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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

Fabio Santos

Fabio Santos recalled a teaching path from a small New York group through Torrance to San Diego, rooted in a beginner-first approach.

Biography

Fabio Santos’s teaching story has a physical beginning. In an interview with Artemis BJJ, he recalled laying mats down after New York weight-training classes in 1983 so a small group could train. BJJ Heroes says he had already assisted as a coach at Rolls Gracie’s academy. It also lists a 2000 International Masters & Seniors title in the Senior 2 division among his achievements. In the same Artemis interview, Santos described an Oregon–Torrance–San Diego sequence. While living in Oregon around 1989–90, he saw California seminars and contacted members of the Gracie family; he said this led to work at the Torrance Academy before he later came to San Diego. A Simon BJJ historical feature based on an interview with Craig Kukuk says Santos eventually took over Kukuk’s teaching responsibilities in Torrance. In another Artemis BJJ interview, Santos described a concrete way of beginning with newcomers. He said he started novices with basic escapes, defense, and guard passing before sparring, matched partners by size, age, and level, and intervened when a beginner was hurt or overwhelmed.

Sources for this profile

  • Artemis BJJ, “Interview: Fabio Santos On The Early Years of US BJJ,” interview, August 15, 2014.(opens in a new tab)

    • In a 2013 interview published by Artemis BJJ, Fabio Santos said that in 1983, after receiving his black belt, he began laying mats down after his New York weight-training classes to train a small group.

      Where in the source: “Interview: Fabio Santos On The Early Years of US BJJ”; response opening “That was right in 1983”, from the New York question through the description of the after-class mats.

      Accessed:

    • In the same interview, Santos recalled that he contacted Rorion, Royce and Royler Gracie after seeing their California seminars while living in Oregon around 1989–90; he said this led to work at the Torrance Academy and that he later came to San Diego as a Rorion Gracie affiliate.

      Where in the source: “Interview: Fabio Santos On The Early Years of US BJJ”; same answer, passage beginning “I’m in Oregon – this is around 1989, 1990” through “Then I came down to San Diego”.

      Accessed:

  • Artemis BJJ, “Interview: Fabio Santos On Teaching,” interview, August 22, 2014.(opens in a new tab)

    • In a second 2013 Artemis BJJ interview, Santos described starting novices with basic escapes, defence and guard passing before sparring, matching partners by size, age and level, and intervening when a beginner was being hurt or overwhelmed.

      Where in the source: “Interview: Fabio Santos On Teaching”; first Santos response to the question on teaching methodology and class formats, from the white-belt methodology through partner matching and fairness.

      Accessed:

  • Simon BJJ, “Craig Kukuk,” interview-based historical feature, accessed September 13, 2026.(opens in a new tab)

    • A Simon BJJ feature based on five hours of phone interviews with Craig Kukuk says that, after Kukuk left teaching at the Torrance academy, Fabio Santos eventually took over Kukuk’s teaching responsibilities there.

      Where in the source: “My Interview with the First American Black Belt, Craig Kukuk”; Torrance section after Kukuk’s mid-1992 departure, sentence stating that Santos eventually took over his teaching responsibilities.

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Heroes, “Fabio Santos,” fighter database biography, accessed September 13, 2026.(opens in a new tab)

    • BJJ Heroes’ Fabio Santos biography says that Santos began assisting as a coach at Rolls Gracie’s academy while a purple belt and remained there until Rolls Gracie’s death.

      Where in the source: “Fabio Santos Biography”; paragraph beginning “Fabio Santos stayed alongside Rolls Gracie”, from the assistant-coach statement through the reference to his death.

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes lists Santos’s main achievements as the 2000 International Masters & Seniors title in Senior 2, Pan American titles in 1996 Senior and 2004 Senior 3, the 2003 US Open Masters title, and the 2003 Black Belt Pro Am Superfight title.

      Where in the source: “Fabio Santos Jiu Jitsu”; “Main Achievements” list, all four bullet entries.

      Accessed:

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