The History of Gama Filho’s Family
The most important Value transmitted from one generation to another is Respect for
the History of those who have built a Legacy.
The History of Pedro Gama Filho
Born on February 28, 1945, and eventually a multi discipline Black Belt in Jiu-Jitsu, Judo and Karate, Pedro Gama Filho embraced Martial Arts from early in his life. He became one of the primary influencers of athletes, professors and coaches earning the respect and admiration of everyone in the brazilian sports community. More than just a World Class Martial Artist, he was also an Ambassador of the Sport and one of the first to use Martial Arts sports as an effective means of Education and Social transformation. He recognized the potential social impact and through the Project “Educação Criança Futuro” he served over 60 thousand children from low income communities, providing free education, athletic training and food. His hard work and perseverance lead to a far-reaching impact throughout communities still felt today, long after he was gone.
In 2000, one of his most talented athletes, an eventual Olympic medalist Flavio Canto, became a volunteer professor of Judo at the Educational Project. In 2003, Flavio Canto conceived his own Social Project called Reação directed at more communities of low-income children and built Olympic and world champions in Judo. This success was another testament to Professor Pedro Gama Filho’s concept of sport as a means of social transformation and a means to impact communities.
The History of
Henrique Gama Filho
Henrique Gama Filho was born on May 20, 1982 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Henrique graduated UFRJ (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) with an undergraduate degree in Business and an MBA with specialization in International Business. He comes from one of the most traditional Martial Arts families in Brazil.
The University that bears his family’s name was a highly regarded institution in sports such as Jiu-Jitsu, Judo and Wrestling, with national and international recognition.
Being the son of a Black Belt in Judo, Jiu-Jitsu and Karate, it was not a surprise when Gama Filho started his Martial Arts training in Judo at age 4. At the age of 6 Henrique added Jiu-Jitsu to his activities, training under Royler Gracie in his house at Copacabana, though at the time, lessons were focused more on self-defense than tournament Jiu-Jitsu. However, the event that would truly shift Henrique’s focus to Jiu-Jitsu happened in September 1991, a set of no-holds-barred matches (today’s Mixed Martial Arts) arranged to put an end to the rivalry between the two most dominant martial arts in Rio de Janeiro, so eloquently termed Jiu-Jitsu vs Luta Livre. It was at this event that Henrique witnessed, first-hand the recognition and admiration his father garnered within the Jiu-Jitsu community.
Henrique’s father, Pedro, was already a Legend inside the Brazilian sporting community, particularly loved by Judo and Jiu-Jitsu fans due to his visionary work towards combat sports. Being one of the first men in Brazil to propose sports as a form of education and social transformation through his family’s progressive university UGF (Gama Filho University), was largely responsible for his widespread league of supporters. Brazil.
Seeing Jiu-Jitsu dominate this event, alongside his father’s good friend Carlson Gracie who lead the jiu-jitsu crew, drove Henrique Gama Filho to the Nova Geração Academy, a team run by two of Carlson Gracie’s top students: Francisco Albuquerque “Toco” and Rodrigo Medeiros.
Since 1992, Henrique participated in the largest and most popular tournaments, where at a young age he secured important Brazilian titles, a Bronze Medal at the World Cup as a Purple Belt, a Brazilian Vice Championship by Teams in the adult Black Belt and a No Gi Pan-American Vice Champion, also as a Black Belt.
In addition, he had countless other achievements in IBJJF tournaments throughout Brazil.
Throughout the years Henrique has participated in many sports, including Olympic Wrestling (Greco and Freestyle), Western Boxing and Muay Thai and even won the first Brazilian amateur Mixed Martial Arts circuit.
However, his true passion always remained with Jiu-Jitsu, being promoted to Black Belt on November 4, 2004 under Master Francisco Albuquerque “Toco”.
Moved to the U.S.A.
In 2015, with the support of Master Ricardo Libório, Henrique moved to the United States as an athlete of the American Top Team.
In 2017, he founded the American Top Team Coral Gables, a team that he led until March of 2019, when he decided that it was the time to take a bigger step, creating his own brand, and keeping with his father’s legacy.
On April 1 2019, with the support of Leonardo Freitas and Hayman Woodward company the Gama Filho Martial Arts School of Miami was born, a school that includes his family’s name, and a testament to the Family’s World Class Legacy in Martial Arts. Today, Professor Gama Filho is a Fourth-Degree Black Belt, a family man, happily married to his wife Carol, with whom he shares a one year old son.