Written by Michel Oliveira*

You run a successful academy in Brentwood, California, teaching Jiu-Jitsu to a highly diverse group: children, adults, seniors, police officers, business owners, competitors, and even war veterans. What are the key virtues a teacher must have to work so well with such a diverse group? And what mistakes can’t they make?
THIAGO GAIA: Yeah, it’s been amazing to be able to teach Jiu-Jitsu to all different kinds of people. I think the main thing for being successful is loving the day-to-day of the classes. You gotta understand that you’re a service provider. Even if you’re not having the best day, your job is to teach BJJ the best way possible and make sure people feel good in a nice environment. My students come to train mainly for the wellness that a Jiu-Jitsu workout gives them, so even if I’m not feeling 100%, I do my best to make the class enjoyable and productive.

I think a big mistake is just seeing the students as numbers for your business. That diminishes the importance of the work. I try to sanctify my work through the good that BJJ brings to my students’ lives – some lose weight and get out of depression, others build confidence and can defend themselves. Jiu-Jitsu is my livelihood, it’s what puts food on the table for my family, so the financial side is important. But the mistake is to just focus on that. Concentrating on the benefits BJJ has for the students’ lives is what gives deeper meaning to my work and makes me excited to go to the academy every day.

With around 10 pro MMA fights under your belt, what’s the biggest thing you learned from that thrilling journey in the ring?
MMA is the most intense sport I’ve ever done. It requires technical knowledge of various martial arts, an extremely high level of physical conditioning, great emotional control, and a lot of courage to accept the vulnerability of stepping into an octagon to face a trained opponent who’s trying to hurt you to win. It’s not for the faint of heart.

It’s exactly those difficulties that MMA imposed that made me grow as a person – facing my fears, using them to my advantage, and having a lot of faith in God. It’s easier to overcome the challenges of a fight when you have belief in God, rather than just hyper-rationalizing all the possibilities that could happen. Train your hardest to be prepared for anything, then leave it in God’s hands, because sometimes even the bad results can lead to benefits down the line that our human limitations can’t foresee. MMA brought me a lot of personal growth.

Some people like martial arts but are hesitant to join an academy and start training. What do you usually tell those people? What are the benefits that a Jiu-Jitsu academy offers people and society in general?
This is the eternal dilemma of the white belt interested in martial arts – they unconsciously believe they need to be prepared to start BJJ, because they think the more experienced students will just “beat them up.” That’s an illusion, it’s a fear their mind creates that prevents them from starting something that could change their life.

In a good academy, with an experienced and professional instructor, that student will be welcomed into a friendly and understanding environment that respects their limitations. That’s why in my academy, the students who have never done martial arts start in the “Fundamentals Class,” where they’ll learn the basic Jiu-Jitsu concepts and work on specific situations, respecting their physical and technical limitations. Bit by bit, the student gains more confidence and physical conditioning to be able to attend the more advanced classes. Many say they’re out of shape to start, but I tell them they’ll develop the necessary fitness through the training – don’t procrastinate because of excuses your mind creates.

You’re childhood friends with Marcus Buchecha, one of the greatest Jiu-Jitsu competitors of all time. How has that closeness with an icon like him influenced your career? And as a professor and coach, what fundamental tips do you give your students who have the goal of gold medals in the major championships?
I’ve followed Buchecha’s career since we were both blue belt juniors. We trained in the same age category but different weight classes – he was at Checkmat in Santos and I was in São Paulo. I got to see him become the world champion in his division and the absolute, and witness the transformation from a simple, playful kid to a true icon of the sport.

I don’t need to talk about how exceptional he is as an athlete – his titles speak for themselves. But what makes me see him as one of the main references in the sport is his conduct throughout his entire career. He never “sold out” his personality to the “trash talk” generation that came from some MMA athletes. You’ll never see Buchecha disrespecting opponents or losing his martial artist composure. He has confidence in victory without needing to put anyone else down. I believe BJJ needs to give more value to athletes who aren’t just high-performance competitors, but martial artists who haven’t forgotten that Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art and try to revive the values that have been forgotten in favor of a “modern show business” that does have its demands, as a reflection of the moral decline in today’s society. But for the martial artist, it’s better to set a good example, even if few listen, than to corrupt the meaning of the martial art just to be heard by a hysterical, valueless crowd.

