Santos, 2012
How it started
In 2012, Thiago Abreu and Gabriel Rollo opened a small gym in Santos, São Paulo. They were looking for a place to teach jiu-jitsu their own way: at a high level, and still welcoming for the whole family.
The name
The name came from what we want people to feel when they come in. A house is somewhere you belong the moment you step inside. Anyone learning jiu-jitsu at The House should feel at home there.
What came of it
The House’s methods worked. Athletes who came up through the gym’s programs have won numerous World, Brazilian and European titles.
It also outgrew that first room. Santos now has two The House FC gyms, in Ponta da Praia and at Canal 2. There are also The House affiliates around the world.
None of that came from a plan to expand. It came from years of work, from investing in people, and from keeping those connections strong, even if you live on the other side of the world.
Always with the core ideas in mind: high level jiu-jitsu and a family friendly atmosphere.
2026
A new chapter
For many years, Thiago and Gabriel’s journey was closely connected to Checkmat. They were there at the start of the team and defended its flag for 18 years.
In 2026, that chapter came to an end.
After years of conversations and careful planning about their own future, the future of The House and, above all, the future of their students, they decided it was time for The House to continue independently.
It was not a decision made out of conflict, but out of gratitude for everything that had come before and a belief that the time had arrived to build something new.
New projects. New challenges. New goals.
For the first time, academies and athletes around the world would compete together under one flag:
The House Fight Company.