Gialysson Adao Silva Freitas

Gialysson "Hiago" Adao Silva Freitas was born on August 14, 1992, in the northeastern Brazilian state of Piauí. At age 7, he relocated with his family to the Vila Isabel borough of Rio de Janeiro — a neighborhood with a rich cultural identity that shaped his formative years. Despite growing up in a city where jiu-jitsu is woven into everyday life, Freitas did not step onto the mats until he was 17, a relatively late entry compared to many competitors who begin training in childhood.

The catalyst was a friend's encouragement. On July 20, 2009, Freitas trained for the first time at the academy run by José Luis Varella and Marcio Tubarão, a school affiliated with GF Team. That single class set the course of his athletic life. The late start, far from a disadvantage, underscores the depth of dedication Freitas brought to his development — a commitment the results of more than a decade of competition would go on to validate.

Freitas developed as a competitor entirely within the GF Team system, training under coach Luis Varella at the same Rio de Janeiro academy where he first began. His progression through the colored belt ranks produced consistent results on the Brazilian circuit. At purple belt, he earned podium finishes at the IBJJF Rio Open in 2014, the IBJJF Rio Fall Open in 2015, and the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals in 2013. He carried that momentum into brown belt, placing at the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals in 2016 before claiming gold at the IBJJF Rio Fall Open in 2017 — a title that signaled his readiness for the next stage.

The coach-athlete bond Freitas built with Luis Varella proved strong enough to carry him across hemispheres. As Varella transitioned his coaching base to the United States, Freitas followed, establishing himself on the US regional competition circuit ahead of his black belt promotion. In July 2018 — almost exactly nine years after his first class — Freitas received his black belt, awarded by Júlio César Pereira. That nine-year arc, from a friend's invitation to a black belt, speaks to the consistency and commitment that defined his entire development.

Establishing a Foothold on the Regional Circuit

With his black belt secured and a base established in the United States, Freitas became a consistent presence on the IBJJF regional circuit across the US Southeast and Midwest. He competes in the Peso Médio division at 82.30 kg / 181.5 lbs. His transition to black belt competition produced immediate results: in 2018, he won gold at the 2018 IBJJF Charlotte Open, staking an early claim in the city that would become his permanent home.

Building a Record Across Multiple Regions

Freitas followed that title with another gold in 2019 at the 2019 IBJJF Atlanta Spring Open, confirming his 2018 result was no aberration. His silver medal performances further illustrate the breadth of his competitive reach — runner-up finishes at the 2018 IBJJF Twin Cities Open, the 2019 IBJJF Cincinnati Open, and the 2019 IBJJF Kansas Open in the absolute division. A particularly strong showing came at the 2021 IBJJF Atlanta Open, where he reached the final in both the weight and absolute divisions. A silver at the 2021 IBJJF Charleston Open rounded out a body of work that placed him among the more reliable black belt competitors on the US regional IBJJF calendar.

In October 2020, Freitas opened the Arte Suave Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Charlotte, North Carolina, establishing his own platform for teaching and growing the sport. The name Arte Suave — Portuguese for "the gentle art," a traditional designation for jiu-jitsu — reflects a deliberate connection to the Brazilian heritage of the discipline he has practiced since 2009. The opening marked his formal transition into the role of head instructor and school owner, a natural evolution for a competitor who spent over a decade refining his craft within the GF Team lineage.

Charlotte was not an arbitrary choice. Freitas had already built ties to the local competition scene, having won the IBJJF Charlotte Open there in 2018. By the time Arte Suave opened its doors, the city represented both a competitive home and a community he had invested in building. Through the academy, the instructional lineage of Luis Varella and the broader GF Team structure extends into the American Southeast — carried forward by a practitioner whose journey from Piauí to Charlotte embodies the sport's global reach.