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Diojone Farias

A judo athlete turned jiu-jitsu teacher, Diojone Farias founded a federation in Alagoas and in 2025 became the first Alagoan promoted to coral belt.

Biography

Diojone Farias was a judo athlete when he began studying jiu-jitsu at the end of the 1980s. He went on to teach it in Maceió and to found a jiu-jitsu federation in Alagoas, and in January 2025 he became the first person from that Brazilian state to be promoted to the coral belt. Black belts in jiu-jitsu are ranked by degree, and the seventh degree is marked by a red-and-black belt, the coral belt. In a first-person account on Gracie Barra's Alagoas website that opens with his name, Diojone Farias Guimarães, he dated his start in sport to the age of ten and described himself as always passionate about contact fighting, above all on the ground. The history published by the federation he founded portrayed him as a high-performance judoka with several recognized titles. In 1988 he had the chance to face a jiu-jitsu fighter from the Carlson Gracie academy, which Banny Cavalcante represented at the time. He then turned more and more to jiu-jitsu, the "gentle art", and his path in it began under Cavalcante in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. Gracie Barra, the team he later joined, puts the start of his jiu-jitsu story in 1989. The federation's history dated the arrival of jiu-jitsu in Alagoas to 1994 and gave him the credit. It also said he had trained almost all of the professionals then working in the sport there, starting with the first class he opened in Maceió. The federation, FJE-TAL, counted more than 1,500 federated athletes by 2021 and had the recognition of the Alagoas State Secretariat of Education and Sport. Toward the end of the 1990s he was introduced to Carlos Gracie Jr. and became a member of Gracie Barra. By his own account he began representing the academy in 1998 and built his work there around competition, work that resulted in ten years without a loss at the Alagoas championships. In a February 2018 post, Gracie Barra called his school the team's first in the area. The titles he has won include four Brazilian championships under the CBJJ, four South American championships under the IBJJF and an IBJJF World Master title. Farias also taught Bianca Andrade Barreto, an IBJJF Hall of Fame inductee. BJJ Heroes' profile of her says that after she turned to jiu-jitsu from bodyboarding, she took up training with him, and that she won her first big medal at the 2000 Brasileiro. The site's history of the women's divisions at the IBJJF World Championship lists her as featherweight champion in 2001, in a division that combined purple, brown and black belts, with her team given as "Diojone J-J". It lists her as champion again in 2004, this time for Gracie Barra/Alagoas. That 2018 post also gave his rank as fifth-degree black belt, with the sixth degree due that year. The promotion to the coral belt took place in Florianópolis, with Carlos Gracie Jr. presiding, when Farias had held the black belt for 32 years. In February 2025 Gracie Barra's YouTube channel presented him as its newest coral belt. The team's online platform says he reached the rank after close to forty years of training. When Agora Alagoas reported his coral belt, it called him the founder of the Gracie Barra Alagoas school and of the Federação de Jiu Jitsu Alagoana. In March 2026 he was president of the Federação Alagoana de Jiu-Jitsu, which was organizing that year's Alagoas championship, set for March 28 and 29 in Maceió. He described the championship as having always been an open door for the state's champions: with a title from it, many of them go on to the competition circuit outside Alagoas more at ease.

Sources for this profile

  • Agora Alagoas, "Diojones Farias faz história como o primeiro faixa-coral de Jiu Jitsu em Alagoas", published 23/01/2025 18:54(opens in a new tab)

    • Farias's coral belt promotion (reported 23 January 2025) specifically placed him at the 7th degree of the black belt.

      Where in the source: Article body, second sentence: "7° grau (dan)"

      Accessed:

    • Agora Alagoas reported on 23 January 2025 that Diojone Farias had just become the first person from Alagoas to be promoted to coral belt (7th-degree black belt) in Jiu-Jitsu. The promotion took place in Florianópolis (SC), with Master Carlos Gracie Jr. presiding.

      Where in the source: Article body, second and third sentences: "primeiro alagoano" ... "Florianópolis (SC)"

      Accessed:

    • As of his January 2025 coral belt promotion, Farias had accumulated 32 years of experience specifically as a black belt.

