Every gym has an address. Very few have a story worth telling. Lasco Jiu Jitsu has both — and the story starts long before a single mat was laid on the Gold Coast.
To understand what makes Lasco different, you need to understand where Brazilian Jiu Jitsu itself comes from, and how that legacy flows directly into every class we teach in Varsity Lakes today.
The Source: The Gracie Family and the Birth of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as we know it was shaped by the Gracie family in the early 20th century. Drawing from Japanese Judo and Jiu Jitsu brought to Brazil by Mitsuyo Maeda, the Gracies developed and refined a ground-based fighting system built on a fundamental principle: technique and leverage defeat size and strength.
This was not a theory. It was proven over decades of open challenges, street fights, and eventually the early UFC events — where a Gracie, famously, submitted larger and stronger opponents from virtually every other martial art on the planet.
The Gracie legacy established BJJ as the most effective ground fighting system in existence, and it created a culture of lineage — of knowing exactly who taught your teacher, and who taught theirs.
Alliance: The Team That Took BJJ to the World
Out of that Gracie tradition grew one of the most decorated competition teams in the history of BJJ: Alliance Jiu Jitsu.
Founded by Fabio Gurgel — known across the BJJ world as “The General” — Alliance became a powerhouse of competitive excellence and technical instruction. Under Gurgel’s leadership, Alliance has produced more World Champions than virtually any other team on the planet. The Alliance methodology is not just about winning tournaments. It is about building complete martial artists: technically sound, physically prepared, and mentally tough.
When you train Alliance-style BJJ, you are training the art at its highest documented standard.
Mateus Lasco: A Black Belt Forged in the Alliance Tradition
Coach Mateus Lasco did not take a shortcut to his black belt. With over 22 years on the mats, he earned his black belt directly under Master Fabio Gurgel himself — making him part of a direct lineage that runs straight back to the Gracie tradition.
Born in Brazil and now proudly based in Australia, Mateus carries that lineage with him every time he steps onto the mat. He has not just learned the techniques — he has absorbed the culture, the discipline, and the teaching philosophy that makes Alliance one of the most respected names in martial arts worldwide.
When he founded Lasco Jiu Jitsu in 2023, his goal was clear: to bring that same standard — authentic, verified, elite — to the Gold Coast.
Why Lineage Matters When Choosing Where to Train
In an age where anyone can print a black belt, lineage is your guarantee of quality. It is the chain of knowledge that connects your coach to the source — to the people who tested these techniques in real conditions and refined them over generations.
At Lasco Jiu Jitsu, you are not training with someone who watched YouTube videos and called themselves an instructor. You are training with a coach whose credentials run directly to the founders of the modern BJJ movement.
That means the techniques you learn are sound. The safety protocols are real. And the philosophy — that the smaller person can overcome, that discipline builds character, that the mat is a place of growth — is genuine.
One Academy. A Global Legacy. A Local Community.
Lasco Jiu Jitsu is rooted in Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast. But it carries the weight of a tradition that spans continents and decades.
We are proud of that heritage, and we are committed to passing it on — to every adult, every child, and every family that walks through our doors. Because authentic BJJ changes lives. It always has.
Come experience the lineage for yourself. Book your intro class at Lasco Jiu Jitsu today.
