Rigan Machado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rigan Machado |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | July 2, 1966 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable students | Dan Inosanto, Erik Paulson, Chuck Norris, John Will, Chris Haueter, Rick Minter, Cindy Omatsu, Damone Revere, Rodney King | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rigan Machado (born July 2, 1966) is a famous martial arts teacher. He is from both Brazil and the United States. He is a very high-ranked expert in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He holds an 8th-degree red and white belt. He earned this high rank from Carlos Gracie Jr..
Rigan Machado has won many championships. He was a Pan American Champion in 1996 and 1997. He also won medals at the ADCC. Today, he teaches Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at his school in Beverly Hills, California. Many famous people in Los Angeles are his students.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Rigan Machado was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is one of five brothers in the Machado family. He started training in martial arts at age five. He trained with his cousins, who are part of the famous Gracie family.
His mother's sister married Carlos Gracie. Carlos Gracie is known as the founder of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This means Rigan Machado has a very close connection to the roots of this martial art.
Becoming a Black Belt
Rigan Machado was the first person to earn a black belt from Carlos Gracie Jr. He was also one of the first teachers of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in America. In the early days, he taught in the garage of Rorion Gracie.
He trained with many other famous cousins. These included Rickson Gracie and Rillion Gracie. He also trained with his uncle, Carlos Gracie Sr. In 1986, he even competed against Rickson Gracie. This was one of the first public matches between family members.
Competition Success
Rigan 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 included judo, sambo, and wrestling.
In Sambo, he placed second in the 198-pound division. He also placed third in the open class at the 1993 Pan American Sambo Championships. He also showed his skills in Judo. Between 1990 and 1994, he submitted several Judo black belts in a competition.
Instructor Lineage
This shows how Rigan Machado's martial arts knowledge was passed down:
- Kanō Jigorō
- Tomita Tsunejirō
- Mitsuyo "Count Koma" Maeda
- Carlos Gracie
- Hélio Gracie
- Rolls Gracie & Carlos "Carlinhos" Gracie Jr
- Rigan Machado
Teaching and Coaching
Rigan Machado teaches at his school, "The Academy Beverly Hills." It is located in Beverly Hills, California. He is also the commissioner for the Jiu Jitsu World League. This league helps organize Jiu-Jitsu competitions.
Because his gym is in Beverly Hills, many famous people train with him. Some of his celebrity students include Ashton Kutcher, Vin Diesel, and Wiz Khalifa.
In April 2024, Machado was a coach on season 6 of the Professional Grappling Federation. He coached alongside other great martial artists. He led Team 1st Phorm in the tournament. His team finished in second place.
See also
- List of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners
