Guilherme Maia
From OTMWiki
Name: Guilherme Maia a.k.a. "Crazy Bull" Born: 05/20/1974 City: Rio de Janeiro - Brazil Academy: DE LA RIVA - Rio de Janeiro Founder De La Riva UK Master: Ricardo DE LA RIVA Goded Modality: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Submission & Vale-Tudo Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Confederation: 09128 Belt: Black Belt Height: 5'7" / 1,70 cm Weight: 154 / 70 Kg
Born on May 20th in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Guilherme Augusto Maia began his sporting career through Judo at school, at the age of six, due to health problems. Guilherme was already starting to take his firsts steps into the mat. After years of training, he left it and started taking classes of Muay Thai, Olympic Wrestling, Wrestling and Boxing, modalities of fight that he practices up to these days. Since he was a child he has always been passionate about fighting.
In 1994, Guilherme had his first contact with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, at W2M gym in Copacabana, having as teacher Ricardo “De La Riva” Goded as his coach/master, thus, devoting himself to this martial art. In the same year, he was enrolled at the Business Administration College. Soon, he started to work full-time, trained in the end of the afternoon after he left work and after that he used to go to college in the evening. When he was purple belt, he used to give classes to pupil belt students at De La Riva’s gym whenever he needed.
In 2003, as a brown belt student, after graduating as a Bachelor in Business Administration, he decides to drop it all and devote himself exclusively to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, where he discovered what he enjoyed doing more: training, teaching and fighting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Submission and MMA/NHB. In the same year, he opened his own gym “Gold Fighter” in partnership in the neighborhood of Jardim Botânico and starts teaching martial arts to his students, besides his training at De La Riva gym in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro.
In the same year of 2003, after years of training and competition for De La Riva’s gym, he received one more belt from the Great master De La Riva, the expected black belt, thus, opening a new chapter in his career, increasing the responsibility of representing as a Black Belt fighter, one of the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gyms to the world.
In 2004, he receives proposals to teach and give seminars in the USA, so he starts to prepare himself physically and mentally for the trip. He ends up returning to Brazil, after some months of successful accomplishment of his work there. In the same year, he receives other proposals and decides to live in Canada for seven months, besides going to Japan to give seminars and to help his Master De La Riva in his fight against Yuki Nakai.
In May 2005, he returns to Brazil to undergo a shoulder surgery, as a constant pain really bothered him during training and competitions for almost three years, impairing his performance on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Anything Goes fights. The surgery left him out of training and competitions for seven months.
In January 2006, the highly expected day comes, his return to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu/Submission/MMA training at De La Riva’s gym and Boxing at Nobre Arte gym, after seven months of recovery and lots of physical therapy.
In this year of 2006, he is returning to his usual training and competition activities with the same strength and wish to win, preparing himself as well to pack his bags and start travelling again to teach the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu/Submission/MMA to the world, hence, shaping the future “Great Fighters and Real Champions on the mat and in life”.
- Guilherme has rcently moved to the UK and has established De La Riva UK *****
