Founded back in 2008 by Andre Galvao and Ramon Lemos, ATOS HQ had just a handful of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners in its first class. However, since then it’s fair to say that the HQ has grown into a mecca for BJJ. In fact, since its creation it has only gone from strength to strength and now it can make a serious claim for being the best BJJ gym in the world. What’s even more impressive is that ATOS is situated in the BJJ hotbed of San Diego, which has a number of other local gyms vying for competition.
So, how did this happen and who are the people that make ATOS HQ so great? Read on for more information.
Andre Galvao – leading from the front
If you’re fluent with BJJ, then you’ll have heard of Andre Galvao who showed that even into your late 30s, you can still compete at the highest level. Skilled in both gi and nogi, Galvao has several ADCC medals and has won Worlds 5 times as a black belt. What’s more impressive is that often in BJJ, you will find great competitors that struggle to translate their skills into a teaching environment, thankfully this is not the case for Galvao.
Ramon Lemos – co-founder
Whilst Ramon Lemos now spends most of his time in UAE, it’s still only right to give him his fair share of respect in terms of making ATOS what it was. Obviously, most people associate Galvao as the face of ATOS, but especially back in the earlier days, Lemos would also work tirelessly in making the gym a powerhouse.
Angelica Galvao
As you may have guessed by the surname, Angelica is the wife of Andre. Like her husband, Angelica is also a keen competitor and has won multiple titles in the gi and nogi, including Worlds. Furthermore, she has mirrored Andre and is also a great teacher, often running the ATOS women’s classes. It’s no surprise then, that their daughter Sarah is an avid competitor.
Notable competitors
Due to such a positive environment, it’s no coincidence that ATOS has produced many talented grapplers over the years. In recent times, their roster includes the likes of Hulk Barbosa, Adam Bradley, Rafaela Guedes, Kaynan Duarte, Luiza Monteiro, Ronaldo Jr, Andy Murasaki, Gustavo Batista, Josh Hinger, Kade, and Tye Ruotolo and more.
There are then other past and present ATOS HQ competitors such as Mike Perez, Keenan Cornelius, Andris Brunovskis, and others. In short, there’s not really anything out there in terms of the amount of raw talent that ATOS has been able to produce which says it all. Put another way, there’s no other team that has racked up such an amount of medals in all areas of BJJ which is pretty astounding.
Is ATOS HQ a one of a kind?
Over the years, there have undoubtedly been some good gyms in BJJ. Alliance under Fabio Gurgel and the Renzo Gracie New York gym spring to mind. However, these gyms still don’t have the same amount of active BJJ competitors all under one roof in the same way ATOS HQ did.
Further, at their own times of dominance, their main teacher wasn’t at the peak of his career either. This suggests that ATOS HQ is genuinely a one of a kind gym that has an environment with a coach in charge that competes, as well as also sustaining its constant stream of elite competitors
The facilities
Although top facilities aren’t always a recipe for success, they certainly help. Thankfully, ATOS HQ ticks all the boxes where facilities are concerned. As seen, it has an incredibly busy timetable which starts as early at 6.15AM and ends at 8.45PM. As a result, if you’re wanting to get the rounds in, then there’s numerous classes that you can take throughout the day. If you’re a beginner then don’t worry as it also has a beginners class too.
Not only this but ATOS also has a lot of mat space, is clean and looks bright and well maintained. Further, it even has its own strength and conditioning program which is essential for elite athletes. In other words, it’s the perfect environment to get good at Jiu Jitsu. Often, some BJJ academies will often neglect this side of owning a gym which can lead to students potentially leaving due to becoming unmovitated. Thankfully, this certainly isn’t the case with ATOS.
Why is ATOS HQ so good?
As mentioned earlier, it’s one thing being a good competitor, but it’s another thing altogether being a good coach too. In short, Galvao is a rarity in that he can translate his skills from himself onto others. If you watch some of his competitors, then you will see that he’s often on the sidelines giving advice too. Simply put, there’s not really anyone around that has been that committed as a coach whilst still making waves at the highest echelons of sports Jiu Jitsu.
With its competition success, the growth of ATOS HQ has also snowballed. For instance, the likes of Ronaldo Jr came in from Brazil to further his game and eleswhere, others moved for similar reasons. Obviously, in a room packed with talent, it’s no surprise that this resulted in growth for everyone. As the saying goes, ‘iron sharpens iron’ and this was the case of ATOS HQ.
What’s more impressive is looking at this in comparison to its debut back in 2008. In little over 10 years, Andre Galvao helped change the face of BJJ forever and proved that if you build it well enough, they will come. Interestingly during that time, ATOS has grown to have global affiliates around the world, which shows its success. With this in mind, it makes you wonder what the next 10 years have in store for the ATOS HQ team.
