After the 1st Brazilian Nationals Championship in 1993, Jiu-Jitsu has started to get more popularity in Brazil, and Rio de Janeiro was "The Mecca" of this sport at that time with all big names and big clubs based in this city. That was when I first got in touch with the art. I went to a Jiu-Jitsu academy near my house in Rio de Janeiro, where I met my master Leo Castello Branco and in 1994, I officially started training like everyone else : - as a brand new white belt. Very fast Jiu-Jitsu was a big part of my life and I embraced the lifestyle very seriously. I didn't know by then but at that moment my life was about to change forever.