Black belt 1st degree

October 10, 2019Carrolton, Texas

3 years, 5 days

With the blessing of Master Jean Jacques Machado and after him speaking to his brother Master Carlos Machado in 2018, I decided to pursue a dream and moved my family to Texas to open Carlos Machado Jiu Jitsu Mid Cities in April of 2019. Even though my 1st Degree Promotion was due in December of 2019, Master Jean Jacques Machado gave the blessing and Master Carlos Machado decided to promote me to 1st Degree at the Winter Affiliate gathering in the presence of hundreds of RCJ and CMJJ affiliates on October 10, 2019. Today, I am very proud to have a thriving and amazing academy called Carlos Machado Jiu Jitsu Mid Cities, which is the very 1st Carlos Machado Academy that is NOT his HQ academy, which is truly a surreal dream come true. http://www.CarlosMachadoJ[...]Cities.com

After starting with Master Jean Jacques Machado at the beginning mid 2013 as a brown belt, I realized I was a very weak brown belt if even a brown belt at all so I literally had to grow into my brown belt by being forged by the countless hammers of all belts and sized at Jean Jacques Machado HQ in Tarzana, Ca. I would say it took me over a year to believe that I was an actual brown belt. And on December 14, 2016, Master Jean Jacques Machado decided it was time to immortalize me as Jean Jacques Machado Blackbelt No 89, one of the biggest if not the biggest accomplishments of my life.

After being promoted to 3rd Degree Purple Belt by my brother Pat King and having trained under Royce Gracie and at the Gracie Academy since 2006, Pat told me that if I wanted to get to the ELITE level of Brown Belt, I would have to go to other academies since he had a lack of upper belts. I ASKED PAT, DO I HAVE YOUR PERMISSION TO GO TO ALBERTO CRANE'S GRACIE BARRA ENCINO DOWN THE STREET and train there? Pat said I encourage you do go train there. They have big classes, upper belts and you will be forged into a Brown Belt because I do not have enough upper belts to forge you my brother. So in mid 2012, I began training at Gracie Barra Encino which was owned by the legend, and the 1st American Gracie Barra Blackbelt and a friend, by the name of Professor Alberto Crane while I was also taking my 10 year old nephew to kids class at Jean Jacques Machado HQ Academy in Tarzana, Ca. Unfortunately, Gracie Barra Encino was sold at the beginning of 2013 and literally fell apart sadly at which time, I began training with the Legendary Icon, Master Jean Jacques Machado starting in May 2013.

Purple belt

August 1, 2008Tarzana, Ca.

4 years, 5 months, 12 days

After being promoted to Blue Belt end of 2005, I had appendicitis and after having surgery I was unable to return to Jiu Jitsu until May of 2006 and started training under Royce Gracie Jiu Jitsu with one of his OG Blackbelts (Who was Brown Belt at the time) Patrick King, my brother... I trained with Pat King and Royce Gracie from Blue Belt (2006 to 2013) to 3 Stripe Purple Belt.

After starting to train Jiu Jitsu on January 14, 2004, it was truly surreal to be promoted to Blue Belt by a very hard core man. Thank You "D" you truly showed and taught me so much and forged me into a real Blue Belt.

After watching UFC 1 in 1993 and seeing the Legend Royce Gracie destroy every opponent with Gracie Jiu Jitsu, I was blown away with what I saw. Sadly I never knew I could learn Jiu Jitsu, until a co worked started training and talked me into taking my first class after 1 month of convincing. After I came to the 1st class on 1/14/2004, I began training 3-5x a week and never stopped. Today, I am a Jean Jacques Machado and Carlos Machado Blackbelt and own my own dream come true academy, http://www.CarlosMachadoJ[...]Cities.com . Truly a blessing and dream come true this Jiu Jitsu journey has been and always will be.