Leandro Escobar
Leandro “Tatu” Escobar is a Brazilian black belt who helped found Soul Fighters and Double Five and led Tatu BJJ in Rio de Janeiro.
Biography
Sources for this profile
Graciemag, ‘Tatu BJJ / Double Five JJ’ (undated).(opens in a new tab)
Leandro ‘Tatu’ Escobar is the black belt who leads Tatu Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro.
Where in the source: Graciemag academy listing, under Prof. Leandro Escobar: use the first descriptive paragraph's sentence identifying the black-belt leader of Tatu BJJ in Tijuca.
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Graciemag reports that Escobar heads Double Five Jiu-Jitsu with João Gabriel Rocha and Rafael Formiga, with representation in Brazil and the United States.
Where in the source: Graciemag academy listing, under Prof. Leandro Escobar: in the first descriptive paragraph, read the sentence linking Escobar with Rocha and Formiga at Double Five and noting activity in Brazil and the US.
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Graciemag reports that Escobar won adult Pan gold and the Masters World Championship.
Where in the source: Prof. Leandro Escobar, second paragraph: ‘ouro no Pan da IBJJF como adulto e também o Mundial de Masters’.
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Soul Fighters, ‘About Us’ (copyright 2024).(opens in a new tab)
Soul Fighters identifies Escobar as a founder and says the partnership that formed the team was established in May 2008 after his 2007 collaboration with the Mendes brothers and Rafael Barbosa.
Where in the source: Soul Fighters About Us, How Soul Fighters Began: read the 2007 partnership paragraph and the next paragraph dating the team name to May 2008; confirm Escobar in the founders roster below.
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Fight & Cia, interview with Leandro ‘Tatu’ Escobar, 5 December 2006.(opens in a new tab)
In a 2006 interview, Escobar said André ‘Dedeco’ Almeida trained him through his promotion to black belt; after Almeida moved to the United States, Escobar began teaching and trained with other black belts in Rio, including Rafael ‘Formiga’ Barbosa.
Where in the source: LEANDRO ESCOBAR - GUERREIRO MADE IN BRAZIL.; ‘Quem são seus treinadores?’ — ‘Até a minha faixa prêta treinei com o André Almeida “DEDECO”’.
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Escobar said in December 2006 that he was living and training in Connecticut at Luigi Mondelli's academy, where Mondelli led his training.
Where in the source: Fight & Cia interview dated 5 December 2006, answer about coaches: near the end, Escobar describes his then home and training site at Luigi Mondelli’s Connecticut academy.
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In a December 2006 interview explicitly introducing Leandro “Tatu” Escobar, he said he hoped to bring more victories to Brazil in 2007; the interviewer introduced him as defending the name of “our country.”
Where in the source: Fight & Cia interview dated 5 December 2006: compare the opening description of whom Escobar represents with his closing message about hoped-for Brazilian victories in 2007.
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IBJJF, ‘Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2002’, official results.(opens in a new tab)
The IBJJF's 2002 Pan results list Leandro Escobar first in the adult male brown-belt light-feather division, representing Silveira Brothers.
Where in the source: Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2002 > ADULT / BROWN / MALE / LIGHT FEATHER: ‘1 Leandro Escobar Silveira Brothers’; ‘2 Bruno Senna Nova Uniao’.
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IBJJF, ‘Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2003’, official results.(opens in a new tab)
The IBJJF's 2003 Pan results place Leandro Escobar first in adult male black-belt light feather, representing Brazilian Top Team.
Where in the source: Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2003 > ADULT / BLACK / MALE / LIGHT FEATHER: ‘1 Leandro Escobar Brazilian Top Team’; ‘2 Aaron Lapointe Carlson Gracie Revolution’.
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IBJJF, ‘World Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi IBJJF Championship 2007’, official results.(opens in a new tab)
Escobar shares third place in the IBJJF's 2007 adult male black-belt no-gi World light-feather results, listed for American Top Team.
Where in the source: World Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi IBJJF Championship 2007 > ADULT / BLACK / MALE / LIGHT FEATHER: ‘3 John Ramirez Bjj Revolution Team’; ‘3 Leandro Escobar American Top Team’.
