The CARLSON GRACIE AMSTERDAM is the first known Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy in Amsterdam, founded by Marcos Flexa, a Brazilian enthusiast, in 2002 it started with a small group of Brazilian friends training together in the parks in amsterdam, driven by Flexa’s dream of growing this new sport in the city. As Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was still unfamiliar in Amsterdam, Flexa had to work in restaurants, performing various tasks such as cleaning and assisting in the kitchen. He even became an independent chef. Alongside his restaurant work, Flexa taught Jiu-Jitsu at various locations, including the USC Universum Sport Center in Amsterdam, a university dedicated to sports. However, he eventually left his position as a professor at the university to establish his own space in Amsterdam West. To this day, Carlson Gracie Amsterdam welcomes students from around the world interested in learning the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that Flexa inherited from his former master, Carlson Gracie. Marcos Flexa received all the belts from Master Carlson Gracie, including the black belt in 1997. Master Carlson Gracie passed away in 2006, but the legacy of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu continues in the classes of Professor Marcos Flexa, as well as in the teachings and seminars conducted by more than 100 black belts around the world trained by Master Carlson Gracie.