Taiwan BJJ Crew in Tokyo

BJJASIA – Can you kindly introduce yourself?

Andy Wang – My name is Andy Wang, I am currently residing in Beijing, China but I am originally from the United States and before that, Taiwan. I have been involved with Jiu-Jitsu since about 1996 and as the saying goes, time flies when you are having a good time and that definitely sums up my feelings about Jiu-Jitsu and MMA, especially when I first got started.

BJJASIA – How did you start training in BJJ?

Andy Wang – In 1995, my brother handed me a VHS videotape that more or less changed my life, although at the time I didn’t know it. I was still in high school and dreaming of what life in college was going to be like when my brother gave me a videotape with UFC 1-4 on it. I had heard very little about these events and thought it was fighting to the death and so as the video began to roll, I vividly recall taking a deep breath. Of course, the very first fight on the video was Gerard Gourdeau knocking out the Sumo fighter and after that I couldn’t stop watching the bouts.

Royce Gracie, of course, changed the way we all thought about fighting and I was very interested in his style of grappling. I was already wrestling in high school and the chokes and submissions of Jiu-Jitsu that I saw Royce doing on opponents a lot bigger than him was awe-inspiring. I started with Japanese Ju-Jitsu under Ron Thomas and to this day, it was one of the best martial arts experiences of my life. I was just a kid then but the training was hard and we practiced striking, throws and of course, ne-waza. After about a year training with Sensei Ron, I moved away from the San Fernando Valley and ended up at what was then the RCJ Machado Academy which was led by Rigan, Roger and John Machado.

It was an incredible experience as at that time, it was a hub for BJJ competitors and aspiring MMA fighters so each day was intense rolling with people from everywhere. Around that time, I was also going to school in Hawai’i and I was pleasantly surprised to find that a Gracie Academy was very close to where I was living and it was there that I trained under Relson Gracie and of course, met a young Baret Yoshida who took me under his wing.

Looking back on it now, I was very lucky and blessed to have such amazing instructors and training partners when I started out.

Baret Yoshida with Andy

BJJASIA – Where did you begin MMA?

Andy Wang – Baret Yoshida was friends with Egan and Enson Inoue, who are both legends in the sport. Baret began training at Egan’s Grappling Unlimited dojo in Hawaii and brought me along. Originally, there was no plan on competing in MMA but Baret decided to go for it and I liked the idea of that challenge and jumped both feet in with him.For me, going from watching Egan fighting in the ring and then getting to train with him was an experience I will never forget. Egan was the most disciplined athlete I had ever
been around and his work ethic was incredible. At that time, Egan was fighting top fighters from all over the world and he made the Neal Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu the place to be on fight nights. It really was an incredible time and place to be as MMA was just starting in America and we were all there to experience and witness it.

Later on, I spent time training at the rAw/R1 training center with famed coach Rico Chiapparelli and his team of champions that included Frank Trigg, Vladimir Matyushenko, Fernando Vasconcellos and Mac Danzig. That was truly a house of champions and the caliber of athletes that came through there was incredible. Perhaps at a later date I can talk about training with Wallid Ismail there; the coolest, craziest,
toughest guy you’ll ever meet!

Taiwan BJJ

BJJASIA – What is the MMA scene in China like?

Andy Wang – When I first arrived in 2011, it seemed on the cusp of being the next region to take off on the world scene. There were MMA events all over China and events were happening monthly with high level local and international fighters. Of course, when Zhang Weili became the UFC champion and the UFC opened a Performance Institute in Shanghai, things really seemed to be moving forward. Obviously, the past few years were very difficult and it is starting up again with more events emerging and teams developing
local fighters but it is not at the level it was a few years ago.

Taiwan BJJ Macau

BJJASIA – What brought you out to China?

Andy Wang – My good friend Gene Yu had a great idea to start an MMA apparel brand named, ‘Flow’. I was in Taiwan at the moment and had never been to Mainland China and he convinced me to come out and help him build up the brand. We went to Beijing and Shanghai and I was totally blown away with not only the grassroots training and events happening all over China but I was also deeply touched while visiting cities such as Nanjing, which is my father’s ancestral home. The moment I got to China, I had the feeling that I wanted to stay for a while. Twelve years later with a wife, daughter and dog and a boat load of memories and experiences, I am grateful for the opportunity of coming to China in 2011.

China BJJ

BJJASIA – In terms of competing Submission Grappling and Jiu-Jitsu what rule set do you favor the most and why?

