Master Julio Cesar Pereira - The BJJ Champion Maker!

In an interview with the Eastern European BJJ, Julio Cesar Pereira shared his golden advice for aspiring BJJ athletes. He has achieved milestones in jiu-jitsu through his passion and hard work, and now he ingrains the same values in his students. Today, the world of jiu-jitsu is indebted to the great master, blessed with exceptional combat and teaching skills, for producing world champions and keeping Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu alive.

On December 22, 1964, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion and the maestro was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Julio Cesar Pereira began jiu-jitsu training under the astute guidance of Monir Salomao in 1974 at Vila de Eaiha. He later joined the black belt Oswaldo Fadda.

Many renowned jiu-jitsu athletes owe their success to the “Gracie lineage.” But Cesar was one of the few grapplers who made it big without the “Gracie label.”

In November 1914, Mitsuyo Maeda, the pioneer of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, came to Brazil. He taught Judo to two disciples, Carlos Gracie and Luis Franca. The Franca lineage was represented by Oswaldo Fadda, who later became the jiu-jitsu master of Julio Cesar.

Fadda introduced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to the poverty-stricken outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. Young Cesar saw the opportunity and learned jiu-jitsu from Oswaldo. He polished his skills and competed extensively in the lower belt levels. Whatever money he earned through jiu-jitsu, he used it to study physical education. Later in life, he followed in the footsteps of his master by helping other poor athletes to prosper in life through this combat sport.

Julio Cesar continued to train under Fadda till he received his black belt. Moreover, he trained in Luta Livre - a form of Brazilian Submission Wrestling - and also reached the black belt level in judo.

In little time, the black belt Cesar proved his impeccable jiu-jitsu skills to the world by winning several top-notch tournaments. His hand was raised 20  times in the Rio de Janeiro Open Championship. He stood victorious in the Brazilian National Championship and Pan American Championship. Julio Cesar Pereira also earned the title of IBJJF World Champion.

Master Cesar participated in the IBJJF Master International Tournament in 2018. The final match began with a calculated sweep by Cesar that Alves countered with an equally impressive guard pass.

Julio retaliated with greater force and quickly recovered from the half-guard. With one successful sweep, he dominated his opponent and won the title with more points.

At this stage of his life, he got the chance to become a trainer. In 1996, Pedro Gama Filho and Paulo Jardim, the two illustrious BJJ coaches, founded the Gama Filho academy. After some time, the founders entrusted the charge of the institution to three accomplished names of jiu-jitsu circuit, Julio Cesar, Marcus Bello, and Alexandre Barauna.

The success of the academy skyrocketed under the able hands of the trio. Soon, it became one of the best jiu-jitsu schools in Rio de Janeiro. Though Pedro and Jardim were no longer involved in the administrative and training responsibilities, they provided necessary financial support to keep the academy afloat. Unfortunately, when Pedro passed away, the academy suffered a great loss.

In 2007, Julio Cesar’s competitors shifted to mixed martial arts. This transition was calling for a rebranding of the academy. This is because an educational institution could not link itself with MMA. Under the circumstances, Cesar severed ties with the Gama Filho academy. As a result, the Grappling Fight Team emerged under the same roster.

The advent of the Grappling Fight team was immediately followed by the progress of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. A grappling ace in his own right, Cesar wanted his team to take full advantage of the growing opportunities, so he opened a fighter house called “Cachanga” at the GFT headquarters.

The establishment soon became a way forward for poor athletes. Cesar, brimming with compassion, didn’t want his students to give up grappling due to lack of funds so he catered to their needs. He didn’t shy away from providing accommodation, professional jiu-jitsu training, food, confidence, and a sense of belonging to his athletes. His passionate efforts illuminated the otherwise dark futures of his students. The professional jiu-jitsu careers of his students propelled them forward, and they earned global recognition for themselves and their team.

With these accomplishments under his belt, Cesar wanted to globalize his team. Consequently, he moved to Orange County, California in 2018 to increase his team’s influence in the world.

Cesar wanted to create a team that had local and international talent. The purpose of the move was to increase the exposure of the team and pave a path for Brazilian athletes to gain acclaim in the United States. He wholeheartedly believed that the future of his team depended on the mainstream Brazilian jiu-jitsu platforms in the U.S. The team now has more than 250 representatives from all over the world.

No one could have predicted the unprecedented success of the Grappling Fight Team, not even its leader, Master Julio Cesar. He took a leap of faith, and in less than three years, the squad tasted the heights of success. In 2010, at the IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, the GFT fighters won one silver and two bronze medals.

In 2011, Rodolfo Vieira, the star grappler, drew even more attention and respect towards the team. The prominent sports media entities started to acknowledge the hidden efforts of Julio Cesar. In the successive years, GFT only grew stronger as Igor Silva, Ricardo Evangelista, Vanessa Oliviera, Jamie Canuto, Victor Silverio, and many others joined hands with Rodolfo Vieira to make GFT and their Master Cesar proud.

Their commendable performances at every tournament continued to raise the bar. Master Julio Cesar’s hard work began to pay off. He had led his academy to the pinnacle of success single-handedly, and now his athletes have taken it upon themselves to carry his legacy.

Cesar had never thought that his venture would become so successful in the future. Initially, the academy aimed to provide education. It never crossed anyone’s mind that it would evolve into a jiu-jitsu champion-producing institution. Today, the world of BJJ is incomplete without the Grappling Fight Team and its members.

In 2016, the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) honored Julio Cesar Periera, the world’s best jiu-jitsu master, with his 7th-Degree coral belts. He served the sport as a black belt for 31  years.

The master’s inspiring accomplishment drove the other athletes to compete with greater zeal. In the same year, they broke all previous records in major international jiu-jitsu competitions and earned the top three adult male and female divisions.

In 2018, Cesar, now a coral belt, tested himself against seasoned veterans and black belts at the IBJJF Master International Championship held in Rio de Janeiro. He competed in the Master-Five medium heavyweight division. In the first round, Cesar beat Carlos Medeiros of the Nova União via points.

He then proceeded to face Claudio Muniz on the mats in the semi-finals. After several minutes of intense grappling techniques, Cesar defeated Muniz via unanimous decision. The final was against Jairo Alves. Master Cesar confronted an equally able rival in the final round. Cesar secured his place in the final after a grueling struggle. Cesar was confident, and he easily defeated Alves making his team proud. 

Overwhelmed with happiness, love, and pride Cesar uttered historic words at the end of the tournament.

These words reflected his core values and teachings. Surely, he trained his students with this mindset. Encouraged to enjoy jiu-jitsu and be excellent, his students have grown not just in the sport but also in their character.

• Brazilian National Championship
• Rio de Janeiro Open State Championship

• World Championship
• Pan American Championship
• IBJJF Master International Championship

• World Championship
• Pan American Championship
• IBJJF Master International Championship

Event	Medal
World Championship	2 Gold Medals
Pan American	2 Gold Medals
Rio de Janeiro Open	21 Gold Medals
Brazilian National Championship	8 Gold Medals
Master International Championship	1 Gold Medal

• He won the World Championship twice.
• He won the Pan American Championship twice.
• He won the Rio de Janeiro Open, State Championship twenty-one times.
• He won the Brazilian National Championship eight times.
• He won the Master International Championship once.

Julio Cesar (Interview/Documentary)

Photo credit: triumphbrazilianjiujitsu