Carlos Machado
“Soneca”
Source: bjjheroes.comThe eldest Machado brother learned under Rolls Gracie in Rio, took on Chuck Norris as a student in California and has taught around Dallas since 1995.
Biography
Sources for this profile
BJJ Heroes, "Carlos Machado" fighter profile.(opens in a new tab)
Carlos Machado was born on 9 November 1963 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Where in the source: Biography section, first sentence (birth date and city).
Accessed:
When he was new at the Gracie Academy, many there nicknamed him "Soneca" (Sleepy) for his habit of napping for long stretches between training sessions.
Where in the source: Profile facts list, Nickname line — "Soneca" (Sleepy)
Accessed:
Carlos is the eldest of the Machado brothers, who are Carlos, Roger, Rigan, Jean Jacques and John.
Where in the source: Biography section, first paragraph (eldest brother; list of the five brothers).
Accessed:
- Conflicting accounts
He started training at the Gracie academy, where he was taught by Hélio Gracie, and later moved his training to Copacabana in the south of Rio de Janeiro, where Rolls Gracie taught him.
Where in the source: Biography section, first paragraph (Gracie academy, then Copacabana with Rolls).
Accessed:
He stayed with Rolls Gracie until Rolls died; Machado was a blue belt at the time, and the death was a heavy blow to him and to the Gracie family.
Where in the source: Biography section, second paragraph (Rolls's death) — "a blue belt at the time"
Accessed:
After Rolls Gracie's death, Carlos Gracie Jr. took on some of Rolls's students, the Machados among them; they trained with him first in Copacabana and later helped him establish Gracie Barra in Barra da Tijuca.
Where in the source: Biography section, second paragraph (Carlos Gracie Jr. takes over; Gracie Barra in Barra da Tijuca).
Accessed:
Following his father's example, he studied law at university and moved into Carlos Gracie Sr.'s home, which was nearer the campus; he stayed there from 1982 to 1987, and his uncle became a major influence on him.
Where in the source: Biography section, third paragraph (law studies; living with Carlos Gracie Sr.) — "from 1982 until 1987"
Accessed:
BJJ Heroes gives his lineage as Mitsuyo Maeda, Carlos Gracie Sr., Carlos Gracie Jr., Carlos Machado, and describes him as a black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr.
Where in the source: Opening paragraph and the Lineage line in the profile facts list.
Accessed:
- Conflicting accounts
His brother Rigan moved to the United States in 1988 to teach jiu-jitsu, and Carlos and John Machado joined him two years later; the plan was to help the Gracie family build its academy, where Rorion and Rickson Gracie were head instructors, but the situation they found was different and the Machados went their own way instead of teaching under the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu banner.
Where in the source: Biography section, fourth paragraph (Rigan in 1988; Carlos and John two years later).
Accessed:
In Redondo the Machados were teaching private lessons when Chuck Norris came to them as a student; Norris then helped them set up their first academy, in a Tarzana shopping centre that he owned. The gym filled up and they opened a second one in Redondo Beach, nearer Carlos's home; Jean Jacques and John ran Tarzana while Carlos, Rigan and Roger ran Redondo Beach.
Where in the source: Biography section, fifth paragraph (Chuck Norris; Tarzana shopping centre; Redondo Beach split).
Accessed:
In 1995 he moved to Texas, again with help from Chuck Norris, and first taught classes in the studio used to film Walker, Texas Ranger before moving to a larger space of his own.
Where in the source: Biography section, sixth paragraph (move to Texas; classes in the Walker studio).
Accessed:
He appeared in many episodes of Walker, Texas Ranger in different roles, usually as a character beaten by Norris; during one stunt Norris applied a choke too hard and Machado went unconscious.
Where in the source: Biography section, sixth paragraph (appearances in the series; the choke during a stunt).
Accessed:
BJJ Heroes lists his main titles as two golds at the 2000 Campeonato Internacional de Masters e Seniors (middleweight and absolute) and the superfight title at the Rickson Gracie International Tournament in 1997.
Where in the source: Profile facts list, Main Titles.
Accessed:
BJJ Heroes describes the Machados as Brazilian brothers, in contrast to the American actor Chuck Norris, when telling how Norris became their student.
