Leonardo Nunes Dalla Costa
Leo Dalla combined competition with teaching, helping students establish schools while developing the Big Brothers network.
Biography
Sources for this profile
BJJ Heroes, Leo Dalla(opens in a new tab)
Leo Dalla is Leonardo Nunes Dalla Costa; Leo is the shortened form used for Leonardo.
Where in the source: Full Name and Nickname fields.
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BJJ Heroes dates the formation of Big Brothers to2000, after Pereira moved to Miami, naming Dalla, Otavio Duarte, Wander Braga and Luiz Guilherme as its founders.
Where in the source: Biography paragraph beginning In2000.
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Leo Dalla school, Instructors(opens in a new tab)
Dalla began training under Jorge Pereira in Rio de Janeiro in1987, aged13, progressing through the youth coloured belts before adult ranks.
Where in the source: Leo Dalla biography first paragraph.
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His own school identifies him as Jorge Pereira’s first black belt.
Where in the source: Leo Dalla biography second paragraph.
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His school dates his dedication to teaching to1994 and says he moved to America at Lloyd Irvin’s request to open a Virginia school.
Where in the source: Third paragraph.
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Stafford BJJ/Francis Torres, BJJ Mini-documentary: Leo Dalla,5December2014(opens in a new tab)
In his2014 documentary, Dalla gives his full name, identifies Rio de Janeiro as his home city and states that he was born in1974.
Where in the source: 0:13–0:24
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He recalled a friend inviting him to a class in1987; his teacher’s academy was conveniently located in his neighbourhood.
Where in the source: 1:15–1:41
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He said live sparring kept him engaged because it let him test himself and see his progress.
Where in the source: 1:57–2:22
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He continued competing to motivate himself to train hard, eat well and stay fit, while seeking new challenges.
Where in the source: 2:40–2:57
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He described Doug Esposito earning his living through his own martial-arts school within Big Brothers, the team Dalla and his Brazilian friends shared.
Where in the source: 3:05–3:29
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He hoped to keep training and teaching for as long as his body and mind allowed.
Where in the source: 4:18–4:35
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Dominion BJJ, About Us(opens in a new tab)
Dominion’s account says Dave Trader started training with Dalla in1996, earned his blue belt before Dalla returned to Brazil, then trained with Lloyd Irvin.
Where in the source: The Past, complete Dave Trader history.
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Trader later returned to training with Dalla and received his black belt from him in2005.
Where in the source: The Past, second paragraph.
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KOA Martial Arts, Master Dalla(opens in a new tab)
KOA’s biography places Dalla’s move from Brazil to teach in greater Washington in2002, at Irvin’s invitation.
Where in the source: Master Dalla, paragraph beginning In2002.
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KOA credits Dalla with encouraging black-belt students to open academies and helping Professor Kelly open its Stafford school on4May2010.
Where in the source: Paragraph before mini-documentary.
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Leo Dalla school, Lloyd Irvin testimonial(opens in a new tab)
In a testimonial on Dalla’s school website, Lloyd Irvin says he trained with him from white belt and received his blue, purple, brown and black belts from him.
Where in the source: Signed Lloyd Irvin testimonial.
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Dalla’s school lists locations in Woodbridge and Arlington, Northern Virginia.
Where in the source: Where are we located section.
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His school identifies its regional association as Team Big Brothers, with schools around Maryland, Washington DC and Virginia.
Where in the source: Final association paragraph.
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A student testimonial describes combining instruction, technique practice and sparring with partners from different martial-arts backgrounds and skill levels.
Where in the source: Signed Antonio Hayes testimonial.
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Leo Dalla school schedule(opens in a new tab)
The school separates an introductory BJJ class without sparring from all-levels training, alongside youth and no-gi classes.
Where in the source: Complete Woodbridge schedule and BJJ Intro footnote.
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Leo Dalla school, Programs(opens in a new tab)
Its children’s programme combines sport and self-defence techniques with conditioning and skill games, while teaching conflict management, teamwork and responsibility.
Where in the source: Kids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu section.
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Stafford BJJ, Interview With A Coral Belt In BJJ (Leo Dalla),30October2025(opens in a new tab)
In the2025 Stafford BJJ interview, Dalla identifies himself as a coral belt under Jorge Pereira.
Where in the source: Publisher description and8:15 closing self-identification.
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Dalla viewed the coral belt as recognition of years devoted to jiu-jitsu, while remembering the black belt itself as a major achievement.
Where in the source: 2:44–3:53
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He credited Pereira with helping shape his character from adolescence into adulthood and pushing him toward achievements.
Where in the source: 3:59–4:49
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He recalled his early training culture as demanding, with hard rounds and an expectation that practitioners could represent their art.
Where in the source: 4:54–6:18
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He praised the organization of modern World Masters events and their role in bringing old friends together, and saw professional grappling creating more opportunities for specialists.
Where in the source: 6:25–8:08
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Dominion BJJ, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu programme(opens in a new tab)
Dominion BJJ identifies Dalla as a seventh-degree coral belt.
Where in the source: BJJ programme history paragraph naming7th Degree coral belt Leo Dalla.
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IBJJF original World1999 results(opens in a new tab)
Dalla took bronze in adult men’s black-belt heavyweight at the1999 World Championship.
Where in the source: Adult/Black/Male/Heavy:1Murilo Bustamante,2Paulo Filho,3Fabio Gurgel and Leonardo Dalla/Jorge Pereira. Next categorySuperHeavy.
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IBJJF original Pan2008 results(opens in a new tab)
He won Master1 men’s black-belt super-heavyweight and open weight at the2008 Pan Championship.
Where in the source: Two complete Master1/Black/Male tables: SuperHeavy1Leonardo Dallas Costa/LeoDalla,2ArthurRuff,3JoryMalone/JoseEduardo; Open1LeonardoDalla/LeoDalla,2AdolfoTozi,3MikeWeaven/WalterVitalJr.
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IBJJF original WorldNoGi2011 results(opens in a new tab)
IBJJF lists him first in Master2 men’s black-belt super-heavyweight at the2011 No-Gi World Championship.
Where in the source: Master2/Black/Male/SuperHeavy:1Leonardo Nunes Dalla Costa/BigBrothers; only listed entrant; next headingSecond.
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IBJJF original WorldMaster2015 results(opens in a new tab)
He took silver in Master3 men’s black-belt ultra-heavyweight at the2015 World Master Championship.
Where in the source: Male/Master3/Black/UltraHeavy:1FabianoAndreScherner,2LeonardoNunesDallaCosta/BigBrothers,3CarlosEduardoFarias/RonilsonNunesSilva; nextOpen.
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Graciemag Newsroom,30June2024(opens in a new tab)
Graciemag’s archival report records his victory over purple belt Demian Maia in the under99kg division of the2001 ADCC trials.
Where in the source: Complete article body describing Maia/Dalla match.
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Full Contact Fighter,19May2002(opens in a new tab)
At Ring of Fury in Massachusetts on18May2002, he lost to Keith Rockel by referee stoppage in the second round of a USMMA middleweight title bout.
Where in the source: Jim Genia, Ring of Fury Goes Off Without a Hitch; full report and final result3:36R2.
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The contemporary Ring of Fury report identifies Dalla as Brazilian.
Where in the source: Rockel/Dalla paragraph first sentence.
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BETA Academy,14October2025(opens in a new tab)
BETA Academy advertised him to teach a free gi seminar at its25October2025 Grapplethon supporting Tap Cancer Out.
Where in the source: Event date, cause and BJJ seminar listing.
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Lineage
No teaching connections are shown on this page.
Open lineage