Club History

Alex was introduced to Martial Arts in 1984 by his older brother, who at that time was a Judo player, he spent a couple of months training Judo but did not engage any further. In 1986 he returned to Martial Arts but this time he chose Jiu-Jitsu, influenced by his next door neighbour. He started the classes under Mestre Nonato Machado, the gym was a garage at the rear of Luis Facanha's house but at the beginning of 1987 the gym had to be closed down due to home improvements in Facanha's property.

Top row left to right, Neto Surucucu, Waldir Barros Jr, Mestre Paulo Ameba.
Bottom row left to right, Marcio Velho, Alex De Souza

In 1987 one of Nonato's top students, Paulo Cesar Barros, opened his gym called Barraco Jiu-Jitsu, the gym was only a three minute walk from Alex's house, Alex trained under Mestre Paulo ‘Ameba’ Barros.
In 1993 Paulo become a Presbyterian Vicar and shut down his academy and referred his students to Mestre Luis Carlos Valois and Mestre Paulo Coelho, Alex trained under Mestre Paulo Coelho.

From left to right, Alex De Souza, Luis Carlos Valois, Paulo Lima

Left to right, Alex De Souza, Paulo Coelho, Flavio Antony

In January 1996 Alex arrived in Bournemouth and stopped training for four years. In the year 2000 Alex decided to start training Jiu-Jitsu again. After visiting local clubs he found out that there were no Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu schools available in the area.

Alex faced a situation where if he wanted to train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu he had to start teaching himself and hire his own space to train. The first training venue was a Church Hall and his training partners were people that had hardly heard of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. After a few months training once every Tuesday night, Alex moved venue to the Bulldog Gym in Bournemouth, with the help of Carl Sams, gym owner, the "De Souza Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu" club was founded.

Very old judo matted area and very small training space

Old culture, inherited from Brazil, the famous corridor, usually done on gradings

The Club’s Progress

A couple of years after joining the Bulldog Gym in Bournemouth the gym gained a facelift, a new jigsaw matted area, a boxing ring, several boxing bags and padded walls.  We were now not just training Jiu Jitsu with the Gi but submission wrestling as well.

Taking advantage of the full martial arts facilities at the gym Alex and his students engaged in Thai Boxing and Boxing classes.  The gym became an MMA gym as well as a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gym.  In the past few years we had visits from big names in Mixed Martial Arts including Carlson Gracie Junior, Rodrigo Minotauro, Saulo and Xande Ribeiro, and Anderson Silva amongst others.

In 2003 Alex met Vitor Shaolin Ribeiro and became associated with Nova Uniao.  Since then all classes have taken the format of MMA with a strong Jiu Jitsu background, just the way they are taught in Rio.  Mestre Shaolin visited the club as often as commitments allowed him, in the last five years the club has had several seminars taught by him and other members of Nova Uniao.  Alex was the first person to be promoted to black belt under Mestre Vitor Shaolin Ribeiro.  We currently have our own venue, De Souza Dojo, as a private gym, where only invited people are allowed.

De Souza Dojo, our official place for training