Thibaut Olivier
He met Brazilian jiu-jitsu on a UFC videotape in 1995, and for years his only training partners were his two brothers; the medals came later.
Biography
Sources for this profile
GOKUDO JIU-JITSU, «Thibaut OLIVIER», instructor page on the academy's own site, gokudojj.fr (page undated).(opens in a new tab)
Thibaut Olivier was born in 1977.
Where in the source: Opening line of the biography, under the heading «Thibaut OLIVIER» — the sentence beginning «Thibaut Olivier, né le»
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He first encountered Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the end of 1995, through early Ultimate Fighting Championship videotapes.
Where in the source: Biography, first paragraph — «Fin 1995, Thibaut découvre»
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In June 1996 he took his first class, at a seminar in Paris with Royce and Rorion Gracie.
Where in the source: Biography, first paragraph — «participe à son premier cours»
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At that time there was no Brazilian jiu-jitsu club in France, and he trained only with his two brothers.
Where in the source: Biography, first paragraph — «pas de club en France»
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In 2001 he joined the Bittan Academy, which had just opened in Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône, and was trained there by Patrick Bittan and Flavio Behring.
Where in the source: Biography, 2001 paragraph — «Patrick Bittan et Flavio Behring le forment»
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As a brown belt he went to compete in Brazil, preparing at Brasa in Rio de Janeiro with Rodrigo «Comprido» Medeiros and Ricardo Vieira for the 2006 world championship.
Where in the source: Biography, Brazil paragraph — «en ceinture marron au brésil» and «à la brasa à Rio»
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- Conflicting accounts
Back in France after the Brazilian stay, he was promoted to black belt by Flavio Behring.
Where in the source: Biography, paragraph after the Brazil trip — «passe ceinture noire avec Flavio Behring»
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He is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Where in the source: Line of its own after the biography — «Ceinture noire»
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Alongside Gokudo he took over the running of the historic Vincennes club «Le Cercle».
Where in the source: Biography, same sentence as the founding of Gokudo — «les rennes du club historique de Vincennes»
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His academy's page lists ten adult black-belt results from 2009 to 2017: CFJJB French Championships bronze (2017); CFJJB French Championships gold (2016); CFJJB Pro League gold (2015); CFJJB French Championships gold (2015); IBJJF Asian Open bronze (2013); NAGA Europe Gi gold (2012); CFJJB French Championships gold (2012); Spirit Challenge Pro Paris gold (2011); Challenge Abu Dhabi Pro Europe gold (2010); IBJJF European Championships bronze (2009).
Where in the source: Under the heading «Palmarès – Black Belt Leve adulte», list opening with «Médaille de bronze aux Championnats»
Accessed:
BJJ System, «Thibaut OLIVIER — Head Coach de la section JJB du Cercle Tissier», coach page, bjjsystem.fr (page undated).(opens in a new tab)
In that early period the three brothers trained on the basis of occasional seminars and instructional videos.
Where in the source: Biography, first paragraph — «stages occasionnels et de vidéos techniques»
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He was promoted to blue belt within two months and won his first competition, beating established French competitors, among them two instructors.
Where in the source: Biography, 2001 paragraph — «ceinture bleue en deux mois» and «dont deux professeurs»
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His purple belt followed a performance at the Hotblood cup, where he finished his first three opponents and then lost on points in the semi-final to Olavo Belo, a student of Royler Gracie.
Where in the source: Biography, purple-belt sentence — «coupe Hotblood» and «demi-finale contre Olavo Belo»
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In that first competition in Brazil he submitted his first opponent and then lost on points in the second round to Gilbert «Durinho» Burns — named on this page only as «gilbert Durinho», with the surname carried by his academy page.
Where in the source: Biography, Brazil paragraph — «au second tour aux points»
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- Conflicting accounts
He received his black belt after returning to France from Brazil; the page names nobody as having promoted him.
Where in the source: Biography, paragraph after the Brazil trip — «De retour en France Thibaut passe ceinture noire»
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- Conflicting accounts
His own pages state that he holds a fourth-degree black belt.
Where in the source: Under his name on the coach page — «Ceinture noire 4°», and the opening of the biography, «Ceinture noire 4ème degré»
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With his brothers Maxime and Rodolphe Olivier he formed their own academy, Gokudo.
Where in the source: Biography, after the Brazil paragraph — «leur propre académie : Le Gokudo»
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From the start of 2017 he has run the Brazilian jiu-jitsu section of the Cercle Tissier, teaching there together with the rest of the technical team.
Where in the source: Biography, final sentence — «Début 2017 il reprend la gestion»
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For the ten years after Gokudo was formed he divided his time between teaching and competing, entering competitions in federations including the IBJJF, Abu Dhabi Pro and NAGA.
Where in the source: Biography, after the founding of Gokudo — «partage son temps entre»
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From 2012 he was sponsored by the kimono brand MUAE, on the strength of his competition results.
Where in the source: Biography, second to last sentence — «sponsorisé par la marque de kimonos MUAE»
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His coach page lists twelve adult black-belt results from 2009 to 2017: CFJJB French Nationals 3rd, closing with his brother (2017); CFJJB French Nationals champion (2016); JUST JJB champion (2016); CFJJB Pro League champion (2015); CFJJB French Nationals champion (2015); CFJJB French Nationals 2nd, closing with his brother (2014); IBJJF Asian Open 3rd (2013); NAGA Europe champion (2012); CFJJB French Nationals champion (2012); Spirit Challenge Pro champion (2011); AJP Abu Dhabi London Grand Slam champion (2010); IBJJF European Open bronze medallist (2009).
Where in the source: Under the heading «Palmarès résumé en ceinture noire adulte», list opening with «CFJJB French Nationals 3rd place, (closing with brother) (2017)»
Accessed:
CFJJB, «Liste des ceintures noires certifiées IBJJF en France», PDF register on cfjjb.com (the document carries no date anywhere in it).(opens in a new tab)
- Conflicting accounts
The CFJJB's list of IBJJF-certified black belts in France enters «Thibaut Olivier (Gokudo)» in its third-degree section; the fourth-degree section of the same list contains no names at all.
Where in the source: Third-degree section of the register: his entry is the eleventh of the fifteen there, his name followed by «(Gokudo)». The fourth-degree heading stands one section above it and is followed straight by the next heading, with no names between them.
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- Conflicting accounts