Gabriel Almada 
Bernardo Passos is seen as a Brazilian grappling sensation who has made a name for himself in Europe. The carioca has been living in Paris for just over a year and has already attracted attention for his predatory instincts. At 24, Bernardo is a black belt in Luta Livre and has an attractive style for ADCC fans. He specializes in heel hooks and has a clever game, capable of setting up quick and lethal takedowns in the slightest of gaps. In recent months, the prodigy has been tipped by master Marcio Cromado as the future exponent of the sport at the world’s biggest grappling event.
Bernardo has won several titles in nogi Jiu-Jitsu and grappling. Since landing on the European continent, the young star has won gold medals at the Opens in Paris, Madrid, Lisbon and London, organized by the IBJJF. He won a superfight at the ADCC event in Scotland. He also has numerous victories in other local grappling tournaments.
In an interview with VF Comunica, Bernardo Passos recalls how he fell in love with Luta Livre.
“The cradle of Luta Livre is Ilha do Governador, where legends of our sport were formed, it’s even the place where I was born and raised. You can probably find a wrestling gym in almost every neighborhood on the island. So, with the popularity high and the influence of my childhood friend, Marcelo, who practiced wrestling, I started watching the training sessions, until one day I started training and never stopped,” recalls Bernardo.
France is known for being one of the main hubs for the development of Luta Livre outside Brazil. The country is home to several qualified schools and has a wealth of champions, such as Nicolas Renier, a veteran of six editions of the ADCC. Bernardo analyzes the growth of the sport in the country and praises the level of the local teams.
“There are several Luta Livre academies here in France thanks to Mestre Peroba, who spread our sport across the European continent. Big wrestling schools are based in Paris, such as NR Fight, Nicolas Renier’s academy, which brings big names in Jiu-Jitsu and grappling to seminars and camps. This encourages the development of our sport in France,” says the black belt.
Bernardo is an excellent finisher in the foot and heel locks and manages to impose his game with fluidity and naturalness. If today he can be considered a specialist in these attacks, Bernardo guarantees that it is the result of a long process of training and learning. He reveals the secrets that have made him a reference in this area.
“First, you need to understand the damage that each lock can cause. Also, it’s crucial to lose the fear of exposing your legs and not have an ego. It’s very important to do the three slaps as many times as necessary, until you learn how to defend yourself and then start working on your attacks. I see that most people focus on learning attacks and forget the principle of all white belts, which is to learn how to defend yourself and withstand attacks and pressure from your more senior training partner. I’ve had the opportunity to train with several world references in grappling and Jiu-Jitsu. Most of them are great at attacking the legs, but few really know how to defend themselves,” says the grappler.
The carioca has all the credentials to stamp his passport to ADCC 2024 in Las Vegas. For Bernardo, taking part in the ADCC would represent repaying the gratitude he has for the sport that propelled him to the biggest stages.
“Fighting in the ADCC will be like taking the Luta Livre flag to where it always deserved to be. My biggest dream in the sport is to give back everything that Luta Livre has changed in my life, so I’m sure that in a few years I’ll be taking Luta Livre to every corner of the world, so that other people can have a hope in life like I did thanks to this sport,” the champion confides.
Bernardo Passos already has a date for his comeback. He’s set his sights on 2023 and intends to add another major title to his name.
“I’m going to take part in some local grappling competitions in September and October, but my main focus is the IBJJF European No-Gi, in Lazio, between October 26 and 29,” Bernardo confirms.
