Machado
“The Best Of The Best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Instructor”
And he isn’t even a Gracie or a Machado!
His name is Pedro Sauer, 7th dan BJJ.
In a worldwide poll in 2005 organized by the ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Center) he received this coveted recognition.
But let’s first have a look at Professor Pedro Sauer’s climb to the top:
Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at age five he started boxing and thereafter judo and taekwondo.
As a teenager and after training for about 10 years one of his buddies invited him over to check out a youngster training in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. After this experience Professor Pedro started training in BJJ the very next day.
Get this: His buddy was Rickson Gracie and the younger brother was Royler Gracie, who at the time was only 9 years old and 6 years younger than Professor Pedro.
After majoring in economics and business Pedro worked as a stockbroker for about eleven years.
During this time Pedro earned his Black Belt from Helio and Rickson in 1985, after years of training at Gracie Humaita which can be considered something like the equivalent of BJJ’S Kodokan.
In 1986 he started teaching and training under Alvaro Barreto, who is a 9th degree (red belt) master under Helio Gracie.
Several years later he made the decision to emigrate and start teaching Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the U.S.
Understand that 1990 was when the original wave of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructors moved to California and the martial arts world would never be the same.
Pedro Sauer immersed even deeper in BJJ in California while living and training daily with Helio, Rickson, Rorion, Relson, Renzo and Royce Gracie as well as the Machado Brothers, who are the famous cousins of the Gracies.
By the end of that same year Pedro set up camp in Utah where he lived to train and teach for sixteen years as one of only two non-Gracie instructors.
By 2006 Pedro Sauer and his family decided to relocate to Leesburg, Virginia.
It is here that Profesor Pedro instructs at One Spirit Martial Arts in Herndon, Virginia, and Jeff Gordon’s Mixed-Martial Arts Academy in Germantown, Maryland, as well as 80 affiliate schools worldwide.
His expertise has been highly sought after by a number of law enforcement, military and federal agencies such as FBI, CIA and Naval Special Warfare Group.
In 2005, Professor Pedro Sauer was named “Best of the Best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Instructor” in a worldwide internet poll conducted by the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC).
The following video clips feature Professor Pedro Sauer with an arm bar technique and his words of wisdom that can help any martial art of any style progress a lot quicker.
2016 Olympics Awarded to Rio de Janeiro – Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Anybody?
“Tonight I have the honour to announce that the Games of the 31st Olympiad
are awarded to the city of Rio de Janeiro,” IOC President Jacques Rogge said.
My heartfelt congratulations go out to the people of Brazil in general and the
citizens of Rio de Janeiro in specific.
When I think of Brazil and Rio de Janeiro, what immediately comes to my mind:
Pele and artistic Brazilian soccer football, Copacabana, super-model Gisele Buendchen,
the famous song “The girl from Ipanema”, churrasco, Carnival in Rio, and …
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, of course.
The Gracie familiy members have done herculean work in laying the foundation
and together with their Machado cousins spreading the now immensely successful
and, just ask any of their opponents, very effective martial art.
BJJ founder Helio Gracie must have a really big smile on his face right now!
So, the Olympic Games 2016 have been awarded to the mesmerizing metropolis
of Rio de Janeiro and that leads me to the following question:
Can Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu become an Olympic discipline ?
And why not?
Just look back at the Olympics 1964 in Tokyo when Judo became an official
discipline and has stayed one ever since!
Or how about the Korean martial art of Taekwondo that first was a demo sport
during the 1988 Olympic Games of Seoul, Korea and then just 12 years later
officially became an Olympic discipline in 2000 during the Sydney, Australia games.
By the way, this recognition came less than 50 years after Taekwondo was first
officially introduced to the world.
Can Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu do the same?
Tell me what you think!
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