Author Archives: Gui Valente

Over the last few weeks Professor Pedro Valente traveled over 9,000 miles and taught classes to over 500 students in the US and abroad. As the Valente Brothers family strengthens nationally and internationally the number of students training at our affiliate schools grows very quickly. The Valente Brothers’ teaching methodology strictly based on Grandmaster Hélio Gracie’s self-defense has proven to be a powerful tool in building a successful Jiu-Jitsu school. All Valente Brothers instructors have trained many years under the tutelage of the Valentes and are genuine representatives of the Hélio Gracie Jiu-Jitsu system. Professor Pedro was extremely pleased with the fine work of all instructors and students.

The city of Aventura Police Department will once again be training at Valente Brothers during this week to complete level two of the Valente Brothers’ Police Survival Tactics. By friday, over one hundred officers will have learned the techniques and tactics of this specialized law enforcement course.

On Saturday and Sunday Professor Pedro Valente once again visited the beautiful Bidokan Academy in Guyaquil, Ecuador for a two day seminar. The school is Ecuador’s only Royce Gracie Network member and is one of the most traditional and successful martial arts centers in Ecuador. The academy’s chief instructor, Roberto Bitar, received his black belt from Royce Gracie during last year’s belt ceremony at Valente Brothers and aside from his Jiu-Jitsu skills is a prominent plastic surgeon in Ecuador. Both seminars covered a variety of Combat Gracie Jiu-Jitsu techniques. Also, Professor Pedro shared with students and instructors the secrets behind the philosophy taught by Carlos and Helio Gracie.

Geographical note: Guayaquil is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador, with a metro area population exceeding 3.3 million. The city is the capital of the Ecuadorian province of Guayas. Guayaquil is located on the western bank of the Guayas River, which flows into the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Guayaquil. Ecuador located in South America is bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do nothave a border with Brazil.

By: VB Brown Belt, Steve Abood

Today at Valente Brothers, we celebrate Helio Gracie Day, a day celebrating the legacy of the beloved teacher and pioneer who dedicated his life to creating, perfecting, proving, and teaching a system of self-defense which allows an individual of any physical ability to gain self-confidence through the knowledge that they can defend themselves and their families. In addition to the technical and strategic improvements to the ancient martial art of the Samurai, Grandmaster Helio Gracie created a teaching method that allowed the preservation and transmission of the art from one generation to the next. Our ultimate aim at Valente Brothers is to pass on the teachings of our Grandmaster, Helio Gracie, to the next generation. By always remembering the self-defense objective in everything we do, all of us can ensure that his teachings will live on.

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In addition, Grandmaster Helio’s daily way of living, which included the Jiu-jitsu Eating Regimen developed by his brother Grandmaster Carlos Gracie, set the ultimate example of a lifestyle compatible with self-defense and avoiding preventable harm. Our adherence to his healthy principles of living, every day of the year, but especially on this day, can spread like ripples in a pond to positively influence those around us, ultimately benefiting society at large.

This morning at Valente Brothers, the morning class was followed by a moment of silence paying homage to the Grandmaster and remembering these contributions.

Please join us tonight for our regular evening classes at Valente Brothers, as we train, celebrate, show appreciation for, and share happy memories of our teacher, Grandmaster Helio Gracie, born ninety-seven years ago, on this day.

For the first time ever in Miami, brothers Royler and Royce Gracie will team up to teach a super seminar at Valente Brothers. The fifth and sixth sons of Grandmaster Hélio Gracie are world renowned fighters and teachers. Royce Gracie was the first ever inductee to the UFC Hall of Fame and is a 3x UFC Open Weight Champion. Royler, is a multiple time Sport Jiu-Jitsu and Submission Wrestling World Champion. The seminar will take place on December 4th from 2PM – 6PM at the Valente Brothers Headquarters in North Miami Beach. The seminar will cover a variety of grappling, throwing and striking techniques. Valente Brothers students may register at the school’s front desk. Visiting students will be placed on a waiting list and will be confirmed on a first come first serve basis on October 11.  Professors Pedro, Gui, and Joaquim are very proud and honored with this opportunity and strongly recommend all VB students to take opportunity of this rare and special event. The Valente brothers grew up training and learning from Grandmaster Hélio Gracie and his sons. Royler Gracie was the head professor at the Academia Gracie Humaitá in Rio de Janeiro where the Valentes grew up training.

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On December 4th, the Ultimate Fighting Champion and Hall of Famer, Royce Gracie, will return to Miami to teach a super seminar at the Valente Brothers headquarters in North Miami Beach. Royce will also be attending the Belt Ceremony on December 6th.

Today, Valente Brothers Brown Belt, Miguel Diaz de la Portilla won the race for the Florida Senate with  a margin of 10 points. Miguel began training with Professor Pedro Valente back in 1997 and was part of Pedro’s first group of students. Miguel recently received the brown belt and continues to practice on a regular basis.

Miguel, a Miami Dade native, graduated from Belen Jesuit Preparatory school in 1981, attended the University of Miami earning his B.A., Cum Laude in 1984, and then went on to receive his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law in 1987.

As Miami-Dade County Commissioner from 1993-2000, Miguel created the Office of the Inspector General, founded the Miami Dade County Expressway Authority, created Community Zoning Adjustment Boards and transformed the land use and zoning process in Miami-Dade County.

Miguel is the youngest person to have chaired the Miami Dade County Commission.

This week Professor Pedro Valente taught Level one of the Valente Brothers’ Law Enforcement Survival course to Aventura Police Defensive Tactics instructors. The objective of this course is to teach Police Defensive Tactics instructors how to transmit the techniques presented in the course to other officers.

Grandmaster Rorion Gracie spent the evening at Valente Brothers and for over 90 minutes discussed principles and benefits of the Gracie diet, the creation of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and overall Gracie Jiu-Jitsu philosophy. As Professor Pedro Valente said, “teaching the fighting skills of Jiu-Jitsu without imparting the philosophical principals is a dangerous mistake.” Following Grandmaster Rorion’s Great Jiu-Jitsu philosophy lesson, the Valente brothers thanked Grandmaster Hélio’s eldest son for everything he did for Jiu-Jitsu in the United States and the world. Students and teachers were very pleased and honored with this surprise and memorable visit.

 Click here to view last night’s pictures.

Watch Rorion Gracie recounting the history of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and the UFC on the Video Gallery positioned on the right column of this page.

Professor Pedro Valente, currently in Los Angeles assisting in the production of a documentary by the Biography Channel on the life of Grandmaster Hélio Gracie, met soccer super stars Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo. The players, who admitted being fans of Royce, asked to learn a few moves and demonstrated good technique. Royce and Kaká, also talked about how today the fact that they do not drink alcohol or smoke is a rarity in professional sports. As Kaká said, “we are old school athletes!”

Note – Real Madrid, the Spanish soccer team that has been dubbed the most successful club of the 20th century, began practicing today on the UCLA soccer field, with hordes of journalists and spectators attending the highly anticipated event. 

Stars such as forward Cristiano Ronaldo, the highest paid soccer player in the world, and defenders Pepe and Marcelo Vieira, kicked soccer balls and ran scrimmages on the enclosed field behind UCLA’s John Wooden Center. Other players, such as midfielder Kaká, are due to arrive next week.
The Real Madrid visit is part of the team’s pre-season tour, which will include games against Club America in San Francisco on Aug. 4 and against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Aug. 7 at the Rose Bowl.