In May The FightWorks Podcast brought you a long-overdue interview with Leticia Ribeiro and Beatriz Mesquita, two of Gracie Humaita’s top female competitors. Both women have been reliable sources of medals for Humaita over the years and have kept Gracie Humaita’s women’s team in the spotlight.
The FightWorks Podcast was invited by Ribeiro to watch the two train as Steve Nave of the International Bulgarian Bag Confederation put the ladies through a very tough workout here in San Diego to get ready for the 2010 BJJ World Championship this coming weekend. The result of that meeting was this video and two exhausted women.
Ribeiro:
You wait a year for this tournament. We won the last one. We are training hard, especially me, Bia, and Penny [Thomas]. We’ve trained together for a long time. We’ve been doing strength and physical training for two months straight. We are gonna be prepared man. I don’t know about the opponents, but we will be prepared. A fight is a fight. We never know what’s going to happen. But it’s gonna be hard to beat us there.
This week’s episode of the FightWorks Podcast is really two episodes in one. Each of the two interviews we present here would normally be a week’s worth of content but we are feeling especially generous with the 2010 BJJ World Championships on the way this coming weekend!
The first feature interview is with Carlos Gracie Jr.. Many of the Gracie family are key characters in how jiu-jitsu became what it is today Carlos Junior is no exception. He is the head of all Gracie Barra schools, the president of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, and the publisher of GracieMag. Influential indeed!
The second of our interviewees is none other than Jean Jacques Machado. One of the five Machado brothers (and a cousin to Carlos Gracie Jr.), Jean Jacques won his weight class in the 2001 ADCC Submission Grappling Championship and is highly regarded for his teaching skills. Another terrific interview brought to us by FightWorks Podcast contributor Christian Simamora.
Of course we will also review some listener email, voicemail, and go over the plans to cover the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship coming up this weekend at the Long Beach Pyramid in Los Angeles!
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Rodrigo Cavaca (left) gives advice to CheckMat teammate Nivaldo Lima at the 2009 Pan-Ams.
The next few months contain some of the most important Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions of the year. The 2010 Pan-Ams take place on April 8th – 11th, and the World Championships are June 3rd – 6th. All over the world, BJJ athletes are preparing to step onto the mats and test themselves against their peers from other academies.
We spend weeks, if not months, getting ready. We train jiu-jitsu, we eat right, we get our cardio in gear… But what about the all important support that comes off the mats when we’re at a tournament? The advice and support we receive while we are in the heat of battle can play a significant role in how we do after we have slapped our opponent’s hand and the clock has begun.
We recently received a voicemail from one of the Mighty 600,000 on our toll free number (877) 247-4662 from Hawaii, asking if we would tackle this topic.
I don’t think this has been discussed, on the issue of coaching during matches and its importance, how it’s done, how certain coaches do it… because I find that for me it’s very helpful and maybe for others, I don’t know, maybe it’s not. If you could talk about that, it’d be cool.
Our pleasure! This week on The FightWorks Podcast we speak with Georgette Oden, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner from Texas, who has compiled a list of do’s and don’ts for people who are cornering us in our BJJ matches at tournaments. Her 16 tips are sure to come in handy the next time you are walking out on the mat. Share these details with your friends and there’s a good chance you will do better at your next tournament!
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Felipe Costa plays guard against Joao Carlos Kurao at the 2008 IBJJF World Championship, where he came in third place.
Felipe Costa is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a well known representative of Brasa Jiu-Jitsu’s competition team. A perennial competitor, Costa has medalled at the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation’s World Championship several times and now travels the planet offering seminars when he is not preparing for competition or running his BJJ training camp in Brazil. Costa regularly documents his activity over on youtube, where among other things, you can check out him painting Brasa teammate Demian Maia’s nails.
Today FightWorks Podcast contributor Christian Simamora interviews Costa, who is also behind a commendable effort to teach BJJ to the visually impaired in Rio de Janeiro. Costa discusses how Brasa was born from Alliance Jiu-Jitsu, where the team stands now, and much more. We will also answer several emails from you, the Mighty 600,000.
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TRANSCRIPTION OF FELIPE COSTA INTERVIEW
The FightWorks Podcast: Hello, this is Christian Simamora, reporting for the Fightworks Podcast from New York, and today we have a very special guest with us, direct from Rio. He is a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu, a multiple time world champion, and now he also has a very compelling story to share with us today. So please welcome Felipe Costa to the show. Felipe, thank you for being with us. How are you?
Felipe Costa: Hello Christian. I’m good, and it’s a pleasure to be here with you. Thanks for the invitation: it’s an honor.
The FightWorks Podcast: Absolutely. It’s an honor for us to have you. So why don’t we start off. Our listeners, as I always mention, are a mix of newcomers to the sport of Brazilian jiu jitsu, and some of our listeners are old, hardcore fans. But for the sake of everyone, why don’t you take a few minutes, introduce yourself and tell us about your background in jiu jitsu.
Felipe Costa: Well, I started jiu jitsu in 1991, when I was twelve years old. It took me about ten years to get my black belt. As you might know, some top guys take less time than that. It took me a long time to get my black belt. I always say this, as I think it’s encouragement for other people, because I am the only guy who never won a tournament at the lower belts, but after I got my black belt, that’s when I started to win tournaments.
I think that is very interesting. It gives hope for everyone out there who perhaps isn’t doing as well as they’d wish in tournaments, and maybe even technically. In 2002, when I got my black belt, I fought my first Worlds tournament as a black belt, and I lost, in my first fight. 2003, I came back, and I won for the first time. World champion. That was my first title ever, as a black belt, the world champion.
After that, I have made it to the podium in all world tournaments, up to 2009. Basically, I have managed to win all the major tournaments: Brazilian tournament, state, European. Last year I got second at the Pan Ams, and I’m planning to go again this year to try for the gold.
So, I don’t know if I already said too much, but that is basically my career as a competitor, you know.
The FightWorks Podcast: That’s a great way to start off, and actually, that’s one of the reasons why we brought you on the show. We felt like you have a very compelling story to share, so I’d like to dive into that a little bit more. How did you got from being an “average competitor” to a champion at the black belt level? What changed for you?
Felipe Costa: Well, first of all, I think for me it was like a dream, because everybody dreams that “I’ll grow up to be a champion at the black belt level.” But it wasn’t a dream like this. It was something that I was willing to push myself to the limit, try my best every time. I didn’t win any major tournaments, but it wasn’t like I didn’t win anything. I was competing a lot, so that gave me a lot of experience, to help me when I go there.
It is not like I never competed in my life, and then suddenly I was a world champion when I fought the first time. I was fighting in every tournament that I could to get a lot of experience. I think my drive to go towards that goal, the training and the experience as a competitor was what altogether made the difference.
The FightWorks Podcast: Where does that drive come from? I feel like, had I been in your shoes, not winning any major competitions all the way through black belt, I might have been tempted to give up, and I’m sure many of our listeners have felt that way, one way or another. Where did you get that drive? How did you not give up?
