Rigan Machado: Looking to Change the Jiu-Jitsu Landscape Forever

BIG Plans Ahead
Eighth degree red and black belt, Master Rigan Machado has some big plans for the Brazilian jiu-jitsu community and when I say, “Big,” I mean BIG! If you’ve ever met Rigan or have had the opportunity to spend some time with him, you know he only thinks in grand terms if there is anyone that the ability to pull momentous feats off, it’s him.

Rigan’s Roots
Rigan’s been around jiu-jitsu his entire life. Nephew of legendary Grandmaster Carlos Gracie, Sr. and brother to Carlos, Jean Jacques, Roger and John Machado, Rigan couldn’t help, but be extraordinary in the gentle art. Growing up, he was lucky enough to train under the tutelage of Rolls Gracie and Master Carlos Gracie, Jr. He trained with his four brothers and his Gracie cousins, Rickson, Rorian, and Rillion (to name a few), and his uncle, Carlos Gracie, Sr. Between the ages of 14 and 21, Rigan won the Brazilian National Championships (the equivalent of the World Championships) every year, in every belt. On top of that, he set a record for competing in 19 jiu-jitsu matches in one day, finishing all of them by submission. Overall, he racked up an astounding record of 365 wins and 2 losses during his competitive career.

Academy of Beverly Hills / Celebrity Connections
Currently, Rigan owns and operates the Academy of Beverly Hills where he has made a name for himself training various Hollywood celebrities in jiu-jitsu for their parts in movies and TV roles. Ashton Kutcher, Vin Diesel, Keanu Reeves, Charlie Hunnam, and Ziggy Marley are just a few of the big names he instructs on the mats. He was recently nominated for and won an award in Beverly Hills for his martial arts contribution in the film industry and he informed me that he’s currently set to play the lead in a martial arts film…and of course, he’s playing the bad guy!

World Jiu-Jitsu League
Rigan has big plans to bring jiu-jitsu to the world to a much lager stage – television – but in the meantime, while that idea is percolating and negotiations are underway, he and Mathew Tinley, recently kicked off their first World Jiu-Jitsu League tournament at the Bren Center at UC Irvine. The turnout was on the smaller scale, which was a good thing because it allowed him to fix any issues that arose right at that moment and make a mental note to ensure they don’t happen again at their next tournament in Las Vegas, in May. Overall, Rigan said he was very happy with the results. The event had some really unique characteristics that set it apart from the rest. The World Jiu-Jitsu League showcased new aggressive rules that you can see here: http://youtu.be/s3IcJhEETvU, Tournament 360 ran their scoring very professionally, the red and black World Jiu-Jitsu League logoed mats were beautiful, the sound system played upbeat music all day long and a few celebrities, like Ashton Kutcher, Michael Dudikoff, karate legend Robert Wall, and Jean-Claude Van Damme’s daughter, Bianca Bree Van Damme showed up to help usher in Rigan’s debut event (as an aside, Bianca told me that Rigan is like an uncle to her. She said that he was always at her house growing up, hanging out with her dad, the legendary Jean-Claude Van Damme). The World Jiu-Jitsu League also paid out cash to black belt winners, which is a departure from what the athletes are used to receiving… which typically is nothing.

World champion black belts have long been complaining that the sport of jiu-jitsu is professional, and should be treated as such. They train like professionals, dedicating their lives to the art, but they don’t get paid for their efforts like most professional athletes do. Rigan is seeking to change all that. One such athlete who is no longer complying with the lack of professional status at tournaments is black belt world champion Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida who has dug his heels in on this issue and says he’ll only compete for money (except for the Worlds – he told me he will always be at that one big IBJJF event). Rigan capitalized on this and has made Buchecha the poster boy for the World Jiu-Jitsu League. He will pay him like a professional to promote his venture and compete in it as well. At the tournament in January, Rigan paid out $11,000 in cash prizes to those black belts who won their open divisions. Yuri Simoes and Vitor Oliveira each collected $5,000 for their respective categories, while Karen Deisy picked up $1,000 for hers.

