Natasha Quiza De Almeida

Natasha Quiza De Almeida was born on February 14, 1986, in Miami, Florida, into a family with deep Cuban roots that shaped much of her early identity. Before martial arts entered her life, she channeled her athleticism into competitive dance — a discipline that sharpened her body awareness, coordination, and competitive instincts from a young age.

Her path into combat sports began in her early twenties through muay Thai, where she trained under Eduardo "Ferrino" Silva with aspirations of competing in striking or mixed martial arts. Jiu-jitsu existed on the periphery of her world during this period, but grappling held little appeal — until the local BJJ coach began appearing regularly in her muay Thai sessions. That steady exposure shifted her perspective, and at 22 she stepped onto the mats for her first jiu-jitsu lesson, connecting with the art almost immediately.

Her competitive instincts surfaced without delay. Just one month into training, Quiza De Almeida entered the De La Riva Cup — a bold early move that foreshadowed the drive she would carry throughout her career. The athletic foundation built through years of dance and striking gave her a tangible edge as she adapted to the demands of grappling.

From her very first steps on the mats, Natasha Quiza De Almeida developed within the Fight Sports system — a lineage she has maintained throughout her entire career. Her primary instructor was Denis Mitchel, known as "Deninho," with Roberto Abreu overseeing the broader Fight Sports program. This unified structure gave her development a consistent technical and cultural foundation from white belt onward.

It was also within the Fight Sports inner circle that she met Igor Almeida, a black belt competitor and instructor who became her husband and long-term training partner. Their personal and professional bond, forged through shared training and competition, became central to both her athletic career and their later work as academy co-owners.

Colored Belt Highlights and Black Belt Promotion

Quiza De Almeida's progression through the belt ranks was notably swift and results-driven. At blue belt in 2013, she earned gold at the IBJJF Pan Championship and silver at the IBJJF World Championship. Her brown belt campaign proved equally strong, culminating in a World Masters Championship gold and a World Championship silver in 2016.

Six years after beginning her jiu-jitsu journey, she received her black belt in a ceremony held on the podium of the 2016 IBJJF World Masters Championship — promoted jointly by Igor Almeida and Roberto Cyborg, her head coaches. The setting was fitting: a public acknowledgment of competitive excellence delivered at the highest stage of Masters competition, encapsulating everything her colored belt career had represented.

At the black belt level, Natasha Quiza De Almeida competes in the Peso Médio division (69kg / 152.5lbs), representing the United States on the international circuit under the dual banner of Palm Beach Gardens Martial Arts and Fight Sports. Her black belt career has been concentrated in the Masters division, where she has continued to perform at an elite level years beyond her promotion.

Key Results and Division Dominance

The signature result of her black belt career came in 2020, when she claimed gold at the IBJJF World Masters Championship — the most prestigious title available in Masters-division competition. That same year, she reached the podium at the IBJJF Pan Championship, earning a third-place finish. Her record outside the Masters brackets includes a third-place finish at the CBJJ Brazilian Nationals in 2017, demonstrating a willingness to test herself across both open and Masters divisions. In 2019, she added a CBJJ Brazilian Nationals gold in the Masters division, further establishing her as one of the more decorated American competitors in her weight class and age bracket.

Taken together, her competition record spans multiple decades and belt levels — from her debut at the De La Riva Cup through international Masters titles — reflecting a sustained commitment to high-level sport jiu-jitsu that few athletes maintain across such a long arc.

Alongside her competition career, Natasha Quiza De Almeida has invested meaningfully in building jiu-jitsu at the community level. Together with her husband Igor Almeida, she co-owns Palm Beach Gardens Martial Arts in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida — an academy recognized for one of the most respected kids' BJJ curriculums in the Florida area.

The program's reputation for youth development reflects the full breadth of Quiza De Almeida's athletic background. Her years as a competitive dancer, her muay Thai training, and her journey through every belt level of jiu-jitsu give her a multi-dimensional understanding of how young athletes develop movement, discipline, and competitive confidence. Combined with the technical resources of the Fight Sports affiliation, that perspective positions Palm Beach Gardens Martial Arts as a program built on both competitive pedigree and thoughtful pedagogy.

The academy stands as a natural convergence of her personal story — an athlete who came to jiu-jitsu late, rose quickly through the ranks, and competed at the highest international levels — and her commitment to ensuring that the next generation of grapplers in South Florida has access to quality instruction from the very start.