      Where in the source: Article body, fifth sentence: "32 anos de experiência"

      Accessed:

    • Over his career Farias accumulated the titles of four-time Brazilian champion (CBJJ), four-time South American champion (IBJJF), and World Master champion (IBJJF).

      Where in the source: Article body, sixth sentence: "tetracampeonato brasileiro" ... "mundial master"

      Accessed:

    • Agora Alagoas's article of 23 January 2025 describes Farias as the founder of the Gracie Barra Alagoas school and of the "Federação de Jiu Jitsu Alagoana" (Alagoan Jiu-Jitsu Federation).

      Where in the source: Article body, fifth sentence: "Fundador da escola" ... "Federação de Jiu Jitsu Alagoana"

      Accessed:

  • Gracie Barra AL (graciebarraal.com.br), page "Gracie Barra AL", first-person account opening "Eu, Diojone Farias Guimarães"; archived by the Wayback Machine, snapshot of 17 March 2019(opens in a new tab)

    • In his own written account on the Gracie Barra Alagoas website, Farias says he began his life in sport at age ten, always passionate about contact fighting, especially ground fighting.

      Where in the source: Fourth paragraph of the account: "aos dez anos de idade" ... "lutas de solo"

      Accessed:

    • In his own account, Farias began representing the Gracie Barra academy in 1998, where he developed competition-focused work that resulted in ten years without a loss in the state championships.

      Where in the source: Second paragraph of the account: "no ano de 1998" ... "voltado para Competição" ... "10 anos de invencibilidade"

      Accessed:

  • FJE-TAL (Federação de Jiu-Jitsu Esportivo/Tradicional do Estado de Alagoas), fjetal.com.br homepage, "A História do Jiu-Jitsu em Alagoas"; archived by the Wayback Machine, snapshot of 4 December 2021(opens in a new tab)

    • Jiu-Jitsu arrived in Alagoas in 1994 through Diojone Farias Guimarães, who had the chance to fight a Jiu-Jitsu competitor from the Carlson Gracie academy -- represented at the time by Master Banny Cavalcante -- in 1988.

      Where in the source: Homepage history text, first sentence: "chegou em Alagoas em 1994" ... "em 1988"

      Accessed:

    • Diojone Farias came to Jiu-Jitsu as a high-performance Judo athlete with several recognized titles, and increasingly pursued study of the 'gentle art' (Jiu-Jitsu), beginning his trajectory in Rio Grande do Norte state under Master Banny Cavalcante.

      Where in the source: Homepage history text, second sentence: "Atleta de auto-rendimento"

      Accessed:

    • When he opened his first Jiu-Jitsu class in Maceió, Farias trained almost all of the professionals who are active in the Alagoas martial arts market today, creating opportunities for growth and competition in the sport.

      Where in the source: Homepage history text, fourth sentence: "primeira Classe de aula"

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    • Farias founded FJE-TAL (Federação de Jiu-Jitsu Esportivo/Tradicional do Estado de Alagoas). As of this account, the federation counted more than 1,500 federated athletes and was recognised by the Alagoas State Secretariat of Education and Sport.

      Where in the source: Homepage history text, sixth to eighth sentences: "Fundada por Diojone" ... "atletas federados" ... "Secretaria de Estado"

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  • Gracie Barra Jiu Jitsu, official Facebook page, video post dated 19 February 2018(opens in a new tab)

    • As of 19 February 2018, Gracie Barra's official Facebook page described Farias as a 5th-degree black belt who would receive his 6th degree that year. It dates the start of his Jiu-Jitsu story to 1989, his introduction to Carlos Gracie Jr. and formal membership in the Gracie Barra family ten years later, and 19 years representing Gracie Barra in the state of Alagoas as its first school there.

