Meet the Team
Professor Diego Cacella
Coach
1st Degree Black Belt
-Purple belt New York open IBJJF
-Bronze medalist (2015)
-Brown belt NAGA championship Miami third place (2017)
-Second place Miami state open(2017)
-2th place Carlson Gracie cup FJJRIO (2019)
-Blackzilians MMA camp, Miami (2015)
Professor Kiko Cacella
Founder & Head Coach
5th Degree Black Belt
-Florida State Champion, 2011
-Rio de Janeiro State Champion, 2001
-MMA Veteran, King of the Cage
-Second place Miami state open(2017)
-2th place Carlson Gracie cup FJJRIO (2019)
-Blackzilians MMA camp, Miami (2015)
Kimberly Carder
Head of Operations
Brown Belt
-Head of D'jago Life (Coming Soon)
-Abu-Dhabi Asian Qualifiers (2015, China)
-MMA (1-0 HK's first professional women's fight)
-Abu-Dhabi Competitor European Qualifiers (2017, Holland)
-Copa Hong Kong blue belt champion (2018)
Our History
Our roots & lineage
As BJJ has grown and spread around the world there are many different types of black belts who teach around the world. Our teaching pedigree at D’jago is as close to the source of BJJ as it gets.
Master Carlos Gracie
Master Carlos Gracie is considered the Founder of Brazilian Jiujitsu (BJJ). He studied traditional japanese jiujitsu from Mitsuyo Maeda, a master of his art and known in Brazil as Cone Koma, the Count of Combat. He taught all of his four brothers the foundations that Maeda taught him, and interpreted the moves to emulate a street fight with no rules. They went on to develop ‘Gracie Jiujitsu’. He adopted a philosophy of always being ready to fight and was known to put advertisements in newspapers encouraging others to come to his home to test his fighting skills. It was this confidence in training and desire to share his knowledge with his family that birthed the sport we have come to know. Carlos Gracie also created ‘The Gracie Diet’ to help his family live a healthier lifestyle, keeping the blood pH low by only consuming compatible nutrients. Carlos Gracie went on to have 21 children - 13 became black belts. By the time he died, he had 106 grandchildren. His younger brother Helio had 7 sons. They all embodied this open approach to the sport, encouraging challengers at any time. This built the ‘Gracie’ name and started the legacy we have all come to know over the decades since.
Master Carlson Gracie
Carlson Gracie was the eldest son of Carlos Gracie. He is one of the most decorated fighters and teachers of all time. He was undefeated in his fighting career and is considered the best fighter and coach of BJJ and MMA of all time. His academy fused both BJJ and MMA, with many of his students going on to become popular names in the sport today, Vitor Belfort, Carlson Gracie Jnr., Ricardo De La Riva, Allan Goes, Murilo Bustamante, Mário Sperry, Wallid Ismail, Vauvenargues "Marinho" Vicentini, Paulo Filho, André Pederneiras, and Ricardo Liborio and many others. He believed in sharing his BJJ knowledge, seeing that as a fundamental way to move the sport forward and improve. Both his BJJ and MMA career had him as one of the most feared competitors, he created an aggressive approach to the sport with heavy top pressure and infused Judo and Wrestling. Over his lifetime he became a 9th degree red belt.
Professor Rodrigo Medeiros
Professor Rodrigo earned his black belt from Carlson Gracie Senior in 1996. He started training in 1986 Rio de Janiero, with Professor Maneco, coral belt from Carlson Gracie. Professor Rodrigo started his own academy Nova Geração, together with Francisco Toco Albuquerque another Carlson Gracie student in Leblon, Rio de Janiero 1992. Both of them Purple belts from Carlson Gracie, authorized to teach kids and teenagers from the neighborhood. Rodrigo won the Brazilian Championship in 1995 and was considered the most technical athlete at purple belt at the time. Carlson Gracie invited Rodrigo to be part of the new growing movement of Jiu-Jitsu in North America in 1996. After working for 3 years with Carlson Gracie in Los Angeles, training alongside Vitor Belfort, Rodrigo opened his own academy in Whittier and moved to La Habra, California 1998. Rodrigo is an active competitor with a decorated fight history, he has fought in the Pan Ams, Worlds, and helped Vitor Belfort prepare for his UFC debut (UFC 12). He has black belts all over the world who continue to teach Carlson Gracie’s principles. https://rodrigomedeirosbjj.com/
Professor Kiko Cacella
Professor Kiko received his black belt from Professor Rodrigo Medeiros in 1999. He has been training BJJ for over 30 years. He started training in Leblon, Rio de Janeiro under Rodrigo Medeiros, alongside Toco and supervised by Grandmaster Carlson Gracie at Nova Geração. He has trained alongside a special cohort of training partners who are now both decorated fighters and impressive black belts who teach around the world. It was a unique opportunity to be able to train and compete with the Carlson Gracie team. He was an active competitor across multiple martial arts. In BJJ he has competed in Rio State Championships (1st place 2001, 3rd place 1997), Florida State Championship (1st place 2011) Brazilian Championship (1st place 1997), NAGA World Championship (2nd place, 2011), and competed in the first ever IBJJF Pan American Championship, 1995. He has competed in wrestling and judo matches. His MMA debut and victory in 2001 against Cicero Costha, Brazilian Gladiators, led him to fight in the USA in King of the Cage against Joe Stevensen, who went on to win the first The Ultimate Fighter, TV show. Professor Kiko’s passion lies in teaching, he has lived and worked over the world, from Brazil, United States, Indonesia and Hong Kong spreading BJJ around the world. He runs the academy with the ethos of teaching to train for life and having BJJ as a practice that supports your lifestyle.
