Luís Heredia
“Limao”
Source: onzuka.comLuís Heredia is a Rickson Gracie coral belt whose path runs from California’s early jiu-jitsu years to four Pan titles and an academy on Maui.
Biography
Sources for this profile
Maui Jiu-Jitsu Academy, home page (undated; accessed 8 September 2026).(opens in a new tab)
Maui Jiu-Jitsu Academy says it was established in 2000 in Haiku and is led by Luis Heredia.
Where in the source: Home — “Established in 2000”; “Professor Luis Heredia”
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The academy presents Heredia's current teaching as centered on fundamentals, practical self-defense and the Gracie tradition, with competition and no-gi also in its program.
Where in the source: Home — “fundamentals, real-world self-defense”; “Competition and No-Gi Training”
Accessed:
Maui Jiu-Jitsu Academy, “Professor” (undated; accessed 8 September 2026).(opens in a new tab)
Maui Jiu-Jitsu Academy identifies Luis Heredia's current belt rank as coral under Rickson Gracie.
Where in the source: Chief — “7th Degree Coral Belt”
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Maui Jiu-Jitsu Academy identifies Luis Heredia's current belt degree as seventh degree.
Where in the source: Chief — “7th Degree Coral Belt”
Accessed:
SALT Electrolytes, The Go Earn Your SALT Podcast, episode 59 transcript, “Luis Heredia: A Pioneer of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu” (publication date not displayed on transcript page).(opens in a new tab)
Heredia described himself as Brazilian while discussing how he built and taught at his academy.
Where in the source: Episode transcript, 01:20:00–01:21:00 — “here I am a Brazilian guy”
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Heredia recalled that Rickson Gracie invited him to California in 1988 to help Rorion Gracie, and that he arrived in Los Angeles as a purple belt on 11 February 1988.
Where in the source: Episode transcript, 00:32:00–00:45:00 — “Rickson inviting me”; “February 11th, 1988”
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After about thirteen years in Los Angeles, Heredia moved to Maui around 2000–01 to open his own academy, initially teaching from a garage.
Where in the source: Episode transcript, 00:40:00–00:41:00 — “after being in LA for 13 years”; “a garage to teach”
Accessed:
International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, “Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2004” results.(opens in a new tab)
IBJJF's 2004 Pan results list Luis Heredia of Rickson first in Master 3 black-belt featherweight and second in the Master 3 black-belt open class.
Where in the source: Master 3 / Black / Male / Feather — “1 | Luis Heredia Rickson”; Open Class — “2 | Luis Heredia Rickson”
Accessed:
International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, “Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2005” results.(opens in a new tab)
IBJJF's 2005 Pan results list Luis Heredia of Rickson first in Master 3 black-belt featherweight.
Where in the source: Master 3 / Black / Male / Feather — “1 | Luis Heredia Rickson”
Accessed:
International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, “Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2006” results.(opens in a new tab)
IBJJF's 2006 Pan results list Luis Heredia of Rickson first in Master 3 black-belt featherweight.
Where in the source: Master 3 / Black / Male / Feather — “1 | Luis Heredia Rickson”
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International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, “Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2007” results.(opens in a new tab)
IBJJF's 2007 Pan results list Luis Fernando Heredia of Maui Jiu-Jitsu first in Master 3 black-belt featherweight; the matching academy, division and adjacent-year records support treating this expanded name as the same competitor.
Where in the source: Master 3 / Black / Male / Feather — “1 | Luis Fernando Heredia Maui Jiu-Jitsu”
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International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, “Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2008” results.(opens in a new tab)
IBJJF's 2008 Pan results list Luis Heredia of Maui Jiu-Jitsu second in Master 3 black-belt featherweight.
Where in the source: Master 3 / Black / Male / Feather — “1 | Richard Travis ... 2 | Luis Heredia Maui Jiu-Jitsu”
Accessed:
BJJ Heroes, “Luis Heredia” (publication date not shown on page).(opens in a new tab)
BJJ Heroes reports that Rickson Gracie awarded Heredia his black belt in June 1995 after Heredia had spent years teaching alongside him in California.
Where in the source: Biography — “June 1995 ... black belt from Rickson Gracie”
Accessed:
Sharicka Long-O'Neill, Girls in Gis, “A Penny Saved is A Penny Earned,” 24 November 2015.(opens in a new tab)
A 2015 profile of Penny Thomas says she trained under Luiz Heredia at Maui Jiu Jitsu for several years and received her black belt in 2008.
Where in the source: Article — “trained under Luiz Heredia ... black belt in 2008”
Accessed:
Chris Onzuka, “Rickson Gracie's Right Hand Man: Luis ‘Limao’ Heredia” (date not displayed on page; URL identifies a 2002 interview).(opens in a new tab)
Heredia explained that Limao means lemon in Portuguese and that the childhood nickname stayed with him.
Where in the source: Nickname exchange — “Limao means Lemon in Portuguese”
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Heredia said his early jiu-jitsu path took him through Oswaldo Alves's school and Carlson Gracie's school before he joined Rickson Gracie's training group.
Where in the source: Training path — “Oswaldo Alves ... Carlson Gracie's school”
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Chris Onzuka described Heredia as the person Rickson Gracie placed in charge of his main Santa Monica academy while Gracie trained and fought in Japan.
Where in the source: Opening — “main academy located in Santa Monica”
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