Silvio (Silverado) Pimenta

Silverado is one of the most technical instructors of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Submission Grappling. His techniques were developed through years of training with world renowned Judo Gene LeBell and Submission Wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Jean Jacques Machado ®.

Silverado started his training in the martial arts with Gene LeBell at his cabin in Frazier Park in 1991. Gene later introduced him to Jean Jacques Machado ® and he has been training with him ever since.  Silverado is a first degree black belt and instructor under Jean Jacques Machado ® and a black belt under Gene LeBell's Grappling World.  He also teaches at "USDA" - United Self Defense Academy - in Lake View Terrace, California.

Silverado was born in Santos, São Paulo, Brazil where he lived until the age of 21. One of his first professional activities was teaching English to both adults and children at an English as Second Language school. He got his university degree in 1982 in Publicity and Advertising and moved to the United States in December of that year and has been living in California since.

Here is how everything started in his own words: