Raul Jimenez

Raul "Gacho" Jimenez was born on March 14, 1976, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and spent much of his formative years as a dedicated competitive swimmer. For over a decade, the pool served as his arena — a discipline that built mental fortitude, physical conditioning, and the long-term commitment that would later define his approach to martial arts. When Jimenez stepped away from competitive swimming, he carried an athlete's mindset that would accelerate his development on the mats.

During the 2000s, Jimenez discovered mixed martial arts as a fan, drawn to its technical complexity and competitive spirit. That enthusiasm eventually led him to seek hands-on training. Through a personal connection, he was introduced to a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu school in Ecuador led by Roberto Bitar, a black belt under Royce Gracie. That introduction marked the beginning of a journey that would take Jimenez from a beginner in Ecuador to a decorated Masters competitor on the world stage — a story that reflects both his own determination and the grassroots, community-driven nature of BJJ's growth across South America during that era.

Raul Jimenez began his jiu-jitsu training in 2005 under Roberto Bitar, whose lineage traced directly through Royce Gracie and the Gracie family's foundational approach to the gentle art. While Bitar introduced Jimenez to the sport, Gacho's development across the belt ranks was shaped by a series of distinct and influential mentors — a multi-instructor path that exposed him to varied perspectives and technical approaches at each stage of his progression.

Freddy Sukata awarded Jimenez his blue belt, marking his first formal acknowledgment of progress within the Alliance system. The purple belt followed under Chad Robbo, and Macaco Patino presented the brown belt — the penultimate rank before black. Each promotion came from a different practitioner, a testament to the broad network of high-level coaches Jimenez cultivated throughout his development.

The capstone of his belt journey arrived in 2014, when Romero Cavalcanti — widely known as "Jacaré," one of the most celebrated figures in BJJ history and the founder of Alliance — promoted Jimenez to black belt. Receiving his black belt from Cavalcanti represented not only a mark of technical achievement but also the recognition of one of the sport's most respected authorities. The relationship between Jimenez and Cavalcanti would continue to shape his career well beyond that milestone.

Even before earning his black belt, Raul Jimenez demonstrated the ability to perform at the highest levels of international competition. At the 2012 IBJJF World No-Gi Championship, competing as a brown belt, he won gold in both the super-heavy and absolute Sr1 divisions — a remarkable double that announced his arrival as a serious contender and foreshadowed the Masters division success that would define his black belt career.

Building a Championship Record

After receiving his black belt in 2014, Jimenez steadily built one of the most consistent records in Masters competition. The year 2015 proved to be a landmark, as he claimed gold at both the IBJJF Pan Championship and the IBJJF World No-Gi Championship in the Masters 2 division, cementing his status as a top-tier competitor in his age and weight category. Competing in the Super Pesado division at 100.50 kg / 222.0 lbs, Jimenez operates in a weight class that demands both physical strength and sharp technical execution.

Sustained Podium Presence

His podium presence extended well into subsequent years. In 2017, Jimenez captured gold at the IBJJF European Championship in the Masters 2 division, and in 2018 he claimed the pinnacle of Masters competition with a gold medal at the IBJJF Masters World Championship in the Masters 3 division. Alongside those gold medals, he accumulated a substantial collection of silver and bronze placements at the Worlds, Pans, and Europeans between 2015 and 2019 — underscoring a rare ability to compete consistently at elite levels across multiple tournaments, age brackets, and years. Few Masters competitors can point to such a sustained run of top-three finishes across the full calendar of major IBJJF events.

Concerned about the political direction of his home country, Raul Jimenez relocated his family to the United States, eventually settling in Las Vegas where he established an affiliate academy under the Alliance banner. The Las Vegas school operated successfully for several years, serving as a faithful outpost of the Alliance system and a training home for the local grappling community.

The COVID-19 pandemic presented an unexpected turning point. Government restrictions forced the temporary closure of the academy, and the prolonged disruption made the financial burden of affiliation fees increasingly difficult to sustain. Faced with those pressures, Jimenez chose to part ways with his Alliance affiliate structure and align with Studio 76 — an organization founded by his own black belt promoter, Romero Cavalcanti, operating within the broader Alliance ecosystem.

In January 2022, Jimenez and his family returned to Ecuador, where Studio 76 maintains its headquarters. The return brought his career full circle: the athlete who had left Guayaquil years earlier seeking opportunity abroad came home as a seasoned black belt and decorated international competitor, now representing a banner created by the very man who had awarded him his highest rank. His presence in Ecuador bridges his roots in Guayaquil with the continuation of his teaching and competitive legacy, keeping him within the extended family of one of BJJ's most storied mentors.