Yvonne Duarte

Yvone Magalhães Duarte (born 26 August 1963 in Boa Vista, Brazil) is a 7th degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt practitioner and instructor. The first woman to achieve the rank of black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Duarte is considered the martial art's foremost female pioneer. In 2021 she became the highest-ranked woman after reaching the 7th degree Coral belt.[4]

Yvone Duarte
Born (1963-08-26) 26 August 1963[1]
DivisionFeatherweight / Peso Pena
-52 kilograms (115 lb)[2]
Rank7th deg. BJJ coral belt[3]
OccupationBJJ instructor
Medal record
Representing
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian National Championship
Gold medal – first place 1991 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil n/a
Gold medal – first place 1992 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil n/a
Gold medal – first place 1992 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Absolute
Gold medal – first place 1996 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil n/a
Gold medal – first place 1996 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Absolute

Biography

Yvone Magalhães Duarte grew up in the town of Boa Vista in the Brazilian Amazon state of Roraima. In 1978 at the age of 14 she moved to Rio de Janeiro to join her brothers living with her grandparents.[5] She started training Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) with her older brother Pascoal Duarte,[lower-alpha 1] and his friend Sérgio Penha, before she joined them at the Osvaldvo Alves Jiu-Jitsu Academy.[4] At first Duarte was the only woman training, their number then grew to fourteen, she started going to competitions to watch her brother compete.[6] Duarte asked Marcelo Behring and Rickson Gracie if women could be included in the Carioca Championship, the local tournament, Grandmaster Hélio Gracie agreed on the condition that “no women of the Gracie family participate”.[7]

In 1985 a female division was added to the Rio de Janeiro BJJ federation allowing women to finally compete. Duarte won the first competition taking place in Rio, her division was for -60 kilograms (130 lb) women including white and blue belts. Duarte kept competing in very female BJJ division without losing a fight for the next ten years, winning both her weight class and the open class vision despite being only 52 kilograms (115 lb).[4][8]

Towards the end of the 80s Duarte settled in Brasilia and opened her own BJJ school Equpe Yvone Duarte, the first academy ran by a woman.[4] In October 1990, Osvaldo Alves awarded Duarte her black belt, at the age of 27[9] Duarte became the first woman to earn a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, receiving her CBJJ (IBJJF) certificate in 1991.[1] She helped establish the Federacao de Jiu-jitsu de Brasilia (Brasilia federation of jiu jitsu) helping to grow BJJ in the capital of the country. On 1 October 2013 she received her 5th degree black belt, granted by Carlos Gracie Jr and the IBJJF/CBJJ, from her brother.[10] After moving to Rome with her family in 2018, she trained women in BJJ for the United Nations security course.[2]

In August 2021 she made history again by becoming the first woman to receive a BJJ coral belt after receiving her 7th degree.[4][11][12]

Championships

Main Achievements:[1]

Instructor lineage

Carlos Gracie Sr > Reyson Gracie > Osvaldo Alves > Yvone Duarte[1]

Notes
  1. today a BJJ coral belt[1]
  2. Weight and absolute
  3. Absolute

References
  1. "Yvone Duarte". BJJ Heroes. 9 June 2014.
  2. "Yvone Duarte". Graciemag – BJJ news (in Portuguese). 30 March 2020.
  3. "Meet the First Female BJJ Coral Belt: Yvone Duarte". BJJ World. 26 October 2021.
  4. "Yvone Duarte: The First Female BJJ Black Belt". Jiu Jitsu Legacy. 5 May 2022.
  5. "Breaking Barriers: An Interview with Yvone Duarte". Girls in Gis. 14 February 2022.
  6. "Yvone Duarte: From White to Coral". 7 July 2022.
  7. "Do Not Go Where The Path May Lead, Go Instead Where There Is No Path And Leave a Trail". Girls in Gis. 27 August 2015.
  8. Kelly, David Roy (10 December 2016). "Who's who of Women in BJJ". StudyMartialArts.Org.
  9. Teague, Hywel (23 August 2021). "Grappling Bulletin: Coral Belt Yvonne Duarte Makes Jiu-Jitsu History". FloGrappling.
  10. "First ever female BJJ black belt receives her 5th degree". BJJ Heroes. 22 December 2014.
  11. Burne, Kathrine (20 August 2021). "Yvone Duarte Becomes First Ever Female BJJ Coral Belt". Jitsmagazine.com.
  12. "Yvone Duarte promoted to BJJ coral belt – The first ever female to do so". BjjTribes. 22 August 2021.
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