Felipe Costa: I think because I was surrounded by a lot of good guys who were getting their titles. For example, Comprido, who was like a neighbor, not like next door, but we lived in the same neighborhood, but he was always champion. He even started jiu jitsu after me, and he was conquering everything. So having such a close friend, a good friend, winning so many competitions and also sharing his knowledge and experience with me, made me think that I could do this also. I always believed in my technique, and it’s just about not giving up. During all the years that I’ve been training, I have had contact with many people who I considered at the time to be much better than me, technically, physically stronger. I saw those guys giving up, maybe because of girlfriends, because of work – and I don’t blame those who have to work and can’t train as much as they want. But I have also seen people who are just giving up because, I don’t know, they wanted to go to the movies at night instead of training, you know, because it takes a lot on your body. All of you guys listening that do train, you know there is not a single day that something doesn’t hurt on your body. If you can pass through that, then I think you’re halfway.
The FightWorks Podcast: So, do you attribute your success, from the lower belts to the higher belts, just to your willingness to endure and not give up, or did you somehow change your training when you became a black belt that allowed you to perform better at tournaments?
Felipe Costa: I feel like my training has changed a lot. This year, my training is not going to be the same as last year. I’m always improving, I’m changing little things. Also of course, my mindset has changed a lot. I’m going to say this, and I know a lot of people are going to go “man, that’s exactly how I feel!”
When you first sign up for a tournament, in the beginning – of course there are exceptions, but in general – you are so nervous, on the day. Before, you are excited, “I’m going to win!” When it gets to that week, you are like “Nah, I don’t feel as much.” When you’re at the tournament, you’re thinking like, “What am I doing here? I could be at home, playing with my dog or something. What am I doing here?”
When you go to the tournament thinking like this, of course you’re going to lose, because you don’t want to be there. You want to finish as quickly as you can. Not in a good way: sometimes, finishing quickly means you are going to tap, rather than finishing the other guy. For me, it was like this many times. What happened was, right after the fight, right after the tournament, I was feeling so bad, like I could do much better than this. So this was step by step, my mind was changing.
Later, I was saying, “I’m going to win my first fight.” I would go with that drive, willing myself to win the first fight. Of course, as soon as I won the first fight, I would lose the second, because I was already happy with that result. It goes little by little, which is why I think people have to compete a lot. Then you’re going to be happy with the second fight, then you’re going to be happy with a medal. How many friends have you had that manage to make it to the semi-finals and think “I already have the tournament third place, I’m happy,” and they lose. Sometimes they fight, and you see they could do much better. I’ve had many friends like that.
So, I think you have to compete a lot, so you can get past that point, where you get to a point where you want the gold medal. For me right now, I’m happy with whatever medal I get. It is not so much about the result. Now I give myself little challenges, like sometimes I say “I want to fight, and sweep the guy like that,” or “I want to take the guy’s back.” Smaller goals, ok?
I would put my big goal, to win the gold medal. I would win my first fight and not even celebrate. It’s not because I wasn’t happy, but because that was just one step towards the medal, the gold medal, which was my goal. So it’s about this: taking it farther and farther, and not giving up along the way.
The FightWorks Podcast: Absolutely, that is a tremendous message for all of us to take, and I think it is very applicable to life as well. It sounds like in addition to your willingness to not give up, you were also surrounded by a great, great team. So, we often have, on our show, representatives of Team Alliance, Gracie Barra, Gracie Humaita, but some of our listeners may not be familiar with Brasa. Please tell us a little about the origins of your team, Team Brasa.
Felipe Costa: To make a long story short, in the very beginning, the major teams in Brazil when I started in 1991 were Gracie Barra, Carlson Gracie, Nova Uniao – a team from the suburbs, who won a lot – and before Alliance, there was Jacare and Fabio Gurgel. They got together, and then they made the Alliance. I think that was around, maybe ‘93, or maybe ‘94, I’m not sure about the exact date.
But anyway, that’s how the Alliance team came about. Of course, there was Gracie Humaita, and all the other teams who were very good, like De La Riva. But I’m saying that the teams who would always make top three in big tournaments was Alliance, Gracie Barra and Nova Uniao. All my life, I train in the same Academy, the same address. During that process, the team changed around me. I was still only eighteen years old when they started to have a conflict inside Alliance, and because I was so close with some of the guys, like Comprido, Leozinho, Terere. There were many guys, top guys, like Demian Maia, that started to be unhappy with some situations in the Alliance team, and they decided to split.
At that point, I was very young, and I just stayed with my friends, my close friends, and the same address. It is important to understand this: just the name changed, but the people were still the same, the people who were training were still the same. After that, the Brasa team started to grow, because all the major competitors were still fighting, Leozinho, Comprido, Terere, Demian Maia, etc, you know, many of them.
At one point, a little bit after that, Terere decided that he wanted to make his own team with Telles. That’s when they created TT. The old guys, the old listeners, I’m sure they know. The new guys, they can look on the internet, it was big thing, developed very fast. Everybody knows about it.
Brasa stayed together for a couple of years, and the team was going good, up to a point where some of the members decided they wanted to make another team. That’s when they created Checkmat, it’s still going, but it’s a good team. There was the split again of Brasa, and again, I stayed at the same place.
Let me tell you what I think about all this: this is natural. Some might say, “Oh, jiu jitsu always has this trouble.” But I think in any job, you know, any kind of business you have, there will always be disagreements. Sometimes it is hard to get back and fix it, and people end up splitting. So, what I take from all these experiences is what really matters are the friendships you make. along the way. I’m not saying this to sound politically correct – is that correct to say, does that make sense?
The FightWorks Podcast: Yep, absolutely.
Felipe Costa: So yeah, I’m not just saying this. What I learn is like this: before, when I started, people from different academies, they could never train with friends if they were from another team. Nowadays, that doesn’t matter anymore, you just have to trust. Of course, you have to go to a place where you feel comfortable, but there is no need to be enemies with people from another team. That’s what I believe.
Today, I’m one of the leaders of Brasa, but I train every week at the De La Riva Academy, I train every week at Soulfighters – it’s another team in Brazil that is growing, in Rio de Janeiro – and I train at Brasa, also. Why, because I trust everybody, I get along with everybody there. So, whoever still has this mentality of ‘enemies’ in the other team and stuff, it’s a waste of time, in my opinion.
The FightWorks Podcast: Yeah, I think especially for some of our newer listeners, who are in an environment where the idea of cross-training is not so foreign, it’s a really interesting history to hear about how back in the day, in old school jiu jitsu, training with other teams was actually something that was looked down upon.
Felipe Costa: Just staying this, giving them the idea, was really bad. It was different academies. I had a friend from school, he was one of my best friends. He trained at Carlson Gracie and I trained at Alliance. We were friends at school, but we would never train together. What a waste, how much we could have shown to each other, but we never trained together because it was not allowed, it was a ‘big secret.’ He would say, “ah, we were doing this kind of thing,” and I would be super curious about what he was doing. It was the same the other way around. It was not allowed.
If I would visit him, and my teacher found out, I would have been in trouble. That’s how bad it was. The few places who still do it like this…come on, like I said, it is a waste of time.
The FightWorks Podcast: Absolutely. So, updating some of our listeners on who is currently a member of Team Brasa, who are some of your teammates, who are some of the better known competitors and instructors who represent your team?
