Jiu-Jitsu literally translates from Japanese to mean the gentle art. The art of Japanese Jiu-Jitsu was brought to Brazil by the Japanese. The traditional art was taught to a family called the Gracie family, they adopted the art and then started to adapt it trough testing their theories out in the reality fights. A lot of the emphasis of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is therefore in groundwork because the Gracie family realised that 99% of fights eventually ended on the ground.Professor Carlos Lemos Jr had his first contact with martial arts at the age of three. His father who encouraged Carlos to train in Tae Kwon Do. Carlos trained Tae Kwon Do for some years until he reached the age of ten, Carlos then started to train in Judo. Training under Sensei “Pedroso”, Carlos became juvenile judo champion, at the age of eleven.

Carlos started to train gymnastics and surf at the age of 14 Carlos also started to train in Muay Thai. Carlos became a surfing champion in his city and eventually one of the best surfers of State of Rio de Janeiro (junior and senior category).

In the year of 1992 Robson Gracie and his family (Renzo, Ralph and Ryan Gracie) moved to Carlos’neighborhood, Carlos was encouraged from some of his friends to start his training with the Gracie’s, in one of the Gracie Barra schools in Rio, there Carlos had access to the best instructors in this sport including: Alexandre Soca Carneiro, Roberto Gordon Correa and Renzo Gracie.

Three months after his first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu lesson, Carlos won his first tournament. Carlos received his blue belt in 1995 from the hands of Professor Roberto Gordo Correa after a remarkable tournament : Professor Roberto Correa registered on the Gracie Barra Annual internal tournament on the white belt division, Carlos went to compete and submitted 4 of his matches in less than 5 minutes in total!, Professor Roberto Correa came to Carlos and said, it was too easy for you, I just put your name on the blue belts division, if you win as a blue belt you can have your blue belt if you lose, you’re staying for a while longer on your white belt…. Carlos submitted all his opponents on the blue belts division and true to his Professors promise, was promoted to blue belt. Starting on that day, a brilliant competitive career, including 5 Brazilian National titles, 1 National American Grappling Association champion on his weight category and also on the open weight class (elected the most technical fighter on that event, submitting all of his matches on the same night including 3 Brazilian black belts) (Carlos was also the lightest competitor in the tournament providing once again the superiority of his technical skills)

Carlos is also a 2 x Pan American champion.

Carlos has developed his own style in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, his style emphasises on speed, leverage and fluidity in the moves but more than anything submission. All these attributes made Carlos an internationally recognized fighter, awarded in most of the tournaments that he fought the most technical fighter, catching the attention of the fighting media around the world.