Osvaldo Alves de Albuquerque
“Enciclopédia do Jiu-Jitsu”
Source: lance.com.brHe was known as the Enciclopédia do Jiu-Jitsu, and in October 1990 he awarded the first black belt ever earned by a woman in the sport.
Biography
Sources for this profile
Fato Amazônico, "Jiu-jítsu perde a arte de mestre Osvaldo Alves", by Redação, 19 July 2022.(opens in a new tab)
An Amazonas news outlet described Osvaldo Alves as the father of jiu-jitsu in Amazonas, reporting that he died on the Monday night in Rio de Janeiro at 83 from cancer complications and left a legacy as a teacher of dozens of champions.
Where in the source: Opening paragraph: "Considerado o pai do jiu-jítsu no Amazonas"
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An Amazonas outlet reported that Alves began in judo, won two medals at the Pan-American judo championship at seventeen, moved to Japan around the same period and spent five years there refining the techniques of both martial arts, and that on returning to Rio de Janeiro he helped the Gracie family improve certain movements and began teaching at their academy.
Where in the source: Paragraph beginning "Nascido no Acre, criado no Rio de Janeiro"
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Elvys Damasceno — a 5th-degree black belt, the master's student and an officer of the Amazonas jiu-jitsu federation — said Alves was the greatest trainer of world champions of recent times, that his teachings would be eternal and his name always remembered, and that he was the man most responsible for jiu-jitsu reaching Amazonas, a state that is now a nursery of champions in the discipline. Damasceno also recalled a lesson from him: either you pass it on, or you are selfish. The outlet lists Vitor Belfort, Amaury Bitetti, Paulo Caruso, Carlos Gracie Júnior, Fredson Paixão, Ronaldo Jacaré and Bibiano Fernandes among those who passed through his hands.
Where in the source: Quotations from Elvys Damasceno, including "ou você repassa ou é egoísta" and "O maior responsável por essa luta ter chegado ao Amazonas"
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A Crítica (Manaus), "'Enciclopédia do Jiu-jitsu', Mestre Osvaldo Alves morre aos 83 anos", 18 July 2022, 22:18.(opens in a new tab)
Osvaldo Alves died on Monday 18 July 2022 in Rio de Janeiro at the age of 83, after a week in the Samaritano hospital with complications from prostate cancer.
Where in the source: Body, opening paragraph and standfirst: "Morreu nesta segunda-feira (18)"; "internado há uma semana no hospital Samaritano"
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- Conflicting accounts
An Amazonas newspaper reported that at the age of six Alves was invited to join the group of students of grand master Carlos Gracie, and that as a committed practitioner of both judo and jiu-jitsu he won two gold medals at the Pan American Judo championship at seventeen.
Where in the source: Paragraph 2: "Aos seis anos, foi convidado a integrar a equipe de alunos do grande mestre Carlos Gracie"
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Lance!, "Osvaldo Alves, a 'Enciclopédia do Jiu-Jitsu', morre aos 83 anos; relembre sua trajetória", 19 July 2022, 10:05.(opens in a new tab)
Osvaldo Alves was born on 10 December 1938 in the state of Acre and was raised in Rio de Janeiro.
Where in the source: Biography section, paragraph beginning "Nascido no dia 10 de dezembro de 1938"
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The death was confirmed by Elvys Damasceno, president of the Amazonas Jiu-Jitsu Federation (FJJAM); the wake and burial were held on 19 July 2022 at the São João Batista cemetery in Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro.
Where in the source: Paragraphs 2-3: "veio através do presidente da Federação de Jiu-Jitsu do Amazonas"; "cemitério São João Batista"
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- Conflicting accounts
A Brazilian sports daily reported that Alves took his first steps in martial arts through judo and entered jiu-jitsu as part of the Gracie academy in Rio de Janeiro on an invitation from Grand Master Carlos Gracie to join his group of students, and that he began fighting at the age of five.
Where in the source: Biography paragraphs: "iniciou na luta aos 5 anos de idade"; "por meio de um convite do Grande Mestre Carlos Gracie"
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While still young Alves moved to Japan for five years to sharpen a precise, technical game in both martial arts, and on his return to Rio de Janeiro he was an important figure in spreading the Gracie family's jiu-jitsu, going as far as teaching at the family's traditional academy in Rio.
