The Machado Family (also known as the Machado Brothers) are a family of

Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

practitioners,

mixed martial artists Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

and

grapplers Grappling, in hand-to-hand combat, describes sports that consist of gripping or seizing the opponent. Grappling is used at close range to gain a physical advantage over an opponent, either by imposing a position or causing injury. Grappling i ...

. They are the founders of RCJ Machado Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and are cousins to members of the

Gracie family The Gracie Family () are a prominent martial arts family originally from Belém, state of Pará, Brazil whose ancestors came from Paisley, Scotland. They are known for creating the self-defense martial arts system of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, also kn ...

Family connection to Gracie family

Their familial ties to the Gracies are through their mother's sister Layr, who was married to

Carlos Gracie Carlos Gracie (September 14, 1902October 7, 1994) was a Brazilian martial artist who is credited with being one of the primary developers of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Along with his younger brother Hélio Gracie and fellow students Luis França and ...

, making them

first cousins Most generally, in the lineal kinship system used in the English-speaking world, a cousin is a type of familial relationship in which two relatives are two or more familial generations away from their most recent common ancestor. Commonly, " ...

Carlos Gracie, Jr. Carlos "Carlinhos" Gracie Jr. is a Brazilian 8th-degree coral belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and instructor. A member of the Gracie family, he is the son of Carlos Gracie, and first cousin to the Machado family brothers. Career ...

and his siblings, and affinal cousins to the rest of the second generation of Gracie

martial artists Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preserv ...

. Along with their Gracie cousins, the Machados are pioneers of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the United States. They are according to age,

Carlos Carlos may refer to: Places ;Canada * Carlos, Alberta, a locality ;United States * Carlos, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Carlos, Maryland, a place in Allegany County * Carlos, Minnesota, a small city * Carlos, West Virginia ;Elsewhere ...

, Roger, Rigan, Jean Jacques and John. The Machados have opened Brazilian jiu-jitsu schools throughout the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The Machados were taught mainly by their cousin Carlos Jr., his

half-brother A sibling is a relative that shares at least one parent with the subject. A male sibling is a brother and a female sibling is a sister. A person with no siblings is an only child. While some circumstances can cause siblings to be raised separat ...

Rolls Gracie Rolls Gracie (; 1951–1982) was a Brazilian martial artist. He was a prominent member of the Gracie family known for their founding of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and considered by some the family's best ever fighter. He was teacher of Rickson Gracie, Ca ...

, and Carlos and Rolls' father,

. The brothers also trained with other notable members of the Gracie family, including Helio, Carlson, Rickson, Renzo, Crolin and Rilion. From there the Machados would develop a Brazilian jiu-jitsu that would be called RCJ Machado Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Carlos opened schools throughout the United States, as well as in Mexico, England, France, and Australia. Jean Jacques, Roger, and Rigan currently run schools in California. John Machado left California in 2014 and opened a school in

Allen, Texas Allen is a city in Collin County in the U.S. state of Texas, and a northern suburb of Dallas. According to the 2020 U.S. census its population was 104,627, up from 84,246 in 2010. Allen is located approximately twenty miles (32.2 km) north ...

that same year.

Competitions

As a family they have held titles in every Jiu-Jitsu competition they have entered. They are known for their success in

Pan American Games The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...

ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship The ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship, is an international submission wrestling, submission grappling competition, organised by the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC). The inaugural tournament was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE in 1998. It has been ...

Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Championship The Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Championship (commonly known as the Brazilian Nationals) is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) tournament that is held in Barueri, Brazil. They are hosted annually by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. ...

, Brazilian jiu-jitsu American Championships, and Rio de Janeiro Jiu-Jitsu State Championships. The most recent family champions have been

Rigan Machado Rigan Machado (born 2 July 1966) is an 8th degree red and White belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, earning his rank under Carlos Gracie, Jr. He is a former Pan American Champion (1996, 1997 weight and absolute) and a veteran medalist of the ADCC. Mac ...

Jean Jacques Machado Jean Jacques Machado (born February 12, 1968) is a Brazilian Jiu jitsu practitioner. He is one of the five Machado brothers (Carlos, Roger, Rigan and John). Machado is nephew of BJJ co-founder and Grandmaster Carlos Gracie, and learned ...

and Carlos Machado. The most successful Machados in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Competition are Rigan Machado and Jean Jacques Machado, who is a multiple time

medalist (Gold, Silver(X2)).

Teaching and training

The family now trains BJJ competitors and

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

fighters in organizations such as

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

, WEC, and

Strikeforce Strike Force may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * ''Strike Force'' (video game), a 1991 arcade game *'' Commandos: Strike Force'', a 2006 video game *'' Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'', a 2009 video game *''Marvel Strike Force'', ...

. As a family, they have trained numerous BJJ competition champions. Carlos currently trains UFC welterweight Stephen Thompson and has awarded black belts to former UFC Middleweight Contender

Travis Lutter Travis Lutter (born May 12, 1973) is a retired American mixed martial artist who won ''The Ultimate Fighter 4'' reality show. He is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Carlos Machado. Background Lutter was born and raised in Gann Valley, ...

and BJJ Champion Rafael Lovato Jr. Rigan has awarded black belts to notable students

Erik Paulson Erik Paulson (born June 28, 1966) is an American mixed martial artist. He is the first American to win the World Light-Heavy Weight Shooto Title in Japan. Biography Erik started his career in martial arts starting with Judo at age of 8. However ...

Dan Inosanto Dan or DAN may refer to: People * Dan (name), including a list of people with the name ** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark * Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa **Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoir ...

Josh Barnett Joshua Lawrence Barnett (born November 10, 1977) is an American mixed martial artist, submission grappler, professional wrestler and color commentator currently signed to Bellator MMA, where he competes in their Heavyweight division. Barnett p ...

