Pedro Sauer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pedro Sauer is a 6th Degree Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt under Rickson Gracie and considered by many experts to be the "most technical instructor in the world." On May 17, 2005, he was named "Best of the Best BJJ Instructor" in a worldwide poll conducted by the renowned Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC).
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[edit] Personal History
"Professor" Pedro Sauer was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where from an early age, he began training in the martial arts. At age five, he began boxing and later took up judo and taekwondo. At age fifteen, however, his friend, Rickson Gracie, invited him to train jiu-jitsu with his younger brother, Royler, who at the time was only nine years old. The outcome of this experience convinced him that jiu-jitsu was the most effective of all the martial arts, and he began training the very next day.
Pedro worked towards a double major (Economics and Business Administration) in college, and took post graduation course at Fundacao Getulio Vargas. He worked in Brazil as a stockbroker for eleven years before deciding to move to the United States and pursue a career teaching jiu-jitsu. In 1990, he moved to California with the original wave of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructors. He lived in California with Rickson Gracie and trained daily with the Gracie brothers (Rickson, Rorion, and Royce), their father, Helio Gracie, their cousin, Renzo Gracie, and the Machado Brothers, as well as many others. In December of that same year, he moved to Utah where he has lived for the past sixteen years, pioneering Brazilian jiu-jitsu in the American southwest.
2006 - Pedro now lives in Virginia and teaches BJJ in Maryland (Jeff Gordon's Self Defense Academy) and Virginia (One Spirit Martial Arts and George Mason University)
[edit] Certifications
1985 - Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Helio and Rickson Gracie 1986 - Tecnico de Jiu-Jitsu. This is a special certificate given by Helio Gracie in recognition of superior technical mastery of the art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. 1990 - Certified Black Belt Instructor by Robson Gracie and the Federacao de Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt Judo 1993 - 3rd Degree Black Belt from Rorion Gracie 1996 - Level 6 Instructor Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy (Rorion and Royce Gracie) 2000 - 5th Degree Black Belt under the Federacao de Jiu-Jitsu 2003 - 6th Degree Black Belt /
[edit] Teaching History
Pedro Earned his Black Belt from Helio and Rickson in 1985. Long recognized for the superior technical efficiency of his jiu-jitsu, he then began his career as an instructor in 1986 when asked to teach with an organization known in Brazil as Corpo/Quatro (Body of Four) where he taught and continued his training under renowned jiu-jitsu instructors Alvaro Barreto (who is a red belt master under Helio Gracie).
After moving to Utah in December of 1990, he taught as one of only two non-Gracie black belts under the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy (run by Rorion and Royce Gracie). In October of 1996, he became an official representative Black Belt Instructor under the Rickson Gracie American Jiu-Jitsu Association.
Recently, Pedro has moved to Virginia where he now teaches at One Spirit Martial Arts in Herndon, Virginia. He also has several affiliated schools across the country, and he visits them on a regular basis to give intensive instruction to the students and instructors. He is one of the most highly sought after instructors in the U.S. (of any martial discipline) and has presented hundreds of public seminars around the nation in Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, and Virginia. (In Virginia alone, Pedro has done over 25 seminars.)
On May 17 2005, he was named "Best of the Best BJJ Instructor" in a worldwide poll conducted by the renowned Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC).
[edit] Work with Military and Law Enforcement Agenices
Pedro works extensively with military groups in Virginia, including the Marines and various groups from the Navy SEAL teams (including the snipers). He has also trained FBI and CIA agents in Texas. SWAT teams in Colorado and Utah. Also in Utah, Pedro has trained the police in Provo, Orem, DARE officers, the Sheriffs department in Salt Lake City, POST (Police Officer's Standard Training) in SLC, and also the Orem Fire Department.
Pedro's skill, confidence, and fearlessness as a jiu-jitsu practitioner win him the respect of all that work with him. However, it is through his sincere personality, his passion for teaching, and his ability to transfer his skills to his students in an efficient and professional manner, that he has earned the loyalty of students across the nation, and has established himself as one of the premiere military and law enforcement instructors in the U.S.