Andy Wang – In 1999, the Gracie Academy in Torrance held a tournament that to most of us seemed pretty unorthodox and gnarly; no time limit, submission or first to 15 points would be the only way to win. It was a fascinating experience as most of us, of course, had never had matches longer than 5 or so minutes up to that time. Helio Gracie was there and it was an exciting event as it was the first time many of us would compete against Gracie Academy Torrance students, which still had a mystique with Rorion and Royce being the main instructors there.

I was a blue belt, very excited and then ended up having a match that was about an hour long against Mike Rose and many times during the match, I’m sure Mike and I both got distracted and started thinking about what was playing at the local movie theater that night. It was a good experience but it didn’t feel like combat; it was more of a rolling session. Of course, IBJJF-style has its limitations also (who doesn’t feel bad after giving up an advantage or a couple of points and then being stalled out on?) but to me, it
always feels like combat with a sense of urgency to score first and if being scored on, recovering as soon as possible as you know the time is counting down.

I don’t think there is a perfect rule set but to me, the IBJJF-style is closer to what I felt in MMA competition and that instinct of doing damage as soon as possible without taking damage is an important attitude and skill to hone, especially when it comes to self-defense applications. In the end, what I learned from Egan Inoue and Baret Yoshida by watching them train and compete in everything was that your Jiu-Jitsu should work everywhere; MMA, IBJJF, ADCC, etc. so we should all strive to learn and train and become adaptable to a variety of rule sets.

Purebred Omiya

BJJASIA – You seem to have trained around the world? Tell us about your tenure in various
parts of Asia.

Andy Wang – Yes, it’s been a fascinating and interesting experience being able to visit several regions in Asia thanks to martial arts and meeting practitioners of many ethnicities, nations and cultures. My first trip was in 2004 to coach in Taiwan at what was then the beginnings of the Taiwan BJJ Academy.

Most of those original members are still practicing Jiu-Jitsu to this day and remain my close friends and it definitely got me more interested in traveling throughout Asia and gaining as much experience as possible on and off the mats. Believe it or not, I’m a social studies teacher and I’ve learned so much from visiting gyms and competitions, meeting people from all walks of life and sharing some sweat on the mats together.

TWNBJJ

BJJASIA – How do you find the training environment in Asia compared to other regions in the
world?

Andy Wang – America still has the best support and infrastructure for training and competing. All of the top coaches, athletes and competitions for Jiu-Jitsu call the U.S. home so of course over there you have exposure and opportunity to get top-notch training and seasoning. Asia currently has more and more events but as far as I know, there still has not been an IBJJF adult black belt world champion so there is a lot of work still to be done. I would also add that a crucial factor is that not only are the athletes more experienced in America, but so are the coaches and staff. Many teams in America now have strength & conditioning coaches and nutritionists specifically for BJJ and MMA athletes which makes such a difference at the elite levels.

Face Off

BJJASIA – What is the most influential or biggest personal achievement in your career so far?

Andy Wang – Meeting Baret Yoshida when I was a white belt. He was the one that convinced and proved to me that grappling works. The first day I showed up at Relson Gracie Academy in Honolulu, Hawaii, Baret who was probably 130 lbs. and a blue belt back then, asked me to roll. Of course, I figured it would be easy work since I wrestled and weighed a lot more than him. He submitted me about 10 times in the first 10-15 minutes and I was in awe. I challenged him to roll again the next day and he submitted me 10 more times in about half the time. I was convinced. I trained with him daily for the next couple of years and the lessons were incredible. Around that time, he told me he was going to someday compete on the biggest stage against the best in the world. Twenty-some years later, with dedication and sheer willpower, he became an ADCC Hall of Fame competitor, multiple time world champion and household name in the grappling world.

Truly an inspiration.

柔術

BJJASIA – How would you evaluate the current trends in Jiu-Jitsu?

Andy Wang – The sport has grown tremendously, obviously, but with that comes the shrinking of the martial art. It’s the natural course of things, I suppose. As the martial art becomes more of a sport and mainstream, the priorities and goals change from learning to fight to learning to win a medal.

