the "Famous Five") to have been promoted to Black Belt by the famous Rolls Gracie prior to Gracie's untimely death. The nickname "Maurição" meant Big Maurício. He has been training and teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for over 50 years and at present holds the rank of 8th degree White and red belt.[1][2] He is the father of Roger Gracie.[1]

Biography

At the age of four, Mauricio was taken to BJJ academies by his father before he started training with Joao Alberto. In 1977, he began training with Rolls Gracie and was awarded his black belt in 1981. He married Reila Gracie, the daughter of Carlos Gracie in 1979. He is the father of the current BJJ and ADCC World Champion Roger Gracie.[3]

Mauricio taught briefly in the Meidaimae area of Tokyo, Japan, at what was then Gracie Barra Japan in 1998. Not speaking perfectly well the Japanese language, he was not able to fully convey the details of his jiu-jitsu to the eager Japanese students, and after a brief return to his home in Brazil, he accepted a position in England, where with the capable assistance of local aficionados and entrepreneurs, he set up Gracie Barra UK, teaching in Birmingham and then in London, Edinburgh and Belfast.[2] He was instrumental in bringing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to the UK and also bringing Felipe Souza, his son Roger and Braulio Estima to the UK to teach. Other Gracie Barra World Champions who subsequently came over included Carlos Lemos, Victor Estima and Lucio Rodrigues. Mauricio promoted his first UK students to black belt in 2005, Jude Samuel, Rick Young and Marc Walder.[3]

Mauricio now divides his time between Brazil and the UK to teach at the Roger Gracie Academy in London.[3]

With Felipe Souza and his son Roger Gracie - Mauricio also established the first Gracie Barra Jiu Jitsu School in China in Shanghai in 2002.[4] Felipe Souza was the first Black Belt from Brazil to teach in China - for 6 weeks in 2002 and again for 4 weeks in 2004.

The Famous Five

The Famous Five was a nickname for the black belt students of Rolls Gracie. In fact, it is a misnomer since Rolls promoted 6 men to Black Belt

Instructor Lineage

Mitsuyo "Count Koma" Maeda → Carlos Gracie, Sr. → Helio Gracie → Rolls Gracie → Mauricio Motta Gomes

Other Facts

  • Began competing in 1977.
  • 1998 - Entered last championship as a black belt (Pan American Senior division - Gold).
  • Father of Roger Gracie[1]

Students

Black Belt Students

  • Jude Samuel (promoted October 2005)
  • Marc Walder (promoted October 2005)
  • Rick Young (promoted October 2005)
  • Kevin Chan (promoted 2nd Feb 2008) (* receives 2 stripes on his black belt from Roger Gracie and Mauricio Gomes Aug 2014)
  • Daren Bartlett (promoted June 2011)
  • Steve Finan (promoted June 2011)
  • Thierry Viard
  • Marcus Collinson
  • Gerald Ashby

References

  1. 1 2 3 Renzo Gracie News >> Congratulations to Master Maurico Gomes and Roger Gracie Archived 2010-06-11 at the Wayback Machine.. URL accessed on June 14, 2010.
  2. 1 2 Gracie Barra Black Belts. URL accessed on June 14, 2010. Archived June 21, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  3. 1 2 3 Kamon Gracie News >> Maurico Motta Gomes. URL accessed on June 14, 2010. Archived July 30, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ Shanghai Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. URL accessed on June 14, 2010.
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