I second Carlson Gracie Sr. When I was training at his academy in Copa I was thinking about how many fighters learned BJJ on the very same mat over the decades and became the greats they are today. It is a very long list. Experiencing the combatative spirit even an average class today still has, I can feel how he provided the environment for all these fighters to succeed.
Carlson Gracie Sr, BTT and Nova Unio plus a shit ton others are the proof!
Draculhino should merit a mention as well
JacareCavalcanti so far this year...)
Moriarty 2007 ADCC Qualifier Champion (Alliance-Team Jacare
Marcelinho 2007 BB Pam-Am Champion, 2007 ADCC Absolute runner-up, 2007 ADCC division Champion (Alliance- Fabio Gurgel)
Leozinho 2007 ADCC divisional runner-up (Brasa)
Drysdale 2007 ADCC Absolute Champion (Brasa)
Glover 2007 ADCC qualifier..(I know Cobra Kai now but originally trained by Franjha at Paragon which is Jacare` lineage)
the four possible answers are:
my instructor
my instructor's instructor
affiliate of my instructor
guy who came and did seminar at my school
Xtina is correct. Those guys are all good.
jacare calvacanti-he taught:
-Fabio Gurgel (who taught Marcelo Garcia,Damian Maia, Tarsis, Soluco, Telles...)
-Paiva (who taught Leo Leite, Haroldo Bunn, Tullio Perrone and Terere who taught Cobrinha and Galvao)
-Leo and Ricardo Vieira (who taught Drysdale and others)
-Franjinha (who taught Jeff and Tyrone Glover as well as Bill Cooper)
-Traven (who taught Ze Mario Esfiha, Muzio and more!)
-Comprido, Felipe Costa, Jamelao, Castello, Ratinho, Zicro, Jeff Joslin, Bull Shaw, Chris Moriarty,Ryan Ellison and more!!!
I am not casting a vote but if you count guys taught by the teacher's student. Then Carlos and Helio are the contenders, unless you give it to Maeda.
Carlson Gracie's expanded teaching family includes:
Carlson Gracie Team
BTT
ATT
Nova Uniao
and probably more.
I think Jacare of Alliance has to be up there with his student Fabio Gurgel and all the amazing guys that have been produced.
So many great guys, how could anyone pick just one?
If you are going off student success i'd say carlson gracie.
I?ve trained with a lot of guys, My vote is for Pedro Sauer too.
JJ Machado
It is hard to find an instructor at his level that teaches all the classes at his Academy. It still amazes me that you can walk into his school and find him teaching the beginers class almost every single night.
"JJ Machado"
I have to agree here.