Skip to content
The BJJ Story
Search
Back to people
Two training partners meeting on the mat.Drawn in cream, forest green, and muted terracotta. People and objects are symbolic illustrations.
Portrait unavailable. General BJJ illustration; not a likeness of this person.Illustration: The BJJ Story

Fabiano Gaudio

Fabiano Gaudio taught Fabiana Borges, Davi Ramos and his son Patrick through his community jiu-jitsu project.

Biography

Fabiano Gaudio took jiu-jitsu to communities by carrying mats in a Kombi van. His son Patrick began at four and accompanied him to those classes. A black belt under Cezar “Casquinha” Guimarães, Fabiano taught students who later became competitors and teachers themselves, including Fabiana Borges, Bruno Alves and Jean Carlos Freitas. Interviews published by Graciemag preserve much of this story in Fabiano's and his students' own accounts. Taking the mats into the community Fabiano's initiative, Projeto Existe Uma Esperança, brought together students including Davi Ramos, Fabiana Borges, Leonardo Ligeirinho and Patrick. BJJ Heroes' biography of Patrick describes resistance when the project began because people associated jiu-jitsu with violence. The work itself combined instruction on the mat with a broader concern for participation in society. Fabiana Borges entered the project in Cascadura at eleven. Her biography describes learning martial arts alongside ideas of citizenship, giving a concrete example of what the project offered a young student. Patrick also recalled the traveling classes in a 2017 interview with Olivar Leite, describing visits to communities in Rio through a sports project connected to city councillor Jorge Leite. Fabiano's responsibilities extended beyond those classes. In a 2020 interview, he said supporting his family had prevented him from competing full-time. He taught, organized tournaments and worked on political campaigns to make a living. Students carrying the work forward Bruno Alves described a direct connection between Fabiano's community work and his own first teaching effort. In 2004, while still a brown belt, Alves began classes for children in Morro do Castelo, in Itaperuna. He identified Fabiano's example as his inspiration. The practical difficulty was sustaining the classes: Alves recalled having to pause them because support was scarce. Fabiano awarded Alves his black belt in 2007. When Alves later developed his own approach to teaching children, he drew on several instructors, naming Leão Teixeira and Casquinha as well as Fabiano. He particularly recalled being inspired by Fabiano's work with children. The account describes a pupil adapting what he had learned into his own teaching, with more than one teacher contributing to that development. Jean Carlos Freitas described another path through the community project. He trained from white to black belt under the project run by Fabiano and Casquinha at Top Brother. While a purple belt, he began giving community classes connected with churches in Praça Seca. He later taught in Israel, taking his instruction beyond the setting in which he had learned. Father, teacher and student Alves dates Fabiano's move to Espírito Santo to 2010. After his father left Rio, Patrick sought permission to join the training at Julio Cesar Pereira's GF Team headquarters, attracted by its competitive group. Fabiano remained part of his progression: on June 24, 2014, he awarded Patrick his black belt in Rio de Janeiro. In their 2020 conversation, Fabiano described learning from his son as well as teaching him. Patrick's determination helped him confront his own competition nerves, while his son's decision to concentrate on training taught him about committing to a goal. Patrick, in turn, said his father's backing extended to whatever career he chose. Knowing that support would remain after a defeat as well as a victory gave him confidence to compete. That year, Fabiano was planning a return at Copa Company. His proposed preparation included learning from Patrick in São Paulo and from former student Alexandre Carrera, under Casquinha's supervision.

Sources for this profile

  • Graciemag, father-and-son interview, 1 June 2020.(opens in a new tab)

    • Fabiano Gaudio recalled carrying mats in a Kombi van to teach jiu-jitsu in disadvantaged communities.

      Where in the source: Fabiano's first answer, travelling teaching recollection.

      Accessed:

    • Patrick began at four and accompanied his father to train with the community classes.

      Where in the source: Same opening answer, Patrick's participation.

      Accessed:

    • Fabiano said supporting his family prevented him from competing full-time; he taught, organized tournaments and worked on political campaigns.

      Where in the source: Fabiano's second answer, employment and family responsibilities.

