Luiz Ribeiro
“Manxinha”
Source: fightersonly.comLuiz “Manxinha” Ribeiro moved from boxing to leading London Fight Factory, teaching gi and no-gi while continuing to compete at masters level.
Biography
Sources for this profile
Fighters Only, a British combat-sports magazine: short gym listing in issue 020, January 2007. No byline, and the copy is plainly the gym's own.(opens in a new tab)
A British magazine listing names him, under the ring name Manxinha, as the man running the London Fight Factory, and says the gym had opened that summer as a mixed room: boxing and jiu-jitsu alongside kung fu, capoeira, wrestling and Muay Thai.
Where in the source: The London Fight Factory, managed by Luiz “Manxinha” Ribeiro, opened this summer and offers a range of disciplines including boxing, Brazilian jiu jitsu, Muay Thai, wrestling, capoeira and kung fu.
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The listing gives the gym a Hanbury Street address in the E1 postal district of London.
Where in the source: VENUE: 82 Hanbury Street London E1 5JL
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By that same listing the gym sat three minutes from Brick Lane, and about ten from Liverpool Street station.
Where in the source: the gym is only ten minutes from Liverpool Street Station, and three minutes from Brick Lane.
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London Fight Factory, the gym's own site at the time (londonfightfactory.net): coach profile written in the first person by Ribeiro himself. Read in the Internet Archive copy dated 12 September 2007.(opens in a new tab)
Writing in the first person, he places his upbringing in the Sao Paulo area, says he came to jiu-jitsu late for a Brazilian, and describes boxing six days a week until roughly the age of 27.
Where in the source: I guess compared to many other Brazilian guys I discovered jiu jitsu fairly late in life. Until the age of about 27 I was really involved in boxing – training six days a week and taking part in several competitions in and around São Paulo, which is where I grew up.
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He says he met Leo Negao at one of those boxing events, and that Negao talked him into coming down to the gym and trying jiu-jitsu.
Where in the source: It was at one of these that I was introduced to Leo Negão, who was to become a great friend and persuaded me to go to his gym and try out jiu jitsu.
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He says he trained with Negao regularly until 2000, when he left for England to pick up the language and look around.
Where in the source: I started training with Leo on a regular basis until I moved to England in 2000 to learn a new language and see the country.
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He writes that he met Eduardo Telles in early 2005 on a trip back to Brazil, and calls him a big influence.
Where in the source: Another big influence has been Eduardo Telles, who I met in early 2005 when I went back to Brazil for a few weeks.
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He writes that the founders of the TT team invited him to join them and to be their representative in Britain, a role he wanted because it let him lead.
Where in the source: Telles and Fernando “Terere” Augusto set up the team in 2000 and asked if I’d be interested in joining their club and representing TT in the UK. I had been looking for an opportunity in a club where I could play more of a leadership role so I jumped at the chance.
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He says he had just taken his own students across to the Brasa team.
Where in the source: A few weeks ago I too decided to join Brasa along with my students from TT.
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In his own account, he enjoyed jiu-jitsu immediately and valued that controlling an opponent did not require being especially big or muscular.
Where in the source: Paragraph2, I enjoyed it from the start
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During his 2005 return to Brazil, he trained extensively at TT and took private classes with André Galvão.
Where in the source: Paragraph4, early2005 return; private classes
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London Fight Factory, the gym's own site at the time: list of its Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructors with a belt rank beside each name. Internet Archive copy dated 3 May 2007.(opens in a new tab)
In May 2007 his own gym listed him as a purple belt on its jiu-jitsu teaching staff.
Where in the source: Luiz "Manxinha" Ribeiro Purple Belt
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London Fight Factory, the gym's own site at the time: combined instructor list across all disciplines, with a belt rank beside each name. Internet Archive copy dated 16 December 2006.(opens in a new tab)
In December 2006 the same gym also listed him at purple belt.
Where in the source: Brazilian Jiu jitsu Instructor Luiz "Manxinha" Ribeiro Purple Belt
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London Fight Factory, the academy's current site: coach page about Ribeiro. Undated marketing copy with no byline; read 20 September 2026.(opens in a new tab)
The academy's current site says he has been a black belt for over a decade.
Where in the source: With over a decade as a black belt
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Its own site gives the academy a current address on Ebenezer Street in London N1, by Old Street.
