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Helder Menezes

Hélder Menezes founded Dojô in Campo Formoso, Bahia, and taught Sergio Rios, whom he invited to train in the United States.

Biography

Hélder Menezes was a jiu-jitsu teacher from Campo Formoso, Bahia, who founded the city's Dojô academy. A 2020 account by the local outlet Som de Papo says he had died by then but does not give a year. That account credits Menezes with bringing jiu-jitsu to Campo Formoso in the 1990s. It says he left the city to study in Salvador, went to California and met Rickson Gracie, then returned to establish Dojô. BJJ Heroes says Menezes later left the academy in the care of his student Marcos Matos when he moved to the United States. Som de Papo identifies Matos as Dojô's leader in 2020 and Vitor Carvalho, founder of another local academy called Game Over, as a former student of Menezes. In a 2018 Bahia Notícias interview, Sergio Rios called Menezes his teacher and said Menezes, already living in the United States, invited him there to train and enter larger competitions. BJJ Heroes also reports that Rios worked with Menezes and Eduardo Telles at 99 Jiu-Jitsu in California.

Sources for this profile

  • Mirla Leite, 'Jiu Jitsu: a arte que mais cresce no interior da Bahia e no mundo', Som de Papo, 14 August 2020.(opens in a new tab)

    • A local account credits Helder Menezes with bringing jiu-jitsu to Campo Formoso, Bahia, during the 1990s and establishing an academy there called Dojô.

      Where in the source: Jiu Jitsu: a arte que mais cresce no interior da Bahia e no mundo — 'Na década de 90' and 'montou sua academia chamada de dojô'

      Accessed:

    • The local Campo Formoso account says Helder Menezes had died by August 2020 and that Marcos Matos then led Dojô.

      Where in the source: Jiu Jitsu: a arte que mais cresce no interior da Bahia e no mundo — 'hoje Helder Menezes é falecido, quem lidera a dojô é o mestre Marcos matos'

      Accessed:

    • According to the Campo Formoso account, Menezes left the city to study in Salvador, later went to California, met Rickson Gracie there, and returned to establish Dojô.

      Where in the source: Jiu Jitsu: a arte que mais cresce no interior da Bahia e no mundo — 'estudar em Salvador' through 'conheceu o mestre Rickson Grace'; next paragraph 'Retornando a cidade natal'

      Accessed:

    • The Campo Formoso article identifies Vitor Carvalho, founder of the local Game Over academy, as a former student of Helder Menezes.

      Where in the source: Jiu Jitsu: a arte que mais cresce no interior da Bahia e no mundo — 'game Over fundada pelo mestre Vitor Carvalho que foi aluno de Helder'

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Heroes, 'Sergio Rios' fighter profile, undated.(opens in a new tab)

    • BJJ Heroes also identifies Helder Menezes as the founder of Academia Dojô Jiu-Jitsu and says he left it in the care of his student Marcos Matos when he moved to the United States.

      Where in the source: Sergio Rios Biography — 'founded by the late Helder Menezes' and 'trusted pupil, Marcos Matos'

      Accessed:

    • BJJ Heroes places Helder Menezes between Rickson Gracie and Marcos Matos in the lineage shown on Sergio Rios's page.

      Where in the source: Sergio Rios Jiu-Jitsu — 'Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Helio Gracie > Rickson Gracie > Helder Menezes > Marcos Matos > Sergio Rios'

      Accessed:

    • The Sergio Rios entry places his work with Helder Menezes and Eduardo Telles at the 99 Jiu-Jitsu headquarters in California.

      Where in the source: Sergio Rios introduction - 'worked extensively with Helder Menezes' / 'headquarters gym in California'

      Accessed:

  • Gabriel Rios, interview with Sergio Rios, Bahia Notícias, 10 November 2018.(opens in a new tab)

    • In a 2018 interview, Sergio Rios called Hélder Menezes his teacher and said Menezes, who came from Rios's own city of Campo Formoso and was already living in the United States, invited him there to train and enter larger competitions.

      Where in the source: Líder do ranking mundial de Jiu-Jitsu, baiano supera dificuldades para se manter nos EUA — 'através do meu professor Hélder Menezes' and 'fez o convite'

      Accessed:

Lineage

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