On the one hand, it’s great, you have ADCC going to the T-Mobile Arena next year which is fantastic and shows the growth and popularity the sport is heading towards but on the other hand, how many of these grappling gyms are practicing takedowns, striking, etc.? The popularity of grappling is terrific but at the same time, in my opinion, to call it ‘self-defense’ or ‘MMA’ is a bit misleading. It is a sport now with lots of rules and regulations and competitors who are specializing in those specific rules sets. I’ll go on the record and say that the Japanese Ju-Jitsu I learned at the beginning of my career was much better training for self-defense; BJJ is much better for grappling competition, obviously, but winning a tournament doesn’t mean you’re competent at self-defense.

My point is that all styles of grappling (i.e., Judo, Wrestling, BJJ, etc.) have its value and we should train in standing as well as ground techniques to be as well-rounded aspossible and effective martial artists.

Kron Gracie vs. Andy

BJJASIA – Lastly, is there anyone you would like to thank or shout out?

Andy Wang – Too many people and places to name just one, to be honest. But at this moment, I’d really like to thank Howard Liu, who was the founder of one of the best BJJ kimono and apparel brands, Howard Combat Kimonos. I met him at RCJ Machado when I was a white belt and he was a mentor to me on and off the mats and he was so supportive as a mentor and friend. We used to have talks that would go for hours at his warehouse in Gardena, California. I learned a lot from him on the mats but his unwavering kindness and support to me influenced how I coach and teach to this day.

As we all know, true friends are rare, and I am glad that Howard has been a true friend for the entirety of my martial arts journey, I really cannot thank him enough.

Mac Danzig & Andy

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Lock n’Roll Instagram

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Originally from Kuching, Malaysia Raphael’s life took an unexpected turn into Jiu-Jitsu shortly after studying to become a sports coach in University.

Raphael joins BJJASIA to discuss coaching, living in Japan and try out a new rapid fire quiz with hilarious results.

Carpe Diem Bangkok Instagram

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Since living in Thailand for MMA, Ben has been quietly building a formidable grappling team, from a small blue matted room only 60m2, PGA officially opened their doors to a new 600m2 facility in February 2023.

Ben joined BJJ Asia to discuss coaching, fighting and all things grappling.

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For anyone who would like to book privates or train with Jack Brown, he can be contact via his Instagram.

The post BJJ Asia Interview #1 | Jack Brown appeared first on BJJASIA.

For anyone interested in contacting Jayson for collaborations or work regarding BJJ gear. 

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For anyone interested in contacting Jason for digital marketing, software development and startups.

The post BJJASIA Interview #2 | Jason “Sparkplug” Burnworth appeared first on BJJASIA.

BJJASIA: Firstly, the name Ryu Combat Academy, why the name? 

Abang: Ryū means dragon in Japanese. The Asian iteration of dragon has always been a “guardian of a realm.” It also means a fighting school or school of thought in the Japanese language. I have always had a fascination towards Japanese culture, especially in the way they are able to synergise tradition with innovation, and Ryu combat academy emulates just that. To innovate while holding true to tradition.

Band together

BJJASIA: What got you into Jiu-Jitsu initially?

Abang: My brother and I always wrestled at home as kids (WWE style wrestling). One day, my brother (A BJJ black belt now) thought to join Muay Thai at the age of 15. He appeared in the wrong class and stumbled upon Brazilian jiujitsu instead this is way back in 2009.

He trained for 14 months before I joined him and the rest of the Marcos Escobar BJJ (MEBJJ) crew. I had trained JKD for almost 2 years before I joined BJJ and we had a pact to teach other our respective disciplines. 

That was short lived as he tapped me close to 10 times with arm triangles and armbars in our very first sparring match in the living room of our old home. I had to get him back, so I joined in and I immediately fell in love with the art. We got really close training frequently too.

Orange Belt Days

BJJASIA: What was your impression when you started Jiu-jitsu?

Abang: I thought it was easy, I was wrong. Sports and physical activities are a strong suit of mine. I represented my school and state in football and running when I was in primary school. So, when I stepped onto the mat for the first time I thought I had it locked in.

I was going to breeze through the lesson and maybe even get a few taps during sparring. I was 14 then, young and naïve, I was shown the ropes the old fashioned style.

The General

BJJASIA: How do you find the training environment in comparison to other regions of Malaysia?

Abang: I believe the training environment in Kuala Lumpur is relatively healthy and conducive, similar to other regions in Malaysia. The only difference I would say is the level of competition. Kuala Lumpur is the hub of Malaysia so it makes sense that it has the highest level of jiu-jitsu in the country.

MEBJJA

BJJASIA: When did you officially start coaching? Which belt, where, how did the transition from student to coach feel? 