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IBJJF, ‘Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2009’, official results.(opens in a new tab)
The 2009 Brazilian No-Gi National results list Escobar second in adult male black-belt light feather for Soul Fighters.
Where in the source: Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2009 > ADULT / BLACK / MALE / LIGHT FEATHER: ‘1 BRUNO MALFACINE Alliance’; ‘2 LEANDRO ESCOBAR Soul Fighters’; ‘3 FABBIO PASSOS ALENCAR Alliance’.
Accessed:
IBJJF, ‘Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2010’, official results.(opens in a new tab)
The 2010 Brazilian No-Gi National results list Escobar second in adult male black-belt light feather for Soul Fighters, behind Rufino Gomes Araujo Neto.
Where in the source: Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2010 > ADULT / BLACK / MALE / LIGHT FEATHER: ‘1 Rufino Gomes Araujo Neto Check Mat Bjj’; ‘2 Leandro Escobar Soul Fighters’.
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Graciemag, interview with João Gabriel Rocha, 3 April 2013.(opens in a new tab)
Ahead of his black-belt debut in Abu Dhabi in 2013, João Gabriel Rocha told Graciemag that Escobar was directing his jiu-jitsu training.
Where in the source: Graciemag interview dated 3 April 2013, Rocha’s answer about changes in training for his Abu Dhabi black-belt debut: he names Escobar as the person directing his jiu-jitsu preparation.
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Graciemag, ‘João Gabriel, Tatu Escobar e Rafael Formiga deixam a Soul Fighters e formam a Double Five JJ’, 2 December 2019.(opens in a new tab)
A contemporary report dated 2 December 2019 says Escobar, João Gabriel Rocha and Rafael Formiga announced the formation of Double Five after leaving Soul Fighters; it locates the new team in Rio de Janeiro and Texas.
Where in the source: João Gabriel, Tatu Escobar e Rafael Formiga deixam a Soul Fighters e formam a Double Five JJ; ‘02/12/2019’; ‘se uniram para fundar a Double Five Jiu-Jitsu’.
Accessed:
Graciemag Newsroom, ‘Ninguém ganha todos os treinos, ensina professor Leandro Tatu’, 6 February 2023.(opens in a new tab)
In 2023 Escobar advised beginners to focus on fundamentals and repetition, train specific positions, and treat being submitted or losing a match as a chance to learn.
Where in the source: Ninguém ganha todos os treinos, ensina professor Leandro Tatu; numbered advice 1, 3–4, 5, 7 and 10, beginning ‘Concentre-se nos fundamentos e no básico’.
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O Dia, ‘Em alta no Circuito Nacional Mineirinho de Jiu-Jitsu, Double Five mira Brasileiro da CBJJD’, 6 June 2024.(opens in a new tab)
In 2024 Escobar described Double Five's competition training as taking place three times a week and bringing athletes together from its different units.
Where in the source: Em alta no Circuito Nacional Mineirinho de Jiu-Jitsu, Double Five mira Brasileiro da CBJJD; Escobar: ‘o de competição, que ocorre 3x por semana’ and ‘atletas, de todas unidades’.
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O Dia, ‘Estadual da FJJD-Rio consagra Double Five e Geração UPP entre as equipes’, 29 July 2025.(opens in a new tab)
O Dia reported Double Five won the general team classification at the 2025 Rio state event, where Escobar and Bruno Formiga spoke for the team.
Where in the source: Estadual da FJJD-Rio consagra Double Five e Geração UPP entre as equipes; ‘Double Five, campeã geral (juvenil / adulto / master)’; ‘líderes Leandro “Tatu” Escobar e Bruno Formiga’.
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Luta Brazil, “Preparos finais para o Grapplers Quest”, 26 March 2004 (archived news page).(opens in a new tab)
A contemporary March 2004 Grapplers Quest preview listed Leandro Escobar of Brazilian Top Team among the Brazilian competitors and its event card separately identified him as Leandro “Tatu” Escobar of BTT.
Where in the source: 26/03/2004, “Preparos finais para o Grapplers Quest”: “outros brasileiros ... Leandro Escobar (BTT)”; card below, Lightweight: Leandro “Tatu” Escobar (BTT) vs. Jared Weiner.
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