R. E. Training Center was fortunate to host the great Gabriel Sousa in April 2023. Students from all over Kansas and Missouri came together to learn from the ADCC silver medalist. Despite a very long travel day, Gabriel was an energetic and positive seminar leader.

 We started the evening with a NoGi passing series, one that Gabriel successfully used in tournaments like ADCC and WNO.  Starting from Headquarters and ending in a Darce, the techniques progressed sequentially, providing a strong path to scoring and eventually a submission.

Next up was a class on De La Riva guard.  Gabriel showed a variety of grips and sweep possibilities to counter how the opponent moves.

Finally, he was gracious enough to sit with us and talk about his upbringing in Jiu Jitsu, competition preparation, and diet.  Some important takeaways are that Carbs are good, you should thoroughly prepare techniques before they are competition ready, and you need to have a positive attitude in Jiu Jitsu- there’s no reason for tears.

We are very grateful to have had his expertise and energy on the mat with us.  Those in attendance will remember and use his advice whenever they can.

When Gabriel visited us in April of 2023, he was under ZR team.  He is currently training in New York, NY, at Essential Jiu Jitsu with JT Torres, under Atos.

Gabriel Sousa Biography (from bjjheroes.com)

Gabriel Sousa was born on January 10, 1997 in Fortaleza, the capital of the northeastern Brazilian state of Ceará.

During his childhood Gabriel practiced futsal (five-a-side football) and dabbed in capoeira, though he was not known to be a natural athlete. In fact, most of his friends mocked his lack of ability for sports, though his work rate was never questioned.

At the age of 12 Gabriel Sousa discovered jiu jitsu, starting training at Gracie Barra with coach Jefferson Teixeira. Sousa quickly fell in love with this sport/martial art, making it a priority in his daily schedule. He would later, as a BJJ blue belt, experiment with judo as a way to improve his stand-up techniques, earning a honourable 1st place at the Ceará state tournament under the FECJU judo federation.

As a purple belt Gabriel visited the United States to compete at the IBJJF World Championship, doing the camp there with Lucas Rocha – a former Gracie Barra athlete also from the North East of Brazil who had since established himself in the Northern Hemisphere under the ZR Team banner. During the course of the camp Gabriel formed a strong bond with Lucas, and would join Rocha’s work group and team that year.

Gabriel Sousa would earn both his brown and black belts from the hands of Lucas Rocha, the latter during a ceremony that took place on June, 2018.

Main Achievements:

  • #1 Ranked AJP Athlete (2018-2019)
  • 1st Place IBJJF European Open NOGI (2019)
  • 1st Place AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro (2019)
  • 1st Place ACBJJ World Champion (2018)
  • 1st Place AJP Grand Slam MSK (2019)
  • 1st Place AJP Grand Slam LA (2018)
  • 1st Place AJP Grand Slam TYO (2018)
  • 1st Place AJP Grand Slam AD (2020)
  • 2nd Place ADCC (2022)
  • 2nd Place IBJJF Pan Championship (2021)
  • 2nd Place IBJJF World Championship NOGI (2019 / 2021)
  • 2nd Place IBJJF Pans Championship NOGI (2020)
  • 2nd Place AJP Grand Slam RJ (2018)
  • 2nd Place AJP Grand Slam AD (2019)
  • 2nd Place AJP King Of Mats TYO (2019)
  • 2nd Place WNO Championship (2021)
  • 3rd Place IBJJF European Open (2020)
  • 3rd Place AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro (2021)