Felipe Costa: We have a lot of people, of course, but to tell you the top names that people will right away know who I’m talking about, I can say Comprido, who is currently in Chicago, teaching there. Roberto Traven, who is in Atlanta, teaching there. We have Luis Filha, who is in [somewhere]. We have Telles, who is in Sao Paulo, and Demian Maia, who is also in Sao Paulo. We have some guys in Rio de Janeiro, like myself, I still live in Rio. Igor Silva, Estemo Branco, who is a guy from the old times that the old listeners will probably know.
Also some other competitors, like Igor Silva, maybe those guys won’t be familiar with the name right away, but we still have a lot of nice guys.
The FightWorks Podcast: Absolutely. So, what do you think, if you had to boil it down, what differentiates training with Team Brasa from training with other teams out there?
Felipe Costa: Well, I can only talk from my experience, and I’m not saying, by what I’m about to say about Brasa, that the other ones are not. From what I’ve seen at Brasa, people pay a lot of attention to technique, they are very concerned about that. There are also people who do a lot of physical training.
But when I see and compare the teaching to other places that I’ve had a chance to see, I realize how much more we pay attention to the technique. This is also the feedback I get from people who train with us, who had a chance to be in our camps. We manage to mix the basic techniques, what some people would call the old school jiu jitsu, with the stuff that you use nowadays in the tournaments. So if I had to pick one thing, it would be the technique. I think it is a group with very good, very fine technique. That’s what I think.
The FightWorks Podcast: So let’s shift gears and actually refocus on your individual accomplishments and endeavors. Your first documentary, ‘The Path to Success’, if I’m not mistaken, addressed some of the stories you already shared with us – your rise to an elite competitor as a black belt. But you also have a new documentary, that I’ve seen clips of on YouTube. Tell us a little bit more about this project.
Felipe Costa: Well the first one, it’s called ‘The Path to Success’. It was exactly like the story I told you at the beginning of this interview. I wanted people to know that there is somebody who is not physically gifted, who is a small guy, skinny, but became technical enough to win a world championship. The message that I wanted to say is that I’m like you, all of you who are listening. I’m a normal guy who loves to eat junk food, you know, I’m not a super athlete. I still made it in the top level of Brazilian jiu jitsu, and I made that after ten years of fighting and losing. That is the message that I wanted to send, that is why I decided to make the first DVD.
The second documentary is not a DVD, I just had the idea of putting together my training DVD. I had a surgery at the beginning of the year and I couldn’t train for like a month. I thought maybe it is good to show people my return, like me losing weight, the training, getting beat up. Step by step, going to a tournament, maybe winning, maybe losing. Whatever happens I’m going to show it.
So far I put the first episode on the internet. I’m going to try and put it up every fifteen days. The first episode was a big surprise, because in two days there were over four thousand viewers. I was really amazed. Of course, if you compare to, I don’t know, soccer in Brazil, it’s nothing, but for jiu jitsu, four thousand in two days, I was really surprised. I got a lot of emails, with people encouraging me, and asking when I was going to post the second episode.
So the second episode, I’m going to post this week, I’m just finishing subtitles. What I do is I do it in English and in Portuguese. Most of the time I talk in English, but of course, I’m here in Brazil, so a lot of the time there are people talking in Portuguese and I talk with them, so I put subtitles. It’s bilingual, so people in Brazil can watch it, and people who speak English can also watch it.
The FightWorks Podcast: You mentioned two things that I want to touch base upon, but let me do this one first. So you mentioned how you’re a regular guy, and you also mentioned something very key, which is that you’re a small guy. I had the honor of meeting you very briefly at a seminar you had at my academy here in New York City, and you are, you’re a small guy, and I believe you’re a champion at the roosterweight level, is that right?
Felipe Costa: Yeah, that’s right, the lowest weight class.
The FightWorks Podcast: I think this might be a question that a lot of us think about. Not many of us are very big, many of us who maybe train jiu jitsu just two or three times a week are like you: as you mentioned, not athletes. So, how does a guy of your stature, someone who is your size, your weight, your height, what is your advice for smaller folk who often have to train with larger people? How do you suggest we approach our training?
Felipe Costa: Well, first of all, you have to focus on technique. A smaller guy almost every time will be more technical than a bigger guy. The reason for that is because the bigger guy doesn’t need so many details to make the same principle, the same move. A smaller guy, when he mounts, he needs to check his balance, hold the head properly, so he can shoot for the mount. A bigger guy, he just throw the leg and he mounts, because he’s bigger. That’s a raw example, I’m not going into details: there are some big guys who are super technical. It’s just like a raw idea of what I’m saying.
But most important, people say “How do you avoid getting hurt?” I don’t get hurt because I fight the whole time protecting myself. It is all about how much you expose yourself. That is also another important point I would like the mention: I don’t mind at all tapping, and I see a lot of people who don’t like to tap. They don’t like to tap during training. Those kind of people, they get hurt more frequently, and they give up more, because when they start to get tapped too much, they get afraid, and they don’t go to the gym as much, because people are getting better than them.
Or maybe they get hurt, and after a month, people that they were better than, start to get better, because they didn’t stop training. So they get ashamed that they’re worse, and they give up. So I think it is very important not to have that ego, it is just training. A lot of people also, because they don’t compete, they make the Academy their competition. That’s very bad for the environment of the Academy.
So I think one of the keys, after the technique and all this, the main key is for you to train and protecting yourself, so you don’t put yourself in situations like this. Of course you’re going to improve, and you’ll come to a point where you’ll be safe with most weights.
The FightWorks Podcast: One thing that really stuck out to me was that you are not afraid to tap. You actually read my mind, I was going to ask a question about your second documentary. You mention that you were injured, you had surgery, and I believe you said you were off the mats for at least a month. Did you feel any nervousness or fear of tapping to lower belts when you returned to the mat?
Felipe Costa: No, not at all. Do you know why? Because I tap everyday. Today, in my training, I tapped to a blue belt, and I tapped to a brown belt. This is true, that happened today, and I also tapped to a black belt. Ok? So this is something that happens everyday. Why? Because the black belt, he tapped me because he was better than me at the time. The blue belt, he tapped me because I put myself in a situation where I had more trouble to defend. It got to a point where I couldn’t defend, and he actually tapped me. The same goes for the brown belt. So, because I tapped to the guy in training, that doesn’t mean that I’m not going to do good in a tournament. That doesn’t mean that I’m worse than the guy, and of course it doesn’t mean that I’m better than the guy.
Man, so many people have this mentality, they don’t want to tap. One day I read an interview about a guy, I don’t even know where he was, but he was saying, “My teacher is so great he hasn’t tapped for the last five years.” When I read this, I was like, “Man, this guy, there is something wrong. He is beating up all his students!” He never lets his students get an armbar on him, or something. What is that? So that teacher is probably making the Academy his tournament. I’m sure if that guy – and it was not a big name, it’s not like I don’t want to say who it is, I really don’t remember who it was – I’m sure if that guy, if he would enter a tournament, he would not do very good. I think it’s the wrong strategy, the wrong way to go.