Where in the source: Biography: "chegou a se mudar para o Japão, onde esteve por cinco anos"; "dar aulas na tradicional academia da família"
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Alves was known as the "Enciclopédia do Jiu-Jitsu" because of the store of first-hand history he carried about the art's development; he was one of the main precursors of the sport in Amazonas and was living in Manaus in his later years. The same report lists students including Rodrigo Minotauro, Vitor Belfort, Ronaldo Jacaré, Amaury Bitetti, Paulo Filho, Zé Mário Sperry, Carlos Gracie Junior, Bibiano Fernandes, João Roque, Fredson Paixão and Sérgio Penha.
Where in the source: Paragraphs "Faixa-vermelha 9º Dan, Osvaldo Alves colecionou histórias marcantes" and the students list
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BJJ Heroes, "Osvaldo Alves", undated profile page (cited by pt.wikipedia as consulted 19 February 2026).(opens in a new tab)
Osvaldo Alves was born in Acre and moved to Rio de Janeiro as a baby; as a child he loved American superhero comics, with Captain Marvel his favourite, and that interest led him to martial arts, starting judo at six in the academy of a former Japanese champion named Fujimata.
Where in the source: Biography, first paragraph, from "Osvaldo Alves was born in the Brazilian State of Acre" to "by the name of Fujimata"
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- Conflicting accounts
Raised in Copacabana, Alves passed the Gracie Academy with his kimono in hand and sometimes spoke with the children training there; he was invited to train jiu-jitsu by Reyson Gracie at the age of seven and became a close friend of Reyson and his family.
Where in the source: Biography, second paragraph: "after being invited to train Jiu Jitsu by Reyson Gracie, he was 7 years old"
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Alves kept training both judo and jiu-jitsu and won two Pan American gold medals in judo in consecutive tournaments, the first in Cuba and the second in Canada, by the time he was seventeen; the success brought him a scholarship from Gama Filho University to go to Japan and train at Tenri University, one of the leading traditional judo schools.
Where in the source: Biography, third paragraph: "2 Pan American Gold Medals"; "scholarship by the Gama Filho University"
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After five years Alves returned to Brazil from one of Japan's leading ne-waza schools with material the Gracies were not familiar with, notably the side control position, which Gracie jiu-jitsu had only in a basic form because it concentrated on closed guard and top control; he also developed wristlocks of his own and worked on takedowns, an area where the Gracies' technique was limited. Reyson Gracie was the first to accept cross-training with him, followed by a young Rolls Gracie, who adapted so well that he began accumulating judo tournament wins, after which more of the family took up the cross-training.
Where in the source: Biography, paragraphs beginning "After 5 years Osvaldo Alves came back to Brazil" and "Another area that Osvaldo helped develop was the takedown"
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In the 1980s Alves taught jiu-jitsu in his own home, where the mat had no room for more than four people rolling at once; his students did their conditioning on the beach and then worked technique on the small mats, and it was from that house that he developed positions including his high guard.
Where in the source: Biography, paragraph beginning "In the 1980's Osvaldo started teaching Jiu Jitsu in his home"
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Alves is known for having promoted two purple belts straight to black belt without the brown belt stage: Sérgio Penha and Fredson Paixão. The page states that Penha gave Rickson Gracie the hardest test of his career only months after receiving the black belt, and that Paixão went on to win everything available in the black belt division. His listed favourite techniques are the wristlock and the "escalada de braço", an armbar from the high guard.
Where in the source: Info block "Favourite Position/Technique" and biography paragraph beginning "He is also renowned for having given 2 black belts"
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Alves travelled to the Amazon with his long-time friend Reyson Gracie and Artur Netto; the three ended up in Manaus, and after a scuffle with local men that the jiu-jitsu practitioners won, people began asking where they could learn the art. As there were no jiu-jitsu academies in the city, Alves opened his own, and that academy produced world-class fighters such as Bibiano Fernandes and Fredson Paixão and important instructors including Henrique Machado. The page also lists Amaury Bitetti, Paulo Filho, Rodrigo Minotauro, João Roque, Zé Mário Sperry, Paulo Caruso and Carlos Gracie Junior among those who sought him out, and says he was the only Brazilian jiu-jitsu figure invited to give a seminar at the Kodokan in Japan.
