Elan Santiago
Elan Santiago gave Lucas Lepri his first jiu-jitsu classes in Uberlândia, then spent years coaching children in the Beija-Flor samba school's social project.
Biography
Sources for this profile
BJJ Heroes, "Elan Santiago" (published 3 January 2016).(opens in a new tab)
Santiago began training jiu-jitsu in 1993 at the Carlson Gracie Academy in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro.
Where in the source: Elan Santiago Biography, opening sentence — "in 1993"
Accessed:
Carlson Gracie had moved to the United States and no longer ran the Copacabana school, so Santiago was taught there by senior Carlson students, including Kiko Veloso, Marcelo Alonso and Marcelo Saporito.
Where in the source: Elan Santiago Biography, first paragraph, sentence naming Kiko Veloso, Marcelo Alonso and Marcelo Saporito
Accessed:
When the Carlson Gracie team in Rio broke up in 2000, Santiago was a brown belt who had already started an academy in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais; he continued training under Mauro Chueng, a former teammate from Equipe Carlson Gracie.
Where in the source: Elan Santiago Biography, second paragraph — "Uberlândia"
Accessed:
Santiago received his black belt from Mauro Chueng in 2002 or 2003.
Where in the source: Elan Santiago Biography, second paragraph, last sentence — "2002/2003"
Accessed:
BJJ Heroes gives his lineage as Carlson Gracie, Sergio Souza, Mauro Chueng, Elan Santiago.
Where in the source: Profile box, row "Lineage"
Accessed:
BJJ Heroes lists Rio de Janeiro State Champion as his main competition achievement and his weight division as middleweight (peso médio, 82 kg).
Where in the source: Profile box, rows "Main Achievements" and "Weight Division"
Accessed:
BJJ Heroes credits Santiago as the coach who developed competitors including Lucas Lepri, Tiago Rocha, Gabriel Goulart and Rodrigo "Akilis".
Where in the source: Opening paragraph — "developed competitors"
Accessed:
BJJ Heroes describes Santiago as recognised as a pioneer of jiu-jitsu in Brazil's Triângulo Mineiro region.
Where in the source: Opening paragraph — "pioneer"
Accessed:
After the Carlson Gracie split, Santiago trained for a period with Murilo Bustamante and Brazilian Top Team, and then joined Fernando Tererê's São Paulo academy, TT.
Where in the source: Elan Santiago Biography, third paragraph (Murilo Bustamante, Brazilian Top Team, TT)
Accessed:
In 2005 Santiago moved to South Korea intending to help develop jiu-jitsu there, leaving Lucas Lepri and Gabriel Goulart teaching his classes in Minas Gerais; the stay did not go as planned and he returned to Rio de Janeiro the following year.
Where in the source: Elan Santiago Biography, paragraph on 2005 — "South Korea"
Accessed:
Santiago joined Sonho do Beija-Flor, a social project run by the Beija-Flor samba school (GRES Beija-Flor) in Nilópolis, Baixada Fluminense, which used sport and other activities with children from poor communities around it; he became coach and manager of its jiu-jitsu section.
Where in the source: Elan Santiago Biography, final paragraph — "jiu jitsu sector"
Accessed:
- Conflicting accounts
BJJ Heroes dates Santiago's joining of the Beija-Flor social project to 2006.
Where in the source: Elan Santiago Biography, final paragraph — "In 2006"
Accessed:
BJJ Heroes, "Lucas Lepri" (fighter profile).(opens in a new tab)
Lucas Lepri, from Uberlândia, became interested in jiu-jitsu in 2000 after seeing Fernando "Margarida" Pontes on an MTV programme, and a few weeks later took his first class at Santiago's academy.
Where in the source: Lucas Lepri Biography, third paragraph — "first of many warm-ups"
Accessed:
After Santiago switched affiliation from Brazilian Top Team to Fernando Tererê's TT, Lepri also trained at TT's academy in São Paulo; after TT closed down in 2004 or 2005, Santiago and Lepri joined Alliance.
Where in the source: Lucas Lepri Biography, fourth paragraph — "TT team closed down"
Accessed:
BJJ Heroes describes Lepri as a black belt under Santiago; Lepri received his black belt by the end of 2006 and won his first IBJJF World Championship title in 2007, his first year at black belt. The profile lists World Championship golds in 2007 and 2014 to 2019.