The FightWorks Podcast: I can say personally, that is very refreshing. I’ve had a couple of injuries in the years that I’ve trained jiu jitsu, and its always my first fear, getting back on the mat. After so much time off, knowing that because of my conditioning and because my technique isn’t as sharp as it should be, my fear is to tap. That makes me hesitant to go to the academy. So to hear someone of your stature and your background say that, I’m sure is a relief to a lot of our listeners who are out there.
Actually, that allows me to segue into something I’ve seen that you offer, but I’m not very familiar with it. It is something you call the ‘Personal Training Program’? Tell us a little more about what that entails.
Felipe Costa: I start to do the Personal Training Program after I got the world tournament, because before that, I wasn’t planning on living from jiu jitsu. I was lucky to live from jiu jitsu after that, there were many opportunities, and I managed to take it well and I’m very happy to live from jiu jitsu today. The Personal Training Program was an idea, because I was seeing that a lot of people would travel to give seminars. When you just give a seminar, if you go to an academy where you don’t know anybody, and you just take two hours, of course you’re going to show some good technique and stuff like this. But you’re not going to be able to see what the student’s name is, what the structure of the academy is, and it is harder to help.
So my idea was if I got to some place and stay five or seven days, or longer you know, but at least five days, and train with them on a daily basis – I’m going to maybe watch a class, I’m going to train with their students, I’m going to give you a regular class – there is no doubt that I’m going to be able to teach stuff that will be more useful to the school.
So that is basically the idea. Instead of going to a place and just give a seminar of two hours and go home, not even get to know anybody, I go to places and I stay at least five days. The thing has been going so well that I have been going so well that I go to many countries in Europe, I go to US in different states. Actually, when we met in New York, I don’t know if you remember, but I stayed there the whole week, and I was teaching the group class. I think it is a very successful way, and its an alternative that a lot of people can not do, because maybe they have academies that they cannot leave for so long, and stuff like this. So it was kind of a niche that I found, and I’m super happy with the result. A lot of people seem to be happy too.
The FightWorks Podcast: How can folks take advantage of that? Do you have to be a Brasa affiliate, and how does someone get in contact with you to learn more information?
Felipe Costa: Well, anyone can read more about it on my website, FelipeCosta.com, or BrazilianBlackBelt.com, there is lots of information about this. It doesn’t have to be Brasa: like I said, I go to many places that people are not Brasa. Sometimes they do become Brasa afterwards, sometimes they don’t, it’s not a rule or anything. It is just about sharing knowledge, you know. The team stuff, it doesn’t matter. I’m super relaxed about this.
The FightWorks Podcast: Winding down, I know it’s been a long day for you in Brazil, but before I leave, I definitely wanted to touch base upon some very special work that you’re doing. I believe our audience may find this inspirational as well. Currently you’re working at the Rio de Janeiro Benjamin Constant Institute – I believe that’s the name of the location – and you’re working with visually impaired athletes. Tell us what you and some of your teammates are doing down there.
Felipe Costa: We started this thing in 2007. It was myself, Comprido – when he was still living in Brazil – and Michele Marta, another teammate from Brasa. When we started, we had no idea how to lead the class, how to treat them, you know, because it is a school in Brazil for the blind kids. Even that term, I don’t know how it sounds in the US, but here, if you say “oh, the blind kids,” it’s a little bit…it’s not correct, you know. You should say, as you said, ‘visually impaired.’
The thing is, what surprises, once you get there, those kids, they don’t mind at all. They are super confident about their lives, they are super happy. For example, if we were talking too loud, they would go, “Hey, I’m blind, not deaf!” They make those kind of jokes all the time. So it makes you super comfortable about it. Before we went there, I was like, “Man, I’m afraid I’m going to say “Hey guys, look here,” you know, this is going to be embarrassing. But they say like this, you explain something, and they say “I see, I see.” They don’t feel sorry for themselves. I think that’s the important thing for people to know, they don’t feel sorry about themselves.
They enjoy the class so much, and it gives them so much more confidence. It is really like, I go there, and when I get out, I feel like I’m learning more than I’m teaching. If anybody comes to Brazil, its going to be a pleasure if you come and train with us, you’re going to understand what I’m saying. They are really special kids, super great, and they have talent. They compete in three tournaments, in the last, I don’t know, maybe one year and a half or two years, and every time, some of them get medals. The last tournament, out of ten, eight got medals. This is amazing, I think it’s a great result.
It is not because I am a great teacher, it is not because they are super athletes, it is just because it is jiu jitsu. Once you get in touch, once you engage, it’s jiu jitsu, you know. You’re going to learn, if you’re deaf, if you’re blind, if you’re whatever. It is the only sport that I know that can be done equally: they are not fighting against other visually impaired children. They are fighting against kids who can see, regular, there are no special tournaments for them.
The FightWorks Podcast: That’s pretty amazing, actually. I’m curious, what inspired you to do this work, what inspired you specifically to work with visually impaired athletes?
Felipe Costa: Well, the idea came from Michele. At their school they have a swimming pool, which is open for the public, and she was swimming over there. She heard that some people volunteer, for example, you could volunteer yourself to read for some of them. Or you could volunteer yourself to teach English to one of the kids. They don’t have sport, they don’t have a lot of options. I mean, there are sports, they do athletics, they play soccer, better than me, you know. I swear: they have a ball, they have a noise, and they all have blindfolds. Not all of them are 100% blind, some of them can see like shadows and stuff. So to make it fair, they all put on a blindfold, and go by the sound of the ball. The only ones who can see are the goalies. It is amazing how confident they are on the ball. I cannot do that good, and I can see perfectly.
So when we saw that there was an opportunity to teach them, to give them another…because what happened is, we’re not concerned with making a world champion over there. If that happens, that would be awesome, but our concern is that we’re teaching something to them that they’re going to be able to do for the rest of their lives. There are kids who have already graduated, and they have joined academies close to their house. This is awesome, you are teaching something that they can keep forever. That’s I think the nicest thing.
The FightWorks Podcast: Absolutely. Now, you mention that, because of the way that you must engage with your opponent in jiu jitsu that really, it is one of the few sports of any sports that basically, you can learn whether you’re visually impaired or not, it’s basically the same. But I’m curious if there are any different ways that you have to teach jiu jitsu. Do you have to modify your approach, or how you teach a technique, for someone who is visually impaired?
Felipe Costa: The difference is you need to give them more attention. You have to teach almost like, personally, but what’s interesting is that, in like a regular class, the teacher goes in the middle, the other guys stand around, right? The thing is, sometimes, we have three teachers at the same time, and sometimes we have only one. So when I get one of them to show the other ones who are around, they are so eager to see what I’m showing that they get close and they start to feel, with the hands.
So if I say, “Ok, you have to put your knee close to the head,” they are there with their hands holding my knee, to feel where that knee is going. I have noticed that when people see this, they get very emotional. It is amazing, it’s a beautiful thing. Imagine a teacher teaching in a mirror, and people checking how the grip is, and checking where is the weight, is it on the side, where is the hook. So, that’s the difference, but it is still much the same.
The FightWorks Podcast: I can definitely speak for the show and the audience, in that we definitely congratulate you on that important work, and as that progresses, we’d love to hear more. Especially tournaments results: if you’d like to shoot us an email, we’d love to hear more about how visually impaired students are doing down there.
