Master Marcio Stambowsky
“I’m not only interested in teaching my students jiu jitsu, I’m interested in teaching them how to be better people.”
Instructor Lineage
Jigoro Kano → Mitsuyo “Count Koma” Maeda → Carlos Gracie, Sr. → Helio Gracie → Rolls Gracie → Marcio Stambowsky
As one of only a handful of students (most commonly known as the “Famous Five”) to have been promoted to the rank of black-belt under the legendary Rolls Gracie prior to his untimely death, Marcio began studying jiu jitsu at the Gracie Academy in Copacabana, Rio de Janiero in 1975 at the urging of his childhood best friend Maurico Gomes. Maurico (father of world champion Roger Gracie and another of Rolls’ “famous five”) had already begun training and would often come out victorious in the backyard play fights he would have with Marcio growing up.
From the moment Marcio set foot in the academy at age 15 and met his life-long mentor and teacher Rolls Gracie, the energy and friendliness of the place was infectious. It was truly the golden age of the art; with the entire Gracie family and many of their top students all teaching and training under one roof.
Marcio soaked in his lessons from Helio, Rickson, Carlson, Carlos Jr. and many other members of the Gracie family alongside Rolls. To this day, he credits the entire Gracie family with helping his jiu jitsu grow and develop, however it was Rolls’ influence that truly shaped the teacher, fighter and the man that Marcio would become.
Over the next 25 years, Marcio became an active and decorated teacher and competitor in jiu jitsu, judo and wresting—winning many titles and traveling as far as Israel to compete and share his knowledge. In 2007, Marcio (along with his son Neiman Gracie, also a world-class competitor and champion) decided to realize his dream of coming to the United States to start a new jiu jitsu family here in Connecticut. These days, Marcio can be found hard-at-work in his Norwalk academy sharing the art that changed his life with students of all ages.