Mauricio Motta Gomes


Maurício "Maurição" Motta Gomes is a practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, one of the few people to have been promoted to black belt by Rolls Gracie. The nickname "Maurição" means Big Maurício. He has been training and teaching BJJ for over 50 years and at present holds the rank of 8th degree white and red belt. He is the father of Roger Gracie and Pedro Bianco.

Early life and education

Mauricio began training in Jiu-Jitsu at just four years of age. His father, who was a brown belt, started his journey and took him to classes at João Alberto Barreto’s academy.
As a teenager, Mauricio began training with the legendary Rolls Gracie. Under Rolls' guidance, he became a highly successful competitor and won the absolute division of the Rio de Janeiro State Championships in 1981. Shortly after this victory Rolls would award Mauricio his black belt. Mauricio continued training with Rolls until his tragic death in 1982

Personal life

Through his close ties with the Gracie family, Mauricio met Reila Gracie, the daughter of Carlos Gracie Sr. The two married in 1979 and, although their relationship didn't last, they had a son, Roger Gracie. Roger would go on to become a ten-time World Champion and is widely recognised as being the greatest Jiu-Jitsu competitor of all time.

Career

In the late 1990s, Mauricio came to the UK and established the very first Gracie Barra gym there. Through his teaching, many new gyms would open and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is now the fastest growing martial art in the UK. Mauricio is affectionately known as the ‘Godfather of British Jiu-Jitsu’ because of his efforts to grow the sport in the country.
Mauricio taught briefly in the Meidaimae area of Tokyo at what was then Gracie Barra Japan in 1998. After a brief return to his home in Brazil, he accepted a position in England, where he set up Gracie Barra UK, teaching in Birmingham and then in London, Edinburgh and Belfast. Mauricio promoted his first UK students to black belt in 2005: Jude Samuel, Rick Young and Marc Walder.
Mauricio now divides his time between Brazil and the UK to teach at the Roger Gracie Academy in London. With Felipe Souza and his son Roger Gracie, Mauricio also established the first Gracie Barra Jiu Jitsu School in China in Shanghai in 2002.

Instructor Lineage

→ Carlos Gracie, Sr. → Helio Gracie → Rolls Gracie → Mauricio Motta Gomes