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Pedro Bessa

Pedro Bessa teaches jiu-jitsu in Bristol, with black-belt students who have gone on to teach in Wales and Ireland.

Last updated: 20 September 2026

Biography

Pedro Bessa teaches in Bristol, where Sweatbox Gym houses his jiu-jitsu school and offers classes for children, beginners and advanced students. An early newspaper report places Bessa with Careca Jiu-Jitsu in São José dos Campos. In June 2001, Folha named him among seven athletes from the team who had qualified for the forthcoming World Championship in Rio de Janeiro. André Galvão was another member of that group. Bessa's teachers included Luis Dagmar, Eduardo Telles and Fernando Tererê. For Gareth Dummer, the introduction to Bessa came in an advanced groundwork tournament. Recalling the encounter for BJJ Heroes, Dummer said the recently arrived brown belt submitted him in twenty seconds. He wanted to train with Bessa immediately. The brief match began a relationship that continued through Dummer's own black belt under Bessa; Dummer later taught grappling to children in Port Talbot. Greg Creel had been travelling regularly from Wales in search of training before joining Bessa in Bristol in 2006. In a 2010 Fokai interview, he recalled an immediate sense of belonging. Receiving his brown belt also brought a demand: Bessa urged him to work harder. Creel credited that encouragement with helping him improve. What he admired in his instructor was both a willingness to face different competition and continued support for the team. Bessa was competing internationally himself. Representing Nine Nine, he took bronze in the adult men's black-belt middleweight division at the 2008 No-Gi World Championship. A year later, he earned another bronze in the same age, belt and weight category at the European Championship in the gi. In December 2012, Bessa awarded black belts to Creel, Kev Cox and Mark Tucker. Creel described the three as among Bessa's first black belts. By 2014, Creel was working to develop the team at Celtic Pride Martial Arts in Wales. In his interview with Attack The Back, he described focused training and more frequent competition as part of that work. In Ireland, Bessa's black belt Liam Beechinor was head coach at BJJ Cork. The two organized the Premier BJJ Championships, with a Cork event announced for 15 November 2014. Beechinor explained to Severe MMA that well-run domestic events could prepare athletes for international competition. He described Premier's use of black-belt referees and cash prizes of up to €300 for black belts. This was Beechinor's account of the tournament's purpose and arrangements. Bessa's own results continued alongside these teaching and organizing relationships. He placed second in the adult men's black-belt middleweight division at the 2014 No-Gi European Championship, representing 99 Nine Nine JJ - International. In 2018, he won the adult men's black-belt middleweight title at the British National Championship in the gi for the same team. Another teaching connection runs through Nathan Moore-Pointing, who received his black belt from Bessa in 2015. Moore-Pointing is the head instructor at Kaizen BJJ in Wellington, which identifies itself as part of the Pedro Bessa and 99 family. The UK Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Association includes Bessa among the Brazilian black-belt instructors who contributed to the sport's growth in Bristol and Wales. The local connections remain visible in academy descriptions: Bristol's Kin Jiu Jitsu affiliates with Pedro Bessa BJJ and Nine Nine, while Sweatbox coach Tom S names Bessa as his head instructor.

