In an official statement released on February 21, 2025, NS Brotherhood has responded to allegations made by Fátima Lo, mother of the late Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion Leandro Lo, regarding the use of the Brotherhood trademark and management of the team Lo founded in 2015.
The statement, issued in both Portuguese and English, addresses accusations that Augusto Ferrari, the current legal representative of NS Brotherhood, has improperly taken control of the team and its branding without proper authorization from the Lo family.
NS Brotherhood strongly defended Ferrari‘s position, stating that he has been with the team since its creation in 2015 and has served as head coach since 2018. The organization emphasized that Ferrari assumed full responsibility for the team in 2022 to preserve Lo‘s legacy, claiming all actions were taken with the initial approval of Lo‘s family.
“We strongly condemn any form of threats, insults, defamation, slander, or online harassment directed at Professor Augusto Ferrari,” the statement reads. “His personal and professional journey has been marked by honesty, honor, and the fundamental values that Jiu-Jitsu provides.”
Addressing one of the key points of contention, NS Brotherhood explained that Ferrari changed the legal name of his existing company, Ferrari Team Academy (established in 2010), to NS Brotherhood to ensure the team could operate legally and athletes could compete officially under the team name.
The statement clarifies this was done to maintain “full legal compliance with organizations such as the Federal Revenue Service (Receita Federal) and JUCESP,” as well as to enable registration of the brand with INPI, Brazil’s intellectual property office.
“This management included transferring part of the funds to the responsible institute, demonstrating transparency and commitment to the legacy,” the statement continues. “However, it is important to emphasize that this function was never effectively carried out by the appointed person.”
The organization concluded its statement by requesting an immediate end to what they describe as “personal or institutional attacks,” warning that they reserve the right to take legal action if such conduct persists.
This statement follows Fátima Lo‘s emotional plea shared through social media earlier this month, in which she alleged that during a vulnerable time following her son’s passing, someone approached the family claiming to want to help with Brotherhood matters but instead took control of the brand and established a company called NS Brotherhood without proper authorization.
Leandro Lo, a multiple-time world champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, was tragically killed in August 2022. His mother claimed the family discovered only in January 2025 that the Brotherhood trademark had been registered by another party.
The dispute has divided the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community, with many of Lo‘s friends and former teammates rallying to defend what they see as the champion’s legacy and the original spirit of Brotherhood, which Lo established as a symbol of unity rather than a commercial enterprise.
“We remain committed to strengthening Jiu-Jitsu as a tool for social transformation and personal development, always honoring the memory of the Great Master ‘in memoriam’ and the values he left as his legacy.”
Full statement:
NS BROTHERHOOD, through this official statement, seeks to clarify and reaffirm its
commitment to ethics, transparency, and respect, which have always guided its activities since
its founding.
We strongly condemn any form of threats, insults, defamation, slander, or online harassment
directed at Professor Augusto Ferrari, the legal representative of the team. His personal and
professional journey has been marked by honesty, honor, and the fundamental values that
Jiu-Jitsu provides, which have guided his public and private conduct.
Since 2022, NS Brotherhood has taken on the responsibility of preserving the legacy of our
great master, permanently honoring his memory, maintaining a united and cohesive team, and
always acting with respect towards his family. We emphasize that, due to a family decision, we
are currently unable to mention his name, a decision we fully respect. However, we deeply
regret the recent baseless accusations and the spread of distorted information, which not only
damage the reputation of Professor Augusto Ferrari but also threaten the integrity of the team’s
name.
There is a deliberate movement to remove Augusto Ferrari from the team’s leadership, an
action we strongly oppose, as we do not question his serious and dedicated work over the years
and in future projects. We clarify that Ferrari has never engaged in any illicit or illegal activities,
nor has he personally or financially benefited from the project, always managing it with ethical
principles and best business practices.
The work of Augusto Ferrari and the other instructors leading the team has made NS
Brotherhood stand out in national and international competitions, including MMA and Grappling
events, consolidating its reputation as a reference in the sport.
Having been with the team since its creation in 2015 and serving as head coach since 2018,
Augusto Ferrari has extensive market experience in Jiu-Jitsu, which has guaranteed the team’s
reputation and recognition in Brazil and abroad. In addition, he has been dedicated to
strengthening the team, seeking to bring in top Jiu-Jitsu athletes, organizing seminars with
professional fighters, expanding NS Brotherhood’s reach, and promoting technical and
competitive growth.
NS Brotherhood is a team with a strong competitive focus, built on the pursuit of excellence in
high-level competitions. Many athletes choose to represent the team autonomously, even being
leaders of their own academies, recognizing the structure, strength, and credibility that NS
Brotherhood provides in the competitive environment. This collaborative model strengthens the
team, increases its presence in major events, and contributes to the technical and strategic
development of affiliated athletes.
To dedicate himself exclusively and fully to the NS Brotherhood project, Ferrari assumed all the
responsibilities inherent to the team, ensuring that affiliated athletes could officially compete
under the team’s name. As the entrepreneur that he is, he saw the need to adopt an appropriate
business practice, modifying the legal name of his company, Ferrari Team Academy
(established in 2010), to NS Brotherhood, ensuring the team’s legalization and proper
registration with the relevant authorities.
This adjustment allowed the team to remain in full legal compliance with organizations such as
the Federal Revenue Service (Receita Federal) and JUCESP, as well as enabling the
registration of the brand with the INPI, a crucial step for protecting the identity of the team,
considering that the registration is still under merit review. At the same time, the regularization
extends to sports federations (FPJJ, IBJJF, CBJJ, CBJJE, etc.), ensuring the official
participation of athletes in competitions and events.
It is important to highlight that Augusto Ferrari has always assumed the responsibility of signing
off on all athlete graduations, from colored belts to black belts, in collaboration with the
appropriate federations, which requires a high level of commitment and technical rigor. This
responsibility is widely documented in federation records and on the team’s official networks,
which include graduation ceremonies conducted over the years, as well as the promotion of
several athletes who today hold prominent positions in the Jiu-Jitsu scene.
This structuring also enabled and continues to enable the establishment of partnership
agreements, athlete affiliations, product acquisitions, space rentals, invoice issuance, and the
opening of bank accounts in financial institutions, ensuring the full compliance of all civil,
commercial, and regulatory obligations.
It should be clarified that a member of the Lo family was appointed to manage the team’s
finances, being responsible for collecting fees, controlling memberships, and registering
branches. This management included transferring part of the funds to the responsible institute,
demonstrating transparency and commitment to the legacy. However, it is important to
emphasize that this function was never effectively carried out by the appointed person, which
compromised the fulfillment of the initially assigned responsibilities.
Given all this information, we request an immediate cessation of any personal or institutional
attacks and reaffirm that, should such conduct persist, we reserve the right to take all
appropriate legal measures to safeguard honor, moral integrity, and institutional image.
We remain committed to strengthening Jiu-Jitsu as a tool for social transformation and personal
development, always honoring the memory of the Great Master “in memoriam” and the values
he left as his legacy.
We thank the community, athletes, and supporters for their constant support and remain firm in
our mission.
