Rafael Correa

Rafael Correa de Lima was born on August 19, 1975, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — entering the world at a time and place that would put him at the very center of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu's formative years. At the Anglo-American School of Rio de Janeiro, Rafael and his brother Roberto Correa — later renowned under the nickname "Gordo" — crossed paths with Renzo Gracie, Ralph Gracie, and Ryan Gracie. The bond that formed between the Correa brothers and the Gracie cousins ran deep, and it was through that friendship that both Rafael and Roberto first stepped onto the mats, beginning their BJJ training at the age of ten.

That early immersion, guided by one of the sport's most iconic families, gave Rafael a competitive and technical foundation that would define his entire career. His brother Roberto, universally known as "Gordo," went on to become one of BJJ's most influential innovators — widely credited as the developer of the Half Guard, a positional contribution that fundamentally reshaped the modern game. For Rafael, coming of age alongside both the Gracie family and a sibling of that stature meant that excellence on the mats was woven into the fabric of his upbringing.

Rafael Correa's emergence as a competitor was swift and decisive. Competing across multiple belt levels throughout the 1990s, he established himself as one of the most consistent and decorated Brazilian national competitors of his generation, ultimately claiming five Brazilian National Championship titles — a record that speaks directly to his dominance during a pivotal era in the sport's development.

His national title run opened in 1994 at purple belt, signaling early that he possessed both the technical precision and competitive temperament to contend at the highest levels. Back-to-back Brazilian National Championships followed in 1995 and 1996 at brown belt, a stretch of sustained excellence that demonstrated his ability to adapt and dominate as he progressed through the ranks. His 1997 Brazilian National Championship at black belt stands as a particularly remarkable achievement — Rafael earned that title just weeks after receiving his black belt promotion, a testament to the readiness he brought into the sport's highest competitive tier. A fifth national title rounds out this extraordinary run, cementing his place among the most accomplished Brazilian national competitors of his era.

The breadth of his 1997 campaign alone illustrates the caliber of competitor he had become. That same year, he earned a Pan American Bronze Medal and a World Silver Medal at brown belt, confirming that his national dominance translated directly to elite international competition.

The 1998 World Championship represented the pinnacle of Rafael Correa's competitive career. Competing at black belt, he captured the world title — joining an exclusive group of Brazilian competitors who helped define the sport's identity during its most consequential period of global expansion. His performances across Peso Médio (82 kg / 181 lbs) and Meio Pesado (88 kg / 194 lbs) reflected both his physical versatility and his capacity to perform at an elite level across weight classes.

Far from stepping back after his world title, Rafael continued competing at the highest levels well into the following years. Pan American Silver Medals in both 2000 and 2003 at black belt confirm his sustained relevance in the sport's most competitive division long after his championship victory. His competitive arc — stretching from the mid-1990s through the early 2000s — spans precisely the period in which BJJ transitioned from a largely Brazil-centric pursuit into a globally recognized martial art, and his results throughout that arc place him squarely among the competitors who helped shape that transformation.

Rafael Correa's evolution from competitor to coach was a natural progression, and his lifelong connection to the Gracie family made his eventual role at the Renzo Gracie Academy in New York a fitting continuation of that relationship. The academy, founded in 1996, had grown into one of North America's most prestigious BJJ institutions by the time Rafael joined its staff. From 2004 through 2009, he served as both coach and administrator — shaping the program on the mats while contributing meaningfully to its organizational development. His involvement helped cultivate the culture of a program that has since produced some of the sport's most recognizable names.

The professional partnership with Renzo Gracie drew directly from the friendship forged decades earlier at the Anglo-American School in Rio de Janeiro, giving the collaboration a depth and mutual trust that extended well beyond a typical coaching arrangement. Rafael's ability to communicate the technical nuances of high-level BJJ, combined with his administrative contributions, left a lasting imprint on the academy during a formative chapter in its history.

Beyond New York, Rafael's coaching reputation carried him across multiple continents. Academies in Australia sought his expertise, and his international reach extended further when he spent two years in Singapore contributing to the expansion of Evolve MMA, one of the largest and most prominent martial arts organizations in the region. These experiences established Rafael Correa as one of BJJ's earliest and most well-traveled international ambassadors — a practitioner who carried the sport's competitive and technical standards to audiences far removed from its Rio de Janeiro origins.

Following his years abroad, Rafael Correa returned to Brazil to be closer to family, bringing with him an international perspective shaped by nearly two decades of coaching and institution-building across multiple continents. His return led him back to Rio de Janeiro and to the academy his brother Roberto had built — Gordo Jiu Jitsu — where Rafael became an active contributor to the program's ongoing development.

The collaboration between the Correa brothers represents one of BJJ's most compelling family legacies. Roberto "Gordo" Correa's development of the Half Guard stands as one of the most consequential positional innovations in the sport's history — transforming what was once considered a transitional position into a sophisticated offensive system studied and applied by practitioners at every level. Rafael's career, marked by five national titles, a world championship, and years of international coaching, complements that legacy with a competitive and pedagogical dimension that reinforces the family's collective contribution to the art.

Rafael's team affiliation under the Gordo Evolve banner reflects the convergence of his brother's academy lineage with the international experience he accumulated across his coaching career. Together, the Correa brothers embody a continuum of BJJ excellence rooted in Rio de Janeiro — and extended, through their individual efforts, to every corner of the globe.