Joaquim Valente is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor and co-founder of Valente Brothers, located at 16360 NE 26th Ave, North Miami Beach, FL 33160. Established alongside his brothers, the academy reflects a family-driven instructional model rooted in the classical Gracie Jiu-Jitsu lineage — one that stands apart from the modern sport competition circuit through its unwavering commitment to traditional, self-defense-centric principles.

Rather than orienting its curriculum around tournament preparation and sport-specific rule sets, Valente Brothers emphasizes discipline and long-term physical development. The school serves a broad student base — from families seeking practical self-defense skills to experienced practitioners drawn to the classical methodology — positioning itself as a deliberate alternative to the competition-first culture prevalent across many contemporary BJJ academies.

At the core of Joaquim Valente's instructional identity is a commitment to real-world self-defense effectiveness. The curriculum at Valente Brothers draws directly from the traditional Gracie lineage, prioritizing techniques and principles that translate beyond the competition mat into everyday personal safety and physical resilience. Long-term development — physical and personal alike — is treated as a primary outcome of training, not a byproduct of competitive preparation.

This philosophy attracts students with no interest in competing but a strong desire for structured, principled martial arts training. The academy's appeal to families became widely evident when Gisele Bündchen enrolled herself and her children at Valente Brothers in late 2021 — a signal of the school's reputation as an accessible, welcoming environment for non-competitors and practitioners of all backgrounds.

Expanded Visibility Beyond the Mat

Joaquim Valente built his reputation through years of dedicated instruction, but his visibility within and beyond the BJJ community expanded considerably following Gisele Bündchen's enrollment at Valente Brothers. A relationship between the two emerged publicly in mid-2023 and was confirmed in early 2024, drawing widespread media attention to Valente and the academy he co-founded.

Personal Milestones

In February 2025, the couple welcomed a son — their first child together — whose middle name has been reported as River. On December 1, 2025, a marriage license was issued, and on December 3, 2025, Valente and Gisele Bündchen were married in a private ceremony.

A Blueprint for Instructor-Level Impact

The broader public profile that followed introduced the Valente Brothers' traditional BJJ methodology to audiences well outside the typical martial arts community. Valente's trajectory illustrates how instructor-level practitioners operating entirely outside the competitive circuit can achieve meaningful mainstream recognition — driven not by medals, but by the quality of their teaching and the communities they build on the mat.