Coach of Mayra Sheetara (UFC athlete), how do you analyze the growth in women’s participation in Jiu-Jitsu and the role of self-defense in the daily lives of women?
I’ve been training with Sheetara for over 7 years, ever since we were living in São Paulo and training at Chute Boxe Diego Lima. My focus with her has always been on the BJJ side of things, and it’s been incredibly gratifying to see her become one of the top finishers in the UFC. We’re in constant contact and I get to see her during her training camps – she’s incredibly well-supported by the pros at American Top Team these days.

Sheetara is an incredibly strong woman, and the grit and determination she displays in her fights is a reflection of the adversity she’s overcome in her personal life. She’s dealt with all sorts of financial and health challenges, and I have the utmost respect for her mental toughness.

BJJ is essential for women – it’s the martial art where the physically weaker can overcome the stronger through technique. For women’s self-defense, it’s the premier martial art. A woman well-versed in BJJ drastically increases her chances against a physically stronger male assailant. I’d recommend that all women start training in Jiu-Jitsu – my own wife trains, and my daughter will be starting soon as well.

Você comanda uma academia de sucesso em Brentwood, na Califórnia, transmitindo Jiu-Jitsu a um público bastante diversificado: crianças, adultos, a turma de terceira idade, policiais, empresários, competidores, e até veteranos de guerra. Quais são as virtudes que um professor deve ter para lidar tão bem com um público diversificado? E quais erros não pode cometer?
THIAGO GAIA: Sim, tem sido um trabalho maravilhoso poder ensinar Jiu-Jitsu para diferentes tipos de pessoas, acredito que o principal para ter sucesso é amar o dia a dia das aulas, entender que você é um prestador de serviço e que mesmo que você não esteja em um bom dia, sua responsabilidade é ensinar BJJ da melhor forma possível e fazer as pessoas se sentirem bem em um ambiente agradável. Meus alunos vêm para os treinos principalmente pelo bem estar que um treino de Jiu-Jitsu gera, então mesmo que eu não esteja em um bom dia, faço o meu melhor para que a aula seja agradável e produtiva.

Acredito que um grande erro é tratar e enxergar os alunos apenas como números de um negócio, isso diminui a importância do trabalho, eu procuro santificar o meu trabalho através do bem que o BJJ gera na vida do meu aluno, uns perdem peso e saem da depressão, outros aumentam a confiança se tornando capazes de se defenderem em situações de perigo. O Jiu-Jitsu é o meu meio de vida, é o que põe o pão na mesa da minha família, então o lado financeiro tem sim sua importância, mas o erro é focar somente nisso. O foco no benefício que o BJJ gera na vida do aluno é o que dá um sentido mais profundo no meu trabalho e me faz ir para a academia todos os dias.

Com cerca de 10 lutas profissionais de MMA, o que você aprendeu de melhor nessa trajetória eletrizante nos ringues?
O MMA é o esporte mais intenso que já pratiquei, é um esporte que exige um conhecimento técnico de diversas artes marciais, um preparo físico altíssimo, bastante controle emocional e muita coragem para aceitar a vulnerabilidade de entrar em um octógono enfrentando um oponente treinado que está disposto a te machucar para obter a vitória. Não é um esporte para qualquer pessoa.

São exatamente as dificuldades que o MMA impõe que me fizeram evoluir como pessoa; enfrentar os medos, usá-los a meu favor e ter muita fé em Deus. Fica mais fácil superar os desafios de uma luta quando se tem uma crença em Deus, em vez de tentar hiper-racionalizar todas a possibilidades que podem acontecer na luta, treinar ao máximo para estar preparado para tudo e entregar na mão de Deus, pois às vezes até resultados ruins poderão gerar benefícios em um futuro no qual a nossa limitação humana não é capaz de enxergar. O MMA para mim gerou muito crescimento pessoal.

Algumas pessoas gostam de artes marciais mas têm receio de ingressar numa academia e praticar. O que você costuma dizer a essas pessoas? Quais são os benefícios que uma academia de Jiu-Jitsu oferece às pessoas e à sociedade de uma forma geral?
Esse é o eterno dilema do aluno faixa-branca interessado em arte marcial, ele inconscientemente acredita que precisa estar preparado para iniciar no BJJ, pois acredita que os alunos mais experientes vão ”bater” nele. Isso é uma ilusão, a mente dele cria esses medos e o impede de iniciar algo que irá mudar sua vida.