Where in the source: Biography section, fifth paragraph — "the Brazilian brothers"
Accessed:
Machado Method Jiu-Jitsu Carrollton, About page.(opens in a new tab)
His academy calls him an 8th degree coral belt and the oldest of the five Machado brothers, says he trained under Carlos Gracie Sr., and names Rolls Gracie as his mentor.
Where in the source: About page, section on the journey from Brazil to Los Angeles and Dallas, first paragraph.
Accessed:
According to his academy, the brothers set up academies of their own in Los Angeles, and Carlos Machado took his jiu-jitsu to the Dallas region in 1995, where he has taught ever since.
Where in the source: About page, section on the journey from Brazil to Dallas, first paragraph — "the Dallas area in 1995"
Accessed:
The academy names him as founder of the Machado Method Jiu-Jitsu Association and says he owns and personally runs the Machado Method Jiu-Jitsu academy in Carrollton, Texas, where he teaches both gi and no-gi to a curriculum of his own.
Where in the source: About page, block headed by his name and title Head Instructor — "He owns and runs it himself"
Accessed:
The academy describes him as a published author who has given seminars in other countries and has trained law-enforcement officers, and as a member of several martial arts halls of fame.
Where in the source: About page, block headed by his name and title Head Instructor — "a published author"
Accessed:
Machado Method Jiu-Jitsu Carrollton, home page (reached from carlosmachado.net).(opens in a new tab)
His academy's home page credits him with ten Brazilian national titles, two Pan American and two masters world titles and an ADCC final, and says he produced black belts such as Rafael Lovato Jr. and Travis Lutter.
Where in the source: Home page, "Master Carlos Machado" instructor block.
Accessed:
Machado Method Jiu-Jitsu Carrollton, "The Founder" page.(opens in a new tab)
The academy's founder page calls him founder and president of the Machado Method Jiu-Jitsu Association and owner of the Dallas Mustangs team in the Professional Grappling Federation, and quotes his aim of lifting ordinary students above average, both on and off the mat.
Where in the source: Founder page, "Experience & Expertise" list and "From the founder" quote — "on the mat and off it"
Accessed:
Rafael Lovato Jr., "Bio", lovatojr.com.(opens in a new tab)
Rafael Lovato Jr.'s own biography says he was introduced to Brazilian jiu-jitsu by his father at 13 and got his black belt in August 2004, soon after turning 21, which it presents as making the two of them the first American father-and-son pair of BJJ black belts; it adds that he never had a black belt teacher in his home city, Oklahoma City.
Where in the source: Bio page, "About Rafael", paragraphs two, three and six — "first American father and son"
Accessed:
Machado Method Jiu-Jitsu Carrollton, "Lineage & Legacy" page.(opens in a new tab)
- Conflicting accounts
The academy's lineage timeline says he began training as a boy under his uncle Carlos Gracie Sr., was mentored by Rolls Gracie after the family moved to Copacabana and was a young blue belt when Rolls died, lived with Carlos Gracie Sr. from 1982 to 1987 while studying law, and followed Rigan (who reached the United States in 1988) to Southern California with John in 1990.
Where in the source: Lineage page, "The Journey" timeline, entries Childhood to 1990.
Accessed:
According to the academy, Chuck Norris came to the brothers in the early 1990s looking for a new art, became a student and lifelong friend, helped them open their first school in Tarzana and put them on Walker, Texas Ranger; the academy says that friendship is what took Carlos Machado to Texas in 1995.
Where in the source: Lineage page, block "A bond beyond the mat".
Accessed:
The academy says he has promoted dozens of black belts and names Rafael Lovato Jr., Travis Lutter, Anthony Perosh, Elvis Sinosic and Sean Spencer among them, with Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson also listed under the same heading.
Where in the source: Lineage page, block "The legacy lives on".
Accessed:
- Conflicting accounts
Alex Lindsey, "Carlos Machado Receives His Red And White Coral Belt", Jits Magazine, 12 October 2020.(opens in a new tab)
Jits Magazine reported on 12 October 2020 that Carlos Machado, the eldest of the five Machado brothers, had just received his red-and-white (coral) belt from all four of his brothers at a ceremony attended by hundreds of grapplers; John Machado gave the speech and presented the belt, and Rigan, Roger and Jean Jacques helped tie it.