Where in the source: Biography, final two paragraphs: "The trio ended up in Manaus"; "important instructors like Henrique Machado"; "invited to give a seminar at the famous Kodokan"
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Jiu Jitsu Legacy, "BJJ's Origins: Osvaldo Alves", by Bobby Bradshaw, last updated 16 August 2022.(opens in a new tab)
Alves passed the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy on his walk to judo class and talked with the children training there; one of them was Carlos Gracie's son Reyson Gracie, who became his friend and invited him to train at the Gracie school, and his mother gave him permission to train there while he continued judo.
Where in the source: Section "Alves Befriends The Gracie Family", from "When Alves walked to his Judo school" to the permission sentence
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Portal do Vale Tudo (PVT), "Morre Osvaldo Alves, 'Enciclopédia' do Jiu-Jitsu; corpo será sepultado nesta terça", 18 July 2022.(opens in a new tab)
A Brazilian combat-sports outlet reported that the red belt 9th dan trained Sérgio Penha, Paulo Caruso, Fredson Paixão and Bibiano Fernandes among others, and also worked with figures from other teams including Vitor Belfort, Rolls Gracie, Marco Ruas, Amaury Bitetti and João Roque; it adds that he trained alongside legends such as George Gracie, Ivan Gomes, Haroldo Brito, Carlson Gracie, Pedro Hemetério and Rolls Gracie.
Where in the source: Paragraphs 1-2: "formou nomes como Sérgio Penha"; "Treinou como outras lendas como George Gracie"
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At his death Alves held the red belt, the highest rank in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, reported as 9th dan.
Where in the source: Paragraph 1: "o faixa vermelha 9º Dan"
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Portal do Vale Tudo, "Osvaldo Alves relembra detalhes da luta em que Sergio Penha chegou a abrir 16 a 0 em Rickson Gracie", 6 May 2020.(opens in a new tab)
Introducing a long live interview with Alves, the outlet described him as a disciple of the brothers Carlos, Hélio and George Gracie who was also forged in judo, having lived in Japan where he trained at the Kosen and Kodokan academies, and as the man responsible for making Amazonas one of the world's jiu-jitsu centres.
Where in the source: Paragraph 1: "discípulo dos irmãos Carlos, Hélio e George Gracie"; "academias Kosen e Kodokan"
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- Conflicting accounts
Sérgio Penha, described as the opponent who came closest to beating Rickson Gracie, was promoted from purple belt to black belt at Hélio Gracie's request precisely so that he could face Hélio's son; Penha went 16-0 up in the match but was submitted in the closing minutes after a disputed stoppage.
Where in the source: Paragraph 2: "Promovido da faixa roxa para a preta a pedido de Hélio Gracie"; "16 a 0 no combate"
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Prefeitura de Manaus, "Copa Osvaldo Alves faz homenagem ao precursor do Jiu-Jitsu no Amazonas", 27 June 2013, press office of Semdej.(opens in a new tab)
In 2013 the Manaus city government described Alves, then 74 and with 68 years in the sport, as the man responsible for bringing jiu-jitsu to Amazonas and spreading its best techniques across Brazil; the Copa Osvaldo Alves, then in its 26th edition, was described as the oldest jiu-jitsu competition in the country, run by the Amazonas federation with the city, and Alves said it had started in Manaus through Arthur Neto and by then also ran in Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Roraima, São Paulo and Japan. The article states he had more than 40 franchised academies worldwide, in countries including Japan, the United States and Brazil.
Where in the source: Opening paragraph and the quotation "Mas o evento começou aqui, por intermédio do Arthur Neto"
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Asked what makes a fighter a champion, Alves named two essential things: handling fear, and imagination. In his own words, you only find out whether a fighter is really good once he goes out to fight, because in the gym alone — without a crowd, a referee, a clock or the real opponent — there is no way to know whether the person was born with the gift; anyone who cannot measure and use those two things, he said, is beaten before he steps onto the mat.