Recently, I got to spend some time with Rigan. I asked him a few questions about his upbringing, his jiu-jitsu, his academy in Beverly Hills, his celebrity connections, and his future plans. This is what he had to say:

What was your relationship like with Grandmaster Carlos Gracie, Sr.?
He was my Uncle; my aunt was married to him. I started training at 5. I was dyslexic and Uncle Carlos got me training and helped me with my nutrition. He helped me overcome the problems I had. I graduated from school; I became a great student and competitor. I was very close to Carlos, Sr. I lived in the Gracie house. I had the opportunity to follow him for 9 years. He made me feel like he was my stepfather. I looked up to him like a father. His kids are like my brothers.

Who were your coaches on the mats growing up?
My coaches were Rolls and Carlos Gracie, Jr. I was 16 when Rolls died. I love his family. I grew up with Rickson, Renzo, Royler, Rillion…that was my generation; that was who I hung out with.

When did you get your black belt?
At 17. I won the Brazilian Nationals (the Worlds) 3 years in a row in the open and in my weight at blue, purple and brown. I was 185lbs at blue and 195lbs at purple to black belt. I moved to America and went all the way up to 235lbs – super heavy weight. I was a vegetarian and then became a meat eater! Carlos Gracie, Jr. was my main coach. I was his first black belt at the Barra Academy. I was his first champion and his best champion for 8 years.

Tell me about your relationship with your brothers.
The one thing I created with my brothers is that we protect each other. I created the philosophy to leave the ego outside the family. I’m not better than anybody. There is no greed between the brothers. We support each other. When you create these ideas, you follow them and pass it on to your students. My brothers and I have a love relationship with each other. When there is too much fame, power or money… if you don’t have a leader to guide you or some philosophy to hold you together, your ego is going to get the better of you. This is why I tried to create this union between all of us Machado brothers. By myself I’m just Rigan, but with my brothers, I’m one of the Machado Brothers. I’m one teacher of five teachers; one champion of five champions. It sounds stronger and better with them. I’m nobody without my brothers. I’m number three…in the middle. I have very good communication skills and I try to get us all to create loving relationships with each other.

When did you open the Academy of Beverly Hills?
The Academy of Beverly Hills opened 1-½ years ago. I always wanted to do VIP training. I met an investor named Cash from Dallas. He introduced me to Martin Wheeler from England who specializes in Systema (an ancient Russian martial art adapted for use in modern warfare by the Russian Special Operations and the Soviet spy network). I joked with him that I would only open an academy in Beverly Hills. He found a place. He wanted a 5 star academy – 1st class, private training, valet parking, celebrities welcome. My first student was Ashton Kutcher. Word got around and now I have over 100 people at the academy. I’m very selective about who joins my academy. They are all good people, no bad apples.

You seem to have built good relationships with a variety of celebrities.
Yes. I’ve built good relationships with Vin Diesel, Ashton Kutcher, and Michael Jai White. I created a new jiu-jitsu system for people who can’t get hurt. It’s technical training. They learn jiu-jitsu and technically train, but it’s all safe. I created a type of jiu-jitsu for the Beverly Hills clientele. Competition, sparring… these guys can’t do that. I can’t even take a 1% chance of them getting hurt. I have 18 celebrities doing this program. Some guys have to sign disclosure agreements; others like Ashton Kutcher and Mickey Rourke come in regularly, while Usher comes in once in a while and Vin Diesel when he’s in town…I train Ziggy Marley.

Can you describe this injury-free jiu-jitsu for me?
I created Flow Jiu-Jitsu. It took me 9 years to put it together. I have over 700 techniques and drills for people to train without injury. It takes 6 to 7 years to master. I will do this in LA and NY only – for those who can’t get injured because they’re in the entertainment field. It’s a thinking philosophy and methodology. There is so much work and study involved in it. It was so hard to figure out all the details, but I’m happy I did it because it’s been very successful.