Where in the source: Article body, first paragraph — "from all four of his siblings"
Accessed:
- Conflicting accounts
Jits Magazine reports that his main instructor through childhood and his early jiu-jitsu years was his cousin Carlos Gracie Jr., and that he also trained at times with Hélio, Carlson, Rolls and Rickson Gracie.
Where in the source: Article body, second paragraph — "his main instructor was his cousin"
Accessed:
He moved to America in his late twenties, and there met Chuck Norris, who became instrumental in promoting the Machado lineage in the United States.
Where in the source: Article body, second paragraph (move to America; meeting Chuck Norris).
Accessed:
Jits Magazine writes that he grew one school in the United States into dozens around the world, with gyms in much of the United States and in Mexico, Canada and Australia, and names Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson, Elvis Sinosic and Rafael Lovato Jr. among his students.
Where in the source: Article body, third paragraph (network of gyms; notable students).
Accessed:
Chris Zahar, "Master Carlos Machado Talks Keanu Reeves, Chuck Norris, And Rickson's Red Belt", Jiu-Jitsu Times, 3 August 2017 (Wayback Machine capture of 25 June 2024).(opens in a new tab)
In August 2017 Jiu-Jitsu Times described the 53-year-old Machado as a red-and-black coral belt living in Texas, a move it credited to his student Chuck Norris.
Where in the source: Archived article, introduction — "red-and-black coral belt"
Accessed:
Jiu-Jitsu Times reported that Machado was on the set of John Wick: Chapter 2 to help his brothers train Keanu Reeves.
Where in the source: Archived article, introduction — "on the set of"
Accessed:
Jiu-Jitsu Times wrote that both Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson, a former UFC title challenger, and Travis Lutter, a retired UFC fighter, have had Machado as their instructor, and mentioned his book Putting the Pieces Together: Volume 1.
Where in the source: Archived article, second and fourth paragraphs (MMA students; the book).
Accessed:
BJJ Heroes, "Rafael Lovato Jr" fighter profile.(opens in a new tab)
Rafael Lovato Jr. began jiu-jitsu at 13 through his father, who was taking lessons from Carlos Machado in Dallas: Rafael Lovato Sr. travelled to Dallas once a week for private classes with Machado and then practised the material with his son, who later joined him on the trips. BJJ Heroes calls Lovato Jr. a black belt under Carlos Machado who also worked extensively with Saulo and Alexandre Ribeiro, and dates his black belt to August 2004.
Where in the source: Rafael Lovato Jr profile, opening paragraph and biography, first paragraph — "once a week"
Accessed:
BJJ Heroes, "Travis Lutter" fighter profile.(opens in a new tab)
Travis Lutter started training with Carlos Machado in August 1997 after moving to Texas, and received his black belt from Machado in 2002, a few weeks after winning the HOOKnSHOOT title; he later won The Ultimate Fighter season 4.
Where in the source: Travis Lutter profile, biography, first and second paragraphs — "by the hands of Carlos Machado"
Accessed:
Perry William Kelly, "Carlos Machado: The Nicest Instructor in BJJ is on a Roll", MASuccess interview, republished on carlosmachado.net (Wayback Machine capture of 25 September 2020).(opens in a new tab)
Machado told MASuccess that his two main mentors were his father, a judge who had laid out a legal career for him, and his uncle Carlos Gracie Sr.; he said he did not see himself as a lawyer, preferred the gi to a suit, and wanted to help people through martial arts.
Where in the source: Interview, answer on mentors and living with Carlos Gracie Sr. — "more comfortable wearing a gi"
Accessed:
Machado described Carlos Gracie Sr. as the spiritual side of his upbringing, a healer, nutritionist and herbalist who created the Gracie diet, and said his uncle mentored him mainly on character: being humble, treating people with respect, caring for the body and setting an example.
Where in the source: Interview, answer on mentors, paragraph about Uncle Carlos.
