Sergio de 'Bolão' Souza

From OTMWiki

– 5th degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (certified by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation) under Master Carlson Gracie Sr. – Degree in Physical Education / Estácio de Sá University / Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Boxing student for more than 5 years at Nobre Arte Academy - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Certified Personal Trainer / Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

Nickname: Bolão | Age: 40 years | Height: 6' 0" / 1,81m Weight: 205lbs / 93kg | Place of birth: Manaus, Brasil

Destined to fight: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu got into Bolao's life over 20 years ago, a little after he moved from his hometown Manaus to Rio de Janeiro, where he intended to study Law in one of the various local universities. "The thing is I met Juninho [Carlson Gracie Jr.], Carlson's son, when we were playing soccer on the beach. He was the one who took me to the academy. I started training at age 17 and have been doing it ever since", he says.

That's what destiny is like: all of a sudden Bolao began to train in one of the best BJJ academies, where he had the chance to meet some of the sport's greatest stars - Ricardo De la Riva, Cassio Cradoso, Murilo Bustamante, Mario Sperry, Crezio Chaves, Ricardo Liborio, Wallid Ismail, just to name a few. It didn't take long for him to put together his competitive spirit along with Master Carlson Gracie's - one of the most legendary and respected BJJ and MMA trainers of all times - refined technique. Therefore, the young Sergio quickly became a rising star in the main torunaments. "I fought from 1982 until 1995, and won many important titles", he remembers. Throughout his victorious career, Bolao engaged in some athological battles with top international athletes such as Jean Jacques Machado and his brother Johnny, Fabio Gurgel, Marcelo Behring, Adilson Bita, Jucao, Leonardo Castello Branco and many others.

Factory of champions After spending some years teaching classes at the Carlson Gracie Academy, in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Bolao started his own business in 1990. His first academy was at the Clube Israelita Brasileiro (CIB - or Brazilian Israeli Club), where he had an average of 150 students during the four years he spent there. "That's where I created my own fighters. Some of those guys are still active and shining in competitions nowadays", he says. Sergio Ferrari, Carlos Barreto and Carlos Direito, just to name three, all began training with Bolao back in CIB.

In 1995, the black belt moved to an academy at the CL Clube Gym, where he also won many titles. A competition that still brings him good memories is the first Teams Championships, an event that wasn't official yet and was only opened to purple belts. Gracie Barra, Alliance and other academies where there. Bolao's team was formed by Sergio Ferrari, Carlos Direito, Carlos Barreto and Bebe Johnson, besides Saulo Ribeiro, who was training under his Manaus friend after having just arrived in Rio de Janeiro. Later on Saulo would move to Royler Gracie's academy, with whom he maintains a training relationship today.

In April 1996, Bolao received an invitation from training partner Murilo Bustamante to unite forces and create one of the best BJJ teams in the country. The two black belts got together and that's how the powerhouse Rio Jiu-Jitsu Club academy was born. The competition team had a huge number of top athletes of all belts and weights. The first positive result came right away at that year's National Teams Championship, where they placed second in the overall score, with the traditional Gracie Barra academy taking the gold. In 1997 they did it again, losing to Master Carlos Gracie Jr. academy by only three points. Most of the athletes who competed in these events would return in the following year to finally win world titles. In 1998, the two associates split apart and so did the team. Each one decided to trail their own paths and the athletes kept on winning and achieving national recognition as top fighters.

Bolao and his black belt student Alex Britto moved to the US in 2002 and opened an academy in Downingtown, PA which is still active and growing under Britto's instruction.

Nowadays Sergio Bolao keeps his work at the Corpo Quatro Academy, in Copacabana, where he shares the mats with the famous Master Alvaro Barreto, who is an Helio Gracie disciple. "Our philosophy here is to form people more than anything", Bolao explains. He allied the precision of his competitive Jiu-Jitsu to the highly efficient skills of the traditional technique.

www.bolaojiujitsu.com

Black Belts under Bolao: Eduardo Carvalho James D´avila Rômulo Carvalho Ricardo Brandão Mauro Chueng Alessandro Barreto Roberto Atalla "Risada" Marco Antônio "Chuck" Sérgio Ferrari Pablo Fragata Zé Marcello Silvio Amaral Renato Ferro Fábio Brandão Murilo Rupp Alexandre "Britto" Bruno Ximenes Joao Bandeira Marcelo Hertz Ary Ribeiro Aron Roichman Benjamim Caldas Carlos Barreto "Carlão" Marcelo Voloch Álvaro Ramos Rod Samuel Marcelo "Tetel" Andrade Ricardo Sodre Rogério Miranda Francisco Salgado "Chico" Viktor Dória Felipe Blomemberg Guilherme Brafman Eduardo Brandão Ricardo Marques Cesar Barcelos Ney Cunha Fausto Silva Marcelo Cazuza Eugenio Costa "Denguinho" Sérgio Santos Alexandre Azevedo João Pedro Tinoco Santos Leandro Furtado

Competitions:

1983 Copa Quicksilver - Campeão - Faixa Azul - Peso Médio e Absoluto

Copa Rio-Minas - Campeão - Faixa Azul - Peso Médio

1984 Campeonato Estadual Taça Cidade De Niterói - Campeão - Médio e Absoluto

Considerado o melhor atleta do ano pela Associação De Cronistas Desportivos Da Cidade Do Rio De Janeiro 

1985 Copa Lightning Bolt II - Campeão - Faixa Roxa - Médio

1986 Taça Cidade De Niterói - Campeão - Faixa Roxa - Médio e Absoluto

1987 Campeonato Estadual / Copa Company - Campeão - Roxa Médio

Campeonato Estadual / Copa Company - Vice-Campeão - Roxa / Absoluto

Depois de consagrar-se campeão no peso o atleta Sergio "Bolão" Souza conquistou a 2º colocação na categoria absoluto, o mesmo foi eleito o atleta mais técnico da competição 

1988 Copa Blue Marlim - Campeão - Faixa Marrom - Médio e Absoluto

Campeonato Estadual - Campeão - Faixa Marrom - Médio e Vice Absoluto

Alem de consagrar-se campeão Sergio "Bolão"Souza fez as finais (peso e absoluto) com o atleta Jean Jacques Machado 

1989 1a Copa Armazém Do Esporte / Maracanazinho - Faixa Marrom - Médio e Absoluto

1990 Campeonato Estadual - Campeão - Faixa Preta - Médio

A luta mais importante desta competição foi a final, onde Sergio "Bolão" Souza enfrentou o saudoso Marcelo Behring 

1992 Campeonato Estadual - Campeão - Faixa Preta - Médio

1993 Campeonato Brasileiro - Vice-Campeão - Faixa Preta Médio

1994 Campeonato Brasileiro - Vice-Campeão - Faixa Preta Pesado

Luta Casada Alliance X Carlson Gracie: Alexandre Paiva X Sérgio "Bolão"Souza

A luta teve uma duração de 30 minutos e o resultado final foi um Empate Técnico