Abang: I believe it was in 2015, I was given the opportunity to teach by “Sifu” Kenneth Lam. I was a purple belt then. It was a smooth transition as I was still able to compete like a student as the environment allowed me to feel like a student while coaching.

I, Coach

BJJASIA: How do you find coaching?

Abang: It is my life source. I love coaching more than anything in BJJ. I love the feeling of accountability and responsibility. My students and teammates are everything to me. Every time I see them succeed in their daily battles on or off the mats, I feel a sense of accomplishment that is truly unmatched. I will coach and help my people until my last day on earth.

Coaching at Flow BJJ Academy

BJJASIA: You’ve finally opened your own space in Ryu, how did the opportunity to open your own gym come about? What was the process of building your own gym like?

Abang: I have amazing support from my family. After a year of teaching at Flow BJJ Academy in Penang, I was given the opportunity to set up my own place here in KL with my family. The process was definitely life changing. I continued to train frequently and compete locally while setting up Ryu. I did so to ensure my game was still up to par with the current level as I had always planned to be the head coach while retaining the role of a gym owner.

This was to ensure my students got the best qualities a martial arts facility can provide without the worries of conflict between owner and coach. My team and I, consisted of my fiancé, Mila and my mother, Fadzillah. Put our creative muses together and visualized a space that was equal part functional, equal part aesthetically pleasing. Personally, I believe we did an OK job. We only hope it lived up to the hype we built around it.

More Than a Combat Gym

BJJASIA: How do you prepare for competitions?

Abang: I prepare alongside my students and teammates. If I am lucky I have the supervision of my senior. But, the way MEBJJ is run, I understand that each senior is taking care of their own so we sometimes have to be self-sufficient and disciplined in preparing ourselves, holding ourselves accountable.

Ryu goes through 3 technical days, 2 competition days and 1 open mat session a week. That is how I prepare myself and my students.

Worlds 2016

BJJASIA: Out of all the competitions you have entered so far what was the most memorable victory? This can be at any belt level also. 

Abang: My first round win at Mundials in 2016. Fighting in the Walter’s pyramid was everything I could have imagined. Being present in that moment after years of preparation and topping it all off with a narrow victory in the very end with a triangle choke.

That is the stuff of dreams. My whole BJJ career changed after that day. I long for the day I’m back at Worlds, this time I’ll be bringing an army. That’s the goal, to bring a successful team to worlds and put Malaysia on the map.

Mundials 2016

BJJASIA: Why was this competition so memorable for you? 

Abang: I travelled with my good friends and we prepared for this competition together. We did not have a black belt coach with us. We just had each other, we also had outside commitments, they had day jobs and I was pursuing my degree at the time. Going in as a team to the biggest stage in the world, need I say more?

BJJASIA: Out of the places you have trained outside of your current home gym which gym left the biggest impression? 

Abang: I am lucky to have been able to train around the world. It’s not easy to choose, but I would say Bali MMA. Their facilities and staff were amazing.

Bali MMA

BJJASIA: What do you think of the current level of Jiu-jitsu in Malaysia? 

Abang: We definitely have a long way to go but we are on the right path. You can expect to see a lot more from this humble nation in the global scene soon!

BJJASIA: When you look at Asia as a whole, where do you think is growing in terms of Jiu-jitsu? 

Abang: Singapore is growing exponentially with the latest One FC Grappling league. I love to see our fighters get paid the big bucks! Where there is investment, there is growth.

RYU TEAM

BJJASIA: What are your goals for the future? 

Abang: Compete everywhere with my students and teammates and grow local talents to challenge for the world titles. IBJJF, ADCC, POLARIS, F2W or die trying.

Compete, Coach Repeat

BJJASIA: Lastly, are there any sponsors or people you would like to thank? 

Abang: My parents. They have supported me the right way on this journey from the start, nothing came easy. I had to earn every penny and put in the work. For that I am grateful, I am here to serve. I will be here to serve the community, the students, the seniors, organizers as best I can and put in a good shift. In the words of the great Denzel Washington, “I’ll see you all at work.”

RYU

You can check out Abang, Ryu Combat Academy at these links:
Instagram – Abang
Instagram – Ryu Combat Academy

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Lepont proved to be a prodigious talent, and found much early success. After making his professional cage debut in 2005, he won the French Pancrase Championship, then captured a Lightweight title in Germany in 2008 before signing with ONE Championship in 2012.

