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The BJJ Story
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Jaime Cabrera

Jaime Cabrera taught BJJ with his brother Hugo in La Paz and later worked to build a base for BJJ and Vale Todo in Tarija.

Biography

Jaime Cabrera’s work in Brazilian jiu-jitsu linked teaching in La Paz with competition and the creation of a training base in Tarija. Alongside his brother Hugo, he helped establish the academy that became Octagon La Paz. Oscar Negron credited the pair with founding that school in his January 2021 interview with BJJ Globetrotters, describing them as Bolivia’s first BJJ black belts. Cabrera also competed in mixed martial arts. Sherdog records a submission win over Gonzalo Ferrufino by armbar, an armlock, at MMA 3.600 Genesis on 1 May 2007. In November that year, he headlined MMA 3.600 Altitud in La Paz, a card promoted under the Cabrera Brothers name. He submitted Carlos Mamani with a rear-naked choke at 1:07 of the first round. His recorded history also includes an April 2009 loss to Bentley Syler. The school had its own competitive presence. In September 2008, Opinión reported that the Hermanos Cabrera team from La Paz competed in the Copa Vencer Juntos Open in Cochabamba. It finished fourth in the published team standings with one gold medal, three silvers and one bronze. By February 2011, Cabrera was arriving in Tarija to lead a newly created Vale Todo association, bringing his interest in BJJ together with mixed-style fighting. A contemporary Bolivia Deportes report quoted regional sports official Julio Cesar Menacho, who inaugurated the association and credited Cabrera with already organising a local championship. Its accompanying biographical note identified Cabrera as La Paz-born and listed his profession as lawyer. Cabrera told the publication that he wanted to bring BJJ and Vale Todo together in Tarija and was pleased by the welcome he had received. He thanked Menacho and Germán Anturduaga for helping the sport obtain a local base of its own. His account gave the project a practical focus: a place from which to develop the two disciplines. A former student supplied a different view of his contribution. In an April 2012 recollection, writer Jorge Luna Ortuño named Jaime and Hugo as his BJJ teachers. He remembered borrowing PRIDE fight videos from them and valued the knowledge they shared with him and his classmates. The La Paz academy continued beyond the brothers’ active training. Negron recalled that, when the founders stopped training, their highest-ranked students took over the classes. Antonio Cicconi began supporting that successor team in 2012.

Sources for this profile

  • Oscar Negron, complete OctagonLaPaz institutional interview, BJJGlobetrotters9January2021(opens in a new tab)

    • OscarNegron credits Jaime andHugoCabrera with founding the academy that became OctagonLaPaz.

      Where in the source: Entireacademy-originanswer.

      Accessed:

    • Negron describes Jaime andHugo as Bolivia’s first BJJblack belts.

      Where in the source: Full9January2021originanswer.

      Accessed:

    • Negron says the founders later stopped training and their highest-ranked students took over the classes.

      Where in the source: Whole2021academy-originanswer.

      Accessed:

    • He describes AntonioCicconi as supporting the successor team from2012.

      Where in the source: Wholeoriginanswer includinglaterambitiontojoinGracieBarra.

      Accessed:

  • Jorge Luna Ortuño, first-person teaching recollection,11April2012(opens in a new tab)

    • JorgeLunaOrtuño identifies Jaime andHugo as brothers andhis BJJteachers in anApril2012personalrecollection.

      Where in the source: Complete personallyrelevantparagraph beginningOtrocapítulofascinante in11April2012individualessay.

      Accessed:

    • LunaOrtuño recalls borrowing PRIDEfight videos from them and credits the knowledge they shared with him andhis classmates.

      Where in the source: Entire samepersonalparagraph.

      Accessed:

  • Opinión, original CopaVencerJuntos2008report andfullpublishedteam/categorytables(opens in a new tab)

    • The LaPazHermanosCabrera team competed at the2008CopaVencerJuntosOpen inCochabamba.

      Where in the source: Wholeoriginal21September2008report andfullparticipatingteamlist.

      Accessed:

    • The publishedteamtable places HermanosCabrera fourth with onegold, threesilvers andonebronze.

      Where in the source: Full9rowMEDALLEROtable andPOS/EQUIPO/ORO/PLATA/BRONCEheaders.

      Accessed:

  • Sherdog, complete JaimeCabrera professionalfighttable(opens in a new tab)

    • Sherdog records Jaime submitting GonzaloFerrufino by armbar at MMA3.600Genesis on1May2007.

      Where in the source: Fullthree-boutprofessionalhistory, Genesisrow.

      Accessed:

    • His recordedMMAhistory also lists anApril2009loss toBentleySyler.

      Where in the source: Entirethree-boutprohistory, Nemesis18April2009row.

      Accessed:

  • Sherdog, complete MMA3.6002Altitud eventcard,1November2007(opens in a new tab)

    • He headlined the CabreraBrothers-promoted MMA3.600Altitud card inLaPaz on1November2007 and submitted CarlosMamani with a rear-naked choke at1:07ofroundone.

      Where in the source: Completeeventheader/location/promoterandfullmain-eventresult, plusremainingcardcontext.

      Accessed:

  • BoliviaDeportes, contemporary Tarijaassociation report and quotedinstructor/official,4February2011(opens in a new tab)

    • ByFebruary2011 he was arriving inTarija to lead a newly created ValeTodo association.

      Where in the source: Entire4February2011mainreport, opening andJulioMenachodirectanswer.

      Accessed:

    • Regional sports official JulioCesarMenacho inaugurated the association and credited Cabrera with already organising a localchampionship.

      Where in the source: Wholeopening andcompleteMenachoanswer.

      Accessed:

    • Cabrera said he wanted tobring Brazilianjiu-jitsu andValeTodo together inTarija andwas pleased by the welcome.

      Where in the source: Complete quotedJaimeanswerfollowingofficialstatement.

      Accessed:

    • He thanked JulioMenacho andGermánAnturduaga for helping the sport obtain its own localbase.

      Where in the source: Whole sameJaimequote.

      Accessed:

    • The biographicalnote accompanying the2011report identifies him as LaPaz-born and lists his profession aslawyer.

      Where in the source: EntireCurrículodeportivo section, fullname/birthplace/profession/residence.

      Accessed:

Lineage

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Open lineage