Rigan Machado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rigan Machado |
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| Born | July 2, 1966 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
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| Residence | Los Angeles, California, US | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Style | Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Sambo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teacher(s) | Helio Gracie, Rolls Gracie, Carlos Gracie Jr. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | 8th deg. BJJ coral belt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relatives | Machado family Gracie Family |
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| Notable students | Dan Inosanto, Erik Paulson, Chuck Norris, John Will, Chris Haueter, Rick Minter, Cindy Omatsu, Damone Revere, Rodney King | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rigan Machado, born on July 2, 1966, is a famous martial arts teacher from Brazil and America. He holds a very high rank, an 8th-degree red and white belt, in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He earned this rank from Carlos Gracie Jr..
Machado won the Pan American Championship multiple times (in 1996 and 1997). He also won medals at the ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship, which is a big competition. Today, Machado teaches at his school in Beverly Hills, California. Many famous people in Los Angeles are his students.
Contents
Rigan Machado's Early Life
Rigan Machado was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is one of five brothers in the Machado family, all known for martial arts. He started training in martial arts when he was just five years old. He trained with his cousins, who are part of the famous Gracie family.
He once explained his family connection: "My mom's sister married Carlos Gracie, who started Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu." This means he is closely related to the founders of this martial art.
Training and Achievements
Rigan Machado was the first person to get a black belt from Carlos Gracie Jr., who founded Gracie Barra. He was also one of the first teachers of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in America. He even taught in Rorion Gracie's garage in the early days.
He trained with many other family members. These included his cousins Rickson Gracie, Rorion Gracie, and Rillion Gracie. He also trained with his uncle Carlos Gracie Sr. In 1986, he even competed against his cousin Rickson Gracie in a public Jiu-Jitsu match.
Machado is seen as one of the best competitors in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu history. He also competed and won many tournaments in other martial arts. These include Judo, Sambo, and Wrestling. In Sambo, he won second and third place at the 1993 Pan American Sambo Championships. He also showed his skills by defeating several Judo black belts in a competition between 1990 and 1994.
How Rigan Machado Learned Jiu-Jitsu
The way Rigan Machado learned Jiu-Jitsu follows a special path, like a family tree of teachers: Kanō Jigorō → Tomita Tsunejirō → Mitsuyo "Count Koma" Maeda → Hélio Gracie → Rolls Gracie & Carlos Gracie Jr. → Rigan Machado
Rigan Machado as a Teacher
Machado currently teaches at his school, "The Academy Beverly Hills." It is located in Beverly Hills, California. He is also in charge of the Jiu Jitsu World League, which organizes competitions.
Because his gym is in Beverly Hills, many of his students are celebrities. Some famous students include Ashton Kutcher, Vin Diesel, Wiz Khalifa, Wagner Moura, Bryan Callen, and Charlie Hunnam.
Machado also worked as a coach on a TV show called Professional Grappling Federation. This happened from April 21 to 26, 2024. He led a team called Team 1st Phorm and they finished in second place.
See also
- List of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners
