Sérgio Luiz da Penha, born on August 20, 1959, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and instructor. He is a BJJ coral belt (7th degree) and a Judo black belt under Osvaldo Alves.
Early Life and Training
Sergio Penha was an active sportsman as a youngster, training in Beach Volleyball and Swimming. Both the jiu jitsu and Judo training walked hand in hand under the guidance of his master Osvaldo Alves. Training out of a small padded room in Osvaldo’s personal residence (the mat was so small that no more than 4 people could roll at the same time), and later at ‘Clube Olímpico’, Sergio was transformed into a formidable fighter. Training hard with his team mate Pascoal Magalhães, the two became a synonym of the closed guard, causing great improvements to a position that barely existed in the sport at the time, and in just three years he achieved his black belt. Going from purple belt straight to black.
Regarded as a Jiu Jitsu prodigy during the 1980’s, Penha is also recognized as one of the main developers of the closed guard position. He rose from purple belt to black belt without stopping at brown and proved his master right by giving the ‘almighty’ Rickson Gracie the toughest test in his jiu jitsu career.
Just a few weeks after Sergio Penha received the black belt, he had a chance to test it at a tournament. In the semi finals of the absolute division he had a chance to test his grade against one of the greatest Jiu Jitsu fighters of all time, Mr Rickson Gracie. Penha fought bravely in one of the most celebrated fights in BJJ history, giving the Gracie a run for his money.
The Epic Match Against Rickson Gracie
Penha is most known for his epic competition match in the 1980s where he almost defeated Rickson Gracie. In one of the most celebrated fights in BJJ history, Penha gave Gracie a run for his money.
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Penha then dropped a little “Old School” history lesson, alluding even to his legendary match with Rickson Gracie, a match Penha was winning handily on points before Rickson dramatically summoned a choke in the last 30 seconds or so to steal victory.
Career Transition and Coaching
Sergio Penha continued his legacy competing when the opportunity arose against some of the best fighters of his generation like Rolls Gracie‘s black belt “Mauricao” Gomes. Unfortunately for jiu jitsu, Sergio made a career decision at the age of 22, to become an airline pilot.
After 22 years living away from his family (at the age of 44) Sergio decided to take a different direction in his life. Daring to do what many men would tremble to even think, he abandoned a prosperous career as an aircraft pilot to become a BJJ instructor. In Las Vegas Penha’s academy grew from strength to strength, paving the terrain for many champions. Many of who have now reached black belt level.
Sergio currently is a coach for well known MMA fighters in Las Vegas such as Stephan Bonnar, Steve Cantwell, Anthony Njokuani among others.
Contributions to Martial Arts
Some sources claim that Penha may have been responsible for training Kazushi Sakuraba in Brazilian jiu-jitsu during his course of victories over various members of the renowned Gracie family. In an interview, Penha confirmed he had taught Sakuraba at the Takada Dojo, although he clarified it had been only 15 days in December 2001, long after Sakuraba had achieved his wins over the Gracie family.
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Community Involvement and Legacy
On August 9, the Las Vegas Jiu-Jitsu community came together for a seminar that gathered proceeds for a fallen officer and fellow BJJ member. Officer David Vanbuskirk earned his black belt under Sergio Penha and worked as a search and rescue officer in the Las Vegas area when he died from a fall directly after pulling a hiker to safety.
The tragedy of Officer Vanbuskirk’s death and the watershed event that ensued provided a proper perspective for what it really means to be “family” in BJJ. “We’ve come together; we are brothers,” Sergio Penha said while addressing everyone in attendance. “Drysdale, Mica …you know, we fight each other all the time when my students compete against your students. That’s the way it has to be, but we also have to respect each other. I respect Drysdale, Mica, Chad (Lyman) and everyone who shares the love of BJJ.
“We’re trying as a Jiu-Jitsu community to remember one of our own who fell serving other people.
Penha is an historic figure in jiu jitsu’s landscape.
Technique Of The Week With Sergio Penha
Sergio Penha's Key Achievements:
- Known for his epic match against Rickson Gracie in the 1980s
- Recognized as one of the main developers of the closed guard position
- Rose from purple belt to black belt
- Coach for well-known MMA fighters in Las Vegas
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