So listen, as I mentioned before, I know it has been a very long day, it is actually much past 11 your time in Rio. Let’s wind down, and I’d like to give you the opportunity to share any closing thoughts you might have with our audience.
Felipe Costa: Well first of all, I have had the chance to follow the show you guys make. I think it is super nice, it is always interesting things. I want to thank you for the opportunity, again, and I want to invite whoever is planning to come to Brazil soon, we’re going to have our BJJ camp on July 30th. There is information on the website, BrazilianBlackBelt.com. Everybody is welcome, it will be a pleasure to train with you guys.
The FightWorks Podcast:Well, Felipe, thank you so much for your time, this has been a really enlightening interview, and we hope to have you on soon, as your schedule allows.
Felipe Costa: It would be a pleasure, just let me know, I will always be available for you guys.
The FightWorks Podcast: Alright, thank you so much.
For most BJJ students, preparing for a tournament usually involves a lot more mat time, more conditioning, drilling and generally more physical effort. But for a growing number of competitors, not just in BJJ but also in many other sports, mental preparation is equally important. For these sportsmen and women sports hypnosis and mental performance coaching has helped them gain an extra edge over other competitors. Seymour Yang went to meet Eamonn Madden, a UK-based BJJ coach and a mental performance coach who uses his techniques in the class.
The FightWorks Podcast: Hi Eamonn, please introduce yourself for the Mighty 600,000?
Eamonn Madden: Sure, my name is Eamonn Madden and I am a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Felipe Souza and I am one of the head instructors at the ‘BJJ School’ academies. I have been training BJJ for over ten years and I am also a professional mental performance coach.
The FightWorks Podcast: Explain what you mean by ‘mental performance’ coach?
Eamonn Madden: Well I believe that for any athlete, whether they are an elite Olympic player or just an regular recreational player, the ability to perform to their maximum ability in their sport is 80-90% due to their mental preparation and state of mind. What I do is to use various tools that enable these players and athletes to improve their performance, or overcome a sticking point in their development.
The FightWorks Podcast: So what tools do you use?
Eamonn Madden: The main tools that I find really work well with my clients are a blend of sports hypnosis and NLP – neural linguistic programming. I view it as the equivalent of installing new ’software’ for the brain.
The FightWorks Podcast: Really? You can literally reprogram the brain, like some sort of computer?
Eamonn Madden: Kind of, I prefer to use the term ‘reroute’. If, for example, someone had a negative association with an incident that occured in the past and it was catalogued in their subconscious, and ever since that time it had hindered their performance, then NLP and hypnosis can get to the root of that problem and alter the person’s association by working directly with the subconscious.
The FightWorks Podcast: If I can try to understand correctly, you mean you actually alter a person’s memory?
Eamonn Madden: No,no I can’t alter a person’s memory, but I do change the feelings associated with that memory. I like to use the analogy of a bouncer on the door of a club – he is the barrier between the conscious part of the brain and the subconscious. Usually the bouncer chooses who he lets in and who he stops from entering. But what hypnosis does is to distract the bouncer so he looks away, and that allows me to sneek in and do my work.
The FightWorks Podcast: Can you give examples of how a past incident can affect a person’s sporting performance?
Eamonn Madden: Something that I see a lot with high level athletes is where a previous coach or parent has been their principle coach when they were younger and they used a lot of misunderstood coaching methods. Examples of this could include shouting or being really hard – experiences where nothing the kid did seemed to be good enough. This kind of memory is stored in the subconscious and can hinder their performace as an adult because whatever result they achieve, they believe that it is never their best. So my job is the break down the barriers they have and destroy any limiting beliefs.
The FightWorks Podcast: How did you get involved in this field in the first place?
Eamonn Madden: Since I began jiu-jitsu, my father was always there to watch me compete, every match he was there right up until I was a purple belt. But then he passed away to cancer and after that, I found it really hard to get back my passion and desire to compete. I would enter tournaments but there would always be some sort of last minute injury that would stop me. In the end, I went to see a sports hypnotist and with his assistance I identified that I was subconsiously self-sabotaging myself in order to avoid the tournament.
The FightWorks Podcast: And you had no idea you were doing this?
Eamonn Madden: No, absolutely not until after only a few sessions and then it dawned on me that this was the reason behind my untimely injuries. After that revelation, I continued some more sessions and the more I learned about this area, the more I got interested into it as something I could do to help others.
So I studied all the books I could find and participated in training courses under some very top level guys in the field.
The FightWorks Podcast: Like who?
Eamonn Madden: I studied one on one under KC Johnson in New York, who is an amazing guy. He works with a lot of athletes and wrestlers and taught me a lot of what I use today. More recently I’ve had the privilege to train under Chris Howard, who is one of the biggest names in the mental performance field, and is also a passionate BJJ Brown Belt who trains under Rorion and Rickson Gracie.
The FightWorks Podcast: A lot of people might think what you do is a bit dubious; how do you react to critics?
Eamonn Madden: It really doesn’t bother me, I just laugh! Any criticism is just based on lack of knowledge. What I do is not the stage hypnosis you see on TV. Everyday I get comments from students or new guys who say to me “that stuff ain’t gonna work on me” or “you’re not gonna make me bark like a dog” and they have no idea I am already working on their limiting beliefs just with conversation.
The FightWorks Podcast: Who have you worked with so far?
Eamonn Madden: My clients come from all sorts of backgrounds but I specialise in sports and combat sports in particular, obviously because of my own training background. Right now I am working closely with UFC fighter Nick Osipczak.
The FightWorks Podcast: How did you help Nick?
Eamonn Madden: In the build-up to his last fight with Matt Riddle, one of the recurring things that Nick would think about is the fact that his opponent had an extensive wrestling background, and this thought grew in Nick’s mind.
But it was very easy to break down these barriers and I used chess metaphors to do this, since Nick is a really big chess player. I got him to visualise his fight in terms of chess strategy. He was also aware that his opponent had a track record of always going the distance in his fights, and again, we reframed that barrier by turning that thought around. In other words, we got Nick to realise that this ‘lasting the distance’ issue actually meant that his opponent could never finish a fight. I turned a negative into a positive for Nick and it really worked. As part of our preparation, we slow-motioned and fast-forwarded the entire three rounds of the fight under hypnosis.
The FightWorks Podcast: Nick got a great result in the end didn’t he?
Eamonn Madden: Yeah! At UFC 105 Nick totally dominated Riddle tactically and the ref had to stop the fight. He will be fighting on UFC 112 and we’re working together again specifically for this fight.
The FightWorks Podcast: Have you worked with any BJJ athletes?
Eamonn Madden: Oh yes, quite a few. Daniel Agard, for example, came to me as he needed to get over his extreme physical nervousness before a tournament.
The FightWorks Podcast: Surely nervousness before a match is normal?
Eamonn Madden: No it’s not! I mean Daniel was feeling physically nauseous days before a match and it was preventing him reaching his full potential on the mat. What I’m saying, is that this is something that you can reroute and utilise. Stimulating arousual is certainly important for a professional athlete, but not nausea.
