Milton Regis

Milton Regis was born on February 7, 1964, at 3:20am at the Maternidade da Cruz Vermelha (Red Cross Maternity) in the Lapa neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His birth fell during Rio de Janeiro's Carnival season, one of the city's most vibrant and celebrated festive periods — a fitting backdrop for a life that would be defined by passion, discipline, and community.

At the age of 9, Regis took his first steps onto the mats at Kioto Jiu Jitsu Academy in Rio de Janeiro, a visit that would set the course of his life. His initial instruction came from Marcelo Matsunaga, though all training took place under the watchful eye of Francisco Mansur, the Great Master and founder of the Kioto academy. Mansur went on to award every one of Milton Regis' belts throughout his development as a practitioner, forming a bond between student and teacher that would define the arc of his entire BJJ journey.

Before Milton Regis could dedicate himself fully to jiu-jitsu, he served as a lieutenant in the Brazilian army for nine years. The demands of military life slowed his progression through the BJJ belt ranks, but Regis never stepped away from the mats entirely. He continued to train and compete throughout his time in uniform, drawing on the technical foundation built at Kioto Jiu Jitsu Academy and keeping the art alive within him despite the constraints of service.

During this period, Regis also took up judo, which complemented his jiu-jitsu background and deepened his overall understanding of grappling. The dual discipline sharpened his instincts and broadened his technical vocabulary, qualities that would serve him well when he eventually returned his full attention to BJJ competition.

In 2001, Milton Regis relocated to the United States, influenced in part by his sister, who had already established herself in Boston. He wasted little time putting his expertise to work, beginning to teach Brazilian jiu-jitsu in Massachusetts and laying the groundwork for what would become a significant presence in the American BJJ landscape.

Regis later moved to Long Island, New York, where he taught at three different academies and embedded himself in the local martial arts community. His most enduring contribution to the region came in 2007, when he co-created the Long Island PRIDE, a BJJ competition that started modestly and grew steadily into a respected fixture on the regional tournament calendar. The event provided a meaningful platform for practitioners across the area and reflected Regis' commitment to developing the sport beyond the walls of any single academy.

Through this sustained community-building work, Regis established himself as a pillar of the Kioto organization's presence in the United States, leading the Sayville, New York branch of the academy as one of its most prominent instructors.

Milton Regis' competitive record reflects a practitioner who remained seriously engaged with tournament jiu-jitsu well into his masters years. Shortly after arriving in the United States, he claimed the NAGA (North America Grappling Association) Championship in 2002 — an early statement of his ability to perform at a high level in a new competitive environment.

IBJJF Pan American Championships

His IBJJF Pan American Championship record spans multiple years and divisions. Regis earned silver medals at the Pan American Championship in 2002 and 2007 in the Senior 2 category, and bronze medals in 2003 in the Senior 1 division and again in 2005 in the Senior 2 division. In 2010, he added a Pan American No-Gi Championship title in the Senior 3 division to his résumé.

IBJJF World Masters Championships

At the IBJJF World Masters level, Regis reached the top of his division on multiple occasions, claiming titles in 2016 and 2018, both in the Master 5 division. He is recognized as a 3-time Masters IBJJF World Champion overall, though the year of his third world title has not been independently confirmed through official records; the 2021 championship resulted in a silver medal placement rather than gold. His national credentials also include a CBJJ Brazilian National Championship title won in 1997 at the brown belt level in the Master 1 division, a result that established his competitive pedigree long before his move abroad.

Milton Regis holds a black belt awarded by Francisco Mansur, the Great Master and founder of the Kioto Jiu Jitsu Academy, and stands as one of the organization's most respected instructors. Carrying the Kioto lineage from its roots in Rio de Janeiro into his work at the Sayville, New York academy, Regis upholds the technical standards and traditions that have defined the organization since its founding.

Within the Kioto community, Regis is known by the nickname "Miltao" — a Portuguese term roughly translating to "big Milton" — a moniker that speaks to his larger-than-life presence within the organization. His career arc, from a nine-year-old stepping onto the mats in Rio de Janeiro, through nearly a decade of military service, to decades of teaching and competing across two continents, embodies the Kioto tradition of developing practitioners who spread the art internationally and build lasting communities around it.