Bruno Fernandes – Head Instructor
Professor Bruno Fernandes is a 4th degree black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr. and has studied Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for almost 30 years. He started at the age of 11 in his hometown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and never stopped. He is a proud member of the Gracie Barra Organization and had the chance to train with the best in the sport on a daily basis. All the great names of Gracie Barra influenced his game, shaping it into a unique style characterized by speed, fast transitions, flexibility and smoothness. He blends traditional moves and newly developed techniques with ease.
Bruno upholds a strong set of moral values and personal discipline. He is committed to maintaining the integrity of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Besides learning jiu-jitsu at the highest level, students also learn the philosophy of the art. Respect to others and sportsmanship are some of the qualities expected from students. The Gracie Barra Family distinguishes itself from other teams not only because of the most refined technique but also because of the emphasis on moral development. Bruno considers his teammates like family and the team itself as nothing less than an immense brotherhood. He believes that jiu-jitsu is much more than a martial art, but a healthy lifestyle to be shared with people you care about.
Bruno has made his name after years of competition and accomplishments. Among other titles, he won 4 world titles, 4 Pan-American championships, plus national and regional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments. It now gives him great joy to see his students thrive. Some have already been in the podium on world championships and submission grappling tournaments. Bruno’s relationship with mixed martial arts been no less outstanding. Based in Montreal, he has helped to improve the ground game of most of the top Canadian MMA fighters such as George St-Pierre, Dave Loiseau, Jonathan Goulet, Rory McDonald, John Makdessi, Alex Garcia, Mike Ricci, just to name a few.
Prof. Bruno Fernandes has a medical degree and residency training in ophthalmology. His desire to do research brought him to Montreal in 2005. Since then, he has earned a PhD degree and studied cancer and various pathologies of the eye at the prestigious McGill University and University of Toronto. He worked as an Assistant Professor at McGill University from 2009 until 2012, and regularly published articles in major journals and gave presentations all over the world. In 2012, Bruno retired from his medical career and is now fully committed to his students at Gracie Barra Montreal.
