Jean Jacques Machado - A Renowned Machado Brother

Machado is renowned for his elite grappling skills. He got the attention of the international community after winning the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship.

The legendary Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor, Jean Jacques Machado was born on 12 Feb 1968 in Brazil. Machado spent the early years of his life in South America.

Machado was born with just the thumb and little finger on his left hand due to amniotic band syndrome. Despite having a genetic issue that adversely affected his gripping abilities. Machado is a real fighter, nothing could stop him from pursuing his passion for Jiu-Jitsu.

Machado has five brothers: Carlos, John, Roger, and Rigan, known as the “Machado Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Family”. Machado, who has practiced martial arts since a younger age, is the nephew of Grandmaster and founder of BJJ Carlos Gracie.

He got married to Jaqueline Machado in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on September 29, 1988. Together, they have two daughters named, Camilla and Jullie.

Machado started learning Jiu-Jitsu over 30 years ago. He dominated the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitive fights in his country from 1982 to 1992, winning every major title and competition award.

In 1992 Jean Jacques Machado received the Black Belt from his coach, Carlos Gracie Junior. Following in the footsteps of his older brother Rigan Machado. In the same year, Machado immigrated to the United States.

There were no Black Belt contests in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu scene when Jean Jacques Machado initially came to the USA. Jean started learning Sport Sambo, where he won a few State Titles and a Pan American Championship in 1993, in order to maintain his competitive spirit and because he wanted to try something new.

After getting success in Sambo Sport, Machado’s matchless devotion led him to win four consecutive Brazilian Jiu Jitsu American Championships from 1995-1998.

After four remarkable wins in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu American Championship, Machado achieved another success in the Abu Dhabi Combat Club World Submission Wrestling Championships in 1999, which helped him attract international fame.

Machado got promoted to a 7th-degree coral belt (red-and-black belt) on June 6, 2011, during a ceremony at the Rickson Gracie Academy in West Los Angeles. Machado had 19 years of experience as a black belt instructor, champion, and competitor, and this honorable promotion is the acknowledgment of his BJJ services. Machado is among one the few active 7th Degree coral belts and continue to teach in his academy in Woodland Hills, CA.

Machado has maintained an active appearance in “Motion Pictures”, “Force of the Spirit '', “Readbelt '', “Read Belt '' and in the television series “Insider Training.”

In 1998 Jean Jacques participated in MMA and competed against the unbeaten Frank Trigg, but couldn't succeed. Due to a cut on his knee, he was forced to forfeit the fight in the third round.

On 24 February 1999, at the ADCC World Championship, Jean Jacques Machado faced Caol Uno, a professional wrestler, and Japanese mixed martial artist.

Both participants fought relentlessly showing their elite grappling skills. In the first stage, Machado held a powerful RNC grip on Caol’s neck. Caol showed remarkable resistance for almost two minutes to get himself free from Machado’s grip but couldn’t, and ultimately tapped at 4.45 of round 1.

At the ADCC 2000 World Championship, the BJJ legend Jean Jacques Machado fought against Team Lions Den’s FIRE Fighter Mikey Burnett.

The fight came to an end when Machado strangled Mikey in a lethal Ezekiel Choke and Mikey tapped out

The Machado brothers began training at Rolls Gracie's academy (a joint academy with Carlson Gracie) with their cousin Carlos Gracie Junior, after Rolls Gracie’s demise, Carlos relocated the team to the Barra da Tijuca district and founded Gracie Barra.

Carlos gave Jean Jacques a chance to coach and eventually take over as the team's primary instructor (supervised by Carlos).

There, Machado trained a number of athletes who would go on to become legendary future fighters, including  "Soca, Soneca, Gordo, and many more.

Jean Jacques Machado opened his own BJJ academy in Woodland Hills, California. It is regarded as one of Southern California's top Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu schools.

Jean Jacques and his team of experts help students to reach their own personal training objectives. There are several regional, national, and international champions in the Academy's competition group. A regular class of his academy frequently has at least 10 or more black belts.

The academy's sessions are held in a secure and encouraging atmosphere. Jean Jacques Machado or a designated black belt teacher instructs every training session.

Jean Jacques Machado wrote four books for guiding other mixed martial arts and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners.

• Championship Techniques
• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt
• The Grappler’s Handbook Vol.1: Gi and No-Gi Techniques
• The Grappler’s Handbook Vol. 2: Tactics for Defense

In this book by Jean Jacques, Jiu-Jitsu practitioners can learn 112 advanced positions that will arm the practitioners with the skills necessary to succeed in the combat sports of BJJ.

Jean Jacques Machado, renowned for his exceptional technical skills, now offers his full Brazilian jiu-Jitsu mechanism in the form of a book. A comprehensive library of Jiu-Jitsu techniques to address every possible situation is detailed.

This manual gives comprehensive guidelines and step-by-step guidelines about the different grappling with and without a BJJ Gi, clearly demonstrating each of its methods. This manual creates an approachable foundation that grapplers of any experience may use by emphasizing Gi and No-Gi techniques from basic to key positions of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, mixed martial arts, and submission combat.

This handbook entirely elaborated on the core defensive and offensive ideas and principles of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, mixed martial arts, and submission fighting, advocating for an integrated approach to the discipline of BJJ grappling.

• Rio de Janeiro Jiu-Jitsu State Championship
• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu National Championship

• Sambo Wrestling Championship
• Champion of Grappling Style Challenge Japan in 1995
• Champion of Black Belt Super Challenge Championship in 1998
• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu American Championship (4x Champion 1995-1998)
• Champion of Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships in 1999

• 1999 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship
• 2000 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship
• 2001 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship
• Head Instructor & Director of Jean Jacques Machado Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
• Hall of Fame Instructor of the Year awarded by the “Black Belt Magazine in 2011”
• Founder of Jean Jacques Machado Global Online Training Program
• Founder of World Grappling Game Federation
• Founder of (UFAF) United Fighting Arts Federation
• LAPD Consultant of Defensive Tactics Supervisor
• Defensive Tactics Supervisor of Sheriff’s Department
• American Federation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
• Law School of Rio de Janeiro Brazilian

• 11X Cruiser Weight Champion (1982-1992)
• Cruiser Janeiro Jiu-Jitsu State Championships
• Most Technical Fight Award in Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championship in 1999
• Best Match Award in Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championship in 2011
• Fastest Submission Award in Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championship in 2011

Event	Year	Medal
ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship	1999	Gold
ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship	2000	Silver
ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship	2001	Silver

Jean Jacques Machado Vs. Caol Uno

Jean Jacques Machado Vs. Ricardo Arona

Jean Jacques Machado Vs. Mikey Burnett

Photo credit: @jeanjacquesmachado , @blackbeltmag