– Marcello grew up in the country that created Brazilian Jiu Jitsu…

 

• At the age of 6 years old Marcello started learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with Alvaro Barreto (Carlos and Helio Gracie’s student) at the Corpo Quatro Academy in Copacabana Rio De Janeiro/ Brazil. But at that age, Marcello was just a small kid that used to train on and off and he didn’t know how BJJ would change his life.

• At the age of 16, Marcello started to take BJJ very serious in his life.

• Many years ago, some of Carlson Gracie’s best students in Brazil were Sergio Souza “Bolao”, Ricardo De La Riva and Ricardo Juca.  These were among many BJJ Masters that he had the opportunity to train with and helped his game.  Marcello likes to speak about these 3 old masters.

• Sergio Souza helped Marcello’s game for about 1 year. Sergio Souza is best known in Brazil for his “butterfly” guard.

• De La Riva is best known for his “De La Riva Hook” and Ricardo Juca is best known in Brazil for his fighting strategies for back attacks and mount attacks.  Juca also published in the very first BJJ book in Brazil.

• For many years Marcello was considered De La Riva’s protege at his academy in Rio De Janeiro/Brazil.   De La Riva showed Marcello all the secret details of his De La Riva Guard game.  Juca showed Marcello all his fighting strategies while focusing on teaching Marcello the way he should think during a match.

• Marcello helped De La Riva give lessons at his school for many years, until achieving his Black Belt.

• In 1998 Marcello opened his first school in Nova Friburgo in Rio De Janeiro/Brazil where he has turned regular students into State, National and World Champions.

• “Marcello always says that he was in the right place at the right time. He learned BJJ from the right sources, before it was regarded worldwide as a premier fighting art.  Since 2003 Marcello has resided in Indianapolis/IN in the U.S. where he is continuing to fulfill his dream of spreading his knowledge of BrazilianJiu–Jitsu. He hopes to continue fulfilling his dream until the day he dies.

And hopes that even after he’s gone, his knowledge will continue to spread.”

While in Brazil, Marcello attained many accomplishments:

 

•  He is the author of the first No Gi Brazilian Jiu–Jitsu book called “Secret Positions.” Gracie Magazine launched Secret Positions on how to teach BJJ positions without a Gi.  The Gracie magazine sold the Secret Positions No Gi Book (at the Gracie Shop) in Brazil for approximately five years from 1998-2003.  Marcello was the first peson ever to show the Anaconda choke in a printed publication.

• He took part in a documentary about De La Riva’s life and his created guard position known as the “De La Riva Hook”. In the documentary, Marcello was demostrating some positions with De La Riva himself.  In the video, Marcello was featured along side many great masters such as Rickson Gracie, Carlson Gracie, Royler Gracie, Renzo Gracie, Ze Mario Sperry, Murilo Bustamante and Rodrigo Nogueira (Minotauro), telling about De La Riva’s life.  That documentary is still currently sold in Japan.

• Marcello won the first and only Carlson Gracie Competition Team “Tournament” in the lightweight division in Brazil. The tournament was organized by Ricardo Liborio to honor Carlson Gracie in 1997.  Marcello won his final match against his friend Ari Galo (current Carlson Gracie coach at Carlson’s academy in Rio De Janeiro/ Brazil since 2001).

• 4th Degree Black Belt Diploma from F.J.J.RIO “Rio De Janeiro Jiu Jitsu Federation”   – Signed by 9th Degree Red Belt-  Master Robson Gracie.  Master Carlos Robson Gracie. The current president of the federation is 9th Degree Red Belt Grandmaster. The F.J.J.RIO is the oldest BJJ Federation in Brazil (where everything started) founded by Helio Gracie.

• 4th Degree Black Belt Diploma from J.J.G.F “Jiu Jitsu Global Federation” – Signed by 8th Degree Red & Black Coral Belt – Master Rickson Gracie. The President and Founder of the JJGF with a well-respected background in Martial Arts and Jiu–Jitsu.  A record that combines jiu-jitsu, vale tudo, challenge and submission matches is 460 x 0, Rickson is known as having the highest expression on Jiu–Jitsu in the world. He continues inspire generations of jiu-jitsu fighters, practitioners and instructor around the world.

• 4th Degree Black Belt Diploma from IBJJF “International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation”  – Signed by IBJJF President  7th Degree Red & Black Coral Belt-  Master Carlos Gracie Jr. and Signed by 9th  Degree Red Belt-  Master Oswaldo Alves

• 4th Degree Black Belt Diploma from C.B.J.J.O  “Confederacao Brasileira de Jiu Jitsu Olimpico”  – Signed by 9th Degree Red Belt-  Master Walter Matos Nogueira. Master Walter is 9th Degree Red Belt Grandmaster and the president of C.B.J.J.O in Brazil (Fada’s Lineage)

• Achieved his Black Belt under Marster Ricardo De La Riva in April 1999.

• Registered as a Physical Education Professor from “Conselho Regional de Educacao Fisica – CREF-010016P/RJ-Brazil.

• Marcello is best know as an instructor that has turned regular students into State, National and World champions.

Currently, Marcello lives in Indianapolis/IN in the US and he is determined to spread his style of Brazilian Jiu Jitsuworldwide.  His most recent accomplishments include his Online BJJ Training Facility and his step by step, White to Black Belt Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Curriculum for students and instructors.