In a BJJ self-defense seminar held at Atos Jiu-Jitsu, in San Diego, in 2016, former UFC champion Anderson Silva showed why he dominated the organization’s middleweight division for so many years.

With advanced Jiu-Jitsu techniques and precise space control when striking, the 3rd degree black belt under Minotauro Nogueira unraveled some of his tricks for the group of avid students, at André Galvão’s academy.

Are we ever going to see Anderson Silva in a BJJ competition? BJJ legend André Galvao believes so.

Galvao told Graciemag:

“He really likes BJJ. His dream is to one day fight in a world championship. He always mentions it, but his coaches always advise him not to. He has a very different kind of BJJ, even due to his body type. He can use his body very well. Whenever he can, he accompanies me to championships,” 

Last year, Anderson Silva received the third degree on his black belt from his Jiu-Jitsu master Rodrigo Minotauro Nogueira.

Anderson’s Jiu-Jitsu story started at an early age in Brazil. His family was unable to afford expensive lessons in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu early on.

Anderson stated:

“When I started out, Jiu-Jitsu was really an elite thing in Brazil, and there was some prejudice towards poorer kids, so I had to learn things on my own. Some of my neighbors started doing Jiu-Jitsu, so I started watching it, and then started rolling with them. It wasn’t organized training, but it was better than nothing.”

Anderson Silva doing Jiu-Jitsu in the 90’s

Despite this, Silva’s supportive family did find the money to pay for Tae Kwon Do lessons (age 12). Silva then moved onto Capoeira before settling on Muay Thai by the age of 16.

Silva joined the Chute Box Academy. While there he developed a reasonable ground game. After he encountered some problems with Chute Boxe and with Pride, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira offered Anderson the possibility to train with him.

Nogueira improved Anderson’s ground game and promoted him to BJJ black belt in 2005. Nogueira follows the Gracie Lineage through Carlson Gracie, like Murilo Bustamante and the Brazilian Top Team.

Check out some excerpts from the training, which also included the presence of ADCC champion Davi Ramos, in the video below!