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João Ruffo embarked on his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) journey in 2004, at the age of 17, under the guidance of Professor João Panayotis at Gracie Barra Angra, located in the city of Angra dos Reis. Two years later, in 2006, he achieved his blue belt under the mentorship of Master Carlos Gracie Jr.
In 2007, João made a pivotal move to Rio de Janeiro, where he continued his BJJ training at Gracie Barra Ipanema, learning from esteemed professors such as Alexandre Café, Rodrigo Bicudinho, and Marcelo Yogui. It was during this period that João's dedication and skills earned him his purple belt in 2011.
In 2013, João embarked on a one-year journey to Canada. Upon his return to Rio de Janeiro, he relocated to Barra da Tijuca and joined Gracie Barra Recreio under the guidance of Professor Guilherme Lunes. It was in this new environment that João began teaching BJJ to both children and adults, ultimately attaining his brown belt. He continued to train at Gracie Barra Recreio until the end of 2019 when he moved to Australia.
Upon his arrival in Australia, João resided in Adelaide, South Australia, for two years. In the absence of a Gracie Barra academy, he took the initiative to set up a training space in his garage, where he and his friends continued to hone their BJJ skills.
In January 2022, João seized an exciting opportunity and relocated to the Gold Coast, where he started training and teaching at GB Burleigh Heads. His dedication and commitment to BJJ were duly recognized in October 2022 when Professor Pedro Rodrigues promoted him to the esteemed rank of black belt.
Today, João holds the role of Head Instructor at GB Broadbeach, where he leads the BJJ community, imparting his knowledge to both adults and children. His passion for Jiu-Jitsu lies in its transformative power, and he finds that Gracie Barra's methodology is instrumental in achieving his mission of positively impacting people's lives.