Paulo Ribeiro, Brazilian Taekwondo champion in 1990

On October 21, 1990, Paulo Ribeiro stood on the top step of the podium at the 13th Brazilian Men’s Taekwondo Championship, in Porto Alegre, in the welterweight division. The title is recorded on the certificate that the Mestre himself published in 2019, with the caption “those who have a history don’t need to tell stories”.

What the certificate says

In June 2019, the Mestre posted two archive images on Instagram: an old fight photo and the championship certificate. The document, with the acronym ABT in its header, shows:

• Competition: 13th Brazilian Men’s Taekwondo Championship;
• City: Porto Alegre;
• Result: 1st place in the welterweight division;
• Date: October 21, 1990.

It is the oldest record of a competitive result by the Mestre that appears on his social media. That is why this site treats the title as a fact confirmed by a document, not by memory.

An athlete trained in southern Brazil

The 1990 title came at the end of a decade of training. According to Mestre Paulo, he started Taekwondo as a student of Grão-Mestre (Grandmaster) Te Bo Lee, a pioneer of the art in southern Brazil. This connection is told in the article about Grão-Mestre Te Bo Lee and on the page about the Mestre.

The 1990 Brazilian Championship took place in Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul. The Mestre fought in the welterweight division and won. The certificate does not say how many athletes competed in the division or who his opponent in the final was, and those details have not been confirmed.

The trip to Korea in 1989

A year earlier, in 1989, Paulo Ribeiro had already had another defining experience. In November 2018, he posted a photo alongside Mestre Alexandre, whom he introduced as the “leader of Hapkido and Taekwondo in Rio Grande do Sul”, with the caption: “we went to Korea together for the 1989 World Championship” (Instagram).

The World Taekwondo Championships that year were held in Seoul, South Korea, from October 9 to 14, 1989, at the Jamsil gymnasium, according to English Wikipedia. South Korea won the men’s and women’s team titles.

The post does not say in what capacity the two traveled (athlete, coach or companion), nor does it confirm that the “1989 World Championship” mentioned is exactly that championship, and this site has not confirmed those details. What is documented is the trip to Taekwondo’s country of origin the year before the Brazilian title.

Why this matters today

Mestre Paulo Ribeiro has been teaching Taekwondo in Balneário Camboriú for many years, and much of what he asks of his students comes from his experience as an athlete: training discipline, respect for opponents and referees, and preparation for fight day. The 1990 certificate is proof that this message is backed by results.

Later, that competitive experience turned into organizing events, such as the Open BC Taekwondo Cup, and into sports leadership, as president of FECAMTT, the Santa Catarina Traditional Muaythai Federation.

What has not been confirmed yet

To keep this site’s standard, it is worth stating what is not proven by an open source:

• other national or international titles won by the Mestre as an athlete;
• his exact role on the trip to the 1989 World Championship;
• the full meaning of the acronym ABT on the certificate.

If new documents are published, this article will be updated.

Train with someone who has competed

Want to train Taekwondo with a master who was Brazilian champion? Classes take place in Balneário Camboriú, for children, teenagers and adults. Message Mestre Paulo on Instagram @mestrepauloribeiro and book a trial class.