Eduardo Roque
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South Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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About Us
Eduardo Roque was born on February 20, 1999, in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, spending his formative years in Gigoia Island, in Bairro da Tijuca (RJ).
Although a big fan of sports and of the sporting lifestyle from an early age, Eduardo was not particularly gifted at any of the activities he practiced. According to Roque himself, in an interview given to BJJ Heroes in December 2021, he was always the last one to be picked when playing any type of team games in his neighborhood.
At the age of 10, Eduardo Roque discovered his friends had started practicing jiu-jitsu with coach Neovan Oliveira da Costa, also known as “Perninha”, a black belt who ran a social project with his partner “Tico” in Gigoia Island. It was there that Eduardo initiated his jiu-jitsu career by following his buddies to class.
In 2018, blue belt Eduardo Roque visited the United States for the first time, to compete at the IBJJF World Championships. Although the tournament did not go his way that year, Eduardo believed he would eventually pull through if he remained in the US competing in the industry’s most well-known circuit. Hearing of the young athlete’s intentions, Rafael Lima Corrêa (Gordinho) – a revered instructor and former top-tier athlete himself – decided to help Roque by offering his academy (Start Jiu-Jitsu) in Florida as a base for the young Gordo JJ team representative. The offer was accepted by Roque who did eventually come through, ending that year as the #1 ranked athlete on the IBJJF.
Spreading his time between the US and Brazil, Eduardo quickly became one of the division’s foremost competitors. His success would lead to his promotion to black belt on December 21st, 2021, a ceremony led by coach Neovan Oliveira da Costa.
