(47 votes, average: 2.91 out of 5)
Loading...Fabio Novaes Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, in Brandon, Florida, is one of two locations in the Tampa Bay area for the Fabio Novaes BJJ schools. We offer instruction in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for both adults and children. Private lessons also available! We are close to the Faulkenburg Jail. We invite you to contact us for any questions you may have, or just come and visit us at any of our two locations (Brandon or Lakeland).
Instructor Fabio Novaes was born in 1974 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 1992 where he graduated as a black belt under Marcelo Saporito of the Carlson Gracie School in 2002. In addition to his training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Fabio also holds a black belt in Muay Thai and a green belt in Judo. Fabio is recognized by the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Confederation, (Confederacao Brasileira de Jiu-Jitsu – CBJJ), The Rio de Janeiro Jiu-Jitsu Federation (Federacao de Jiu-Jitsu do Rio de Janeiro – F.J-J.RIO), The Olympic Jiu-Jitsu Federation of Rio de Janeiro (Federacao Olimpica de Jiu-Jitsu do Estado do Rio de Janeiro – FJJORJ) and the Brazilian Confederation of Olympic Jiu-Jitsu (Conferacao Brasileira de Jiu-Jitsu Olimpico-CBJJO).
In 2002, Fabio traveled to the United States to pursue his MBA in Architecture at an American university. In 2003 he was invited to begin teaching at a well-established martial arts academy located in Lakeland, Florida. Upon receiving his new position he began to see why they had been so successful. The instructors there had been selling belts and promotions to students without achieving the proper level of instruction. Fabio, not wanting to have his name associated with this type of establishment left this academy after just a few months and began to open his own academy in 2003. He began teaching at a local recreation center and within a few months had developed a large student base because of his attention to detail and personable approach to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He continued training at Kelly Recreation Center until late 2007 when he opened his own 2000 square foot training facility in Lakeland. With over 1600 square feet of training area he had finally achieved his goal without compromising his principles.
Since then Fabio has dedicated himself to the training of others. He has taken part in the training of the US Army’s 101st Airborne, 3rd Battalion, 187th Regiment located at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He has participated in the training of Special Operations Command’s, commanding general’s private security detail at MacDill Air Force Base, in Tampa. He has held numerous seminars around the world including Italy, Puerto Rico, California and Hawaii. Fabio’s dedication to this sport has yielded some of the highest caliber Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in the field. Fabio’s students recently took First Place in the Gi competition and third place in the no-Gi competition in North American Grappling Association (NAGA) tournament held in south Florida. Receiving 16 gold medals with only 14 competitors. In addition to this, several of Fabio’s students have also gone on to teach members of the special operations community through private security firms and military contracts. Some of these contracts include members of Trojan Security, Blackwater USA, Olive Security, US Marine Corps and US Army SOC to name a few.
Although I did not have a chance to train directly with Fabio for too long, I did get to see him teach and watch his classes for some time. He is a very good teacher and his classes were well put together. Having to co-exist in a gym with boxing and wrestling being taught he was a great example in professionalism and skill. After the gym closed, I tried to find Fabio’s class but could not. I ended up unknowing joining a Plant City satellite of the “well-established martial arts academy located in Lakeland, Florida” that is mentioned in the BIO. I paid a year ahead and was told that since I was in the military they would reimburse me if I had to deploy. When came on orders to deploy I let them know and gave them copies of my orders, I was never reimbursed and the school ended up closing down before my return. That’s when I learned that you should judge a book by its cover. If your instructor is fat and out of shape how can he teach you.
I have recommended Fabio to many fellow military members and will continue doing so.