Jonatas Gurgel

Career

Jonatas Gurgel is a Brazilian martial artist with over 20 years on the mat. He earned his first Brazilian National Championship in 2002 and went on to become a two-time World Cup Champion in 2004 and 2005 — at the time, among the highest-level competition titles in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu outside the IBJJF World Championship itself.

Alongside his grappling career, Jonatas competed professionally in mixed martial arts and retired undefeated with a 5-0 record. His style blends classical Jiu-Jitsu technique with the pressure testing and tactical thinking that competitive MMA demands.

Teaching

Jonatas has been coaching for more than 20 years, the last 12 as head coach and founder of Winners Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. His philosophy is that technique — not strength — wins exchanges; that children learn more from earned progress than from participation trophies; and that a healthy academy is as much about community as it is about competition.

Under his direction, Winners students have consistently placed at IBJJF-sanctioned tournaments. More importantly, hundreds of kids and adults from Sunny Isles Beach, Aventura, Bal Harbour, and across Miami-Dade County have built confidence, fitness, discipline, and real self-defense skills over the past decade at his academy.

Languages

Portuguese (native), English (fluent), Spanish (conversational).