The FightWorks Podcast: So how did you manage to solve his problem?
Eamonn Madden: With Daniel, I used a tool called an ‘emotion thermometer’ which controls the arousual level. We also used ‘future pacing where, with hypnosis, we fast forward through all match senarios to the desired outcome – such as holding up his gold medal or standing on the winners podium and other positive situations where Daniel is in control. This helped deal with his nervousness. Then we anchored certain ‘word-triggers’ into his subconscious mind. When that word-trigger is spoken, either by himself, or by another person coaching him, it acts to fire him up at the right time. We call this a ‘resource anchor’ where you can control your physical and mental state gaining instant confidence and readiness to fight.
The FightWorks Podcast: How has Daniel improved since working with you?
Eamonn Madden: Daniel has achieved awesome results since we began working together. For example, he recently won the UK ADCC World Pro BJJ Cup trials, so he’s off to Abu Dhabi where he will continue to use his ‘triggers’. Daniel loves his ability to switch on or off for a fight. He actually said to me, “now I want you to make me psycho!!!” [laughs]
The FightWorks Podcast: Do you use resource anchors yourself?
Eamonn Madden: Oh yes I use them daily. I used them moments before you arrived in fact. I wanted to get myself in the right state of mind to do give a good interview!
The FightWorks Podcast: If I came to you and said I was suffering from, let’s say, claustophobia, what would you do to help me?
Eamonn Madden: Whenever I work with any new client, I always talk to them in depth about their barrier and I like to find out the exact point or as close as possible at which their problem occurred. Once we can establish the incident or event that coincided with the onset of their claustrophobia, then we work from there using the techniques discussed previously. Something like claustrophobia can easily be erased and that change can in certain situations happen as quickly as twenty minutes to an hour of a session with me.
The FightWorks Podcast: Do you use your tools when teaching a normal group class?
Eamonn Madden: Yes I use conversational hypnosis all the time in class. When I teach BJJ, I like to use metaphors and ‘yes settings’ a lot. For example I’ll ask the question: “Is this good? Yes or yes?” and the students can only answer ‘yes’ and it puts them in a positive state before practicing the technique. These types of ‘mental jiu jitsu’ tricks are really just ways of me assisting the outcome so both the student and I can get the result we desire, I must make this clear though it is ALL for the benefit of the students.
When I teach, my aim is to install jiu-jitsu techniques into the students’ subconscious. Once there, it really speeds the learning process. Students don’t waste time thinking about what they have to do, it just comes out!
I also use open and closed loops when instructing. This is when I open up by beginning a story or anecdote, but then I’ll stop and teach a technique, then later on I’ll finish the story, and close the loop. But what happens is that the information inside that loop is stored by the students in their subconscious. I’ve essentially wrapped up that technique as one easily remembered unit for them. When you see my white belt beginners, you’ll see they’ve picked up techniques so well and really grown in confidence.
The FightWorks Podcast: Can you give a tip for the readers on how to improve the mental side of their performance?
Eamonn Madden: Construct your own resource anchor. Spend a few minutes and think back to a time in your past where you achieved something good or worthy. Remember this feeling, close your eyes and light that feeling up in your neurology. Now fire an anchor – maybe clench your fist or squeeze two fingers together – anything that you want or works for you, and that will be your resource anchor you can use whenever you need it. And you don’t have to stop there, you can have several resource anchors and ’stack’ them up. It really works.
The FightWorks Podcast: If someone is interested in your help, how would they contact you?
Eamonn Madden: I have a website: www.sportmental.co.uk, all they have to do is fill in the online form and I will arrange with them for a free 15 minute consultation which is done over the phone. I really believe that I can help a person perform to 100 percent of their ability
The FightWorks Podcast: Thanks Eamonn, good luck with your training and your mental coaching career.
Eamonn Madden: Thanks Seymour, it’s been a real pleasure.
Seymour Yang is a BJJ purple belt training at the Mill Hill Roger Gracie Academy and he also writes the BJJ blog: www.meerkatsu.com
Robin Gracie (right) with his nephew Kron Gracie (left). Image courtesy Robin Gracie.
Robin Gracie is the youngest of Helio Gracie’s sons, and the only one of them to settle in Europe. In this exchange we hear straight from Robin and his academy in Barcelona about the popularity of Brazilian jiu-jitsu in Spain.
The FightWorks Podcast: How long have you lived in Spain?
Robin Gracie: I arrived in Spain in December 1997, a little over 12 years ago.
The FightWorks Podcast: When you left Brazil to live in Spain, did you know you would remain there for so long?
Robin Gracie: I did not know exactly what I would find here. The only thing I knew was that BJJ was little-known or unknown in Spain.
The FightWorks Podcast: You were one of the first to offer jiu-jitsu in Spain. What was it like in those early years?
Robin Gracie: There were only a few curious folks who surfed around the web, which was not as used back then as it is today, and there were martial arts magazines but there were no instructors. I was the only one. All of my students were of course white belts and did not have anyone to train hard with.
The FightWorks Podcast: How would you describe the Spanish who train jiu-jitsu? How are they similar to Brazilians and how are they different?
Robin Gracie: The truth is that there is a lot of diversity among them, from humble workers to famous businessmen. I believe something similar happens in the United States. In my gym there are many foreigners. I believe 30% or 40% are. In Europe it is very easy to get around by train, car or plan. You can be anywhere quickly. The Spanish, being Latinos, are as impulsive as the Brazilians but when it comes time to train are somewhat more explosive and they look for a faster pace, maybe because of the cold there is in the winter.
The FightWorks Podcast: How do you see the spread of jiu-jitsu in Spain today?
Robin Gracie: After all these years the BJJ community has grown and now there are gyms everywhere. The number of competitions has increased as well and people are looking for more information about our martial art all the time.
The FightWorks Podcast: Did you attend the 2010 IBJJF European Championship? What did you think?
Robin Gracie: Yes, it is always growing. It seems like every time there are more mats out and more competitors. The only bad thing in my opinion are the details in the rules that change every year and they confuse the coaches, fighters, and referees, who in the end make mistakes. I think they should not change the rules more than every five years to give everyone a chance to understand them before changing them.
The FightWorks Podcast: Your father, Helio Gracie, passed away in January of 2009. Do you have any favorite memories of your time with him?
Robin Gracie: Since I came to Spain I would only see him on my vacations in Brazil when I got the opportunity to visit him in his house in the mountains. I remember that even in his final years he liked to put on the gi and train. He did not speak or think about anything other than jiu-jitsu.
The FightWorks Podcast: What is your favorite thing about Spain?
Robin Gracie: Of all European countries, Spain is the warmest and also the one with the most beaches, where it rains and snows the least, and the people are friendliest. Perhaps it is the Brazil of Europe. That is why I like it.
The FightWorks Podcast: Thanks Robin! Gracias! Obrigado!
Jake Mackenzie on the podium in Lisbon. Photo courtesy Jake Mackenzie.
Bruce Hoyer, a regular contributor to the FightWorks Podcast sends us this quick interview with Jacob Mackenzie, the lightweight gold medalist at the 2010 BJJ European Championships.
The FightWorks Podcast: For those people that may not know you yet give everyone a little background on you and how you got started.
