Marcos Vinicius Martins, widely known as Petcho, was born on February 8, 1997, in Brazil. His path to becoming one of the country's most accomplished competitors began not in a gym, but in a community-based non-profit social project operating in his neighborhood. Designed to keep local children constructively engaged while their parents were at work, the project offered a range of activities from which participants could choose three to pursue. For the young Martins, those early choices — skateboarding, parkour, and theatre — reflected an active, curious mind equally drawn to physical challenge and creative expression.
At the age of 12, in 2009, the same social project introduced Martins to jiu-jitsu. Training under coach Anderson de Oliveira, he took his first steps on the mats and quickly discovered a discipline that resonated with him far more deeply than the others. As his commitment grew, Martins transitioned to a CIA Paulista affiliated gym, coming under the instruction of Fernando Silva — known within the community as "Costela." Silva recognized Martins' rapid development and awarded him his blue belt, marking the first formal milestone in what would become a serious competitive career.
That blue belt represented more than a rank. For Martins, it was a decision point — one he approached with unusual clarity and ambition for a teenager. He resolved that jiu-jitsu would not simply be a hobby, but the foundation of his professional life.