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Jair Lourenço

Jair Lourenço founded Kimura in Natal, opened training routes for its athletes and took his coaching work to Ryan Bader in Arizona.

Biography

Jair Lourenço founded Kimura in Natal and built a coaching career that eventually took him to Arizona to work with Ryan Bader. Along the way, his work involved more than preparing athletes for individual fights: arranging training exchanges, finding affordable routes into competition and making room for students to train abroad. Those practical concerns connect the jiu-jitsu school in his home city with his later work in mixed martial arts. A place to train in Natal Born in Natal, Jair Lourenço Medeiros began jiu-jitsu in the early 1990s, spending a period under Banni Cavalcanti. Kimura's academy profile dates its foundation to 1993. Lourenço recalled starting it with Marcelo Jornal, Boi and Kerson Bueno while they were blue belts: they wanted somewhere to train every day, and other people joined them. Kimura initially affiliated with Kioto for support in national competition, before joining Nova União. Lourenço's account of finding a wider training network includes an unusual source of travel money. He said he sold a motorcycle won at a tournament to visit academies in Rio. That trip disappointed him; on a later visit, Guilherme Santos introduced him to André Pederneiras. By 2014, the gym was crowded enough that Lourenço wanted larger premises to shorten waits and exhausting sessions. Even UFC athletes cleaned the mats and carried water. He also recalled sending Renan Barão into jiu-jitsu tournaments after Barão's first MMA defeat, using competition to build experience and rhythm. Jussier Formiga offered a student's perspective on their teacher. In a 2017 interview, he said he had started training with Lourenço at thirteen and regarded him as a father figure. What he emphasized was the continuity of that support: Lourenço had believed in him since childhood. Lourenço also competed himself. At the 2010 IBJJF Master International, representing Nova União under his full name, he placed second in the men's Master 2 black-belt middleweight division. Opening routes into competition International exchange sometimes meant bringing visitors to Natal. The 2013 Natal Summer Camp grew out of Jean Kleber's wish to take his students to his home city. Nineteen visiting athletes from the United States, Norway and Switzerland trained alongside local participants. Lourenço wanted the exchange to work in the other direction too, sending Natal athletes overseas, but identified funding as an obstacle to those return visits. Holding major competitions locally offered another way around the expense of travel. Before the 2015 Brazil National Pro in Natal, Lourenço consulted instructors and black belts about which athletes were ready to enter. He explained that a home-city event removed the need to pay for transport and hotels. The subsequent interview named Leonardo Souza, Jhon Lennon and Fabiana de Medeiros as three Kimura athletes who had qualified for the World Pro. In 2014, Lourenço said he had turned down overseas offers because of the effect on his students. A move would require resources to take athletes with him. Moving to Arizona Ryan Bader's account of hiring Lourenço began with a trial lasting two weeks. It led Bader to bring him back permanently. Bader valued the way Lourenço organized his preparation, as well as his introduction of striking partner Rafael Gomes. Lourenço moved to Arizona in 2016 to coach him, following Bader's victory over Ilir Latifi. By June 2017, Lourenço said his family had settled there. He was working on his English with the ambition of opening a Kimura school in Arizona. He had also brought Barão and Formiga to the United States and arranged accommodation for visiting Kimura and Nova União athletes, giving them somewhere to stay while exchanging training experience. The relationship between the two teams subsequently changed. Kimura's affiliation with Nova União ended in November 2017. Pederneiras explained the separation in terms of organizational changes, including restrictions on athletes representing multiple teams, while affirming that the friendship continued. With Bader, Lourenço's preparation extended across the demands of MMA. Ahead of a meeting with Fedor Emelianenko, he described an approach built around sustained pressure and conditioning. He wanted Bader to retain his speed instead of adding excessive weight. The aim was to prepare an athlete who could keep applying that approach, rather than rely on size alone. Lourenço was still discussing the details of Bader's preparation before Bellator 290 in 2023. He described work on wrestling, defending against the cage and fighting on the ground, combining strikes, takedowns and submission attacks. The preparation was intended to cover five rounds while leaving Bader ready to take an earlier finishing opportunity. Kimura's AJP academy profile, meanwhile, continues to list Lourenço as the person in charge of Team Kimura KMR.

Sources for this profile

  • BJJ Heroes, Jair Lourenço, undated biography.(opens in a new tab)

    • Jair Lourenço Medeiros was born in Natal and began jiu-jitsu in the early 1990s with a period under Banni Cavalcanti.

      Where in the source: Identity box and biography opening; anchor: Banni Cavalcanti.

      Accessed:

    • Kimura first affiliated with Kioto to gain support for national competition before joining Nova União.

      Where in the source: Biography organizational progression; anchor: Kioto.

      Accessed:

  • Combate, Humildade e suor, Ivan Raupp and Marcelo Russio, 19 March 2014.(opens in a new tab)

    • Lourenço recalled opening Kimura with Marcelo Jornal, Boi and Kerson Bueno as blue belts seeking somewhere to train daily; others joined their group.

      Where in the source: Concluding origin recollection; anchor: faixas azuis.

      Accessed:

    • Lourenço said he sold a motorcycle won in a tournament to visit Rio academies; after disappointment, Guilherme Santos introduced him to André Pederneiras on a later trip.

      Where in the source: Final recollection, prize and two Rio visits; anchor: moto.

      Accessed:

    • In 2014, Lourenço described a crowded gym where UFC athletes also cleaned mats and carried water, and planned a larger venue to reduce waiting and exhausting sessions.

