Carlos “Escorrega” Lemos Jr

Carlos Lemos Jr got the nickname Escorrega, slippery in Portuguese, back in his judo days, from coach Antonio Pedroso. In jiu-jitsu he received his blue belt from Roberto “Gordo” Correa and every belt after that, up to black, from Carlos Gracie Jr.

He was a purple belt world champion in 1999 and took bronze at brown belt in 2000, both at light-featherweight. In 2002, now a black belt, he won the division by choking out Andre Soares in the final. At that Worlds, Gracie Barra won eight of the ten men’s black belt divisions.

He reached the final again in 2003 and took silver behind Bibiano Fernandes, and in 2005 he won bronze in the same division. In 2004, at Carlos Gracie Jr.’s direction, he began opening Gracie Barra schools in Europe, in countries such as Sweden, the United Kingdom and Finland.

He moved to Chicago in December 2008, returned to competition after almost five years away and made his MMA debut in 2011, winning twice in TFC. He runs Gracie Barra Downers Grove, oversees the team’s academies in the American Midwest and still competes in the masters divisions.