# Márcio Rodrigues

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## Overview

**Name:** Márcio Rodrigues

**Date of Birth:** September 04, 1972 (age 54)


## Bio

Born 4 September 1972 in Rio de Janeiro, Márcio Rodrigues took up jiu-jitsu at age 6 under João Fernandes and was already helping coach as a blue belt, but by 17 he had entered a life of crime. Forced to flee Rio at 20, he spent six years in Campos dos Goytacazes, where he began teaching and eventually took a formal instructor’s exam on the day of his mother’s funeral — a test so impressive that evaluator Irami Gomes Rocha promoted him to brown belt. After serving 20 months in prison, Rodrigues reunited with Rocha, who awarded him his black belt in 2004. Fully reformed, he launched a social project in his favela, later opening a training center that produced world champions such as Lucas Daniel, and has since expanded to eight affiliate academies across Brazil.
## Specialties

- Half Guard

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**Last Updated:** September 24, 2026

**Data Source:** bjj.space (https://bjj.space/people/marcio-rodrigues)