      Where in the source: Practice report and expansion discussion; anchor: contato visual.

      Accessed:

    • Lourenço recalled using jiu-jitsu tournaments to give Renan Barão more competition experience after his first MMA defeat.

      Where in the source: Closing Barão recollection; anchor: ritmo de luta.

      Accessed:

    • In 2014 he said he had declined overseas offers because leaving would affect his students; a future move would need resources to bring athletes too.

      Where in the source: Overseas-offer discussion; anchor: propostas.

      Accessed:

  • AJP, Team Kimura KMR academy profile, undated.(opens in a new tab)

    • Team Kimura's academy profile dates its foundation in Natal to 1993 and names Jair Lourenço as founder.

      Where in the source: About academy, bilingual paragraph; anchor: 1993.

      Accessed:

    • AJP's Team Kimura KMR academy profile describes Lourenço as a black belt.

      Where in the source: About academy, English paragraph; anchor: Black Belt.

      Accessed:

    • The academy profile names Jair Lourenço as the person in charge of Team Kimura KMR.

      Where in the source: Person in charge and About blocks; anchor: Team Kimura KMR.

      Accessed:

  • GloboEsporte, Estrangeiros participam de intercâmbio de jiu-jitsu em Natal, Arthur Barbalho, 10 July 2013.(opens in a new tab)

    • The 2013 Natal Summer Camp brought nineteen visiting athletes from the United States, Norway and Switzerland together with local trainees, following Jean Kleber's wish to bring students to his home city.

      Where in the source: Opening report and origin interview; anchor: Jean Kleber.

      Accessed:

    • Lourenço hoped to send Natal athletes abroad in return but described financing as an obstacle.

      Where in the source: Final reciprocal-exchange answer; anchor: financeira.

      Accessed:

  • Graciemag, Jair Lourenço comemora alunos classificados para Abu Dhabi, 4 February 2015.(opens in a new tab)

    • For the 2015 Brazil National Pro in Natal, Lourenço consulted instructors and black belts in selecting prepared competitors; he said competing locally removed travel and hotel costs.

      Where in the source: First two answers on selection and home venue; anchor: hospedagem.

      Accessed:

    • The interview reported three Kimura qualifiers for the World Pro: Leonardo Souza, Jhon Lennon and Fabiana de Medeiros.

      Where in the source: Opening and qualifiers answer; anchor: classificados.

      Accessed:

  • GloboEsporte, Retrato Revelado with Jussier Formiga, Klênyo Galvão, 13 July 2017.(opens in a new tab)

    • Jussier Formiga said he began training with Lourenço at thirteen and regarded the coach as a father figure who had believed in him since childhood.

      Where in the source: Named Jair Lourenço section, Formiga answer; anchor: 13 anos.

      Accessed:

  • Evelyn Rodrigues for Combate, interview on Bader hiring Lourenço and the move to Arizona, 24 June 2017.(opens in a new tab)

    • Ryan Bader said a two-week trial with Lourenço led him to bring the coach back permanently; he valued his planning and introduction of striking partner Rafael Gomes.

      Where in the source: First Bader answer on hiring; anchor: duas semanas.

      Accessed:

    • By June 2017 Lourenço said his family was settled in Arizona; improving his English was a step toward his ambition to open a Kimura school there.

      Where in the source: First Lourenço answer on Arizona; anchor: inglês.

      Accessed:

    • He brought Barão and Formiga to the United States and arranged accommodation for visiting Kimura and Nova União athletes to exchange training experience.

      Where in the source: Exchange discussion after relocation; anchor: seis quartos.

      Accessed:

  • Guilherme Cruz for MMA Fighting, interview on preparing Bader for Emelianenko, 22 December 2018.(opens in a new tab)

    • Lourenço moved to Arizona to coach Bader in 2016, following Bader's victory over Ilir Latifi.

      Where in the source: Opening career context; anchor: 2016.

      Accessed:

    • Preparing Bader for Fedor Emelianenko, Lourenço emphasized sustained pressure, conditioning and retaining speed rather than adding excessive weight.

      Where in the source: Planning, weight and pace paragraphs; anchor: speed.

      Accessed:

  • MMA Fighting, Nova Uniao leader explains end of 20-year partnership with Kimura, Guilherme Cruz, 26 November 2017.(opens in a new tab)

    • Kimura and Nova União ended their affiliation in November 2017; Pederneiras described organizational changes, including restrictions on representing multiple teams, while affirming continued friendship.

      Where in the source: Main report and restructuring interview; anchor: restructuring.

      Accessed:

  • Combate, Bellator 290: Treinador de Bader, Jair Lourenço avisa, Marcos Portuga, 2 February 2023.(opens in a new tab)

    • Before Bellator 290 in 2023, Lourenço described work on Bader's wrestling, defense at the cage and ground game, with a plan combining striking, takedowns and submissions.

      Where in the source: Opening coaching answer; anchor: três áreas.

      Accessed:

    • He said his preparation made Bader ready for five rounds while remaining alert to earlier finishing opportunities.

      Where in the source: Planning after first-fight retrospective; anchor: cinco rounds.

      Accessed:

  • IBJJF, Master International Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship2010, official results.(opens in a new tab)

    • Jair Lourenco Medeiros of Nova Uniao placed second in the men's Master 2 black-belt middleweight division at the 2010 IBJJF Master International.

      Where in the source: Master 2 / Black / Male / Middle; second athlete row, place and academy in original table.

      Accessed:

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