Jake Mackenzie: I am 24 years old, I train at Fightsports South Beach in Miami, and I am a brown belt under Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu. I am originally from Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada. I began training jiu-jitsu there 9 and a half years ago, and I trained exclusively in Canada until I was 17 years old. At 17 I began spending 6 months at a time in Rio de Janeiro, so that I could improve my jiu-jitsu, and so I could compete almost every weekend. The last 3 years I have been living 6 months in Miami and 6 months in Rio to learn and compete as much as possible.
The FightWorks Podcast: You recently won the European Championships, talk a little bit about some of the matches that you had this time around.
Jake Mackenzie: It was my first time competing at the Euros, and I am really glad that i made the trip over to Lisboa to compete. I had 15 guys in my division (brown belt, lightweight). I was able to submit all of my opponents except for my opponent in my semi final match, he was a really tough competitor from Manaus, Brazil, and was a former world champion at purple, he was able to take me down at the start of the match, and was up to 2×0 for the first four minutes, I eventually swept him from my guard and I almost mounted and took his back. The fight ended 2×2 but I had 3 advantages points, so was able to secure the win. In the final, I was able to submit my opponent in 2-3 minutes with a choke from the back.
The FightWorks Podcast: Talk about your experience with traveling all over the US and the world frankly competing and training in BJJ.
Jake Mackenzie: I travel all year round, trying to compete as much as possible, I usually fight 16-20 tournaments a year. I love competing every chance I get. I really like traveling as well, so being able to compete internationally is something I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.
The FightWorks Podcast: Where is your favorite place to compete?
Jake Mackenzie: I really like competing in California and in Miami, but I think Rio is my favorite place to compete, I fight almost every weekend when I stay there, and the majority of my tournament experience has been in Rio. There is something special about fighting in Rio, it is where everything started!
The FightWorks Podcast: Do you ever find that people from other gyms are not welcoming or is it pretty much open doors everywhere? Or in competition when you travel overseas do you feel an extra pressure?
Jake Mackenzie: I really like getting a chance to train with new people and learn as much as I can. Here in Florida, a lot of the best academies train together. I get the chance to train Cyborg, Pablo Popovitch, Boca, Denis Mitchell, Wagner Rocha, Paulo Azambuja and many other top level black belts, so I am learning every time I step on to the mat. I would highly recommend all these gyms and instructors, they are all extremely technical and have a very open and friendly atmosphere. I don’t feel any extra pressure competing overseas, I have more tournament experience in Brazil than anywhere else, and I began competing there while I was still a blue belt, so think i got used to fighting overseas at very young age.
The FightWorks Podcast: You recently moved from Canada to Florida to train and teach at Fight Sport, how has the transition been?
Jake Mackenzie: I started training here in Florida about 3 years ago, that’s when i officially started training with Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu. Cyborg and I were friends before he opened his academy in the US, so when he opened the gym, he invited me to come down to Miami and train with him and help him teach a little bit as well. Shortly after moving down to Miami, I decided to train and compete exclusively under Cyborg, it was one of best decisions I ever made. He is amazing instructor and coach, it is so easy to stay motivated and train hard all year round, because Roberto brings so much positive energy to the gym everyday, and he really cares about making his students better, every class he teaches.
The FightWorks Podcast: Do you feel like you are able to learn faster training with like Cyborg and Marcel?
Jake Mackenzie: Absolutely, I feel like my jiu-jitsu has improved drastically in the time I have spent training with Cyborg and Marcel. Here at Fightsports I train 2 times a day, 6 days a week, every class that Roberto teaches he pushes me to train 100 percent. Marcel, is amazing training partner, he is a great competitor, and whenever we train, I know it is going to be war, a lot of the times we train together we will roll for 40-60 minutes straight. I also couldn’t ask for a better master and group of guys to train with.
The FightWorks Podcast: Anyone you would like to thank?
Jake Mackenzie: I really want to thank my mom and dad first and foremost, they have always supported me 110 percent. I really want to thank Cyborg, and all my family from Fightsports. Also I want to thank Pablo Popovitch, Wagner Rocha, Boca, and all the guys from their academies that help me train all year round. I really want to thank my friend and training parter Denis Mitcell too, he helps me soo much, he always get me makes sure I am 100 percent mentally before I fight, him and Cyborg are always with me whenever I compete. I want to also thank all my sponors, Shoyoroll Kimonos (the best kimonos period!), Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear, Legacy Fit, Source Security, Murphies Resteraunt, Inglis Jewellers. Without all of their help and support it would be impossible for me to compete and travel year round. I can’t thank enough.
Rafael Lovato Jr. (UNIJJ, white gi) faces Nivaldo de Oliveira Lima (CheckMat) in a Grapplers Quest pro division in March 2009.
The warmer months usually make for an intense season of grappling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments, and Grapplers Quest has announced that they will be putting on an event with a significant cash prize for competitors on July 10th and 11th in California. We sent some questions to Grapplers Quest CEO Brian Cimins about the event for some details.
The FightWorks Podcast: You are accepting resumes of competitors who wish to enter the 32-man 2010 Tachi Palace Grappling Challenge, which features a $10,000 cash prize. Is that gi or no-gi?
Brian Cimins: 100% no-gi.
The FightWorks Podcast: What are the qualifications you are looking for in competitors who wish to enter?
Brian Cimins: Professional MMA fighters, ADCC champions and finalists, pro Grapplers Quest champions & multiple advanced division winners, CBJJ black and brown belt World or Pan American champions, All-American and Olympic alternate class wrestlers, judo & sambo world champions – the best grapplers in the world
The FightWorks Podcast: The Grappling Challenge will take place alongside the normal Grapplers Quest gi and no-gi divisions, right?
Brian Cimins: The Pro Grappling Challenge will begin on Saturday, July 10th at 6:00 PM, where the first 3 rounds will be conducted. All amateur No-Gi divisions will be conducted on Saturday starting at 10:00 AM. The final 4 pro matches will happen on Sunday, July 11th at 3:00 PM in conjunction with the amateur BJJ divisions. Also, Tachi Palace Fights will be conducting a huge outdoor MMA show on Friday, July 9th, so it’s an action packed MMA and grappling weekend.
The FightWorks Podcast: Despite it being several months before the event, are you able to name any of the athletes who you believe will be taking part in the 32-man Grappling Challenge?
Brian Cimins: Jeff Monson has committed to fighting in the 32-Man.
The FightWorks Podcast: Will there be cash prizes for both male and female divisions?
Brian Cimins: For amateurs, Grapplers Quest offers cash prizes for men and women absolute divisions at every show nationwide.
The FightWorks Podcast: Your site mentions a $10,000 cash prize. Is that indeed all to be paid in cash (as opposed to gear, DVDs, etc)?
Brian Cimins: The $10,000 cash prize, is 100% just that, sponsored by Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, California.
The FightWorks Podcast: How will that be broken down among 1rst, 2nd, and 3rd place winners?
Brian Cimins: $7,500 for 1st Place, $1,500 for 2nd Place, $1,000 for 3rd Place, with the following bonuses: $500 for the fastest submission and $1,000 for winning all matches by submission.