Accessed:
Machado said the motto "Leave your ego at the door", which the brothers adopted for every Machado academy after arriving in America, grew out of a talk with his uncle Carlos Gracie Sr. about staying humble and never being too good to learn, and that the brothers always treated visiting instructors with respect.
Where in the source: Interview, answer on mentors, closing paragraphs — "Leave your ego at the door"
Accessed:
MASuccess wrote that in 1995 Machado moved to Dallas and opened a BJJ school inside the warehouse where the indoor scenes of Walker, Texas Ranger were filmed, which let him teach Norris and work on the show almost weekly; he went on to appear in over twenty episodes and to choreograph the grappling and ground-based parts of the fight scenes.
Where in the source: Introduction, paragraph on the move to Dallas in 1995 and the television series.
Accessed:
Asked for a memory of Chuck Norris, Machado recalled a United Fighting Arts Federation convention in Las Vegas when Norris was a blue belt: participants were lined up to be tapped out in sequence, the biggest man at the seminar was in Norris's line and wanted to be last, and Norris submitted the whole line including him; Machado said that as his instructor it made his day.
Where in the source: Interview, first answer (memory of working with Chuck Norris; UFAF convention in Vegas).
Accessed:
Through director Chad Stahelski, Machado trained Keanu Reeves for the John Wick films; he said he taught Reeves to breathe for jiu-jitsu with a simple pattern of three short breaths out followed by a long one, which he compared to a train, and that Reeves then ran through a sequence of techniques with more dexterity.
Where in the source: Interview, answer on training Keanu Reeves — "like a train"
Accessed:
Machado described his teaching aim at a seminar as to cause an experience rather than teach a move: he starts at the core, breaks techniques into small details, slows things down, has the training partner react unpredictably, and builds up from details such as how the fingertips grip the gi to weight distribution that slows an opponent.
Where in the source: Interview, answers on seminars and teaching method — "cause an experience"
Accessed:
Machado said he teaches through imagery and named concepts: the Zombie Surfer for passing the guard by moving the head from side to side across the centre line; a 360 Method of practising one submission, such as a choke, from every position, which he linked to Hélio Gracie's reliance on the choke and the ankle lock; and an Escape Game whose first goal is to delay the submission and protect one's breathing.
Where in the source: Interview, answers on imagery, focused technique and escapes — "Zombie Surfer"
Accessed:
- Conflicting accounts
MASuccess wrote that Machado had a 34-year competitive career, with Brazilian state and national titles between 1982 and 1993, Pan American titles in 1997 and 1998, U.S. Open titles in 1998 and 1999 and world masters titles in the middle and open weight divisions in 2000, and that he recorded the fastest submission at ADCC in 1998 while competing with a broken foot.
Where in the source: Introduction, paragraph on his competitive career.
Accessed:
MASuccess wrote that Machado had entered eight halls of fame in the martial arts and that his affiliate schools spread beyond the United States to Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Australia, England and France; in the interview Machado referred to his association as RCJ Machado and described helping part-time instructors become full-time and school owners buy their own buildings.
Where in the source: Introduction (halls of fame; affiliates) and final answer (association; helping instructors).
Accessed:
Machado gave the interview while preparing Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson for a UFC fight against Anthony Pettis in Nashville; he explained that Thompson's father runs the camp and studies opponents, that his own role is to add jiu-jitsu strategy, and that from the corner he relays his thoughts to Thompson's father.
Where in the source: Interview introduction (UFC Fight Night 148 in Nashville) and the answer on Thompson's camp.
Accessed:
William Vandry, "Mother Texas Is Raising Her BJJ Boys and Girls Very Well", TXMMA, 13 August 2002.(opens in a new tab)
- Conflicting accounts
Vandry wrote that Machado took part in the 2000 world grappling championship in Abu Dhabi and won a bout there in 20 seconds with a triangle choke against a Russian wrestler, which inspired his students in Texas.
Where in the source: Vandry's article, paragraph on Machado's leadership — "20 second triangle choke"
Accessed:
William Vandry, a Machado black belt from Austin, wrote in 2002 that Rigan and Carlos Machado held their first seminar in Austin in February 1995, that in October 1995 Carlos announced he would teach in Texas, and that he did so, with Vandry dating the start to December 1995.