Where in the source: Quotation beginning "A gente só sabe se um lutador é realmente bom" and the preceding line naming "o medo e a imaginação"
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Wikipédia (pt), "Osvaldo Alves", page last edited 23 February 2026.(opens in a new tab)
The Portuguese Wikipedia infobox records the full name Osvaldo Alves de Albuquerque, birth 10 December 1938 in Acre, death 18 July 2022 in Rio de Janeiro at 83, nationality Brazilian, other name "Enciclopédia do Jiu-Jitsu", team Academia Osvaldo Alves, grade grand master, red belt 9th degree, and an activity span of 1944 to 2022.
Where in the source: Infobox rows "Nome completo", "Nascimento", "Morte", "Nacionalidade", "Outros nomes", "Equipe", "Graduação"
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Beyond the sport Alves taught prominent public figures: Supreme Federal Court justice Luiz Fux, whom he graded to red-and-white belt, 8th degree, in Manaus in 2019, and former senator Arthur Virgílio Neto. The article also names master Orley Lobato and Amazonas jiu-jitsu federation president Elvys Damasceno among those who carry his technical legacy, and says he taught at his own home from the 1980s, promoting Sérgio Penha and Fredson Paixão straight from purple to black belt.
Where in the source: Sections "Filosofia e Legado" and "Inovações no Jiu-Jitsu", and the photo caption naming Luiz Fux, Manaus 2019
Accessed:
Academia de Jiu-Jitsu Osvaldo Alves, official site, copyright notice 2024.(opens in a new tab)
The academy that carries his name presents itself as Academia de Jiu-Jitsu Osvaldo Alves and gives its address as Rua Ministro Viveiros de Castro 51, room 204, Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro; its page about him says he was not only an innovator but a pioneer in introducing jiu-jitsu in Amazonas, and that he taught thousands of students and world champions across nearly eighty years in martial arts.
Where in the source: Section "MESTRE OSVALDO ALVES" and the address line in the page footer
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Wikipedia (en), "Yvonne Duarte".(opens in a new tab)
Yvone Duarte began training Brazilian jiu-jitsu with her older brother Pascoal Duarte and his friend Sérgio Penha before joining them at the Osvaldo Alves jiu-jitsu academy, where she was at first the only woman training. In October 1990 Osvaldo Alves awarded her the black belt at the age of 27, making her the first woman to earn a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu; her CBJJ/IBJJF certificate followed in 1991. Her instructor lineage is given as Carlos Gracie Sr. > Reyson Gracie > Osvaldo Alves > Yvone Duarte.
Where in the source: Biography, paragraphs 1 and 3, and the "Instructor lineage" section
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Jiu Jitsu Legacy, "Yvone Duarte: The First Female BJJ Black Belt".(opens in a new tab)
Yvone Duarte trained under Osvaldo Alves throughout the 1980s, spending hours a day on the mat with him and her brother; in October 1990 Alves awarded her the black belt, making her the first woman to earn one in the history of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Where in the source: Section "Yvone Duarte becomes the first female BJJ black belt" and the FAQ answers "Who did Duarte train under?" and "When did Yvone Duarte receive her black belt?"
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Graciemag, "Em tributo a grande mestre Osvaldo Alves, aprenda suas técnicas prediletas", Graciemag Newsroom, 19 July 2022.(opens in a new tab)
A Brazilian jiu-jitsu magazine's tribute called Alves one of the most influential masters of the art in the north of the country and a maker of top athletes, said he was passionate about technique with a gentle way of teaching, described him as a genuine link joining many generations of jiu-jitsu, and republished a class he had given during a seminar in Japan. It lists Amaury Bitetti, Luiz Fux and Fredson Paixão among the names he coached.
Where in the source: Paragraphs 1-3: "dono de um jeito doce de ensinar"; "um aulão especial do grande mestre, durante seminário no Japão"
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Life Informa (São José dos Campos), "Mestre Careca recebe a faixa-vermelha 9º grau, a mais alta honraria do jiu-jitsu", 19 June 2026.(opens in a new tab)
Luiz Carlos Dagmar, known in the sport as Mestre Careca, was born on 31 August 1956 in Rio de Janeiro and started jiu-jitsu in 1975, taking his first steps under Mestre Maurição in Copacabana before being graded to black belt by Osvaldo Alves; in 1989 he opened his first academy and went on to lead Equipe Careca in São José dos Campos.
