Roberto Correa de Lima
“Gordo”
Source: gordobjj.comRoberto “Gordo” Correa de Lima is a seventh-degree coral belt who developed offensive half guard and coached in Brazil, the UAE and Florida.
Biography
Sources for this profile
Gordo Jiu Jitsu Academy, About Gordo, accessed 2026-10-04(opens in a new tab)
The academy identifies its teacher as Roberto Correa de Lima, known worldwide as Gordo.
Where in the source: Biography, opening paragraph
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Gordo's academy says he was raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and came to jiu-jitsu through his friend Ralph Gracie.
Where in the source: Biography, early-training paragraph
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Gordo's academy dates his black-belt promotion to 1993; a 2024 report also says he had held a black belt for 31 years before his coral-belt promotion.
Where in the source: Biography, rank paragraph
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The academy's current contact page and coral-belt account place Gordo Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Weston, Florida, where the 2024 Renzo Gracie ceremony was held.
Where in the source: Coral-belt account; contact address
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BJJ Eastern Europe, interview with Roberto Gordo Correa, 2020-02-12(opens in a new tab)
- Conflicting accounts
Gordo began jiu-jitsu with Gracie friends in 1985.
Where in the source: BJJ beginnings
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Carlos Machado preceded Jean Jacques as Gordo’s instructor.
Where in the source: BJJ beginnings
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Gordo credited practice over talent.
Where in the source: BJJ beginnings
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After knee trouble, Gordo and Jean Jacques developed offensive half guard.
Where in the source: Half guard origin
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He added sweeps and submissions to half guard.
Where in the source: Half guard origin
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Carlos Gracie Jr. awarded Gordo his black belt in 1993.
Where in the source: Profile introduction
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- Conflicting accounts
Renzo Gracie Online Academy, Meia-guarda, o sistema completo, accessed 2026-10-04(opens in a new tab)
Renzo Gracie Online Academy credits Gordo with popularizing half guard during the 1990s, when it was often treated as a transitional position.
Where in the source: Instructor biography, half-guard history
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His published half-guard curriculum teaches how to keep the position and attack with sweeps, submissions and back takes in response to an opponent's reactions, showing how he transmitted the position as a system.
Where in the source: Program introduction; lesson plan
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Renzo Gracie Online Academy, Ataques da meia-guarda, accessed 2026-10-04(opens in a new tab)
Renzo's academy describes offensive half guard as a position Gordo established in 1990s competition and says later athletes continued to study and extend it.
Where in the source: Ataques da meia-guarda — 'Posição consagrada pelo lutador Roberto “Gordo” Correa'; 'estudada e incrementada desde então por diversos craques'
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Renzo Gracie Online Academy, Top Half Guard, accessed 2026-10-04(opens in a new tab)
A separate course presents Gordo teaching top half-guard passing and counters, noting that he had learned from opponents on top even though audiences associated him with playing half guard underneath.
Where in the source: Top Half Guard / LESSON PLAN — 'many believe is to play the half-guard on the bottom'; 'learned a lot from his opponents on the half-guard on top'
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IBJJF, Campeonato Brasileiro de Jiu-Jitsu 1994 official results(opens in a new tab)
The 1994 Brazilian championship's adult black-belt middleweight division lists Ailson Brites first and Roberto Correa of Gracie Barra second.
Where in the source: CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO DE JIU-JITSU 1994 / ADULT / BLACK / MALE / MIDDLE — 1 Ailson Brites; 2 Roberto Correa
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IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 1996 official results(opens in a new tab)
Gordo won the adult black-belt middleweight division at the inaugural 1996 IBJJF World Championship, ahead of runner-up Eduardo Conceição, representing Gracie Barra.
Where in the source: WORLD JIU-JITSU IBJJF CHAMPIONSHIP 1996 / ADULT / BLACK / MALE / MIDDLE — 1 Roberto Correa, Gracie Barra; 2 Eduardo Conceicao, Alliance
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IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 1997 official results(opens in a new tab)
- Conflicting accounts
The 1997 Worlds lists Roberto Correa of Gracie Barra second in adult black-belt medium-heavy, behind Roberto Magalhães; it does not list him as champion of this division.
