On Sunday, April 26, 2026, Brazil 021 Arlington Heights hosted the Carlos Henrique BJJ seminar, a one-day event with the red and black belt. Most BJJ seminars bring in a solid black belt. A red and black belt is a different level, one that very few practitioners in the world ever reach. The seminar was open to students across the northwest suburbs, not only our own members. To see every class we offer, visit our BJJ Arlington Heights home page.
Who Is Carlos Henrique?
What a Red and Black Belt Means in BJJ
The adult belt system in Brazilian jiu-jitsu runs white, blue, purple, brown and black. After many years at black belt, practitioners can earn coral belts. The red and black belt is awarded at the 7th degree and represents decades of dedicated mastery.
Carlos pairs deep technical knowledge with real competition experience. He believes technique has to be pressure-tested to be worth teaching, and that shaped the format: a hands-on day of drilling, not a lecture.
What the Seminar Was Built Around
The day covered three connected areas, each one feeding the next, so even students strong in one area had the rest of their game to sharpen.
Advanced Techniques
Material aimed at students who already train consistently, rather than beginner basics.
Positional Control
Control is what separates good grapplers from great ones: where you put your weight, how you hold dominant positions and what the person underneath you feels.
Competition Mindset
Training like a competitor changes how you perform under pressure, even if you never plan to compete. This part focused on the mental side of jiu-jitsu and staying sharp when a roll stops going your way.
Who the Seminar Was For
The seminar was aimed at students with some experience, ideally blue belt and above. Newer students who had been training consistently for several months were welcome too, especially for the positional control block. It was also a chance for coaches and advanced students in the area to learn directly from a world-class instructor, the kind of access that does not come around often in the northwest suburbs.
You did not need to train at Brazil 021 to attend. Students come to our events from nearby towns like Rolling Meadows, Mount Prospect, Elk Grove Village and Des Plaines.
Also on April 26: Prof. Andre Terencio’s 6th Degree
The same day, at 10:45 AM, Prof. Andre Terencio received his 6th degree black belt, the highest degree on the black belt. Having both events on one day made April 26 one of the most significant days our gym has hosted. Read more about Andre’s 6th degree promotion.
Why Training With a High-Level Guest Matters
Your regular training partners know your tendencies. A visiting instructor at this level sees things nobody else does. They correct habits you did not know you had and show you the version of a technique that holds up against resistance.
Keep Building Your Game in Arlington Heights
Seminars are special days, but steady weekly training is where your game really grows. Our All Levels and Advanced jiu-jitsu classes are the next step for experienced students. Follow us on Instagram to hear about future seminars, or book a free trial class to train with us.