Where in the source: 19 Ebenezer St, London N1 7LU 🚇 Nearest station: Old Street (3-min walk)
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His academy describes his gi and no-gi teaching as prioritising technique over strength, with students encouraged to ask questions and understand the mechanics of a technique.
Where in the source: Coach profile sections Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Coach and A Teaching Philosophy Forged in Curiosity and Community
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BJJ Globetrotters: training report from a visit to the academy, written by the travelling practitioner J.W. Seo, 23 January 2019.(opens in a new tab)
A visiting practitioner described the session Ribeiro taught as near-unbroken drilling followed by hard sparring.
Where in the source: The class led by Professor Ribeiro was filled with continuous drilling with little breaks and high-intensity rolling.
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The same visitor found the academy in a basement in Shoreditch in January 2019, with a street entrance that was easy to walk past.
Where in the source: Hidden behind the busy neighborhood of Shoreditch, it was rather difficult to spot the entrance at first glance. The entrance led to the basement of a building
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Companies House, the UK register of companies: company overview for LONDON FIGHT FACTORY LTD (08179266); read 20 September 2026.(opens in a new tab)
The register shows the limited company behind the gym as active and first registered in August 2012, with a registered office in Eltham.
Where in the source: More for LONDON FIGHT FACTORY LTD (08179266) Registered office address Unit 7 Mulberry Place, Pinnell Road, Eltham, London, SE9 6AR Company status Active Company type Private limited Company Incorporated on 14 August 2012
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BJJ Heroes, Luiz Ribeiro Manxinha, full original profile, undated.(opens in a new tab)
BJJ Heroes identifies Luiz Ribeiro as Manxinha or Manxa, founder of London Fight Factory and a Ricardo Vieira black belt.
Where in the source: Opening and full-name section
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The biography describes an informal armbar demonstration at a South London weights gym as a first step toward his academy.
Where in the source: Biography paragraphs2–3, jiu-jitsu T-shirt and armbar demonstration
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BJJ Heroes dates his black belt to May 2010, under Ricardo Vieira, with Marco Canha conducting the promotion because Vieira could not travel.
Where in the source: Biography final two paragraphs: May 2010; Marco Canha
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Wimbledon BJJ, Black belt!!,13October 2016.(opens in a new tab)
Wimbledon BJJ’s instructor described receiving his black belt from Luiz at a Leo Vieira seminar in October 2016, with other black belts and students present.
Where in the source: Black belt!!,13October2016, sole first-person paragraph
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Wimbledon BJJ, Stripe #2 for the BOSSMAN!,20December 2022.(opens in a new tab)
Wimbledon BJJ reported that Luiz Ribeiro awarded its chief instructor Carl Fisher his second black-belt stripe in December 2022.
Where in the source: Stripe #2 for the BOSSMAN!,20December2022, sole paragraph
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IBJJF official European Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2009 results, full original division.(opens in a new tab)
At the 2009 European Championship, Ribeiro won the men’s brown-belt lightweight division listed in the current IBJJF archive as Master2, representing Check Mat Bjj.
Where in the source: MASTER 2 / BROWN / MALE / LIGHT;1 Luiz Ribeiro;2 Francois Deniau;3 Philipe Nativel
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IBJJF official London International Open 2025 results, final23February 2025.(opens in a new tab)
At the 2025 London International Open, Luiz Osvaldo Ribeiro Duo of London Fight Factory won the men’s Master5 black-belt open class and placed third at medium-heavyweight.
Where in the source: MALE / MASTER 5 / BLACK / MEDIUM HEAVY (88.30KG):3 Luiz Osvaldo Ribeiro Duo; MALE / MASTER 5 / BLACK / OPEN CLASS:1 same name
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London Fight Factory, LFF Recap: London International Open IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2025,25February 2025.(opens in a new tab)
London Fight Factory’s February 2025 report identifies its head coach Luiz Manxinha Ribeiro as the athlete who won London Open open-weight gold and a bronze medal in his weight division.
Where in the source: Outstanding Performances, Luiz Manxinha Ribeiro heading and two bullets
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Official London Fight Factory podcast listing on Apple Podcasts; show copyright Luiz Ribeiro.(opens in a new tab)
In 2021, London Fight Factory published an eight-episode podcast presented by head coach Luiz Ribeiro, interviewing members and instructors about martial-arts experience.
Where in the source: About, creator, eight2021episodes and public descriptions
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