      Where in the source: Video caption: "5th degree Black Belt" ... "his 6th degree" ... "began in 1989" ... "Ten years later" ... "the first GB School in the area"

      Accessed:

  • Gracie Barra, official YouTube channel, video "Master Diojone Farias – Gracie Barra’s Newest Coral Belt", published 6 February 2025(opens in a new tab)

    • Gracie Barra's official YouTube channel published a video on 6 February 2025 titled 'Master Diojone Farias – Gracie Barra’s Newest Coral Belt', whose description calls Farias 'Gracie Barra’s newest 7th-degree coral belt'.

      Where in the source: Video description, first paragraph after the opening line: "Gracie Barra’s newest 7th-degree coral belt"

      Accessed:

  • Elite Sports (elitesports.com blog), "Bianca Andrade Barreto - 5th Degree BJJ Fighter & IBJJF Hall of Famer", by Oscar Pereira, 14 March 2023(opens in a new tab)

    • The headline of Elite Sports' profile of Bianca Andrade Barreto calls her an "IBJJF Hall of Famer".

      Where in the source: Headline: "IBJJF Hall of Famer"

      Accessed:

    • Elite Sports' profile of Bianca Andrade Barreto, in a section on her early training with Diojone Farias, says her path to top-level jiu-jitsu competition began with her search for a mentor, whom she found in Farias; that she trained under him on technique, strength and conditioning; and that her first major medal came at the "Brasileiro" competition in 2000.

      Where in the source: Section 2.5, first paragraph: "Under his tutelage" ... "Brasileiro" ... "2000"

      Accessed:

  • Gracie Barra, GB Online program page "A Lifetime of Jiu-Jitsu: Diojone Farias’ Journey to the Coral Belt" (undated; the linked YouTube version was published 6 February 2025)(opens in a new tab)

    • Gracie Barra's own platform describes Diojone Farias as a 7th-degree red-and-black (coral) belt who came from Alagoas, Brazil, and dedicated his life to Jiu-Jitsu under the mentorship of Master Carlos Gracie Jr. after being a promising Judo competitor, reaching the coral belt after nearly four decades of training.

      Where in the source: Program description, first paragraph: "7th-degree red and black belt" ... "promising Judo competitor" ... "mentorship of Master Carlos Gracie Jr." ... "Coming from Alagoas" ... "nearly four decades of training"

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  • Gazeta de Alagoas, "Estadual de Jiu-Jitsu promete recorde de atletas em Maceió", by Ecstien Filho, published 20/03/2026 04:00(opens in a new tab)

    • As of March 2026, Farias was president of the Federação Alagoana de Jiu-Jitsu, which was organising the 2026 State Jiu-Jitsu Championship (28-29 March, Maceió). He described the state championship as a showcase for athletes seeking recognition in national and international competitions, and said it had always been an open door for the state's champions: with the title, many go on more at ease to the competition circuit outside Alagoas.

      Where in the source: Article body, paragraphs 2-4: "Organizado pela Federação Alagoana de Jiu-Jitsu" ... "o presidente da federação, Diojone Farias" ... "uma porta aberta para os nossos campeões"

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  • BJJ Heroes, "Bianca Andrade" fighter database profile(opens in a new tab)

    • BJJ Heroes' profile of Bianca Andrade says that after she turned from bodyboarding to jiu-jitsu she took up training with Diojone Farias, and that her first big medal was a gold at the "Brasileiro" in 2000. Its lineage row runs directly from Farias to her.

      Where in the source: Fact box, row "Lineage": "Diojone Farias > Bianca Andrade"; biography, first paragraph: "Picking up training with Diojone Farias" ... "Brasileiro"

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Heroes, "Timeline, The Development Of The Female Division In The IBJJF World Championships", by Mayara Munhos(opens in a new tab)

    • BJJ Heroes' history of the women's divisions at the IBJJF World Championship lists Bianca Andrade as the featherweight champion of the combined purple, brown and black belt division in 2001, with her team given as "Diojone J-J", and again in 2004, with her team given as "Gracie Barra/Alagoas".

      Where in the source: 2001-2004 section, champions list, years 2001 and 2004: "Bianca Andrade (Diojone J-J)" ... "Bianca Andrade (Gracie Barra/Alagoas)"

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