Where in the source: Biography paragraphs: "Nascido em 31 de agosto de 1956"; "graduado faixa-preta por ... o lendário Grande Mestre Osvaldo Alves"
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Graciemag, "Yvone Duarte — A 1ª mulher faixa-preta de Jiu-Jitsu", academy profile (dated 30 March 2020 in the reference list of the English Wikipedia article).(opens in a new tab)
In 1985 a women’s division was held for the first time in a Rio de Janeiro federation jiu-jitsu tournament: a single category for white and blue belts up to 60 kg. Yvone Duarte, then a blue belt competing at 52 kg out of the Osvaldo Alves academy, won it.
Where in the source: Body, paragraph beginning "Yvone Duarte treina Jiu-Jitsu desde 1978" — ends "Yvone foi campeã"
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Duarte told the magazine that in 1985, as a blue belt, she made a special request to grand master Hélio Gracie that women’s bouts also be scheduled — something that had never happened in the Rio federation’s tournaments — and that he agreed, opening the category.
Where in the source: Same paragraph: "fez um pedido especial ao grande mestre Helio Gracie"
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Asked about that campaign, Duarte said the Osvaldo Alves academy had been ahead of its time in this respect, and named women who trained there alongside her, among them Ana Maria D’Ávila, Fernanda Bulhões, Jeane Xaud, Laila Zalfa, Lucia Moraes, Marina Alcântara and Verinha. In her account they pressured everyone to open competition to women and succeeded in 1985. She adds that she had just given birth to her son and trained through the pregnancy for that tournament.
Where in the source: Quotation beginning "A academia Osvaldo Alves foi vanguardista nesse sentido"
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Yvone Magalhães Duarte, born 26 August 1963, is the first woman known to jiu-jitsu to hold a black belt; she was graded by master Osvaldo Alves in October 1990. She had trained since 1978, when she was 14.
Where in the source: Body, paragraph beginning "Mas a primeira professora só surgiria boas décadas depois"
Accessed:
BJJ Heroes, "Yvone Duarte", profile page.(opens in a new tab)
The reference work’s own profile of Duarte states that she was the first woman to reach black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, in a promotion led by Osvaldo Alves in October 1990, and that Alves had awarded her every previous belt as well. It records that she began jiu-jitsu in 1978 under her brother Pascoal Duarte and Sérgio Penha before the three joined the Osvaldo Alves academy; that her pressure on the Rio de Janeiro federation led to the first women’s division in 1985, for white and blue belts up to 60 kg, which she won; that her federation certificate followed early in 1991; and it gives her lineage as Carlos Gracie sr > Reyson Gracie > Osvaldo Alves > Yvone Duarte. The page states that her story had been absent from the sport’s histories and was recovered by the site’s own two-year research, completed in 2014.
Where in the source: Opening paragraph; info block rows "Lineage" and "Team Association"; biography paragraphs on 1978, on 1985 and on the October 1990 promotion
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A Crítica (Manaus), "Arthur Neto recebe o grau máximo de jiu-jítsu no Bitteti Combat 19", acritica.com, 7 February 2014 15:00 (updated 19 March 2022).(opens in a new tab)
Arthur Virgílio Neto, then mayor of Manaus, received the red belt — the highest grade in jiu-jitsu — during Bitetti Combat 19 at the Tropical Hotel in Manaus on the night of Thursday 6 February 2014. The report says he began in the sport in Rio de Janeiro at the end of the 1960s and trained with leading masters of the period including Carlson Gracie, and that in Manaus he trained with João Alberto Barreto and with Osvaldo Alves, from whom he received that highest grade. The article’s headline calls him Arthur Neto and its body calls him Arthur Virgílio Neto.
Where in the source: Headline "Arthur Neto recebe o grau máximo"; body paragraph 1; section "Trajetória": "Oswaldo Alves, de quem recebeu o grau máximo ontem"
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