Guigo Jiu-Jitsu and Dream Art have joined forces in hopes of winning the major IBJJF tournaments this season, reported BJJ Cria.

Luiz Guilherme "Guigo" said that the team will train together Mondays and Fridays at Dream Art HQ in São Paulo, Brazil, and he will participate in training to help lead the practice.

“There will be 15 athletes with me, and we want to win everything at the IBJJF Worlds. Everyone dreams of this," Guigo told FloGrappling. 

Dream Art leadership and Guigo decided to combine forces for IBJJF competition. The deal was finalized in a meeting with Guigo, Lucas Gualberto, and Isaque Bahiense.

Gualberto is Dream Art's head coach as well as an active competitor. He said that balancing the roles has been difficult for him, but he is giving his best effort. “Being a head coach means not only teaching athletes but also improving them,” Gualberto said. “But I'm moved by challenges and it's enjoyable.”

Guigo and Gualberto agreed that Dream Art needs an experienced leader since its current leadership is made up of young athletes such as Gualberto and Bahiense.

“We are joining forces,” Guigo said, “an old man like I am and two young men full of energy and courage to make this team grow even more. The sport will benefit from it”.

“The biggest benefit beyond the numbers is having someone older. Having Guigo as one of our coaches, an old-school and more mature man, will help us a lot,” Gualberto said.

Some of Dream Art's most successful black belt athletes such as Yara Soares, Ana Rodrigues, and Meyram Maquiné previously represented Guigo Jiu-Jitsu. 

Guigo responded to common criticisms of the decision, supporting an athlete’s right to come and go: "When we receive an athlete from another team, it means he made the right decision. When one of our athletes leaves, he is a creonte. I disagree with that. The dreams they dream are mine."

Guigo said that from now on, all his high-level adult athletes will represent Dream Art in competitions. “We are going to make Dream Art and Guigo win because we don't come in to play, we come in to win.”

Guigo is a 5th-degree black belt, IBJJF World Champion, and founder of “Guigo Jiu-Jitsu”. He has been training jiu-jitsu for over 40 years and has been teaching for about 20 years. 

Guigo is credited with introducing big names to the jiu-jitsu community such as Ana Rodrigues, Yara Soares, Meyram Maquiné, Erberth Santos, and Jonnatas Gracie.