Where in the source: Vandry's article, paragraph beginning with the Machados coming to town — "first seminar right here in Austin"
Accessed:
Vandry credited Carlos Machado with starting the Texas BJJ tournament scene on 5 April 1997, after which other organisers, including a Machado brown belt in North Texas, began running tournaments around the state.
Where in the source: Vandry's article, paragraph dated April 5, 1997.
Accessed:
On 1 June 2002 Carlos Machado promoted William Vandry, Travis Lutter, Klay Pittman and Tim Burrill to black belt, which Vandry described as the first four BJJ black belts promoted in Texas.
Where in the source: Vandry's article, paragraphs on June 1st — "the first four BJJ black belts"
Accessed:
Vandry reported that a Machado Dallas group competed at the 2002 Mundial in Rio de Janeiro, including black belts Tim Burrill and Klay Pittman and brown belts Anthony Perosh, Kenny McClure and Elvis Sinosic.
Where in the source: Vandry's article, Mundial section (list of Carlos Machado students).
Accessed:
- Conflicting accounts
RCJ Machado Jiu Jitsu (carlosmachado.net), "About" page (Wayback Machine capture of 1 January 2017).(opens in a new tab)
- Conflicting accounts
A 1 January 2017 capture of his academy's own website said he started training at age four under his uncles Carlos and Hélio Gracie, began teaching in America in the early 1990s, moved to Los Angeles in April 1994, where he met Chuck Norris, and stayed there until late 1995 before relocating to Dallas.
Where in the source: About page (RCJ Machado Jiu Jitsu, Farmers Branch), owner biography paragraphs — "in April 1994"
Accessed:
- Conflicting accounts
The Machado Method, "About" page (machadomethod.com).(opens in a new tab)
The Machado Method site says he formed the Carlos Machado Jiu-Jitsu Association, that he is known in Texas and the Southwest as the "Godfather of Jiu-Jitsu", that most BJJ lineage in the Southwest traces back to him, and that his main goal is to make the average student above average.
Where in the source: About page, "Who is Master Carlos Machado?" — "Godfather of Jiu-Jitsu"
Accessed:
Alex Lindsey, "BJJ History: Chuck Norris Builds the First JJ Machado Academy in the USA", Grappling Insider, 12 August 2019.(opens in a new tab)
Grappling Insider reported Jean Jacques Machado's account on Joe Rogan's podcast: the brothers were teaching in their garage in Redondo Beach when Chuck Norris turned up; Norris trained with them, became a close friend, and after a few months took them to a shopping centre unit he owned, already fitted with mats, and told them it was their school.
Where in the source: Article body, paragraphs two to four (Jean Jacques Machado quoted) — "in our garage in Redondo Beach"
Accessed:
"2003 Texas BJJ Open Article and Results! (updated)!", TXMMA, 29 May 2003.(opens in a new tab)
At his 2003 Texas BJJ Open in Dallas on 24 May 2003, Carlos Machado promoted Orlando Waugh, Kenny McClure and Rafael Lovato Sr. to black belt; with the four promoted in June 2002 and three more since (Tery Corkran, David Sullivan and Roman Kilgore), TXMMA counted ten black belts under him.
Where in the source: Event report, opening and first paragraph of the article — "a total of ten black belts"
Accessed:
At the same event Pat "Hawk" Hardy of the Royce Gracie Association presented Machado with a plaque recognising his commitment and leadership in Brazilian jiu-jitsu in Texas and naming him the father of Texas BJJ, and Machado's cousin Relson Gracie attended with a team of competitors.
Where in the source: Event report, second and third paragraphs — "father of Texas BJJ"
Accessed:
BJJ Heroes, "Anthony Perosh" fighter profile.(opens in a new tab)
Australian Anthony Perosh spent three years in the United States training with Carlos Machado, then returned to Australia to teach while continuing to visit Machado regularly, and was awarded his black belt by Machado in 2003.
Where in the source: Anthony Perosh profile, biography, second and third paragraphs — "3 years in the United States"
Accessed: