André Ushirobira

André Ushirobira was born on November 4, 1973, in Brazil, and built a deep martial arts foundation long before stepping onto a BJJ mat. At age 12, he began training Shotokan karate — a discipline that sharpened his physical conditioning, mental discipline, and technical instincts for years to come. By 19, he had earned his karate black belt, an early marker of the dedication that would define his entire martial arts career.

His karate instructor, Isokichi Okuyama, proved instrumental not only in developing Ushirobira's striking foundation but also in expanding his martial vision. Under Okuyama's guidance, Ushirobira trained in both judo and kendo, absorbing grappling principles and weapons-based combat that enriched his overall understanding of movement and control. It was Okuyama who ultimately steered him toward jiu-jitsu, and in 1994, heeding his sensei's counsel, André began formal BJJ training — arriving on the mat with the body awareness and discipline that only years of karate could cultivate.

Ushirobira's path through the BJJ belt ranks unfolded across two defining mentorships. After beginning his formal training in 1994, he connected with Leandro Souza in 1995, who became his primary technical guide through the foundational years. Souza shepherded Ushirobira from white belt through brown belt, instilling the technical rigor that would later fuel his competitive achievements.

Even as a blue belt, Ushirobira gravitated toward coaching — beginning to teach students while still advancing through the ranks himself, a calling that would ultimately shape his legacy as profoundly as his competition record. In 2000, with the IBJJF World Championship on the horizon, he began training at Nova Uniao, where Robson Moura became a pivotal influence on his game. That relationship proved career-defining: on December 2, 2002, Robson Moura promoted André Ushirobira to black belt, formally closing a belt journey nearly a decade in the making.

Early Results and Black Belt Foundation

Ushirobira's competitive trajectory began with a third-place finish at the IBJJF World Championship in 2000 as a brown belt — a result that foreshadowed the competitive tenacity he would carry into his black belt years. Competing at Peso Leve (76kg/168lbs), he developed one of the most consistent records among Brazilian competitors in the Masters and Senior divisions.

World and National Titles

His peak competitive achievements arrived with IBJJF Masters World Championship titles in 2012 (Senior 1) and 2014 (Master 3), cementing his status as an elite competitor well into his forties. On the national stage, he claimed multiple CBJJ Brazilian National Championship titles across the Senior 1 and Master 3 categories, with victories in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2017, along with the CBJJ Brazilian National No-Gi title at Master 3 in 2015.

International and Open Competition Record

Ushirobira's dominance extended well beyond Brazil's borders. He earned IBJJF South American Championship gold medals in 2014 and 2016 at Master 3, claimed the IBJJF International Masters & Seniors Championship in 2014, and accumulated multiple titles at IBJJF open events across São Paulo, Miami, and Chicago — a competitive footprint that speaks to both his longevity and his drive to test himself on international stages.

After years as a member of Nova Uniao, Ushirobira charted an independent course in 2015 following changes in the organization's operations. That year, he founded Ushirobira Jiu-Jitsu in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo state, Brazil — a decision that represented the natural culmination of a coaching career stretching back to his blue belt days.

The academy stands as the institutional expression of a lifelong commitment to both learning and transmitting the art. Every phase of Ushirobira's development — from his early years guiding students while still progressing through the belts, to the technical refinement he pursued under Robson Moura at Nova Uniao — fed directly into the pedagogical vision he brought to his own school. Ushirobira Jiu-Jitsu reflects more than two decades of accumulated training and teaching experience, serving as a home for practitioners in Ribeirão Preto who seek instruction grounded in technical depth and competitive preparation.