At Carlson Gracie Tucson we are a family, and our school is bound to become our students’ second home. We are a judgment-free zone, where mistakes are viewed as growth opportunities and your instructors and fellow students are your #1 supporters. You’ll learn a lot of impressive skills and gain many new abilities at Carlson Gracie Tucson, but the most important thing you’ll acquire during your time here? Our community.
André Freire is a bonafide Brazilian with a 3rd-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, who has extensive teaching experience and who enjoys sharing his skills as he teaches both children and adult classes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
André believes that respect is an important value in life and that you must give respect to get respect. To André fighting and competing teaches respect. He also believes that being a martial artist isn’t just about winning or losing, but rather, it’s about controlling your feelings and centering yourself, so much so that nothing can disturb your mind. And when the fighting is done, or the competition is over, he believes it is giving and showing respect to and for the others who had the courage to step onto the battlefield; thus, developing their warrior spirit.
André began his career in martial arts when he was 6 years old, starting in karate and capoeira. When he was 17, he started to practice Jiu-jitsu no-Gi in MMA classes and at 18 he started Jiujitsu with Gi in the most traditional team in his state of Ceará – Brazil led by Coral belt Master Sazinho Sá. In 2007 as a purple belt, André started teaching Jiu-Jitsu. He became a black belt in 2012 the same year that he completed his degree in Physical Education from Universidade de Fortaleza (Unifor) in Brazil.
The following year of 2012, André married his wife, Thaisa. He also competed in his first MMA competitions—the biggest championship competitions in Brazil, where he became 3x World champion, Pan American and National by CBLP, and won titles from CBJJE (a.k.a. the Mundials, which is the most prestigious Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament in the world) and CBJJ.
In 2017 André came to the USA for the first time, where he won the championship title in the NAGA Las Vegas competition and competed for the first time in the World Masters. The following year of 2018 André moved to the U.S. with his wife, looking to compete in the biggest competitions in the world, which are currently taking place in the United States. December of the same year, his daughter Lunna was born, and André joined the Carlson Gracie Team under Professor Manny Soares in South Florida
After 2 years of teaching and competing in Southern Florida André moved his family to Tucson, Arizona in 2020. Here in Tucson, he started teaching for the Gracie Barra Team, where he spearheaded and started up their successful competition team. In André’s last 4 years in the US, he has won more than 20 gold medals in multiple competitions, including state competitions across the U.S. and international Opens. He also won the bronze in the biggest event in the world, the IBJJF World and Pan.
Today André brings to Tucson, AZ, his extensive worldwide competing and teaching experience. As a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor, who has taught and coached both children and adults, André’s Degree in Physical Education (UNIFOR), post-degree in Martial Arts (UECE), his many years of experience as a competitive athlete and more than 20+ years of Jiu-jitsu practice as a 3rd degree black belt, André’s skills and magnetic personality are a huge benefit to the Tucson Jiu-Jitsu community. André is very excited to be the Head Professor leading the 1st Carlson Gracie Tucson Academy and dedicating all his experience to the people of this community as a legit Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Professor.
“Leadership is not about being the best.
Leadership is about making everyone else better.”
– André Freire
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