Fellipe Andrew Leandro Silva

Main Achievements

• CBJJO Brazilian National Cup Champion (2010) — Captured top honors on the competitive national stage, demonstrating tactical dominance in the lightweight bracket.
• Multi-Time Regional State Champion — Conquered premier regional titles across Brazil’s toughest divisions, winning the São Paulo State Championship in 1999 and the Rio de Janeiro State Championship in both 2001 and 2010.
• Abu Dhabi World Pro Silver Medalist (2015) — Validated his high-level international status by storming the Master division podium in the United Arab Emirates.
• Overcoming Economic Adversity — Successfully climbed from white to black belt on an earned competitive scholarship at the prestigious AlfaBarra club, breaking structural socio-economic barriers.
• International Military Tactical Educator — Selected globally in 2015 to spearhead specialized defensive grappling integration for the UAE national military academy infrastructure in Abu Dhabi.

Overview

Professor Luiz Felipe da Silva, universally celebrated across the global grappling landscape by his lifelong nickname “Bocão,” is a highly accomplished Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt competitor, an exceptional tactician, and an elite international coach. Competing primarily within the Lightweight (Peso Leve) division, Bocão established himself as one of the most technical, active, and reliable vanguard competitors for the powerhouse Infight Jiu-Jitsu Academy throughout the 2000s and 2010s. Known for his classic closed guard architecture and deep commitment to martial pedagogy, he transitioned his domestic success into a prestigious international coaching assignment within the United Arab Emirates military school system.

Early Life & The Physical Moniker of the “Big Mouth”

Luiz Felipe da Silva was born on September 22, 1977, in the beachside borough of Barra da Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. While the coastal district was widely recognized for its affluent growth, Felipe’s family emerged from a modest economic reality, anchored by his father’s relentless labor as a local janitor.

At the age of 11, Felipe stepped onto the mats to initialize his martial arts path at Totila “Pitoco” Jordan’s renowned gym, Espaço Vital. This legendary training crucible was highly influential in the early development of the art, spawning iconic figures such as Vinicius “Draculino” and Mauricio “Tinguinha.” It was during these primary school training sessions that he was given his permanent moniker, “Bocão” (Portuguese for “Big Mouth”). The label was designated by his peers strictly as a physical attribute due to the anatomical shape of his smile, completely independent of any vocal indiscretion or talking too much in the training room.

Scholarship Breakthrough & The Infight Vanguard

As Barra da Tijuca rapidly transformed into the absolute global epicenter for modern Jiu-Jitsu development, competition intensified, and academy membership fees soared. Although his family’s tight economic constraints threatened to halt his progress on the mats, Felipe’s athletic drive earned him a vital training scholarship at the elite AlfaBarra members club. This critical financial bridge allowed him to sustain his daily evolution all the way from white belt to black belt rank.

While dominating local tournaments as a blue belt in 1997, Felipe met the esteemed coach Rogério Poggio. Recognizing the young athlete’s extreme mechanical intelligence and uncompromised work ethic, Poggio invited Felipe to step into a leadership role as an assistant coach for the academy’s youth divisions. Embracing the parallel responsibilities of an active competitor and an analytical educator, Felipe’s loyalty to the Infight banner culminated in his official graduation to black belt in December 2002.

Elite Technical Prominence & Middle Eastern Transition

On the tournament mats, Professor Felipe “Bocão” da Silva built a fierce reputation for unshakeable positional stability, weaponizing a highly accurate Lumberjack Sweep from the Closed Guard to unbalance and sweep heavier opponents. His stellar competitive prime was highlighted by conquering the 2010 CBJJO Brazilian National Cup Championship alongside dominant gold extractions at both the São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro State Championships, while also taking silver at the 2010 IBJJF Brazilian National No-Gi Championship.

After more than a decade helping build Infight Jiu-Jitsu into a formidable championship brand, his extensive technical authority and administrative leadership caught the attention of international sports scouts. In 2015, Professor Bocão received a prestigious international invitation to relocate his base to the Middle East. He transitioned into the UAE’s highly advanced national school system as a specialized grappling general, tasked with orchestrating the technical Jiu-Jitsu curriculum at a prominent military school in Abu Dhabi. Splitting his legacy between elite competitive triumphs and global martial integration, Professor Luiz Felipe da Silva remains a premier showcase of resilience, technical precision, and uncompromised martial arts majesty.