He won his promotional debut in impressive fashion, before putting on several thrilling battles against top contenders, including former ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya Aoki. Regardless of the result, the Frenchman’s top priority is always to put on a show, which has led to him becoming a firm fan favorite in the ONE Championship cage.

Now based in Vietnam we caught up with Arnaud and spoke with him regarding all things Asia and Jiu-Jitsu. 

Fly it high

BJJASIA – What inspired you to be a Mixed Martial Artist?

The Game – I have been into Martial Arts for as long as I can remember. I was a very turbulent kid so my dad enrolled me in Karate Classes when I was only 5. I practiced for years, and then started adding new disciplines, MuayThai and BJJ along the way.

I even competed in some Paris Wrestling Open Competitions. I discovered MMA while watching UFC 2 on VHS tape but I really became addicted to the sport thanks to the Pride Shockwave 2002. The legendary fight between Noguiera and Sapp, this is the fight that made me walk through doors of the “Free Fight Academy” of Mathieu Nicourt in Paris.  

DARE 2012 – vs. Cris Haja

BJJASIA – In terms of competing Grappling, MMA & Jiu-Jitsu what rule set do you favor the most and why?

The Game – We can compare Grappling and BJJ but, in my opinion, we should separate MMA due to the percussions/striking that don’t exist in the other sports. I don’t favour any rule set.

I love each sport for what it is. I love Brazilian Jujitsu because of the grips, I am fond of Grappling because of the importance of pressure and control. 

I am addicted to MMA because of this feeling of freedom in fighting. When I use the word freedom, I’m pointing at the fact that I am allowed to use a whole repertoire of techniques when I step in the cage; striking, wrestling and ground skills….It feels like the ultimate test for your fighting skills. 

Pan Asians 2015

BJJASIA – What was your first impression when you started grappling?

The Game – I started with BJJ under Professor Gael Coadic, 3^rd Degree Black Belt (Gael being a student of Mauricio Robbe de Almeida an 8^th degree Black Belt). I honestly thought it would be easy. How difficult can it be…when you watch it from the bench, right? 

Then the first time, I felt like a fish out of water. Thank God, it was addictive. I felt in love with No-Gi. To be honest, at first, I didn’t really see the importance of the Gi while focusing on MMA.

My dear friend Samir Mrabet (Head of Monarchy Gym in Malaysia) taught me the importance of also training in the Gi for improving my whole game. I am thankful for his guidance. 

Katagatame

BJJASIA – You have 9 submission as an MMA fighter, do you gravitate towards grappling more or does your striking lead to submissions?

The Game – At the beginning of my career, I was really focused on Grappling and submissions. I think focusing on my striking made me change my game and ironically, I believe I was more efficient when I was focusing mostly on my ground skills.

When you compete in MMA and want to get better, you start to put more time in your flaws, so you get more “well rounded” but spending less time practicing what you are good at and it can lead to dilution of your skills.

Add a Pinch of Striking

BJJASIA – You are very well travelled in Asia, why did you decide to move to Asia?

The Game – I was making back and forth trips between Paris and Bangkok. I started to also visit Saigon. I was living a desk job; I was an accountant in a renowned Bank. I woke up one morning and I told myself I would go all in. It was difficult to work during the day, train in the evening and fight on the weekends.

One day I woke up and decided that I had had enough. Better live with remorse than regrets. So I booked a one way ticket to Bangkok. I had my ups and downs but I am like a cat, I always land on my feet.

Roar

BJJASIA – You seem to have been in Vietnam the longest. What brought you there and what do you currently do?

I knew opening a gym in Thailand as a farang would be tough. Few made the move and try Vietnam. I thought it was the perfect spot. I had a gym and focused on my fighting career. Later, I had the opportunity to sign with the biggest Fitness group in Vietnam, California Fitness and Yoga centre’s. 

Working under a well known brand gives one a sense of “safety” and a strong “career path”. I am a Master Trainer for them, in Fitness and Martial Arts; and I also manage the staffing for the first UFC Gym of Vietnam.

A New Path

BJJASIA – What was the most influential or biggest personal achievement in your competitive career so far? 

As a MMA fighter, I do believe that the fight between myself and Cris Haja at Dare Fighting Championship. Haja was undefeated. It was the first Quarterfinal of the Million Dollar Tournament. It was big in SEA at that time.

It was the fight that gave me the opportunity to sign with One. On a BJJ level, winning the Absolute at the Pan Asians in 2015 facing Taiwan Leg locks superstar, Daniel “Danimal” Reid in the finals.

