Luis Carlos Dagmar

Main Achievements & Distinctions

• 8th Degree Coral Belt Rank — Stands alone as the only 8th Degree Coral Belt actively teaching in the region of São José dos Campos.
• Honorary Citizen (Cidadão Joseense) — Awarded the highest civic honor by the São José dos Campos City Council on December 1, 2023, celebrating decades of community and social impact.
• Architect of the Golden Generation — Discovered, trained, and mentored multi-time World Champion André Galvão during his formative developmental years.
• Elite Competitors Produced — Formally graduated and trained world-renowned black belts including Pedro Bessa, Ronaldo Cândido, Pablo Deziro, Giovani Deziro, Carlos Galvão, Gustavo Galvão, and Flávio Oliveira.

Overview

Mestre Careca (Luiz Carlos Dagmar) is an 8th Degree Coral Belt and the founder of Equipe Careca Jiu-Jitsu. A living legend of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he is widely recognized for training the golden generation of the “gentle art” in São José dos Campos and shaping some of the sport’s greatest world champions. Blending high-level technical expertise with an extensive academic background in Physical Education from Universidade Gama Filho, Mestre Careca remains a foundational pillar of traditional, old-school grappling lineage.

Early Roots in Rio de Janeiro

Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Luiz Carlos Dagmar began his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey in 1975 under the tutelage of Mestre Maurição in Copacabana. Needing to sharpen his skills further, he later transitioned to training under the legendary Grand Master Osvaldo Alves, a pioneer of modern BJJ. It was from Grand Master Osvaldo Alves’ hands that Mestre Careca earned his coveted black belt.

For years, Mestre Careca balanced his passion for Jiu-Jitsu with a corporate career at the state bank, Banerj. When the bank transferred him to Saquarema in 1989, he opened his very first academy, officially beginning his prolific career as a professor and mentor.

The Move to São Paulo & The Golden Generation

Following the closure of Banerj and looking to capitalize on the massive expansion of Jiu-Jitsu in São Paulo, Mestre Careca moved south. After a brief teaching stint in Itaquaquecetuba in 1998, he arrived in São José dos Campos in 1999—a move that would change the landscape of competitive BJJ forever.

Setting up his academy in the Jardim das Indústrias neighborhood, Mestre Careca began producing elite talent. In 1999, a frail 15-year-old boy walked into his gym. Recognizing the teenager’s extraordinary raw potential, Careca mentored him through his early developmental years before selflessly guiding him toward higher-level competition. That boy was André Galvão, who would go on to become a multi-time ADCC and IBJJF World Champion and co-founder of Atos Jiu-Jitsu.

Beyond Galvão, Mestre Careca is responsible for building a fierce generation of local competitors, graduating and training world-renowned black belts such as Pablo Deziro, Giovani Deziro, Pedro Bessa, Ronaldo Cândido, Carlos Galvão, Gustavo Galvão, and Flávio Oliveira.

Honors, Legacy, and Community Impact

On December 1, 2023, the shadow of his community efforts was recognized when the São José dos Campos City Council awarded Mestre Careca the honorary title of “Cidadão Joseense”. This stands as the highest civic honor granted by the city, celebrating his decades of social and community impact through martial arts. He maintains an elite position as the singular 8th Degree Coral Belt actively running classes in the local region.

His primary training center, Equipe Careca Jiu-Jitsu, operates as a prominent powerhouse affiliate of the global Atos Jiu-Jitsu framework, instructing students ranging from young children to elite international competitors. Today, Mestre Careca continues to preserve and teach old-school Jiu-Jitsu values out of his academy center in Jardim Estoril, São José dos Campos, supported by his wife of over 30 years, Anisia, and his daughters.