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João Amaral

João Amaral is a sixth-degree BJJ black belt whose Everett school became BTT's first official U.S. affiliate in 2003, according to the academy.

Biography

João Amaral is a sixth-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, academy owner, and teacher with more than forty years of experience. He is the co-founder and owner of Brazilian Top Team Boston and the owner of Brazilian Top Team Boca Raton. Amaral began judo at age six and Brazilian jiu-jitsu at thirteen under Crezio Souza of the Carlson Gracie Team. He later competed in NAGA, the Pan American Championships, Brazilian Nationals, the Arnold Classic, and the US Open, as well as in MMA, before making teaching his main focus. In 1997, a martial arts school began in Everett. Six years later, in 2003, Brazilian Top Team Boston says it became the first official BTT affiliate in the United States under Amaral and Daniel Gazzoni. Brazilian Top Team Boca Raton describes Amaral's school as built around using jiu-jitsu to develop confidence, discipline, and resilience rather than treating it only as a competitive sport. Michael Zenga provides a concrete record of that teaching work: BJJ Heroes places Amaral in Zenga's lineage and says Amaral helped award Zenga his purple belt in 2006, brown belt in 2009, and black belt in December 2012.

Sources for this profile

  • Brazilian Top Team Boca Raton, About Us, current academy page.(opens in a new tab)

    • Brazilian Top Team Boca Raton identifies Joao Amaral as its owner and a sixth-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with more than forty years of experience.

      Where in the source: Instructors — Joao Amaral card

      Accessed:

    • The Boca Raton academy says Amaral competed in NAGA, the Pan American Championships, Brazilian Nationals, the Arnold Classic and the US Open, and also competed in MMA before making teaching his main focus.

      Where in the source: From Brazil to Boca — competition and teaching paragraphs

      Accessed:

    • The Boca Raton academy says Amaral founded the school around a teaching view of jiu-jitsu as a means to build confidence, discipline and resilience rather than only a competitive sport.

      Where in the source: From Brazil to Boca — teaching and academy-founding paragraph

      Accessed:

  • Brazilian Top Team Boston, About Us, current academy page.(opens in a new tab)

    • Brazilian Top Team Boston identifies Joao Amaral as its co-founder and owner, a sixth-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with more than forty years of experience.

      Where in the source: Instructors — Joao Amaral card

      Accessed:

    • The academy history says Amaral began judo at age six and Brazilian jiu-jitsu at thirteen under Crezio Souza of the Carlson Gracie Team.

      Where in the source: From Brazil to Everett — Joao Amaral background paragraph

      Accessed:

    • The academy says a local martial-arts school that began in Everett in 1997 became the first official Brazilian Top Team affiliate in the United States in 2003 under Amaral and Daniel Gazzoni.

      Where in the source: From Brazil to Everett — first United States affiliate paragraph

      Accessed:

  • BJJ Heroes, Michael Zenga, current public biography.(opens in a new tab)

    • BJJ Heroes places Amaral between Crezio Sousa and Michael Zenga in Zenga's lineage and says Amaral and Daniel Gazoni awarded Zenga his purple belt in 2006, brown belt in 2009 and black belt in December 2012.

      Where in the source: Lineage table and biography — Jiu-Jitsu Life paragraph

      Accessed:

Lineage

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