A Pivotal Moment

BJJASIA – How has the training environment evolved in Vietnam?

The people of Vietnam love Martial Arts. BJJ and MMA have been slowly growing for the past 10 years, but you can clearly see a sharp rise over the last 5 years. 10 years ago, all I can remember is two underground academies and a hand full of students in each one of them.

Now you have some well-known and established training spots with sometimes up to 40 students on the mat.

Vietnam Rising

BJJASIA – How would you evaluate the current level of Jiu-Jitsu in Vietnam and for that matter the active grapplers in Vietnam?

The level is growing fast because of the dedication the students have and the attraction of a beautiful country like Vietnam. We have some locals and foreigners living in the country who have a really solid game. I have some legit brown belts under my lineage like Tien Anh Ngo Vu and Le Cuong who run Ronin BJJ in North Vietnam, Hanoi. 

I also awarded a Black Belt to UK ADCC winner and Former Bellator Fighter Dan Vinni, who makes back and forth trips between Europe and Asia to manage his fighting career. 

Most high level belts are foreign Professors sharing their knowledge and not competing anymore. Meanwhile, they are preparing the future of our countries competitive scene.

As I said earlier, I think the land of “Ascending Dragon” will soon dominate the Asian scene alongside Thailand, Taiwan and Japan.

Ronin Hanoi – Growing Together

BJJASIA – Which country do you think is the fastest growing in terms of grappling in Asia now?

That’s a tough question, especially following these two years of Pandemic. I do believe Japan and Thailand will, once again, lead the scene, due to the origin of the sport, the mindset and the tourist traffic.

Personally, if I had to do a training camp, I would still go to Phuket as there is a very high ratio of top level sparring partners.

With the Big Boss

BJJASIA – How would you make Jiu-Jitsu more mainstream in Asia/Vietnam?

To make it Mainstream, you have to make it “Cool” and accessible. This is all about the marketing behind it. We need more televised events, competition and affordable gyms to get a snowball effect.

Cultivation

BJJASIA – What are your future aspirations?

I had a long career and sadly my best years are behind me. I finally got out of my contract with One in 2021. I am still hoping to have one or two MMA fights by next year and compete in Gi/NoGi.

I would love test myself in the land of the samurai, Japan. Japan has always had a special place in my heart. MMA wise, now the sport is legalized in France, I pray that I can have a last battle where it all began, in Paris. 

One More Time

BJJASIA – Lastly, who would you like to thank?

My students at Ronin Jiu-Jitsu in Hanoi, my family who always keep my feet on the ground and help me to see clear in my career path, my first MMA Professor Mathieu “Warrior” Nicourt at Free Fight Academy Paris, My lineage Professor Gael “Fox” Coadic from Gracie Barra, my longtime friend and sparring partner Vinod Dave Greywal, all my friends and Fans who still support me and follow my Facebook

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Photos by Luca Andreucci  @lunivers.athletics

Having sat on the board of a London and Berlin-based international organization I was privy to perspective from the likes of the sharpest minds – diplomats, political advisers, CEOs, foremost educational experts and finance gurus fundraising for a noble cause.

I marvelled at how they analysed problems, came up with solutions and then implemented them for positive change. 

From that board, I once had an American-Chinese wealth manager tell me he had no deep philosophical background for his choices, but rather simply used his own experience and instinct to make decisions.

“I know what works for me, I know what has worked before, and I listen to that and work from there.”

Some of the most stoic advice I have ever received, and he swore he hadn’t read any of those books for CEOs.

Another was a Scandinavian former McKinsey Exec-turned-independent consultant, whose advice was to always,

“bring strategy to your thinking, and educate yourself to be prepared for a career 20 years down the road that may not exist today.” 

Learning from Gui Mendes in 2022 in Paris, having met him for the first time more than a decade ago in Rio Claro, Brazil, I am reminded of that same kind of keenly determined, perspicacious, down-to-earth savvy.  

Born and raised in a small town a few hours out of São Paulo city.

He is half of the Mendes Bros. brand, which he shares with his also highly-decorated brother Rafael. Now based in Costa Mesa, California (thanks to PM Tenore of RVCA), the prodigy of Ramon Lemos and Andre Galvão’s ATOS family fame is a full-grown father to three and an academy with legendary status worldwide. It’s almost like a pilgrimage to Mecca for Jiu-jitsu practitioners.

