Felipe Thiago Pereira da Silva

Felipe Pereira da Silva is the instructor and founder of the Carlson Gracie school in Zurich. Originally from Brazil, he received his black belt in 2010 in Recife from Professor Gutenberg Melo, a direct student of the late Carlson Gracie Sr., having trained under the same teacher from white belt to black belt. During that time he won tournaments and gold medals in Brazil at every belt colour. He received his first degree in 2013, second in 2016, third in 2019 and fourth in 2024, each awarded directly by Carlson Gracie Jr. On a visit to Zurich in 2011 he found few Brazilian jiu-jitsu schools in Switzerland, most focused on grappling, and in 2012 he founded his own school in the city, where he has since devoted his time to teaching. He describes the school's jiu-jitsu as highly technical, rule-based and aimed at strengthening body and mind while avoiding injury.