Biography

PROFESSOR JOE MOREIRA

7th Degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu -  3rd Degree Judo - RVT (Ruas Vale Tudo) Black Belt
Over 40 Years of Martial Arts Experience
 

Born Jose Carlos Moreira on July 3rd, 1961, inside a taxi in front a of Rio de Janeiro hospital, Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Joe Moreira faced difficulties right from the start.  His dark skin and blonde hair prompted the affectionate nickname of "Macaco."  By age five, Moreira's older brother, Marcos, influenced the youngster to start fighting in Judo.  His first title for the Gama Filho University team was won by age six.  Around that time he began his jiu-jitsu career under the tutelage of Mauricio LaCerda.  At age nine, he began training in jiu-jitsu at the school of the legendary Carlson and Rolls Gracie, where he was taught mainly by Reyson Gracie and Pinduka.  Across the street there was another studio owned and operated by Reylson Gracie, nephew and student of the master, Helio Gracie.  A chance visit to the studio resulted in Moreira spending the next 15 years under the tutelage of Reylson, who took a liking to the young fighter's style and groomed him to become an instructor.  During this period with Master Reylson, Moreira also learned to produce tournaments and championships.  This would later help him to organize one of the most important jiu-jitsu tournaments in Brazil, including the first international Brazilian jiu-jitsu event, Atlantico Sul.

Reylson Gracie awarded Moreira his black belt in 1984.  By competing in the most important jiu-jitsu tournaments of the 1980s, such as Copa Company, Copa Lightning Bolts and Copa Cantao, Moreira's collection of titles grew.  His participation in such events garnered Moreira's respect and recognition as one of the toughest fighters of his time. 

By 1986, Moreira was a black belt in both judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.  The next step in his evolution came in the form of internships at Terry University, in Japan, and at Kobukan Academy, the traditional judo academy established by judo founder Jigoro Kano.  After four months of training with the Japanese Olympic team and completing a course with more than 1,000 black belt students, Moreira became vice champ in an international tournament: the Judo World Cup. 

After a year of invaluable training in Japan, Moreira returned to his Brazilian academy in Rio de Janero and produced his first tournament: the Atlantico Sul Cup, which saw the debut of world names such as Ryan, Renzo, and Ralph Gracie, SHOOTO welterweight champion Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro, UFC veteran Jorge Patino, Antonio Schembri and Marcio Feitosa, Cleber Luciano, Wander Braga, Wallid Ishmael, Jean Jacque Machado, Fabio Gurgel, Murilo Bustamante, Mario Sperry, Alan Goes, Liborio De la Riva, and others who helped to establish it as a premier tournament.  Nine Atlantico Sul Cup events were held between 1986 and 1994, produced with the help of his partners and friends, Claudio Franca (Claudio Franca Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Santa Cruz, California) and Marcus Viniclus (owner of the Beverly Hills Jiu-Jitsu club).

Moreira also founded the United States Federation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and played a major role in the dissemination of the art in America.  As president of the Federation, he created the first international Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament, the Joe Moreira Cup, and organized the first edition of the Pan-American Jiu-Jitsu tournament with Carlos Gracie, president of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Confederation.  Those events launched the first top representatives of Brazilian jiu-jitsu in America - names like BJ Penn, Garth Taylor, Egan Inoue, Mark Kompayneyets, Chris Brennan, Eddie Bravo, Javier Vazquez, Ricco Rodriguez, and many others that later transformed the United States into the second jiu-jitsu power of the world. 

Even while being involved with his U.S. jiu-jitsu organization, Moreira kept on competing.  Following his long string of jiu-jitsu and judo victories, he decided to test his skills in mixed martial arts via the Ultimate Fighting Championship.  On February 16th, 1996, Moreira fought the six-foot-eight-inch, 360-pound Paul Varelans in the UFC 8 and lost by a narrow decision.

Following the appearance in the UFC, Moreira encountered his first controversy with the Brazilian jiu-jitsu world.  At a time when there was an unwritten rule that black belts were prohibited from teaching jiu-jitsu techniques to non-brazilian vale tudo fighters, Moreira started to teach his good friend, Kimo Leopoldo (who lost to Royce Gracie in UFC 3).  The Brazilian jiu-jitsu community was shocked by his breach of protocol and labeled Moreira a traitor.

Eighteen months later, following his first MMA victory over Uri Vaulin at the UFC 14, Moreira shocked the Brazilian jiu-jitsu community again by revealing that he trained with Marco Ruas to fight the Russian boxer - without the help of the Gracie family or any of the Brazilian jiu-jitsu community.  Seeing the good ground technique presented by Ruas, who trained in jiu-jitsu for 15 years, Moreira gave him a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and caused a commotion among his fellow Brazilians.  These two important decisions helped pave the way for his cross training to take its now-prominent role in fight training.

Today, Moreira lives in Newport, California.  The seventh-dan black belt teaches seminars around the globe and conducts private lessons.  Considered a bona fide authority on jiu-jitsu, Moreira has issued 30 black belts and released a total of 38 instructional tapes that are considered among the best available in the United States.