Andreas Perez

When Andreas Perez began his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey around 2003, he did so in a country where the sport had virtually no infrastructure, qualified instructors, or training partners. Rather than let those barriers end his pursuit, Perez took the proactive step of reaching out to established jiu-jitsu figures online — an uncommon approach at the time that would ultimately shape the trajectory of BJJ development across Chile. That self-driven initiative defined his pioneering role in the sport and laid the groundwork for what would become a landmark chapter in South American martial arts history.

Perez's outreach produced a defining result: a workshop conducted in Chile in 2004 by Everdan Olegário, widely known as Mestre Dan — one of the earliest formal BJJ instruction events in the country. Mestre Dan's ties to COHAB run deep. The São Paulo-based academy was founded in 1998 by Antonio 'Tony' Carlos, and Olegário, as Tony's first student, became a central figure in the academy's growth and identity. The 2004 workshop forged a lasting bond between Perez and Mestre Dan, leading Perez to become a formal COHAB affiliate in the years that followed.

Committed to developing his skills within the COHAB system, Perez traveled to Brazil on numerous occasions to train and compete, immersing himself in the academy's culture and technical approach. That sustained dedication culminated in his earning a black belt under Everdan Olegário, cementing a lineage that connects Chilean BJJ directly to one of São Paulo's most storied academies.

While the 2004 workshop introduced COHAB's influence to Chile, the academy formally established its presence in the country in 2008 through Mestre Dan's partnership with Perez. The gap between 2003 and 2008 is telling — those years represent a period of self-directed learning, international travel, and relationship-building that made the formal launch possible and gave it a solid foundation from the outset.

Under Perez's leadership, COHAB Chile grew to over 400 students, with active hubs established in Viña del Mar, Copiapó, and Punta Arenas — spanning a considerable geographic range across the country. That deliberate expansion well beyond the capital reflects a commitment to making BJJ accessible to communities that had previously had no exposure to the art.

The competitive maturity of COHAB Chile came into sharp focus at the IBJJF South American Jiu-Jitsu Championship, where multiple athletes earned medals on a continental stage. Melissa Ubal, Tamara Valenzuela, and Stephan Wiegold all stood on the podium, marking a significant milestone for Chilean BJJ as a whole. The performances of Ubal and Valenzuela are particularly noteworthy, reflecting an inclusive development model that prioritized growth across all demographics within the team. Collectively, these results validated Perez's years of foundational work and demonstrated that Chilean competitors could hold their own at internationally recognized events.

Perez's success with COHAB helped legitimize Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as a serious competitive discipline in Chile and attracted the attention of major international organizations. Following COHAB's formal establishment, notable teams including PSLPB Cicero Costha, Ryan Gracie Academy, and Gracie Humaita all expanded into the country — a direct reflection of the student base, competitive culture, and institutional infrastructure that Perez's early efforts helped create.

His trajectory, from a lone practitioner seeking instruction online in 2003 to the leader of a 400-student, multi-city academy formally launched in 2008, stands as one of the more remarkable grassroots BJJ development stories in South American martial arts history.