Sources for this profile

Sweatbox, Martial Arts.(opens in a new tab)
- Sweatbox identifies Bessa as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.
  Where in the source: Jiu-Jitsu section.
  Accessed: 2026-09-20
- Sweatbox Gym in Bristol is home to Pedro Bessa BJJ School, which offers children’s, beginner and advanced classes.
  Where in the source: Jiu-Jitsu section.
  Accessed: 2026-09-20
Folha Vale, 2001-06-23.(opens in a new tab)
- In June 2001, Bessa was among seven Careca Jiu-Jitsu athletes from São José dos Campos who qualified for the coming World Championship in Rio, alongside André Galvão.
  Where in the source: Team and qualification report.
  Accessed: 2026-09-20
BJJ Heroes, Dummer interview.(opens in a new tab)
- Bessa trained under Luis Dagmar, Eduardo Telles and Fernando Tererê.
  Where in the source: Bessa background paragraph.
  Accessed: 2026-09-20
- Gareth Dummer recalled entering an advanced groundwork tournament and being submitted in twenty seconds by Bessa, then a recently arrived brown belt. Dummer immediately wanted to train with him.
  Where in the source: First training account.
  Accessed: 2026-09-20
- Dummer became a black belt under Bessa and later taught grappling to children in Port Talbot.
  Where in the source: Opening and teaching paragraphs.
  Accessed: 2026-09-20
Fokai, Creel Q&A, 2010-07-09.(opens in a new tab)
- Greg Creel joined Bessa in Bristol in 2006 after travelling regularly from Wales to find training. He recalled feeling immediately at home.
  Where in the source: First academies answer.
  Accessed: 2026-09-20
- Creel recalled Bessa urging him to train harder when awarding his brown belt; Creel described this encouragement as motivating his improvement.
  Where in the source: Brown belt answer.
  Accessed: 2026-09-20
- Creel admired Bessa for testing himself against varied competition and for continually supporting the team.
  Where in the source: Respect and admiration answer.
  Accessed: 2026-09-20
Richard Presley, 2014-02-16.(opens in a new tab)
- Bessa awarded black belts to Greg Creel, Kev Cox and Mark Tucker in December 2012. Creel described them as among his first black belts.
  Where in the source: Black belt promotion answer.
  Accessed: 2026-09-20
- In 2014 Creel aimed to develop Bessa’s team at Celtic Pride Martial Arts in Wales, describing focused training and increasingly frequent competition.
  Where in the source: Growth and goals answers.
  Accessed: 2026-09-20
Petesy Carroll, 2014-10-27.(opens in a new tab)
- By 2014 Liam Beechinor, head coach of BJJ Cork, was a black belt under Bessa.
  Where in the source: Opening identification.
  Accessed: 2026-09-20
- Beechinor and Bessa organized the Premier BJJ Championships; their next event was announced for Cork on 15 November 2014.
  Where in the source: Premier Championships paragraph.
  Accessed: 2026-09-20
- Beechinor described well-run domestic tournaments as preparation for international competition. He said the Premier Championships used black-belt referees and offered black-belt cash prizes up to €300.
  Where in the source: Domestic tournament answers.
  Accessed: 2026-09-20
IBJJF, No-Gi Worlds 2008.(opens in a new tab)
- Representing Nine Nine, Bessa placed third in adult male black-belt middleweight at the 2008 No-Gi Worlds.
  Where in the source: Adult / Black / Male / Middle, complete four-place podium.
  Accessed: 2026-09-20
IBJJF, Europeans 2009.(opens in a new tab)
- Bessa took adult male black-belt middleweight bronze at the 2009 European Championship in the gi, representing Nine Nine.
  Where in the source: Adult / Black / Male / Middle, complete podium.
  Accessed: 2026-09-20
IBJJF, No-Gi Europeans 2014.(opens in a new tab)
- Pedro Henrique W. Bessa of 99 Nine Nine JJ - International placed second in adult male black-belt middleweight at the 2014 No-Gi Europeans.
  Where in the source: Male / Adult / Black / Middle175.60lb, all three entries.
  Accessed: 2026-09-20
IBJJF, British National 2018.(opens in a new tab)
- Bessa won adult male black-belt middleweight at the 2018 British National Championship in the gi, representing 99 Nine Nine JJ - International.
  Where in the source: Male / Adult / Black / Middle82.30kg, complete podium.
  Accessed: 2026-09-20
UKBJJA, About.(opens in a new tab)
- The UKBJJA identifies Bessa among the Brazilian black-belt instructors who contributed to the growth of jiu-jitsu in Bristol and Wales.
  Where in the source: History of BJJ in the UK.
  Accessed: 2026-09-20
Sweatbox, Personal Trainers.(opens in a new tab)
- Sweatbox’s coach Tom S identifies Bessa as his head instructor.
  Where in the source: Tom S biography.
  Accessed: 2026-09-20
Kin Jiu-Jitsu, About Us.(opens in a new tab)
- Kin Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Bristol identifies its affiliation with Pedro Bessa BJJ and NineNine Jiu-Jitsu.
  Where in the source: Team section.
  Accessed: 2026-09-20
Kaizen BJJ, About Us.(opens in a new tab)
- Kaizen Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Wellington identifies itself as part of the Pedro Bessa / 99 family; its head instructor Nathan Moore-Pointing received his black belt from Bessa in 2015.
  Where in the source: About Us and head instructor.
  Accessed: 2026-09-20

Lineage

No teaching connections are shown on this page.

Open lineage