Keiser Girão

Keiser Girão was born on January 22, 1976, in São Paulo, Brazil, and developed a diverse athletic foundation that ultimately steered him toward becoming one of the most respected jiu-jitsu instructors in the United States. As a youth, he competed in basketball at a serious level, representing the prestigious Clube Pinheiros in local competition. Alongside his investment in traditional sports, a deep fascination with Hollywood action films kept him closely connected to the world of martial arts from an early age.

That passion translated into formal training when Girão began studying judo at the age of 8. Over the following years, he broadened his martial arts education to include shotokan karate and taekwondo before finding a more lasting home in hapkido at 17. His commitment to the South Korean discipline was substantial — he advanced all the way to the red belt rank, a level reflecting years of dedicated study and consistent practice. It was ultimately this deep investment in hapkido that opened the door to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 1995, as Girão sought to strengthen the ground-work component of his hapkido game.

Early Training and Blue Belt

Keiser Girão's path through the BJJ belt system spanned over a decade and brought him into contact with some of the most influential figures in the sport's history. His journey began in 1995 when he joined the Alliance academy in São Paulo and trained under Ricardo Franjinha Miller for approximately four months. When Franjinha accepted a professional opportunity and relocated to the United States, Girão transitioned to the academy of Ryan Gracie, where he spent the next three years building his fundamentals and earning his blue belt.

The Machado Connection and Purple Belt

A pivotal chapter in Girão's development came through an exchange student program that brought him to Los Angeles, California, where he trained alongside Rigan Machado and his brothers. The time at the Machado academy forged a close personal friendship between Girão and Rigan — a relationship that would define the next phase of his career. Returning to California in 1999, Girão earned his purple belt directly from Rigan Machado before heading back to Brazil.

Black Belt and the Road to California

After a period focused on family and professional responsibilities in Brazil, Girão's path reconnected with Rigan Machado in 2003, when Machado visited São Paulo to compete in that year's ADCC tournament. During his stay, Machado extended an invitation for Girão to return to the United States and join his coaching staff — an offer that marked a decisive turning point in Girão's growth as both a practitioner and instructor. While serving on Rigan's coaching team in California, Girão earned his brown belt and, in 2006, received his black belt from Rigan Machado in a ceremony that included notable members of the Machado family: Roger Machado, Jean Jacques Machado, and Carlos Machado.

Building an Instructional Foundation

Girão's formal coaching career began in earnest following Rigan Machado's 2003 invitation, when he joined the staff of the Machado academy in California. He initially took charge of beginner and kids classes — a role that gave him the opportunity to develop his instructional voice from the ground up. As Rigan became increasingly engaged with Hollywood's film industry during this period — teaching private lessons to celebrities and developing fight choreography for major productions — Girão stepped into leadership of the academy's advanced classes, taking on a significantly expanded role.

A Formative Environment

The Machado gym proved to be an exceptional training ground. World-class grapplers visited Rigan's facility on a regular basis, and Girão's daily exposure to elite-level jiu-jitsu, combined with his academic background in physical education, allowed him to build a structured and nuanced coaching methodology. The convergence of high-level practice, mentorship from one of the sport's legends, and his own scholarly approach to movement and instruction became the foundation upon which Girão would later construct his program in Texas.

Relocating to Dallas and Early Affiliations

Recognizing that the California market had become highly saturated with grappling academies, Keiser Girão made the strategic decision to relocate to Dallas, Texas, where he identified an opportunity to help grow the sport in an underserved market. He initially joined the gym of Carlos Machado in Dallas, working there for several years before launching his own school. In its early days, the academy operated under a Team Nogueira affiliation as Octagon Team Nogueira Dallas, a period during which Girão worked extensively alongside renowned grappling coach Amaury Bitetti.

Transitioning to Checkmat

As the Nogueira brothers shifted their organizational focus toward their Brazilian affiliations, Girão concluded that aligning with a high-level competition team was essential to the continued growth of his athletes. He transitioned to Checkmat, a team with which he had cultivated strong personal relationships over the years. The move proved transformative for the program.

The Mezger Partnership and International Impact

A defining partnership in the school's evolution came through Girão's collaboration with former UFC fighter Guy Mezger. The two joined forces with a shared goal of building the strongest possible competition team in the region, operating under the banner of Mezger Martial Arts within the Checkmat organization. Central to this effort was Girão's recruitment of talented young Brazilian athletes to the program — most notably Matheus Gabriel and Samuel Nagai, both of whom went on to make a significant international impact in the sport under his guidance. Through this work, Keiser Girão established Mezger Martial Arts as one of the most recognized Checkmat affiliates in the world and cemented Dallas's reputation as a serious hub for competitive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.