Where in the source: WORLD JIU-JITSU IBJJF CHAMPIONSHIP 1997 / ADULT / BLACK / MALE / MEDIUM HEAVY — 1 Roberto Magalhaes; 2 Roberto Correa; 3 Anderson Xavier; 3 Roberto da Silva
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- Conflicting accounts
IBJJF, Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2003 official results(opens in a new tab)
The 2003 Pan championship lists Roberto Correa of Gracie Barra first in adult black-belt heavyweight, ahead of Fábio Leopoldo and James Nilsen.
Where in the source: PAN JIU-JITSU IBJJF CHAMPIONSHIP 2003 / ADULT / BLACK / MALE / HEAVY — 1 Roberto Correa; 2 Fabio Leopoldo; 3 James Nilsen
Accessed:
Marcelo Dunlop, Graciemag, retrospective of 2003 Pan match, 2024-02-20(opens in a new tab)
In a retrospective based on its contemporary report, Graciemag recounts Gordo's 2003 Pan heavyweight semifinal against Rener Gracie: Gordo survived a long triangle attempt, passed guard late, and went on to win the division.
Where in the source: O dia em que Roberto Gordo resistiu 5 minutos num 'triângulo Gracie' — 'semifinal do peso pesado'; 'passagem de guarda clássica'; 'venceu seu quarto ouro em Pans'
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Graciemag, A festa e os presentes para os faixas-corais Roberto Gordo e Helio Soneca, 2024-01-30(opens in a new tab)
On 28 January 2024 in Florida, Renzo Gracie awarded Gordo a seventh-degree coral belt at a joint ceremony with Hélio Soneca Moreira.
Where in the source: A festa e os presentes para os faixas-corais Roberto Gordo e Helio Soneca — 'faixa-coral sétimo grau das mãos de mestre Renzo Gracie'; '28 de janeiro'
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The 2024 coral-belt award to Gordo was seventh degree.
Where in the source: A festa e os presentes para os faixas-corais Roberto Gordo e Helio Soneca — 'faixa-coral sétimo grau'
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Graciemag, Gracie Fusion comemora 2009, 2009-12-28(opens in a new tab)
In 2009 Gordo led the Gracie Fusion team and discussed its professional MMA campaign, including Rafael dos Anjos and other team members.
Where in the source: Gracie Fusion comemora 2009 — 'Equipe comandada pelo mestre Roberto Gordo'; 'Representante do time no UFC, Rafael dos Anjos'
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UFC, Reflexos da Primeira Vitória no UFC: Rafael dos Anjos, 2009-10-02(opens in a new tab)
UFC identifies Rafael dos Anjos as a jiu-jitsu black belt under Gordo.
Where in the source: Reflexos da Primeira Vitória no UFC: Rafael dos Anjos — 'um faixa preta de Jiu-jitsu de Roberto “Gordo” Correa'
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Graciemag, Treino duro, luta fácil: as lições de Jiu-Jitsu do campeão do UFC Rafael dos Anjos, 2015(opens in a new tab)
After winning the UFC lightweight title, Rafael dos Anjos described Gordo as one of his masters while also emphasizing that he learned from Rafael Cordeiro and other coaches.
Where in the source: Treino duro, luta fácil / Você se manteve leal ao seu professor — 'Eu sou fiel ao meu mestre, Gordo, e também ao mestre Rafael Cordeiro'
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BJJ Spain Entrevistas, interview with Antônio Braga Neto, 2007-02-24(opens in a new tab)
Antônio Braga Neto names Fábio Aníbal and Roberto 'Gordo' Corrêa as his teachers and says he trained at Gracie Barra and Gordo's academy.
Where in the source: ANTONIO BRAGA NETO / Quienes han sido tus maestros? — 'Meus profesores foram o Fabio Aníbal e o Roberto “Gordo” correa'
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IBJJF, World Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2008 official results(opens in a new tab)
At the 2008 Worlds, Antônio Braga Neto represented Gordo JJ and won adult black-belt super-heavy, with Rafael Lovato Jr. listed second.
