BJJ WITHOUTBORDERS

The Rio Grappling Club started as a sports society in 2003 at SOAS University of London by Roberto Atalla, who moved that year to Europe and started teaching Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Grappling at SOAS. In 2004 Roberto met Mauro Chueng, a former training partner that was also living in Europe. Based in Algarve, Portugal, Mauro was more into No Gi and together they started a team that now extends beyond European borders, with more than 100 clubs in 3 continents.

The name Rio Grappling Club is a tribute to one of the best BJJ competition teams that existed in the 90’s in Rio de Janeiro. Masters Murilo Bustamante and Sergio Souza, both now coral belts under legendary Carlson Gracie Senior, united their groups and formed a team called Rio Jiu-Jitsu Club. Despite the success in major tournaments, disputes between Murilo and Sergio divided that team, which no longer exists. Roberto and Mauro met there and shared the mats for over two years, where both received their black belts.

Since the beginning, Roberto and Mauro had the vision to train with and without the Gi, and because of that, it was more adequate to call its name Rio Grappling Club, a tribute to their former team and a message that the sport can be practiced regardless of uniform or specific rules.