Em uma boa academia, com um professor profissional e experiente, esse aluno será acolhido em um ambiente amigável e compreensivo com suas limitações, é por isso que na minha academia os alunos que nunca praticaram arte marcial iniciam na aula ”Fundamentals class”, na qual ele irá aprender os primeiros conceitos do Jiu-Jitsu e trabalhar situações específicas, respeitando sua limitação física e técnica, assim em pequenos passos o aluno vai adquirindo mais confiança e melhor preparo físico para poder frequentar as aulas mais avançadas. Muitos dizem que estão fora de forma para iniciar, eu respondo dizendo que irão adquirir o preparo físico necessário durante o treino, não procrastinando sua decisão de iniciar por desculpas criadas na sua mente.

Você é amigo de infância do Marcus Buchecha, um dos maiores competidores de Jiu-Jitsu de todos os tempos. Como essa proximidade com um ícone influenciou a sua carreira? E, como professor e coach, que dicas fundamentais você dá aos seus alunos que têm como meta a medalha de ouro dos principais campeonatos?
Eu acompanho a carreira do ”Buchecha” desde que éramos faixas-azuis juvenis, lutávamos na mesma categoria de idade, mas em diferentes categorias de peso, ele treinava na Checkmat em Santos e eu em São Paulo, pude ver ele sendo campeão mundial na categoria e no absoluto em todas as faixas e presenciar a transformação de um moleque simples e brincalhão para um ícone do esporte.

Não preciso citar o quão excepcional ele é como atleta, seus títulos já demonstram por si só, mas o que me faz ver nele uma das principais referências do esporte é a sua postura durante todo o decorrer de sua carreira; ele não vendeu sua personalidade para a geração do ”trash talk” oriunda de alguns atletas do MMA, você nunca vai ver o Buchecha desrespeitando adversários ou perdendo a postura de artista marcial, ele mantém a confiança na vitória sem precisar menosprezar ou desrespeitar ninguém. Acredito que o BJJ precisa dar mais valor para atletas que não são apenas atletas de alta performance, mas sim artistas marciais que não esqueceram que o Jiu-Jitsu é uma arte marcial e buscam resgatar os valores que foram esquecidos em prol de um ”show bussiness moderno” que tem sim sua demanda, que é reflexo da decadência moral da sociedade atual, mas para o artista marcial é preferível dar o bom exemplo, mesmo que poucos o ouçam, do que corromper o sentido da arte marcial para ser ouvido por uma multidão histérica e sem valores.

Coach da Mayra Sheetara, atleta do UFC, como você analisa o crescimento da prática de Jiu-Jitsu pelas mulheres e também o papel da defesa pessoal no cotidiano feminino?
Eu e a Sheetara treinamos juntos já faz mais de 7 anos, desde a época em que morávamos em São Paulo e treinávamos na Chute Boxe Diego Lima, meu foco com ela sempre foi na parte do BJJ, hoje em dia ela é uma das maiores finalizadoras do UFC e é muito gratificante vé-la realizar seus sonhos, estamos sempre em contato e nos reencontrando durante seus treinamentos, e hoje em dia ela está super bem assessorada pelos profissionais da American Top Team.

A Sheetara é uma mulher muito forte, toda a força e garra que ela demonstra em suas lutas são um reflexo das superações que ela teve em sua vida pessoal, superou diversas dificuldades, sejam financeiras ou de saúde, respeito e admiro a força que ela tem.

O BJJ é essencial para as mulheres, ele é a arte marcial onde o mais fraco fisicamente pode superar o mais forte através da técnica, então no quesito de defesa pessoal para as mulheres é a arte marcial primordial, uma mulher bem treinada no BJJ aumenta suas chances em uma situção de defesa pessoal contra um homem, que em via de regra tem mais força física. Recomendo para todas as mulheres iniciarem no Jiu-Jitsu, minha esposa treina e minha filha que está a caminho irá treinar também.

In the south of Brazil, you have an academy and a social project focused on Jiu-Jitsu, both highly praised, works of excellence. What can we expect now with your move to the United States?

MARCOS CUNHA: My move to the U.S. seeks to expand my team, to build a base to support my athletes, who aspire to compete in major events and this was a difficulty for all of us. Today we have been able to build this base and we have two more branches here in the USA. This way I can generate opportunities for my athletes and my teachers. For next year I aim to open more branches and strengthen my competitive process here.

