Bruno and his family. Personal archive
After decades dedicated to high-performance BJJ, the black-belt Bruno Bastos has announced for 2020 his retirement from competing in the adult age group. An ADCC veteran and IBJJF champion, the head of Lead BJJ is wrapping up his competitive career at the age of 40.
His trajectory in the sport began at ten years old, when he took his first steps at the dojo near his old home in Rio de Janeiro. As a black-belt competitor, Bruno has gold medals from the Pan, No-Gi Worlds and Brazilian Nationals.
Leadership, faith and tenacity will all remain as marks of Bruno’s legacy, much like his titles.
Read below our translation of Bruno’s farewell letter:
“First of all, I’m at peace with myself. I didn’t make this decision due to a loss our anything that would make me give up on the sport I love. Everything I’ve gone through in this journey until now has been exciting to me.
“I’m just saying goodbye to professional competitions, that is, in the adult division. I’ll continue to train and compete in the masters and do BJJ superfights against legends of our sport, because fighting is a part of me and it says who I am. Life is an eternal competition.
“Now it’s time to make my students better than I ever was, take care of my new gym and propagate BJJ throughout the world even further. It’s a moment in which I’d be closer to my family also, they followed all of my process to become a professional and I want to pay them back. I’m extremely grateful to BJJ for who I am.
“My journey has been amazing as an athlete and I’m proud of my achievements. I’m a medalist at the BJJ Worlds in gi and no-gi. I fought the best of this sport and I have victories and defeats. I’ll carry the memories forever.
“I’m about to turn 40 and I have 30 years of jiu-jitsu. A little time ago I completed 19 years as a black-belt and received my fifth degree. Yup, I got farther than I imagined when I was younger.
“My story as an athlete is already made. I’m ready to write more chapters as a teacher and a human being who helped improve the life of many people all over the world. Thank you, Jiu-Jitsu!”