Where in the source: WORLD JIU-JITSU IBJJF CHAMPIONSHIP 2008 / ADULT / BLACK / MALE / SUPER HEAVY — 1 Antonio Braga Neto, Gordo JJ; 2 Rafael Louvato Jr
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Kyra Gracie, ADCC- World Submission Wrestling Championship, personal blog, 2011-10-09(opens in a new tab)
Kyra Gracie wrote that she regularly trained at Gordo Jiu-Jitsu in Rio with Gordo and Rommel and finished her 2011 ADCC preparation there; she credited both with helping her preparation.
Where in the source: ADCC- World Submission Wrestling Championship, 2011-10-09 — 'na academia Gordo Jiu-jitsu, onde eu treino regularmente no Brasil, com o Gordo e Rommel'
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Graciemag, Ryan Gracie Academy in celebration for Celsinho’s second stripe, 2010-08-02(opens in a new tab)
Graciemag reports that Gordo decided Celso Vinícius's second black-belt stripe promotion in 2010, with Carlos Russo presenting it in São Paulo; this documents their ongoing instructor relationship.
Where in the source: Ryan Gracie Academy in celebration for Celsinho’s second stripe — 'The promotion was decided upon by Master Roberto Gordo in Rio de Janeiro'
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BJJ Eastern Europe, interview with Dennis Asche, 2013-01-16(opens in a new tab)
Dennis Asche says he trained under Gordo in Rio from 2003 and received both brown and black belts from him; he later built Connection Rio to connect overseas students with training in the city.
Where in the source: Exclusive Interview With Dennis Asche / What’s your Jiu-Jitsu story? — 'Once in Brazil (2003) my training was under Roberto “Gordo”'; 'awarded me my brown and black belts'
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Amal Easton, Know Your History: Soneca and Gordo, Easton Training Center, 2018-09-10(opens in a new tab)
Amal Easton recalls learning under Gordo at Gracie Barra in Rio from the mid-1990s and says the fundamentals taught at Easton Training Center carry lessons from Gordo and Hélio Soneca Moreira.
Where in the source: Know Your History: Soneca and Gordo / ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS — 'A significant part of the fundamentals that we teach at Easton is passed down from these two Masters'
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Graciemag, interview with Roberto Gordo, 2017-10-30(opens in a new tab)
Gordo says he finished a two-year contract as head coach of the UAE national jiu-jitsu team in 2017 and valued the experience of organizing and coaching a national squad.
Where in the source: Roberto Gordo comenta saída do comando técnico dos Emirados Árabes — 'Encerramos o contrato após dois anos'; 'ao ser head-coach de uma seleção nacional'
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Hywel Teague, FloGrappling, 2017-10-31(opens in a new tab)
FloGrappling reported that Ramon Lemos replaced Gordo as UAE national-team head coach in 2017 after Gordo chose not to renew his contract.
Where in the source: Roberto 'Gordo' Correa No Longer UAEJJ Head Coach — 'decided not to renew his contract'; 'replaced as head coach by Ramon Lemos'
Accessed:
Hywel Teague, FloGrappling, 2016-11-14(opens in a new tab)
During Gordo's UAE tenure, team athlete Faisal Al Ketbi won 83 kg no-gi black-belt gold at the 2016 Rio Grand Slam; the report says Al Ketbi had developed under Gordo, and Al Ketbi credits his coach with suggesting a weight-class change.
Where in the source: Faisal Al Ketbi Wins Black Belt Gold / Final Result Male No-Gi Adult Black 83kg — 'since working with team coach Roberto Gordo'; 'Coach Gordo said You can do better'
Accessed:
Graciemag, Aprenda com a primeira aula de Roberto Gordo na GMI Start BJJ, 2017-11-06(opens in a new tab)
After leaving the UAE coaching post, Gordo started teaching at Start BJJ in Florida in November 2017, joining an academy run by his brother Rafael 'Gordinho' Corrêa.
Where in the source: Aprenda com a primeira aula de Roberto Gordo na GMI Start BJJ — 'chegou à Flórida'; 'academia, tocada por Rafael “Gordinho”'
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Lineage
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Open lineage