Regarding your career as a competitor, what were your main achievements and what did you learn from them?

I’ve competed a lot in these 32 years of Jiu-Jitsu, competition is in my blood, I’ve learned over the years that the biggest competition is internal and that this is our biggest opponent. I’ve won Brazilian Nationals, several Opens, I was on the podium at the European Championships and I still have the dream of winning the World Master. Today my main focus is not to compete, but to train my students and help them achieve great results. As we always train together, at one time or another I sign up for a big event to kill the nostalgia (laughs).

What’s the secret to turning an average athlete into a great champion?

I’ve trained many athletes and today I’m with a new crop that are the athletes Bruno Sena, Patrick Possamai, Duda Tozoni, Mila Reis, Carol Fernandes, Jonatas Mogli, among others… The secret to building these good results is to try to understand what the athlete really wants, to have a vision of whether or not he has the conditions and explore what he has best, to create a relationship so that an athlete has confidence in the other athletes in the team. And so be able to extract from them things that even they don’t believe they can do. And lastly is to be passionate about what you do, and I’m passionate about the competitive process and my work.

You’re always training with a great performance against the kids on your team. What are the tricks for the athletes of the Master division to do well against the adult athletes?

Understand that old age is in our head and train without laziness, full of will and willingness. It motivates me and keeps the kids motivated as well.

What’s the motivational phrase you like to repeat to yourself when you’re going through a difficult career situation?

No obstacle came to stop me, but to make me stronger for the new challenges. Nothing is by chance, don’t ever give up!

What is the philosophy behind your school?

Quality in teaching, because we really care about knowing if the student is learning, so that he gets the positive life change and learns all the benefits that sport can give him, on and off the mat.

Luiz Dórea beside his student Junior Cigano (photo courtesy of JuniordosSantos.com.br)

Luiz Carlos Dórea, 47, returned to the city of Salvador in the Brazilian state of Bahia with an upset look on his face, but he also had some pretty clear ideas in his head. The ex-boxer and current coach to Junior dos Santos spoke with GRACIEMAG.com about the defeat suffered by the “mainstay” of his academy, as Dórea himself calls his student.

“Cain never stopped shooting in for the takedown,” said Dórea about the UFC 155 main event last Dec. 29, when Cain Velasquez outgunned “Cigano” for five rounds to win by unanimous decision. “We needed to work him over more on the feet. That’s the way to keep him from shooting in for those takedowns.”

What follows is the interview with the coach and a video posted by Cigano for his fans.

GRACIEMAG: So what went wrong, coach?

It was Cain’s day. Cain could really be happy with his game plan. We knew his game plan was going to be to try for the takedown the whole time. Cigano was doing alright early on. He managed to defend eight, nine shots from his opponent, but we know how the only way to stop Cain is by using the fists. So that’s what was missing, counter-punching better and connecting with more strikes. But Cain didn’t let up, and things went his way. We needed to work Cain over more so as to keep him from shooting in.

And then that right-hand bomb of Cain’s landed…

That right landed in full with just a minute left in the first round, and that changed the course of the fight. It was a solid blow. Cigano felt it, and Cain took his back and kept banging away. You’ve got to hand it to Cigano; he never wilted, and fought with his heart to the very end. If it were the other way around, if Cigano would have landed a third of those strikes, Cain would have been knocked out cold. He showed Brazilian grit, and I’m certain he’s going to get that belt back soon.

Do you think Cigano should have kept the fight on the ground more, used his Jiu-Jitsu until he was better recovered from that punch?

He surely could have, but that punch really rocked him. Cigano’s been working on his ground game a lot, got his black belt at the end of the year and is solid on his feet and the ground. But the way I see it, it wouldn’t have been good for him to stay there, at least not right after taking that right. So he got his wind back and got to his feet, but still wasn’t recovered from that blow, and he kept taking a lot of pressure. Standing or on the ground, the pressure coming in was the same.

How serious are Junior’s injuries?

Cigano doesn’t have anything serious. The cuts on his face are getting better. What’s really hurting is his heart. He trained so hard and really wanted to come home with the belt. But he’s already undergone all the necessary examinations and is really close to getting back to training. This loss will just make Cigano stronger, you can count on it. That belt will come back to Brazil.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLxLU8lPsmk

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