Where in the source: Opening sentence; "Main Achievements" list; Biography, fifth paragraph — "by the end of 2006"
Accessed:
BJJ Heroes, "Lucas Lepri Putting North Carolina on the BJJ Map" (interview, 14 July 2016).(opens in a new tab)
Asked about his biggest influences, Lepri said Santiago "gave me a very solid base" through white, blue and purple belt, and called that crucial.
Where in the source: Lepri's answer on his biggest influence, first sentences — "a very solid base"
Accessed:
BJJ Heroes writes that Lepri began coaching as a blue belt, assisting Santiago at his academy and standing in for him when he was away, and took charge of his own classes as a 19-year-old brown belt.
Where in the source: Paragraphs after Lepri's quotes — "as a blue belt"
Accessed:
BJJ Heroes, "Gabriel Goulart" (fighter profile, published 12 February 2011).(opens in a new tab)
Gabriel Goulart's first coach was Santiago, who gave him his blue and purple belts; when Santiago moved to South Korea in 2005 to teach, Lepri and Goulart became the main instructors at the academy.
Where in the source: Gabriel Goulart Biography, third paragraph — "first coach was Elan Santiago"
Accessed:
Goulart took up jiu-jitsu under the influence of his friend Lucas Lepri, who had just won a World Championship title at blue belt in 2002.
Where in the source: Gabriel Goulart Biography, second paragraph — "(2002)"
Accessed:
BJJ Heroes, "Kron Gracie" (fighter profile, fight history table).(opens in a new tab)
BJJ Heroes' match record for Kron Gracie lists a win by choke over Elan Santiago in the second round of the 82 kg division at the 2012 World Championship.
Where in the source: Kron Gracie fight history table, row with opponent Elan Santiago (W, Choke, World Champ., 82KG, R2, 2012)
Accessed:
Graciemag, "5 sinais de que você está evoluindo no Jiu-Jitsu, por Elan Santiago" (12 November 2021).(opens in a new tab)
In November 2021 Graciemag introduced Santiago as a teacher formed at Alliance in Rio de Janeiro who was then based in Doha, Qatar, and captioned a photo of him with Lucas Lepri as his star pupil.
Where in the source: Photo caption and standfirst — "hoje em Doha, no Qatar"
Accessed:
Santiago sent Graciemag five signs that a beginner is improving: less muscle soreness after training; starting to see techniques as linked sequences rather than isolated moves; training partners who used to submit you starting to struggle; learning to read partners' mistakes and strengths; and the confidence to train with anyone regardless of belt or size.
Where in the source: Numbered headings 1 to 5, from "O fator físico" to "A questão da confiança"
Accessed:
Santiago recalled that when students jokingly lobbied Carlson Gracie to promote a training partner, Carlson would shoot back by asking whether they had become that student's "belt lawyer".
Where in the source: End of point 5 — "advogado de faixa"
Accessed:
Graciemag, "Projeto da Beija-Flor com Petrobras une esporte, carnaval e cidadania" (3 February 2010).(opens in a new tab)
In February 2010 Graciemag reported that the Beija-Flor samba school, sponsored by Petrobras, was opening a headquarters in Nilópolis for its Sonho do Beija-Flor project, with a sports court, rooms for dance, capoeira and jiu-jitsu, and a vocational training centre.
Where in the source: Opening paragraph (Petrobras sponsorship, rooms for workshops)
Accessed:
According to Graciemag, about 1,300 children and teenagers took part in the project's sports classes, which included jiu-jitsu with Santiago (Alliance) alongside football, swimming, table tennis, capoeira, dance and music.
Where in the source: Paragraph after the photo caption — "professor Elan Santiago (Alliance)"
Accessed:
Graciemag, "Gigi and Elan rush to get absolute champ to Worlds" (11 May 2010).(opens in a new tab)
In May 2010 Graciemag reported that Santiago had been teaching for five years in the Petrobras-backed Beija-Flor project in Nilópolis, and that the project's 35 young competitors had won 14 golds, nine silvers and three bronzes, giving it its first juvenile Brazilian champions; Santiago said, "Even I didn't expect such solid results!"
Where in the source: Paragraphs after Santiago's first quote — "last five years"
Accessed:
At the 2010 Brazilian National Championship, Rodrigo "Akillis" da Conceição won the purple-belt absolute, and Santiago, as an Alliance professor, was working with Alexandre "Gigi" Paiva to get him to the World Championship in California that June.
