Marcelo Lopes BJJ

**maori_88** · Posted On: 5/29/2011 5:53pm

Hi guys,

There's a black belt in my town and I'm wondering if he's that legit.
I spotted a few red flags but I might be wrong.

-He's known around as Marcelo Lopes but after a few research he's also known as:
*Marcelo Dercote Lopes
*Marcelo Bercot

his website:
www.marcelolopes.co.nz

-He claimed to have been awarded "best instructor of the year 2004" in Rio De Janeiro.

-There's no mention whatsoever of his lineage.

He might be legit. He won several MMA fights and jiu jitsu comps but in New Zealand there are not many black belts around, not many people knows what it's like to train with a real black belt.

**Soldiermedic** · Posted On: 5/29/2011 6:21pm

Have you sent a request via email or phone call about his lineage? That would be a good start. If he is legit he should have no problem with it.

**GulfCoast** · Posted On: 5/29/2011 6:24pm

A quick google search turns this up:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-e...ompetition-low

The article asserts the following:

"Brazilian jiu jitsu is a martial art centred around self-defence and was founded in Brazil by Carlos Gregorio Sr. Lopes took up the sport in 1997 under the guidance of Gregorio's son, Rafael Calderas, and after immigrating to New Zealand from his native Brazil in 2005 started Marlborough's first and only Brazilian jiu jitsu school."

Offered for what it is worth.

**100xobm** · Posted On: 5/30/2011 4:25am

Videos here:

Are you in Hamilton or what? Might help to narrow it down. Have a look into the xplosiv thing

**100xobm** · Posted On: 5/30/2011 4:44am

Xplosive event in 2008:

One club talking about how they competed:

http://www.academyofcombat.co.nz/gal...ournament.html

Another forum post about it:
http://infinitemma.com/community/ind...d/11008/#93727

Little else I can find. But the event looks legit. The news article (stuff's a reputable news source in NZ) says they did wellish there. So given that the event is legit, and their results are legit, he's probably legit.

Just walk in and make fun of his accent, you'll find out if he's good.

Did any of you compete in the nogi comp up here in aucks recently?

::EDIT::

I'll check with my coach when I get back to training, he's a legit brazillion BB. Won't be for a month or so.

I mean, everyone's got these hardout policies for background checks on this site. If I were you, I'd go there for six months, then go to a judo club. If you can sub everyone there, chances are you're legit. Or at least legit enough.

**KiwiPhil889** · Posted On: 5/30/2011 4:57am

I watched him compete at the ASGC here in chch last year. Can't speak to his actua verifiable rank,but he did compete in the advanced class in both Gi and No Gi. He came 2nd in Gi to a brown belt from Dunedin, and won the No Gi by beatin the same brown belt.

He also opened the comp with a win by choke out.

**Outis** · Posted On: 5/30/2011 11:04pm

I came across this link to The New Zealand Federation of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

http://www.nzfbjj.com

which mentions Lopes under "Affiliates" and "Ranking." I couldn't find any contact information on the site for the Federation itself, however.