Goes International is the fulfillment of a life-long inspiration by Allan.
Allan was born in a poor family in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He grew up with his grandfather, Alcides – a musician and a philosopher. His home was a refuge for artists and dissidents under Brazil’s military dictatorship. It was through Alcides’ home where Allan met some of the most influential figures in Brazilian popular culture. Alcides also trained Allan in judo every morning to instill discipline and a strong love for martial arts.
In 1983, two years before the end of the military dictatorship, Alcides passed away and Allan’s family moved to the “favelas” of Rio de Janeiro. Allan’s family shared a single room with no bathroom or kitchen. Allan’s life was filled with misery and embarrassment, as each day became a struggle.
Allan’s escape from problems only came through Carlson Gracie. Jiu-Jitsu was traditionally reserved for the rich, but Alcides introduced Allan to be trained by the legendary Carlson in exchange for cleaning the school and washing Carlson’s clothes.
At the age of 16, Allan ended up in Juvenile Detention alongside his friends. He was imprisoned for nine months and with Carlson’s influence, Allan won his freedom. Since then, Allan dedicated himself completely to Jiu-Jitsu. He resolved to become a product of his dreams and not a product of his environment. Allan fought over two hundred Jiu-Jitsu matches with only one loss and had captured the world championship eight times. Despite his humble background, he became one of the most influential figure in the sport of Jiu-Jitsu.
At the age of 19, Allan moved to the United States to teach Jiu-Jitsu and became one of the founding fathers of mixed martial arts. In a career spanning over fifteen years, Allan fought in every major mixed martial arts organization in the world. Despite of Allan’s success, he has never forgotten his roots.
Allan has founded Goes International to share the art of his native Brazil with the world.
