Marcus Bello
Marcus Bello helped build GF Team through teaching and new branches, from Aracaju to a later academy of his own in Katy, Texas.
Biography
Sources for this profile
Division One,Marcus Bello autobiography.(opens in a new tab)
Marcus Bello was born in Rio de Janeiro in1975 and grew up in Vila da Penha.
Where in the source: About me opening
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He began judo at six and joined Douglas Motta’s Espaço Livre academy at thirteen.
Where in the source: Introduction to Martial Arts and Progression
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His coach encouraged him to try jiu-jitsu to improve his ground fighting in judo.
Where in the source: Progression / Newaza paragraph
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Teaching children encouraged Bello to study physical education; he graduated in1998.
Where in the source: Teaching children and graduation paragraphs
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At eighteen he joined Gama Filho’s university team under Alfredo Dornelles and earned an athletic scholarship.
Where in the source: At18 paragraph
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In1999 he moved to Aracaju to establish a Gama Filho jiu-jitsu branch, spending two years building the team.
Where in the source: Final Progression paragraph
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He returned to Rio in2001 to coach at Centro Esportivo Miécimo da Silva, and joined the Brazilian Navy as an officer in2009.
Where in the source: Final Progression paragraph
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Division One identifies Bello as its owner, founder and head coach, and as a sixth-degree jiu-jitsu black belt and judo black belt.
Where in the source: Title and About me
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BJJ Heroes,Marcus Bello.(opens in a new tab)
Júlio César Pereira awarded Bello his jiu-jitsu black belt in December1998.
Where in the source: Biography second paragraph finalsentence
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GFTeam Oficial, Nossa história.(opens in a new tab)
GFTeam’s own history names Bello, Júlio César and Alexandre Baraúna as the teachers who developed its Gama Filho university team with support from Pedro Gama Filho and Paulo Jardim.
Where in the source: Nossa história opening and scholarship paragraphs
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The university supplied scholarships and practical support; as the team outgrew Taquara it moved to Piedade and expanded into other neighbourhoods and to Aracaju under Bello.
Where in the source: Second and third history paragraphs
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Bello, Pereira and Baraúna helped train black belts who opened further branches in Brazil and abroad.
Where in the source: Sob a liderança paragraph
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Deneatra Terry,BJJ Legends,14March2021.(opens in a new tab)
In a2021interview, Bruno Alves named Bello among his teachers and described carrying their teachings on to his own students.
Where in the source: Question about loyalty toGFTeam
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NoGiMike,Black Belt,18November2023.(opens in a new tab)
A student writing as NoGiMike recalled Bello teaching at Paradigm in Houston, coaching him through competitions and promoting him through the coloured belts to black in November2023.
Where in the source: Black Belt post18November2023,Paradigm and promotionpassages
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The student credited Bello with recognising his development across no-gi, wrestling, MMA and helping teammates rather than judging his progress only by a fixed promotion checklist.
Where in the source: Black Belt post finalpromotionreflection
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Division One,About Us.(opens in a new tab)
Bello’s Division One academy in Katy, Texas, says it began serving the community in2022 and offers children’s and adult jiu-jitsu, competition training, self-defence and judo classes as a GFTeam affiliate.
Where in the source: Who We Are / About Us / Classes
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IBJJF originaleventresults.(opens in a new tab)
Bello took adult male black-belt middleweight silver at the2002Brazilian Championship for UGF.
Where in the source: ADULTO / PRETA / MASCULINO / MEDIO
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IBJJF originaleventresults.(opens in a new tab)
He won male Master3 black-belt medium-heavy at the2016World Master Championship.
Where in the source: MALE / MASTER3 / BLACK / MEDIUM HEAVY
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IBJJF originaleventresults.(opens in a new tab)
At the2021World Master Championship, he won male Master4 black-belt medium-heavy gold and open-class bronze.
Where in the source: MALE / MASTER4 / BLACK / MEDIUM HEAVY and OPEN CLASS
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IBJJF originaleventresults.(opens in a new tab)
Bello won male Master3 black-belt medium-heavy at the2016Pan Championship.
Where in the source: MALE / MASTER3 / BLACK / MEDIUM HEAVY
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IBJJF originaleventresults.(opens in a new tab)
He repeated that Master3 black-belt medium-heavy Pan title in2017.
Where in the source: MALE / MASTER3 / BLACK / MEDIUM HEAVY
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IBJJF originaleventresults.(opens in a new tab)
He won male Master4 black-belt medium-heavy at the2021Pan Championship.
Where in the source: MALE / MASTER4 / BLACK / MEDIUM HEAVY
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