IGOR PAIVA

Instructor & Program Director

Igor Paiva is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Bruno Mendes (Tank) and a representative of the Soul Fighters academy in this sport/martial art’s international circuit.

One of the most avid competitors of his generation, Paiva climbed the ranks of BJJ while conquering titles in important tournaments such as the IBJJF World Championship and CBJJ Brazilian National Championship both with gi and in no-gi.

BACK TO ABOUT US
Instructor & Program Director at Combate Academy

LEARN MORE ABOUT

IGOR PAVIA

Growing up in the Grajaú area Igor Paiva started practicing sports, as do most Brazilian children, through football (soccer) a sport he practiced at a competitive level from 7 years. Although extremely invested in sports during his formative years, ranging from football to swimming and tracking, Paiva was forced to abandon his extracurricular activities and focus on his studies at the age of 14.

When Igor was 17 he and his brother Vinicius were invited by a good friend to try a jiu jitsu class at a gym led by the Mendes brothers – Bruno (Tank) and Augusto (Tanquinho). Paiva quickly became one of the academy’s top students, conquering several important trophies while earning the confidence of his coaches to become an assistant instructor there as a purple belt.

His series of positive results competing in the lower belt divisions of this sport’s international circuit earned Igor Paiva his black belt on June 14, 2017 by his coach Bruno Mendes.

BOOK A PRIVATE LESSON WITH IGOR!

Experience personalized world-class training to help level up your game at Combate Academy with our private jiu jitsu lessons.

BOOK NOW!

BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU IS MUCH MORE

THAN A MARTIAL ART...

A man in a white Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gi sits on a black mat, smiling and holding a black belt in his hand. He has short dark hair and a beard, and appears to be in a training facility.

Not only is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu a super challenging sport and an amazing form of exercise, but it could potentially save your life.

We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but just because you’re in shape doesn’t necessarily mean you have what it takes to fend off an attacker. Many fall into the misconception that self-defense training is pretty much the same thing as lifting weights or taking workout classes. Don’t get us wrong, these activities are certainly helpful…but they don’t prepare you for real-life situations.

Now that you’ve learned this, you’re probably looking into the martial arts – and rightfully so! But just as every exercise provides different benefits, every martial art focuses on different parts of the body and aims to accomplish different goals. So while disciplines like Karate, Taekwondo, Kung Fu, and Judo teach students how to apply what they learn on the mat to real-life threats, self-defense is not the sole focus. However, there’s one martial art discipline that puts self-defense on the very top of its priority list: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

A martial arts instructor, dressed in a black gi, demonstrates a technique on two students on a gray mat in a dojo. One student, wearing a blue gi, is in a grappling position with another student, while the instructor observes closely.
Martial arts class with students practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on mats, instructor observing, wall with hats and gloves, and students wearing gis.
Three martial artists in gis standing in a dojo, smiling and talking.
Two men practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on a black mat inside a gym. One man in a white gi with a purple belt is on top, applying a submission hold on the other man in a black gi.