(2nd Degree) Jair Muniz and

Chuck Norris Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. He is a black belt in Tang Soo Do, Brazilian jiu jitsu and judo. After serving in the United States Air Force, Norris won many martial arts championshi ...

. Additionally, Rigan Machado was one of the original teachers in

Rorion Gracie Rorion Gracie (; born January 10, 1952) is a Brazilian-born Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Grand Master, a prominent member of the Gracie family, writer, publisher, producer, lecturer, lawyer and the co-founder of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the ...

's garage in Torrance, CA in the early days of Brazilian jiu-jitsu in America and has awarded black belts to 6 of the original "dirty dozen" (the first 12 non-Brazilian students to receive black belts in the art). These notable members of the "Dirty Dozen" include John Will, Bob Bass,

Chris Haueter Chris Haueter is an 8th degree black belt Brazilian jiu jitsu practitioner and coach. As one of the first non-Brazilians to achieve the rank of black belt and the first American black belt to compete at the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, he is reg ...

, IBJJF Senior Division/Pan American Champion David Meyer, Rick Williams and

Rick Minter Rick Minter (born October 4, 1954) is an American football coach, most recently the defensive coordinator for the Birmingham Iron. He was the linebackers coach for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) from February 2013 to ...

. Jean-Jacques had also helped in awarding black belts to John Will and

with Rigan, and has also awarded black belts to "

no gi Submission wrestling, also known as Submission grappling, Submission fighting a form of competition and a general term for martial arts and combat sports that focus on clinch and ground fighting with the aim of obtaining a submission through the ...

" proponent

Eddie Bravo Edgar A. Bravo (''né'' Cano; born May 15, 1970) is an American martial arts instructor, podcaster, stand-up comedian, and musician. After earning a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2003, Bravo began teaching his own self-developed style of j ...

, comedian &

commentator

Joe Rogan Joseph James Rogan (born August 11, 1967) is an American UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly ...

, Women's World champion

Felicia Oh Felicia Linda Oh (born in Seattle, Washington, on December 13, 1967) is an American submission grappling competitor and martial arts instructor. Oh earned her black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under senior instructor Jean Jacques Machado. Biog ...

, and former UFC heavyweight champion

Ricco Rodriguez Ricco Rodriguez (born August 19, 1977) is an American semi-retired mixed martial artist currently competing in the heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 1999, he has competed for the UFC, PRIDE Fighting Championships, EliteXC, I ...

Instructor lineage

Jigoro Kano → Tsunejiro Tomita →

Mitsuyo Maeda ,Virgílio, pp. 22–25 a Brazilian naturalized as Otávio Maeda (),Virgílio, p. 9 was a Japanese ''judōka'' (judo practitioner) and prizefighter in no holds barred competitions, also being one of the first documented mixed martial artists of t ...

→

Helio Gracie Helio may refer to: * Helio AU-24 Stallion * Helio (wireless carrier), a defunct American wireless communications provider (2005–2010); originally a joint venture between SK Telecom and EarthLink, purchased by Virgin Mobile USA in 2008 * ...

→

Carlos Gracie Jr. Carlos "Carlinhos" Gracie Jr. is a Brazilian 8th-degree coral belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and instructor. A member of the Gracie family, he is the son of Carlos Gracie, and first cousin to the Machado family brothers. Caree ...

→ Machado family

Family members

* Carlos Machado - 8th Degree Red & White belt. Oldest of the five brothers. *Roger Machado - 7th Degree Red & Black Belt. Second oldest among the brothers. Roger is an avid yoga practitioner and is considered to be the "zen master" of the family. *

- 8th Degree Red & White Belt. Third oldest of the five brothers. From the age of 14 through 21, Rigan won the Brazilian National Championships every year and in every belt division. *

- 7th Degree Red & Black Belt. Fourth oldest of the five brothers. He held the Rio de Janeiro Jiu-Jitsu State Championships Cruiser Weight Champion and Brazilian jiu-jitsu National Championships Cruiser Weight Champion from 1982 to 1992. He is a multiple time ADCC Champion. * John Machado - 7th Degree Red & Black Belt. Youngest of the five brothers. From 1993–1994

Sambo , aka = Sombo (in English-speaking countries) , focus = Hybrid , country = Soviet Union , pioneers = Viktor Spiridonov, Vasili Oshchepkov, Anatoly Kharlampiev , famous_pract = List of Practitioners , oly ...

champion.

Film and television

The Machado family has worked in the film and television industry acting and choreographing fight scenes. In 2003 all five brothers starred together in the

straight to video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy was p ...

release ''Brazilian Brawl''. The Machado brothers have helped train actors

Ashton Kutcher Christopher Ashton Kutcher (; born February 7, 1978) is an American actor, producer, entrepreneur, and former model. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a People's Choice Award, and nominations for two Young Artist Awards, a S ...

and

Keanu Reeves Keanu Charles Reeves ( ; born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor. Born in Beirut and raised in Toronto, Reeves began acting in theatre productions and in television films before making his feature film debut in '' Youngblood'' (1986). ...

for his role in '' John Wick 2''.Master Carlos Machado Talks Keanu Reeves, Chuck Norris, And Rickson’s Red Belt
Chris Zahar, ''Jiu-Jitsu Times'', August 3, 2017

References

External links

RCJ Machado Jiu-Jitsu Academy (Dallas, TX) - Carlos Machado

RCJ Machado Jiu-Jitsu Academy (Pasadena, CA) - Roger Machado

Jean Jacques Machado Jiu-Jitsu Academy

Rigan Machado Jiu-Jitsu Academy (Beverly Hills, CA)

RCJ Machado Jiu-Jitsu Academy (Allen, TX) - John Machado
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