Do you have plans to open more schools in the future?
Yes. I’m thinking about opening a couple other schools in LA, New York and in Europe. Very high-end academies. I have the best designer and my partner is from Spain for this one. I’m thinking of opening the first in New York, then Zurich and then London. These won’t be just jiu-jitsu. There will be a specialized yoga program, nutrition services, medical treatments, and jiu-jitsu. I want to help people become better through meditation…body, mind and spirit. These are going to be exclusive clubs for high-class clientele. I’m looking for the right locations. In New York we’ve been looking at a place on the East side in uptown Manhattan. It’s 6-7,000 square feet. It’s a dream opportunity for me. The Beverly Hills environment is so friendly and cozy… it’s such a stress-free place. Before Beverly Hills, I was training some of the top athletes in the world with my brothers. I wanted to reach a different clientele. Now I’m hooked!

Tell me about your entertainment career.
I’m meeting with three CAA (Creative Artists Agnecy) agents to talk to them about a TV show – a reality TV show about me and all my brothers and family. I’m also involved in martial arts through the film industry in other ways. I recently produced my first movie – Paranormal Activity Security Squad. I play a hunchback monster. It’s a horror/comedy. I put it together from beginning to end. It’s coming out soon. I love the fun of movies.

You just pulled off your first World Jiu-Jitsu League tournament. I know you were happy with the results. How did this event come about and what are your plans for it?
The World Jiu-Jitsu League is a new organization that took me 9 years to put together. I helped Master Carlos with the IBJJF in the beginning and I always thought I would like to create my own. I kept thinking about how it would be different and what the goal for this organization would be. I wanted something very organized, for kids, adults, seniors, and women. I wanted to put the same philosophy, thinking and passion I have for my academy behind this organization. So, I got a dream team together and we created The World Jiu-Jitsu League. The ultimate strategy is to push the sport to a higher level: TV. I will support Rickson in his new organization with anything he does. I love what he’s doing. I’m not doing a federation. I’m doing a private federation. The rules are a 180 change. There’s a higher point system, penalties for stalling, and you can’t hold a fight. There’s no counting; you have to let go or lose points. There’s no stalling. We need a lot of action for TV. We’re starting with an amateur version to see/learn/test the rules and the organization and to create a rank system. The black belts will earn money. And then we will have a professional league that will be showcased around the world. The athletes will accumulate points as they travel from tournament to tournament. This is my dream come true. I have money behind it – sponsors, waiting and watching us grow. We’re taking baby steps to get to the highest level, to ensure we’re doing everything right. We already have the relationships with the TV contacts. We want to be ready when the time comes to take the plunge to the big screen.

Anything else you want to add?
Yes, I love what I do. I will feel like a student for the rest of my life. I love jiu-jitsu. I don’t ever want to think of myself as a black belt. I’m a white belt at heart. I love to learn. My passion in life is to see others happy through jiu-jitsu; my brothers and my cousins – our relationship – what jiu-jitsu did for me… it made me a better person. I try to duplicate that in different ways for different people. Jiu-jitsu changes lives. That’s my mission. I’m an instructor. I teach techniques, but when I help someone be a better person, that’s where I feel success.

Spending the day with Rigan, I can assure you – this guy is a mover and a shaker. I met him up in Hollywood and the entire time I was with him, he was schmoozing, negotiating, networking, and making things happen. He is constantly on his phone, making deals, creating opportunities and pushing jiu-jitsu forward. He is on a mission to take jiu-jitsu to the next level! Based on his energy level, his passion for the art and his abundance of investor, celebrity and other powerful connections, I don’t doubt for a minute that he will be able to accomplish all that he seeks to achieve. Good luck, Rigan and let us know how it all turns out!

Jean Jacques Machado with a student.