MEET OUR INSTRUCTORS
PROFESSOR WASHINGTON LUIS
Washington Luis is a third-degree black belt Brazilian Jiu-jitsu competitor and Instructor from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is a two time Master World Champion, two time Abu Dhabi Pro Champion, and NoGi World Champion. Academia Washington Luis Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was established to allow Washington to share his love of Jiu-Jitsu with people of all ages. He knows the power that Jiu-jitsu has to transform lives and he is here to share that with kids, adults, and women from near and far.
Washington Luis was born on January 26, 1989, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he grew up.
During Washington’s childhood, his family life was filled with turmoil. These tragic circumstances led Mr. Luis Lima down the path of jiu-jitsu, a sport he joined when seeking to learn a combat system to help protect his mother from an abusive relationship. Washington was 10 years old when he started training at the Complexo do Lins social project, where he met BJJ black belts César Guimarães (Casquinha) and Leonardo Ligeirinho.
Washington Luis went from white to black belt training under the supervision of César “Casquinha” Guimarães, the founder of Top Brother, one of the most well-known teams on the Rio de Janeiro circuit. The extensive work with Casquinha earned Luis his black belt rank, in a promotion that took place in 2011.
While training at Top Brother, one of Washington’s most valued training partners was Patrick Gaudio, therefor, when Gaudio decided to switch camps in search of a more competitive training environment, Luis followed him out of the Top Brother academy and into GF Team, where his training was passed on to Júlio César Pereira.
In 2014, after a few years of coming to the USA to compete at the World Championships, Washington Luis was offered a position as a coach in Boston, Massachusetts, working alongside his GFT colleague Robson Mau-Mau, which he accepted. He would later move to Houston, Texas, where he led the team’s affiliate, Paradigm Training Center – Southwest.
A Word from Coach Washington:
"Jiu Jitsu changed my life as a young boy in Rio de Janeiro's favelas. I was disruptive and scared until my friend convinced me to try jiu-jitsu. The discipline from jiu-jitsu helped me to have more respect for the people around me and gave me a dream. Jiu-jitsu has taken me around the world. I have seen jiu-jitsu transform so many countless other lives of my fellow Brazilians, women, and children. It is my life's passion to share my love of jiu-jitsu with as many as I can. It is my hope that we grow together in what we affectionately call- the jiu-jitsu lifestyle."
Main Achievements
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1st Place IBJJF Pan Championship NoGi (2015)
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2nd Place IBJJF Pan Championship NoGi (2020)
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2nd Place IBJJF Las Vegas Open (2017)
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3rd Place CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2012)
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3rd Place IBJJF World Championship NoGi (2016)
Main Achievements (Masters)
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1st Place IBJJF Masters World Championship (2019)
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1st Place IBJJF World Championship NoGi (2019)
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1st Place UAEJJF Grand Slam, LA (2019)
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1st Place IBJJF Dallas Spring Open (2019)
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1st Place IBJJF Austin Summer Open (2019)
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1st Place IBJJF New Orleans Summer Open (2019)
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2nd Place IBJJF Dallas Fall Open (2017)
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2nd Place IBJJF Houston Open (2019*)
Assistant Black Belt Instructor
PROFESSOR RUBEN