The chances are if you’ve trained in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or MMA then you’ll have heard of Brazilian Top Team. In short, Brazilian Top Team was the brainchild of three Brazilians that clubbed together to make a super gym that was devoted to BJJ and MMA. These were, Murilo Bustamante, Ricardo Liborio, and Mario Sperry.
Since its creation back in 2000, it has gone global and has several affiliate gyms. Further, former member Ricardo Liborio went on to found American Top Team after settling in the USA. Like Brazilian Top Team, his chain of gyms has also branched out and grew in popularity over the years. Unsurprisingly, because of the link between both gyms, the logo in BTT and ATT is very similar.
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Is Brazilian Top Team just Jiu Jitsu or does it teach other stuff?
The answer to this really depends on your local BTT gym. Although the original gym did teach a variety of martial arts with a BJJ focus, these days affiliate gyms may exclusively teach BJJ and nothing else. There’s also a location in Thailand that also focuses Muay Thai alonside BJJ.
In short, it depends entirely where you train and it’s down to the individual gym owner. So, this means that all BTT gyms will teach BJJ. Whether they also teach other martial arts is completely random and is up to the owner of the facility.
How good is Brazilian Top Team Jiu Jitsu?
Is Brazilian Top Team Legit?
If you’re wondering about the legitimacy of Brazilian Top Team then don’t worry. As it happens, Brazilian Top Team is about as legitimate as they come where BJJ and MMA are concerned. Over the years, they’ve had MMA fighters such as Vitor Belfort, Murilo Bustamante, Mario Sperry, Antonio Nogueira, and Rousimar Palhares. Both Belfort and Bustamante are ex-UFC Champions, whilst Palhares is also known for his MMA career and BJJ career and his knowledge of heel hooks.
One thing that all these fighters had in common was they were all accomplished grapplers. This is to be expected and is the hallmark of a BTT fighter.
These days, away from the Brazilian Top Team HQ in Rio de Janeiro, there’s a number of affiliate schools as well. These often teach MMA and BJJ which is what BTT was built upon. However, there are now thousands of members in these gyms. Therefore, you may bump into a member at some point during a competition. Remember though, the HQ back in 2000 is probably different to an affiliate operating elsewhere. As well, some of the modern gyms may specialize entirely on BJJ, rather than the original link with MMA grappling.
Chute Boxe Vs. Brazilian Top Team
Back in the PRIDE MMA era, Brazilian Top Team had a rivalry with Chute Boxe. This was a rival team who also hailed from Brazil and was created by Rudimar Fedrigo. Here, the two teams would often clash and were seen as the peak of MMA in Japan. The likes of Antonio Nogueira won the PRIDE Championship for BTT, whilst Chute Boxe also had fighters like Anderson Silva.
Basically, both gyms had similar philosophies in terms of fighting which involved a combination of grappling and striking. Remember, this was during the early 2000s, when fighting was less technical than today, with grappling seen as something that was still very new.
Conclusion
Overall, Brazilian Top Team is an organization with a stellar reputation. At the same time, if you’re thinking about joining your nearest BTT gym then make sure to check them out before signing up. You never know, the vibe may just be different from what you’re used to or expect.
In conclusion, Brazilian Top Team usually offers a solid grappling curriculum and enough you’re lucky enough it will also combine this with striking training too. Therefore, if you want to become a rounded grappler, then BTT is often a good choice when you begin training.
Want to learn more about Brazilian Top Team? Check out this documentary DVD that features the life of Mario Sperry and behind the scenes of one of the greatest MMA teams ever.