Where in the source: Opening paragraphs — "absolute champion"
Accessed:
Graciemag, "Escola de samba Beija-Flor também envia lutador para Mundial 2015" (26 May 2015).(opens in a new tab)
In May 2015 Graciemag reported that Santiago led the Beija-Flor social project in Nilópolis, and that its athlete Willian Oliveira, an Alliance brown belt who had just won silver at the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals, was heading to the 2015 World Championship with the samba school's support; Santiago said Willian had joined when he started the project on the Beija-Flor court and had pursued the goal for ten years.
Where in the source: Second paragraph — "já há dez anos"; closing paragraph on the CBJJ silver
Accessed:
Santiago said that Willian represented all the boys and girls in Brazil who had started out in a social project.
Where in the source: Santiago's second quote — "representa todos os meninos e meninas"
Accessed:
Graciemag, "Alliance seminars in New York and Minas Gerais" (15 October 2010).(opens in a new tab)
In an October 2010 preview, Graciemag announced that Alexandre "Gigi" Paiva's Alliance team would travel to Minas Gerais: Paiva was to give a seminar in Uberaba on 16 October with black belt Santiago, Uberlândia was to follow the next day, and the classes were to be held at the academies of Tiago Rocha and Cleiton Moreira.
Where in the source: Paragraph beginning "Meanwhile, Alexandre Paiva's team"
Accessed:
Graciemag, Marcelo Dunlop, "A melhor lição de Jiu-Jitsu do torcedor Tio Barriga" (22 June 2024).(opens in a new tab)
In a June 2024 tribute to Carlos Augusto "Tio Barriga", Fernando Tererê's father, Graciemag quoted Santiago as a friend: he praised him for backing young competitors without heckling from the rail or scolding them after a defeat, and called that the greatest lesson in life and sportsmanship he left.
Where in the source: Paragraph beginning "Para Elan Santiago" and the quote after it — "cornetando da grade"
Accessed:
Graciemag, "GMI: A sábia faxineira que mudou a vida do campeão" (29 April 2021).(opens in a new tab)
Rodrigo "Akillis" Conceição, a black belt under Alexandre "Gigi" Paiva who in 2021 was teaching Qatar's armed forces in Doha, told Graciemag that the invitation to Doha came thanks to friends such as Santiago.
Where in the source: Opening sentence; final answer about Doha — "graças a amigos como o professor Elan Santiago"
Accessed:
Elan Santiago (@elansantiagobjj), Instagram profile.(opens in a new tab)
Santiago's own Instagram profile describes him as a black belt with Alliance Rio de Janeiro, lists Qatar Armed Force and a Shoyoroll kimono sponsorship, and links to his BJJ Heroes profile.
Where in the source: Profile bio lines — "Black Belt | Alliance Rio de Janeiro" and "Qatar Armed Force"
Accessed:
BJJ Fanatics Brasil blog, "Eu moro em uma cidade do interior e treino em uma academia pequena, será que eu posso me tornar um campeão mundial de Jiu Jitsu?"(opens in a new tab)
BJJ Fanatics Brazil describes the Uberlândia academy where Lepri trained under his first teacher, Santiago, as small, with fewer training sessions than the big academies in state capitals.
Where in the source: Paragraphs just before and just after the "Leia Mais Sobre Lepri" button — "com poucos treinos"; "seu primeiro professor, Elan Santiago"
Accessed:
BJJ Fanatics, "Basic Old School Defenses by Elan Santiago" (product page).(opens in a new tab)
BJJ Fanatics sells an instructional by Santiago, "Basic Old School Defenses", covering hip escapes to recover guard, a single-leg defence that ends in a sweep, escapes from mount and knee-on-belly, half guard, and back escapes.
Where in the source: Product description, bullet list under the title
Accessed:
BudoVideos, "World Class BJJ 3 Vol Series with Elan Santiago (On-Demand)" (product page).(opens in a new tab)
BudoVideos' three-volume World Class BJJ series with Santiago covers back takes and back attacks, submissions, and guard passing and sweeps; the publisher describes his teaching as old-school fundamentals mixed with modern jiu-jitsu.
Where in the source: Product description, first paragraph — "solid old school fundamentals"; volume headings
Accessed: