A Name Built
on Their Own Merit.
The Machado brothers learned the art in Rio, then built a legacy in America that carries their own name. This is the line you step into on day one in Carrollton.
From Rio to Los Angeles to a mat in Carrollton, the art has been handed down teacher to student for three generations.
From Rio to the Forefront of BJJ.
- 1963
Born in Rio de Janeiro
Master Carlos Machado is born in Rio de Janeiro, the eldest of the five Machado brothers, Roger, Rigan, Jean Jacques, and John. The fighting tradition is woven into their lives from the start.
- Childhood
Raised on the Mat
Master Carlos Machado begins training as a boy under his uncle, Grandmaster Carlos Gracie Sr. The five brothers play, eat, train, and grow up together on the mat.
- Copacabana
Mentored by Rolls Gracie
After the family moves to Copacabana, Master Carlos Machado is mentored directly by the legendary Rolls Gracie. The bond runs deep, and Rolls’s sudden passing leaves a lasting mark on Master Carlos Machado, then a young blue belt.
- 1982 to 1987
Five Years Under Carlos Gracie Sr.
While studying law at university, Master Carlos Machado lives with his uncle Carlos Gracie Senior for five formative years, drinking from his vast well of knowledge and philosophy at every opportunity.
- 1988
The Brothers Reach America
Rigan Machado is the first of the brothers to reach the United States. He starts teaching in Southern California and lays the foundation for what the family will build there.
- 1990
California Roots
Master Carlos Machado and his brother John follow to Southern California. The five Machado brothers set out on their own there and build a legacy that carries their own name.
- Early 1990s
A Friendship That Spread the Art
Chuck Norris walks through the door searching for a new art to master. He becomes a student, a close friend, and a member of the extended family, and his reach helps carry Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu far beyond the mats.
- 1995
Jiu-Jitsu Comes to Texas
Master Carlos Machado moves to Dallas to film Walker, Texas Ranger, and brings the real art with him. Before he arrived, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was virtually unheard of here. Today most BJJ lineage in Texas and the Southwest traces back to Master Carlos Machado.
Chuck Norris & the Machado Brothers.
In the early 1990s, Chuck Norris went looking for a new art to master and found the Machados. He became a student, then a lifelong friend. He helped the brothers open their first academy in Tarzana and featured them on Walker, Texas Ranger, introducing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to millions.
That friendship is what brought Master Carlos Machado to Texas in 1995, and it is a large part of why the art took root across the Southwest. What started as one student walking through the door helped spread Jiu-Jitsu far and wide.
From Black Belt to Champion.
Master Carlos Machado has promoted dozens of black belts who went on to make their mark in MMA and competitive BJJ, and who now run successful academies of their own. A few of them:
- Rafael Lovato Jr.
- Bellator Champion · IBJJF World Champion black belt
- Travis Lutter
- The Ultimate Fighter winner · UFC veteran
- Anthony Perosh
- UFC veteran · IBJJF World Champion
- Elvis Sinosic
- UFC veteran · IBJJF World Champion
- Sean Spencer
- UFC veteran
- Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson
- Current UFC fighter
The Godfather of Jiu-Jitsu
Before Master Carlos Machado arrived in Dallas, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was virtually unknown in the region. He still teaches every level personally, from first-day beginners to the black belts who continue to evolve under his guidance. When you train here, you are learning the source, not a copy of a copy.
Train in a Line That Goes Back to the Source.
Pick a class time. Show up. Train. See for yourself whether this is the right fit before you commit. No pressure, no experience needed.
Free intro class · No experience required · Walk-ins welcome