# Romero Cavalcanti ("Jacare")

> Black Belt

## Overview

**Name:** Romero Cavalcanti

**Nickname:** Jacare

**Belt Rank:** Black Belt

**Date of Birth:** October 17, 1952 (age 73)


## Bio

The last black belt ever awarded by Rolls Gracie, Romero Cavalcanti built Alliance, one of the most dominant teams in competitive Jiu-Jitsu. A native of Recife who moved to Rio as a child, he trained under Jaildo Gomes before joining Carlson Gracie’s affiliate and later falling under the mentorship of Rolls Gracie, whose innovative game and fatherly influence shaped Cavalcanti’s approach. After Rolls’s 1982 death, he trained briefly with Rickson Gracie before founding the Jacare Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Rio, which produced Fabio Gurgel, Roberto Traven, and the Vieira brothers. In 1993, Cavalcanti united several former students to form Alliance, then relocated to the United States in 1995, settling in Atlanta.
## Gym Affiliations

- **Alliance Jiu Jitsu Atlanta** (Sandy Springs, United States) — Instructor
## Lineage

- Rolls Gracie

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**Last Updated:** September 24, 2026

**Data Source:** bjj.space (https://bjj.space/people/romero-cavalcanti)