Grandmaster Andre Lima: A Martial Arts Legacy

Early Life and Introduction to Taekwondo

Grandmaster Andre Lima, alongside Grandmaster Christianny Paiva Lima, established the Lima Taekwondo and Martial Arts Academy. He holds an official certification from the World Taekwondo Federation (WT) as an 8th Degree Black Belt and is among the select few globally to possess the internationally recognized Kukkiwon diploma. His journey in Taekwondo began over 47 years ago in his hometown of Brasilia, Brazil, when his father enrolled him in classes as a birthday gift. Under the tutelage of Masters Soo Myung Choi and Carlos Eduardo Loddo, Andre began training and competing, with Master Loddo eventually becoming his mentor.

Expansion and Pioneering Work in Brazil

At the age of 17, Andre’s family relocated to Fortaleza, a coastal city in northern Brazil. With no Taekwondo schools in Fortaleza at the time, Andre took the initiative to found the first Lima Taekwondo Academy in the mid-1980s. He is now recognized by the Brazilian Federation as a pioneer of Taekwondo in the region. Today, multiple Taekwondo schools operate in and around Fortaleza, including those managed by his former students—some of whom have become Brazilian national champions. While in Fortaleza, Andre attended medical school for a year before deciding to pursue a full-time career in martial arts.

International Experience and Achievements

At 22, Andre left Brazil and moved to Europe, where he joined the international tournament circuit. Competing across Europe, he won numerous medals and broadened his expertise in martial arts. During this period, he was featured in renowned martial arts magazines from England, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and Italy. For much of his two-year stay in Europe, he lived in France, teaching Taekwondo at two schools in Paris under French Grandmaster Edouard Branco. While in France, Andre also devoted time to studying and mastering four languages: Portuguese, English, French, and Spanish.

Expertise in Multiple Martial Arts

Beyond Taekwondo, Grandmaster Lima is an accomplished practitioner of other martial arts. He holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which he began training in Brazil under Grandmaster Francisco Sa in 1986, and he received his black belt from Master Rigan Machado in Los Angeles. He also holds a black belt in Japanese Shotokan Karate. Although he formally retired from competition in 1993, Grandmaster Lima occasionally participated in events for enjoyment, including Point Fight Karate tournaments in New York City during the early 1990s. In 2001, he achieved second place at the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Pan-American Championships in Florida.

Contributions to Martial Arts and Recognition

Over the past three decades, Grandmaster Lima has leveraged his skills as a fight choreographer and actor in Hollywood films, as well as a successful author of best-selling martial arts books. He has graced the covers of leading fighting magazines in the United States, Europe, South America, and Australia; appeared on television; competed, taught, and studied martial arts in 30 countries—including Korea, the birthplace of Taekwondo. His extensive work is internationally recognized within the martial arts community through newspapers, movies, the Internet, and more.