      Accessed:

    • Fabiano credited Patrick's determination with helping him confront his own competition nerves.

      Where in the source: First answer, comparison between father and son.

      Accessed:

    • He also said his son's decision to devote himself to training taught him about commitment to a chosen goal.

      Where in the source: Second answer, reflection on Patrick's decision.

      Accessed:

    • He recalled Patrick using tournament prize money to help a friend return to Brazil.

      Where in the source: Third answer, example of generosity.

      Accessed:

    • In 2020 Fabiano was preparing for a proposed Copa Company return, planning to learn from Patrick in São Paulo and former student Alexandre Carrera under Cezar Casquinha's supervision.

      Where in the source: Third answer, proposed preparation and named teachers.

      Accessed:

    • Patrick said his father encouraged confidence in training and supported whichever career he chose.

      Where in the source: Patrick's first two answers.

      Accessed:

    • Patrick said knowing his father's support would remain after either victory or defeat helped him compete with greater confidence.

      Where in the source: Patrick's final answer, continuing parental support.

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, interview with Bruno Alves, 23 September 2020.(opens in a new tab)

    • Bruno Alves identified Fabiano as a black belt under Cezar Casquinha Guimarães and as the teacher who awarded Alves his black belt in 2007.

      Where in the source: First answer, final paragraph about his teacher and promotion.

      Accessed:

    • Alves said Fabiano's community teaching inspired him to begin teaching children in Morro do Castelo in Itaperuna as a brown belt in 2004.

      Where in the source: Second answer, opening paragraph about community teaching.

      Accessed:

    • Alves recalled having to pause those early classes because support was scarce.

      Where in the source: Same paragraph, lack of support and pause.

      Accessed:

    • Alves said his later children's teaching drew on instruction from Leão Teixeira, Casquinha and Fabiano, whose work with children had inspired him.

      Where in the source: Answer about instructors and the children's class he opened in2015.

      Accessed:

    • Alves dated Fabiano's move to Espírito Santo to 2010.

      Where in the source: Answer on instructor training, final paragraph about affiliations.

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Heroes, Patrick Gaudio biography, undated.(opens in a new tab)

    • Fabiano's community initiative was called Projeto Existe Uma Esperança; its students included Davi Ramos, Fabiana Borges, Leonardo Ligeirinho and Patrick.

      Where in the source: Biography, project-name and pupils paragraphs.

      Accessed:

    • The biography describes initial resistance to the project because jiu-jitsu was associated with violence.

      Where in the source: Biography, project-opening paragraph.

      Accessed:

    • After Fabiano moved from Rio to Espírito Santo, Patrick sought permission to train at Julio Cesar Pereira's GF Team headquarters, attracted by its competitive training group.

      Where in the source: Biography, move and GF Team transition paragraphs.

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Heroes, Fabiana Borges biography, undated.(opens in a new tab)

    • Fabiana Borges began jiu-jitsu at eleven in Cascadura through Fabiano's project, which combined martial-arts coaching with ideas of citizenship and participation in society.

      Where in the source: Biography opening and project paragraph.

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, interview with Jean Carlos Freitas, 29 July 2014.(opens in a new tab)

    • Jean Carlos Freitas recalled training from white to black belt in the community project run by Fabiano and Casquinha at Top Brother.

      Where in the source: Answer on involvement in jiu-jitsu, first paragraph.

      Accessed:

    • Freitas described beginning to teach community classes connected with churches in Praça Seca as a purple belt, and later teaching in Israel.

      Where in the source: First answer, employment and subsequent teaching paragraph.

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, Patrick Gaudio promotion report, 25 June 2014.(opens in a new tab)

    • Fabiano awarded Patrick his black belt in Rio de Janeiro on 24 June 2014.

      Where in the source: Report opening, promotion date and father/teacher identification.

      Accessed:

  • Olivar Leite, Patrick Gaudio interview, 17 November 2017.(opens in a new tab)

    • In a 2017 interview, Patrick recalled travelling with Fabiano to Rio communities through a sports project linked to city councillor Jorge Leite.

      Where in the source: First interview answer about beginning jiu-jitsu.

      Accessed:

Lineage

View in lineage tree

Trained under

Students2