Marcelino Freitas
“Telino”
Source: bjjheroes.comMarcelino “Telino” Freitas took his Nova União experience to Australia, developing his own classes and continuing to compete.
Biography
Sources for this profile
IBJJF, World Championship 2000 official results.(opens in a new tab)
He won adult male purple-belt light-featherweight gold at the 2000 Worlds for Nova União.
Where in the source: Adult / Purple / Male / Light Feather, complete four-medallist table.
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BJJ Heroes, Marcelino Freitas biography.(opens in a new tab)
Marcelino Freitas is also named Marcelino Bernardo de Freitas and nicknamed Telino.
Where in the source: Full name and Nickname fields.
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He initially watched his brother train; Nova União practitioner Marco Sabará gave him a gi and persuaded him to join.
Where in the source: Biography first two paragraphs.
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He and his brother worked at Pederneiras’s drinks warehouse, and Pederneiras later allowed him to train without paying.
Where in the source: Biography opening and fourth paragraph.
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At yellow belt he also attended adult practice to repeat techniques, although he did not spar with the adults.
Where in the source: Biography third paragraph.
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Marcelino Freitas BJJ, About Marcelino.(opens in a new tab)
He was born on 20 April 1982 in Rio de Janeiro.
Where in the source: About Marcelino opening sentence.
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He began training in April 1994 under André Pederneiras at Nova União.
Where in the source: About Marcelino first paragraph.
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At Nova União he trained with Robson Moura, Vitor Shaolin Ribeiro, José Aldo and Leonardo Santos.
Where in the source: About Marcelino second paragraph.
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His academy records that Pederneiras promoted him to black belt on the podium after his brown-belt CBJJO World Cup victory in June 2002.
Where in the source: About first paragraph plus Main Achievements Brown Belt list in original HTML / scrolled page.
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His academy identifies him as a fifth-degree black belt.
Where in the source: About second paragraph.
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Graciemag, Sábado é dia de seminário beneficente na Nova União, 9 September 2011.(opens in a new tab)
His older brother Fabiano Babu Freitas was a Nova União instructor under André Pederneiras.
Where in the source: Caption and paragraph starting Irmão mais velho.
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IBJJF, World Championship 1998 official results.(opens in a new tab)
Representing Nova União, he won juvenile male blue-belt light-featherweight gold at the 1998 Worlds.
Where in the source: Juvenile / Blue / Male / Light Feather, all four medal positions.
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IBJJF, Campeonato Brasileiro 2008 official results.(opens in a new tab)
He won the 2008 Brazilian National adult male black-belt featherweight division for Nova União, ahead of Bruno Frazatto.
Where in the source: Adult / Black / Male / Feather, complete four-medallist table.
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Graciemag, Marcelino Freitas moves to Australia and explains Worlds absence, 25 June 2010.(opens in a new tab)
By June 2010 he had been teaching at Vitor Shaolin Ribeiro’s academy in New York.
Where in the source: Opening two paragraphs and later teaching comparison.
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He said teaching had limited his competition preparation before New York, but that he trained specifically for the 2010 Worlds and felt better prepared.
Where in the source: His long injury/preparation response.
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A rib injury during final preparation in Arizona disrupted that campaign; he attempted his opening Worlds match but withdrew after taking an early two-point lead.
Where in the source: Injury interview and following paragraph.
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His move to Melbourne had been planned before the injury, and his intended teaching role was at John Donehue’s Extreme JJG.
Where in the source: Paragraph beginning The truth and long-term plans paragraph.
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He valued the chance to have his own class and students and teach in his own style, having previously taught another instructor’s students and method in New York.
Where in the source: Final full teaching response.
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He planned to continue competing in Australia, prepare his students for tournaments and compete alongside them.
Where in the source: Closing response on local tournaments and World Pro trials.
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IBJJF, New York Open 2010 official results.(opens in a new tab)
He won adult male black-belt featherweight at the 2010 New York Open for Nova União.
Where in the source: Adult / Black / Male / Feather, complete three-medallist table.
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IBJJF, Pan Championship 2010 official results.(opens in a new tab)
He took adult male black-belt featherweight silver at the 2010 Pan Championship, behind Rubens Charles Maciel.
Where in the source: Adult / Black / Male / Feather, complete four-medallist table.
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IBJJF, Pan Pacific Championship 2017 official results.(opens in a new tab)
Marcelino Bernardo de Freitas won the 2017 Pan Pacific male adult black-belt lightweight division for Nova União.
Where in the source: Male / Adult / Black / Light (76.00kg), complete three-medallist table.
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Marcelino Freitas BJJ, official academy homepage.(opens in a new tab)
He founded Marcelino Freitas Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Mordialloc, Melbourne.
Where in the source: Learn from one of the best Instructors section explicitly names founder and location.
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Marcelino Freitas BJJ, Classes.(opens in a new tab)
The academy describes age-specific children’s teaching: games using jiu-jitsu concepts for ages four to six, then foundational techniques, conditioning and drills for ages seven to eleven.
Where in the source: Kids 4 to 6 and Kids 7 to 11 sections.
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Its teenage programme combines instruction, drilling and sparring; adult classes progress from basic movements and positions to deeper technical and strategic work, alongside no-gi classes.
Where in the source: Teens, Adult Fundamental, Adult Advanced and No-Gi sections.
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The academy presents goal-setting, mutual respect and support for teammates as part of its approach to children’s training.
Where in the source: Kids and Teens introductory paragraph.
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Matthew Karakoulakis, Rolling Through Negotiations episode 61, November 2024, publisher show notes.(opens in a new tab)
The publisher’s 2024 episode notes describe Freitas connecting balance to preparation, trust in one’s skills and clear goals.
Where in the source: Show Notes / Balance as a Foundation.
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Those notes contrast focused competition preparation with experimenting and taking technical risks during ordinary training.
Where in the source: Show Notes / Adaptability in Strategy.
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The episode notes identify his handstand guard pass as an example of bringing creativity and personal style to jiu-jitsu.
Where in the source: Show Notes / Bringing Art to the Mats.
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Graciemag, contemporary 2011 report and interview.(opens in a new tab)
Returning to competition in Sydney on 19 February 2011, Freitas won the Australian World Pro trials male brown/black under-65 kg division, beating Gustavo Falciroli in the final.
Where in the source: Dated full article and complete Male brown/black under 65 kg result: Freita/Nova União first, Falciroli/Match 1 second, Yokoyama/Gracie Oceania third.
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Graciemag, contemporary 2011 report and interview.(opens in a new tab)
In October 2011 he withdrew from the first Copa Podio because his knee had not recovered. He said he returned to Brazil for treatment and followed Pederneiras’s advice against competing before recovery.
Where in the source: Full opening and direct-response paragraph, 16 October 2011.
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