Born on October 4, 1973, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, André Almeida came to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu through a deeply personal motivation: a desire to overcome self-confidence issues. This drive — rooted in self-improvement rather than competitive ambition alone — would come to define both his approach to the art and his identity as an instructor.

Foundational Training and Technical Roots

Almeida's technical development was shaped profoundly by his years training under Ricardo De La Riva, from blue belt through brown belt. Those formative years left a lasting imprint on his game, particularly in his mastery of open guard concepts that would later become synonymous with his name. Seeking continued growth at the black belt level, Almeida transitioned to Fight Center, where he trained under Crézio de Souza. In 1997, Crézio de Souza awarded him his black belt, completing a journey that had begun years earlier on the mats of Rio de Janeiro. His lineage traces through the Carlson Gracie tradition via Ricardo Liborio, placing Almeida within one of BJJ's most storied and accomplished family trees.

Even before receiving his black belt, André Almeida demonstrated a commitment to spreading Jiu-Jitsu that went beyond personal achievement. In 1996, he founded Best Way BJJ and established the Best Way Association in Rio de Janeiro — an entrepreneurial act that reflected both his confidence as a teacher and his long-term vision for the art. The academy quickly became a hub for competitive development in Brazil throughout the late 1990s and into the early 2000s.

Expanding to the United States

In 2004, Almeida relocated to the United States, establishing a Best Way BJJ academy in the Boston area. He aligned the school with American Top Team as an affiliate, connecting his growing association with one of the most prominent combat sports organizations in North America. This partnership reinforced the competitive culture he had built in Brazil and gave his students access to a broader network of elite training.

A Legacy Built Through Black Belts

The true measure of Almeida's coaching impact lies in the black belts he has produced. Over the course of his career, he has graduated more than 30 black belts across his academies in Brazil and the United States. Among the most notable are Rafael Formiga Barbosa and Leandro Escobar, both of whom have distinguished themselves as respected competitors and coaches in their own right. The consistency and quality of his graduates reflect a coaching philosophy built on technical depth and sustained mentorship.

André Almeida's competitive record spans multiple decades and countries, representing a career of sustained excellence. His early dominance in Brazil established him as one of the more accomplished competitors of his generation in Rio de Janeiro.

Regional and National Titles in Brazil

Between 1993 and 1996, Almeida collected a series of regional titles — the Raulf Cup in 1993, the Akxe Cup and Cidade do Rio de Janeiro Cup in 1994, and the Cidade de Teresópolis title that same year. He simultaneously claimed three consecutive Rio de Janeiro State Championships in 1994, 1995, and 1996, a run of consistency that underscored his standing within the Brazilian competitive landscape. The pinnacle of his domestic career arrived in 1996 when he captured the Brazilian National Championship at brown belt — the same year he founded Best Way BJJ, making 1996 a defining chapter in his development.

International Competition and Masters Success

Almeida's transition to the black belt division brought him to the international stage, where he earned a Pan American Bronze Medal in 1999 and followed it with a Silver Medal at the Pan Americans in 2000 — demonstrating his ability to compete at the highest levels of IBJJF competition. His competitive fire did not diminish as he established himself primarily as a coach and academy owner. In 2011, he captured the 2011 Miami Open title in the Senior 1 division, a victory that spoke to both his longevity and his enduring technical sharpness. That championship, earned nearly two decades after his first competitive titles in Brazil, stands as a testament to his commitment to Jiu-Jitsu as a lifelong practice.

Among André Almeida's many contributions to his students, perhaps none is more defining than his mastery of the De La Riva Guard, particularly the hook sweep variation. His fluency with this position is no accident — it is the direct product of his years training under Ricardo De La Riva himself, giving Almeida a firsthand connection to the technique's originator and a depth of understanding that goes well beyond technical imitation.

This specialization forms the backbone of both his competitive identity and the curriculum he has developed at Best Way BJJ over the decades. By transmitting this knowledge systematically to his students, Almeida has created a thread of technical continuity that runs from De La Riva through his own game and into the more than 30 black belts he has produced. The De La Riva Guard, as taught within the Best Way system, carries the hallmark of direct lineage — a quality that gives his academy a distinctive technical identity within the broader BJJ community.