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Christos K. Markez

Christos K. Markez learned BJJ through Venezuela and Brazil, then grew an Athens training group from nine square meters into a larger academy.

Biography

Christos K. Markez is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who developed an Athens academy from a small training group of friends. His route to the sport passed through work in Venezuela, a defeat that led him to seek instruction from his opponent, and training in Brazil with Vinicius Magalhaes, known as Draculino. He recounted that development in a March 2012 interview with BJJ Eastern Europe. His martial-arts background began with kung fu at twelve, followed by freestyle wrestling. At about twenty, he moved to Venezuela for work. During roughly five years there, he trained in taekwondo under Romel Gomez and earned a black belt in that discipline. He traced his first encounter with BJJ to a fight against Isidoro Moreno around 1992. After losing, he asked Moreno to teach him. Moreno's connection with Kazeka Muniz opened a further path. Muniz encouraged Markez to go to Belo Horizonte to train with Draculino. Markez spent about six months training in Brazil and discussed with Draculino his ambition to bring jiu-jitsu to Greece. He returned permanently around 1997, still without an official BJJ rank, and began working out how to establish regular practice. Around 1998, that meant teaching a small group, mostly friends, on nine square meters of mat in a gym. Markez opened a school in 2000. He recalled Draculino visiting Greece around 2001, awarding him a blue belt and appointing him a team representative. His own progress continued alongside the development of the school: he received his BJJ black belt in 2008. Aris Chatziiakovou, one of his early students, became his business partner. By the 2012 interview, they had built an academy of roughly 500 square meters in the Kallithea/Tavros area of Athens. Markez described expanding as a risk when BJJ remained unfamiliar to many people in Greece. He reported approximately 160–180 students at that time, with fellow black belts Chatziiakovou, Alberto Mina and Dimitris Tsitos among the academy's members. Competition required its own practical adjustments. Markez said his students traveled internationally, but linked both the slow growth of Greek BJJ and the difficulty of traveling to events with the economic crisis. He welcomed the appearance of more domestic tournaments, including grappling competitions using other rules. On the mat, Markez described an approach based on controlling position, passing an opponent's guard to move beyond their legs, and maintaining the top position. Conditioning also occupied a substantial place in his teaching. A later student's account shows the continuity of the academy relationship: in January 2014, Samir Krvavac identified Markez and Chatziiakovou as his instructors at Gracie Barra Greece, Draculino Team. Krvavac said he had remained at the same academy since starting BJJ in Athens around 2008. In July 2018, a visiting practitioner writing as Hallgren Blogs described arriving at the Gracie Barra-Team Draculino academy in Tavros. In that firsthand account, Markez welcomed the visitor and personally showed him around.

Sources for this profile

  • BJJ Eastern Europe, interview with Christos K. Markez, March 16, 2012(opens in a new tab)

    • Christos K. Markez began kung fu at twelve and later trained in freestyle wrestling before moving to Venezuela for work at about twenty.

      Where in the source: Answer1: early martial arts and work move.

      Accessed:

    • During roughly five years in Venezuela, Markez trained in taekwondo with Romel Gomez and earned a black belt in that discipline.

      Where in the source: Answer1: Venezuela and taekwondo.

      Accessed:

    • Markez traced his introduction to BJJ to a fight against Isidoro Moreno in Venezuela around 1992. After losing, he asked Moreno to teach him.

      Where in the source: Answer2: encounter with Moreno.

      Accessed:

    • Moreno’s connection with Kazeka Muniz opened another route for Markez. Muniz encouraged him to travel to Belo Horizonte and train with Vinicius Magalhaes, known as Draculino.

      Where in the source: Answers1-2: Muniz and introduction to Draculino.

      Accessed:

    • Markez spent about six months training in Brazil and discussed his ambition to bring BJJ to Greece with Draculino.

      Where in the source: Answer2: Brazil stay and plans.

      Accessed:

    • He returned permanently to Greece around 1997, still without an official BJJ belt, and began working out how to establish regular training.

      Where in the source: Answer2: return to Greece.

      Accessed:

    • Around 1998 Markez started teaching a small group, mostly friends, on nine square metres of mat in a gym.

      Where in the source: Answer2 and answer3: first training group.

      Accessed:

    • Markez opened a school in 2000. He recalled Draculino visiting Greece around 2001, awarding him a blue belt and making him a representative of the team.

      Where in the source: Answer2: school opening and Draculino visit.

      Accessed:

    • Markez received his BJJ black belt in 2008.

      Where in the source: Answer2, final sentence; interview context identifies Draculino lineage.

      Accessed:

    • One of Markez’s early students, Aris Chatziiakovou, became his business partner. By the 2012 interview they had built a roughly 500-square-metre academy in the Kallithea/Tavros area of Athens.

      Where in the source: Answer3: partner, larger academy and location.

      Accessed:

    • Markez described expanding the academy as a risk because BJJ remained unfamiliar to many people in Greece. In 2012 he reported approximately 160–180 students.

      Where in the source: Answer3: expansion decision and membership.

      Accessed:

    • In 2012 Markez linked the slow growth of Greek BJJ and the difficulty of travelling for competition to the economic crisis. He welcomed the emergence of more domestic tournaments, including grappling events using other rules.

      Where in the source: Answer4: economics and competition access.

      Accessed:

    • Markez described his own grappling as built around positional control, guard passing and maintaining top position. As a teacher, he placed substantial emphasis on conditioning.

      Where in the source: Answer6: personal and teaching style.

      Accessed:

    • By 2012 Markez’s academy included fellow black belts Aris Chatziiakovou, Alberto Mina and Dimitris Tsitos. He described students travelling internationally to compete.

      Where in the source: Answers4-5: academy training network.

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Eastern Europe, interview with Samir Krvavac, January 17, 2014(opens in a new tab)

    • In 2014 Samir Krvavac identified Markez and Aris Chatziiakovou as his instructors at Gracie Barra Greece, Draculino Team. Krvavac said he had trained at the same academy since beginning BJJ in Athens around 2008.

      Where in the source: Answers on BJJ beginnings and academy/professors.

      Accessed:

  • RevJitsu, Hallgren Blogs, Waiting Game, July 22, 2018(opens in a new tab)

    • A visiting practitioner writing as Hallgren Blogs described being welcomed at the Gracie Barra-Team Draculino academy in Tavros, Athens, in July 2018, with Markez personally showing him around.

      Where in the source: Opening paragraph of Waiting Game.

      Accessed:

Lineage

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Open lineage