The FightWorks Podcast: Anything else our audience should know about this event?
Brian Cimins: Tickets will be on sale by the Tachi Palace within the next few weeks, but only 900 tickets will be available for sale. This is the largest cash prize in the history of American grappling and will feature the best of the best. We will be crowning the Best Grappler in the World on July 10th and 11th and it’s not to be missed… the event will be streamed live on internet Pay Per View as well.
Rodrigo Cavaca in action against Paragon Jiu-Jitsu’s Bill Cooper at a Grapplers Quest event in 2009.
Rodrigo Cavaca, winner of the gold medal in the ultra heavyweight division and the silver medalist in the absolute division, speaks about his experience on the mats at the 2010 European Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Lisbon, Portugal last weekend.
The FightWorks Podcast: Can you please introduce yourself to our audience, with your team name, how long you have been a black belt, and size and weight? Where do you live?
Rodrigo Cavaca: My name is Rodrigo Cavaca, I’m a member of CheckMat. I’m a student of Leo Vieira and I’ve been a black belt since 2006. I’m 1.91m (6 foot 3 inches) and 105 kg (231 pounds). I live in the city of Santos outside Sao Paulo, Brazil. I have my own academy and I’m responsible for 10 affiliate schools in my region.
The FightWorks Podcast: Talk about your fight with Gustavo Campos in the finals of the IBJJF European Championship.
Rodrigo Cavaca: The fight against Guto Campos was going according the way I’d planned it. My strategy was going correctly: I was in the guard, I set up a few attacks where I had a chance to submit him twice near the beginning of the match. Once was a leg lock and another was a foot lock, but he defended well. There was one moment where I got careless. He attacked me quickly and deservedly walked away the winner of this fight. Congratulations to him. Jiu-jitsu is like that: he who is not afraid to risk things will always go further.
The FightWorks Podcast: How exactly did you hurt your arm?
Rodrigo Cavaca: As for my arm, it’s fine. At the time it hurt a lot. I thought I had torn all the ligaments, but today it’s doing better. I am icing it a lot and taking an anti-inflammatory. I am even giving some classes with the crew here in Poland and my friend Przemo Gnat, who is a student of my good friend Robert Drysdale.
The FightWorks Podcast: When will you be able to train jiu-jitsu again?
Rodrigo Cavaca: I’ll be ready to return shortly. I arrive in Brazil on February 10th and from there I’ll be traveling again to the United States to give some seminars. I’ll stay there about 10 ten days. Then I return to Santos where I’ll remain in my academy, training with my students until 2 weeks before the Pan-Ams. At that point I travel to California with my students to regroup with the rest of the team (Lucas Leite, Joao Assis, Pantcho, Lapela, Marcel Louzado, Mike, Leandrinho Vieira) for our camp to prepare for the Pan-Ams.
The FightWorks Podcast: Was it difficult to get medical treatment the hospital in Portugal?
Rodrigo Cavaca: I didn’t go to the doctor in Portugal. I’m going to wait until returning to Brazil to see my physiotherapist Bruno Brito to treat my arm.
The FightWorks Podcast: Any other thoughts about your experience at the Tournament?
Rodrigo Cavaca: What I can say about the European Championship is that every year the talent gets better. The athletes are looking to start the year 100% prepared to take this important title on our [jiu-jitsu] calendar. With God’s help I earned first place in my weight and second place in the absolute division. I have seen comments out there that I am unlucky in Lisboa, as I lost last year to Marko Helen in the early rounds and this year I hurt my arm in the final of the absolute division. That doesn’t make sense to me – last year I was returning from elbow surgery and I hadn’t competed in a year… I returned and won [my weight class at] the European. It’s true that I lost to the Finnish guy but I can say that he’s not as unknown as he was made to seem. When it was time to put together the brackets no one wanted to fight him and every one ran from him. So he’s not so unknown! And this year I did lose in the final and hurt my arm, but let’s think – I had 8 fights in the Europeans this year and of those, I won 7 and lost one. I made one mistake in 8 fights. Where is the luck in that? Ending 8 fights in 30 seconds each?! So, that’s what I had to say. Thanks for the help and the interview. I’m available whenever you need me.
The FightWorks Podcast: Any other thoughts about your experience at the Tournament?
Rodrigo Cavaca: I’d like to send big thanks to my students, my physiotherapist Bruno Brito, my trainer Marcelo Zanellatto, all my family and my sponsors Koral Kimonos and GT Nutrition. Thank you.
Tarsis Humphreys is consistently one of Alliance Jiu-Jitsu’s most dangerous competitors. From 2007 to 2009 he won a medal in whichever black belt adult division he entered, and he now gears up to bring home a gold at the 2010 European BJJ Championship this weekend in Lisbon, Portugal. We were able to get a few quick comments from Tarsis in the days leading up to the event.
The FightWorks Podcast: Tarsis, what are your competition plans in 2010?
Tarsis Humphreys: All the tournaments from IBJJF. Also the Abu Dhabi Pro Cup, and some tournaments with money prizes. Maybe when I finish all the gi competitions I will try my first MMA fight.
The FightWorks Podcast: Will you spend most of 2010 in Sao Paulo or traveling outside Brazil?
Tarsis Humphreys: Better if I spend time in Sao Paulo. I have better training there but I will travel for seminars. (If is somebody interested in my seminars please contact tarsisjj@hotmail.com or facebook Tarsis Humphreys).
The FightWorks Podcast: Do you have any specific goals in 2010 in jiu-jitsu or outside jiu-jitsu?
Tarsis Humphreys: Yes: gold in all tournaments. This is my goal.
The FightWorks Podcast: I understand you’ve been focusing on strength training recently. Talk about that. Did you feel that this was an area you needed specific help with?
Tarsis Humphreys: Everybody needs specific preparation, and Olympic weight lifting with my coach Edmilson Dantas gives me everything: endurance, cardio, power, explosion, protects my body from injuries and also works a lot on my concentration and motivation. So I just recommend it for every fighter.
The FightWorks Podcast: Any thoughts about the names you have seen in your division at the 2010 European Championship?
Tarsis Humphreys: I don’t know who is in my division, but I trust in my training.
The FightWorks Podcast: It looks like Alliance is bringing an army to the 2010 European Championship. Who will represent Alliance there?
Tarsis Humphreys: Yes this is true. I will be there, and so will Antonio “Batista” Peinado , Michael Langhi , Lucas Lepri , Fernando “Soluco” Di Pierro, Alex Monsalve , Bruno Malfacine, and maybe Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles. This are the names I know. Maybe more black belts will come.
The FightWorks Podcast: Is it possible that the USA wins the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Brazil?
Tarsis Humphreys: Anything is possible. USA is a good football team. I know they are very prepared, and in good shape. But I believe more in the Brazilian talent. I think Brazil wins.
The FightWorks Podcast: Anything you would like to say to the FightWorks Podcast audience?
Tarsis Humphreys: Thanks for this space, and thanks for everybody who likes my jiu-jitsu.
We spoke with the founder of Alliance Jiu-Jitsu, Romero “Jacare” Cavalcanti, who relayed that Cobrinha will not be attending the 2010 IBJJF European Championships. – Caleb
