The ongoing turmoil surrounding Atos Jiu-Jitsu has intensified again in the past 24 hours, with two of the team’s biggest modern champions now publicly linked to official separation messaging: Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa (via a formal statement from Atos Jiu-Jitsu Northwest) and Kaynan Duarte (via an “Official Statement” addressed to the public).
These developments come amid continued fallout following sexual harassment and sexual assault allegations made against André Galvão. The allegations were first brought into the public spotlight after former Atos athlete Alexa Herse released a detailed statement alleging sexual misconduct. After Herse’s statement, other women also came forward publicly with allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct connected to Galvão. No criminal verdict has been reached at the time of writing, but the seriousness of the allegations triggered a major wave of departures across the sport.
Lucas Barbosa / Atos Northwest: “We have ended our affiliation with Atos.”
A statement posted by Atos Jiu-Jitsu Northwest (shared in a post associated with lucasbarbosajj and atosjiujitsunw) confirms the academy has formally separated from Atos.
Key excerpts from the statement:
“We want to address the recent events at Atos HQ.”
“After careful consideration, we have ended our affiliation with Atos.”
“Please understand the seriousness of this matter and the steps required as a business and affiliate to separate, rebrand and protect our students and staff.”
“As of public records, we no longer have any association with Atos and the internal transition and rebranding are in progress.”
The statement also emphasizes that the school is “independently and locally owned” and repeatedly frames the decision around maintaining a safe, respectful environment for students, families, and staff.
For Atos, this is another major symbolic loss: Barbosa has been one of the most recognizable competitive faces associated with the team over the past decade. Even when affiliates are locally owned and operationally independent, the departure of a flagship competitor-linked academy signals deeper structural damage to the global network.
Kaynan Duarte: Gratitude to Galvão, “institutional distance,” and a “new cycle”
In a separate “Official Statement,” Kaynan Duarte issued a highly formal message describing the current situation as serious while positioning his next steps as a new phase of his career.
Key excerpts from Duarte’s statement:
“Kaynan Duarte… hereby makes a public statement in an ethical, respectful, responsible, and transparent manner regarding the recent developments involving the Atos Jiu Jitsu brand and its management.”
“[He] expresses his gratitude to André Galvão for the partnership that began in 2016…”
“At this moment, Kaynan announces the beginning of a new cycle in his career, following different paths…”
“From an institutional standpoint, the athlete clarifies that he does not take part in the organization’s management, operational decisions, or internal processes…”
“He reaffirms his personal commitment to values such as ethics, transparency, and integrity, recognizing that situations of this nature are serious and must be investigated responsibly by the competent authorities.”
Duarte’s wording is notably cautious and legalistic, but the message is clear: he is placing formal distance between himself and the organization’s internal decisions while signaling that his professional direction is shifting. In the context of the past few days, that is being widely interpreted as another major blow to Atos’ competitive future.
Where the Atos collapse stands now
Barbosa and Duarte are the latest names connected to public separation messaging as the Atos network continues to fracture. Over the past several days, the organization has already seen:
- High-profile departures from major athletes and leaders, including Josh Hinger and JT Torres (Essential Jiu-Jitsu going independent).
- Multiple academies across the U.S. and internationally announcing they are no longer affiliated (including prominent branches such as Atos Miami and Atos United Kingdom, and widespread exits across Australia).
- Commercial fallout, including Kingz Kimonos suspending sponsorship while the situation is reviewed.
At the same time, only a small number of figures have publicly signaled loyalty to Galvão. One of the clearest examples remains Atos Zurich instructor Jonathas “Ratinho” Eliaquim, who posted that Galvão is “a man of integrity” and indicated he would stand by the Galvão family.
What happens next?
Atos’ future now hinges on three major factors:
- Investigations and legal outcomes: how the allegations are handled by appropriate authorities and any independent review processes.
- Affiliate stability: whether remaining schools choose to stay, quietly rebrand, or publicly exit.
- Competitive identity: whether Atos can remain an elite powerhouse if its most visible champions and marquee academies continue to separate.
In the short term, the statements tied to Atos Northwest and Kaynan Duarte signal a continued acceleration of the breakup. In the long term, they raise the question many in the community are now asking openly: What will be left of Atos when the dust settles?
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