I had made that pilgrimage to Rio Claro through serendipity, thanks to the foresight of Filipino BJJ coaches whose vision reached as far as seeing the incredible potential these two brothers had as early as purple belt in 2007. Despite the visit being a short 5 days in 2009, the experience inspired me deeply.  

Here are some of his answers to questions that students posed after his recent seminar last February at Le Cercle Tissier, the foremost European Martial arts academy located in Vincennes, Paris. Coming fresh off the Roman European Open win of Tainan Dalpra, his student of 8 years, Professor, or Mestre Gui (as he is affectionately called by Brazilian-born, US-based Dalpra) shares some of what makes them so successful at what they do.  

What do you do after a competition? How do you as a coach and former competitor view what has just happened and how do you spend your time? 

“Everything continues as it was, we don’t do training camps. We keep doing and living as we did before, and this will keep going no matter what happens. The championship is a test, not a goal.

Our goal is much larger than that…Tainan’s goal is not to be the European champion. If he wins it, it’s proof that he is on the right path, and that he should continue. It’s a chance to find out if you have prepared well and when you succeed you know you are doing things right.  

Dalpra showing passes for De La Riva guard

“Be realistic. You set your goals, work towards them, knowing what is possible in your situation, in your environment…I started at 11 years old, so I knew I had the time to make a career in JiuJitsu. Sometimes people get frustrated because they set goals so high and when they don’t achieve them, they give up.” 

How do you get the kids to be so disciplined?

I think it is the ethos of the academy, the culture of the school. When they come there they see how we do things and they understand, they respect and follow that.

The teachers you see here (gesturing to three young champions all clearly under 20 teaching with him) have all come up through the children’s program at AOJ. They stay because they see what stages of development can come if they continue.

It’s very different from an academy where your teacher is only there twice a week and that’s it.

With us, they can imagine what progress they can make because they have examples and a clear path to follow. It keeps them motivated and helps them stay on track. They have examples and role models of what is possible if they keep training.

Some people make the mistake of staying in a [school] then reaching a very high level like black belt only to realize they don’t agree with the school’s philosophy, then decide to move. When they do and they join a new group, they have a hard time to integrate, because they already have a way of doing things.

I experienced this within the first five years of our academy, and that’s why I understood I had to start from the beginning. So we developed our program with this in mind.

Growth mindset, long game, and grassroots development – these sound like how Leo Messi was reared in Barça’s camps once upon a lifetime ago.

Outliers creating a new standard. 

L-R Thibault Olivier (Le Cercle Tissier), Gui Mendes (AOJ)

 He recognizes the dedication, consistency, and strategic patience necessary to achieve victory – what is often called the “long game”.

He is also known for his passing technique characterized by a long-step, where you create space in a counter-intuitive direction, in order to come back and dominate more closely in a kind of crouched side mount.

A kind of perspective so deeply entrenched in one’s practice that most people would never have the stamina to implement, nor long term vision and dedication, to execute.  

Showing the finer details of his famed “long step” pass

It’s the kind of grit his own Mestre Ramon Lemos is known for (now current head coach of the Abu Dhabi national team), who once confessed to me his greatest fear on his journey was living forever in a small apartment with only a cooler for a fridge, wondering if he was going to die that way.

It’s wonderfully satisfying to see him skiing with his family and doing Insta live from the slopes, on other days beaming hundreds of aficionados in a world-class facility working to become professional athletes of the sport today.

Far removed from the humble dojo I shook his hand in for the first time, where former blue belts would mop the floor and toilets in exchange for fees they couldn’t afford, all of them now enjoying full-time careers worldwide.  

Emphasizing the low center of gravity and mobility needed

We reminisced over old photos and videos of him demonstrating a technique first in Portuguese, then translating it to English – since his goal was to get out of Brazil. He knew then that a foreign language would be part of his passport. At the time, he traded me a Dragão kimono covered in time-worn patches for those lessons.  

L-R Ronaldo Candido, Leandro Brassoloto, Author, Gui Mendes, Denilson Bischiliari
Rio Claro, 2009

Focus, humility, hard work, vision, and conviction. The master and his disciples’ now visceral and continued success is a natural consequence of their ability to implement habits and mindsets that go way beyond the average, a kind of paradigm shift where a problem is only solved by becoming greater than the situation which created it.  

L-R Guilherme Mendes, author, Tainan Dalpra Paris, 2022

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