Octavio Couto, commonly known as 'Ratinho' to students and friends with the Brazilian jiu-jitsu community, has tragically died at age 52. The long-time black belt and professor leaves a legacy of sharing the gentle art with hundreds and hundreds of students, including incredible champions like Fernando Terere, the Vieira brothers (Leo, Ricardo, Leandro), Felipe Costa, and more.

The highly regarded instructor was a part of the golden era of the Alliance team, influencing what was at the time the biggest team in the world with his insights and guidance. After the breakup of the Alliance team in the early 2000's, he was a founder of the Brasa team - one of the most important teams of its era.

'Ratinho', meaning little mouse, recieved his black belt from Romero Cavalcante and continued giving back to Brazilian jiu-jitsu for the rest of his life. His final years were spent teaching throughout Europe, based in Italy, before his sudden passing over the weekend. FloGrappling joins the grappling community in mourning his passing and we send our best wishes to his family and community in this difficult time.

A GofundMe has been established to help cover costs of the funeral services and support the family (his wife and young daughter) in their time of need. The link is available here for anyone who would like to donate.