Thamires Arruda Monteiro
“Tami”
Source: bjjheroes.comTami Monteiro moved from near-weekly competition in Brazil to Checkmat La Habra, developing her game on top and underneath.
Biography
Sources for this profile
BJJ Heroes individual biography(opens in a new tab)
Thamires Arruda Monteiro is the Checkmat competitor known as Tami Monteiro and a black belt under Lucas Leite.
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She was born on8January1998 in Vila Mariana, São Paulo, and grew up in Mogi das Cruzes.
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She is known as Tami.
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At16, in late2014, she accompanied a shy friend to a first jiu-jitsu class and decided to continue herself.
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Before jiu-jitsu, she had tried dance and swimming during her teenage years.
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Her black-belt promotion came in December2021.
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Her current individual biography lists Checkmat as her team.
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BJJ Heroes, Tami Monteiro: Making Hard Decisions Count, own interview before December2021 Worlds(opens in a new tab)
As a blue belt she competed almost every weekend in Brazil and travelled to the United States for major tournaments.
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She said she began training professionally and working on her competition mindset at blue belt, with wider recognition arriving at purple.
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She joined Leandro Lo’s New School Brotherhood to seek a stronger competitive environment.
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The interview links her2017Pan No-Gi silver to her subsequent purple-belt promotion.
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Six months training at Atos in San Diego in2018 helped convince her to build a longer-term career in the United States.
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Jackson Douglas’s opportunity at Checkmat La Habra prompted their joint move; Leite’s welcome and the potential for improvement persuaded her to stay.
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After winning the2020Pans at purple belt, she received her brown belt from Lucas Leite.
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IBJJF original event results/report: pan2021(opens in a new tab)
She won female adult brown-belt lightweight gold at the2021IBJJF Pans.
Where in the source: FEMALE / ADULT / BROWN / LIGHT141.60LB
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Graciemag,21September2021 own interview(opens in a new tab)
She described three2021Pan wins without conceding points or advantages; the report records ten points against Joanna Christine in the final.
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She said guard passing was her preferred game, while deliberately practising from bottom was broadening her approach.
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Her2021training at Checkmat La Habra centred on competition-specific work under Lucas Leite alongside Jackson Douglas.
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She argued that more women competing could bring greater visibility and opportunities, while noting women still received fewer matches on professional cards.
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IBJJF original event results/report: nogiworld2021(opens in a new tab)
She won the2021World No-Gi female adult brown-belt middleweight title.
Where in the source: FEMALE / ADULT / BROWN / MIDDLE147.00LB
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IBJJF original event results/report: world2021(opens in a new tab)
She was runner-up at the2021gi Worlds in female adult brown-belt lightweight.
Where in the source: FEMALE / ADULT / BROWN / LIGHT141.60LB
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Graciemag,10January2022 own interview(opens in a new tab)
Graciemag reported that Lucas Leite and Jackson Douglas promoted her to black belt.
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Reflecting on2021, she regarded mental development as her largest improvement and said it had helped her competition performance.
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She singled out her No-Gi Worlds final for her concentration, awareness of each movement and a finish that came sooner than expected.
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Entering black-belt competition, she wanted to establish herself among the elite and was considering featherweight.
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Corey Stockton, FloGrappling,7April2022 Pans rookies(opens in a new tab)
FloGrappling’s2022Pans preview highlighted her pressure passing among the new black belts to watch.
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IBJJF original event results/report: memphis(opens in a new tab)
At the2023Memphis Open she won middleweight in gi and no-gi, plus the no-gi open class.
Where in the source: Female middleweight and gi/no-gi winners paragraphs
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IBJJF original event results/report: tampa(opens in a new tab)
The following weekend in Tampa she won two gi matches using takedowns and passing, and finished the no-gi open final with an outside heel hook from50/50.
Where in the source: Thamires Monteiro Wins Gi And No-Gi Gold section
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IBJJF original event results/report: charleston(opens in a new tab)
At the October2023Charleston Fall Open she won both gi and no-gi open classes, with two victories in each.
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SJJIF, athlete World Rank2024 record(opens in a new tab)
Her2024SJJIF record lists black-belt adult gold at the Nationals, Orange County and Los Angeles Opens.
Where in the source: FEMALE BLACK ADULT18 heading and Event Points table
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