GRACIEMAG isn’t just a magazine for teaching Jiu-Jitsu. It’s for awaking in you a desire to further your learning. And that yearning is often the result of information exchanged between the writers and their readers.

Such is the case with the following letter sent to us from the city of Natal, in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte, by Professor Gustavo Alexandre Alves of team Gracie Humaitá-RN.

Check out what he learned and taught us after reading the article “The end of bullying’s days”.

“I teach a class on bullying prevention to kids at Gracie Humaitá/RN and now at the school Facex. We managed to set up a Jiu-Jitsu class at the school, making the anti-bullying program part of the school curriculum.

“In my opinion, as a Jiu-Jitsu teacher and perpetual student, the practice of the martial art leads students to self-knowledge. Even when they know how to defend themselves, even able to subdue an aggressor and, as a last resort, use force, they know what their own strengths and weaknesses are.

“What does that mean? That above all they know they’re not perfect or superior to everybody. They thus know to respect others, without fear but also without arrogance. And the key piece in combatting bullying, which I cite as being the ill of the century, is respect. Jiu-Jitsu makes us think before acting. That’s why, to me, it’s our perfect weapon for fighting bullying.

“Best wishes to the whole GRACIEMAG team,

Gustavo Alves

Natal/RN”

What about you, gentle reader? What did you learn from the latest issue of GRACIEMAG? Share your lessons with us, and help make the magazine even better.

Ronaldo Aoqui: Jiu-Jitsu with the Gracie stamp of approval at Facex school in Natal, Brazil / Publicity photo

Ronaldo Aoqui, a Jiu-Jitsu black belt who teaches at Gracie Humaitá academy in the Northeastern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte, wrote in to GRACIEMAG.com to share the news from his neck of the woods.

Good news, at that. Now, one of the most respected schools in the state capital, Natal, is offering Jiu-Jitsu class to its students. To start there will be two groups, one for the youngest students and another for the elder kids. According to the teacher, it’s a milestone for Jiu-Jitsu in the state and a “hurdle leapt” for the sport in the rest of the country.

Aoqui explains in the following GRACIEMAG.com interview:

GRACIEMAG.com: What will Jiu-Jitsu class be like at Facex, the school with which you have joined forces?

RONALDO AOQUI: Class will be held on the Facex-RN facilities. It won’t be taught off in the corner of some classroom (laughs). It will be a part of regular school activities, integrated into the rest of the curriculum. It will be overseen exclusively by Gracie Humaitá RN and will focus on our “Antibullying” program. In class we’ll be dealing with bullying specifically.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-njJyj8SIeU

What are the advantages and disadvantages of teaching to youths studying at the same school, with similar backgrounds?

By teaching to students from the same school we get to be around and close to everyone involved. Our aim is to make it so the program becomes a real solution to bullying situations. Imagine if we get to see the verbally or physically bullied kid and the aggressor training together in the same group—it would be fantastic. Through our program, with specific training for each situation, they will become friends. This type of approach may only be possible within a school.

What were the talks with the school board like?

They went great. Attending the meetings, besides the school board, there were pedagogical coordinators, sports coordinators and psychologists. All of them were impressed by Jiu-Jitsu, by the quality of our program and how it can handle several of the situations they’re constantly dealing with. We weren’t met with any negativity whatsoever. They even said they’d received other proposals to install Jiu-Jitsu classes there, but none with the approach to teaching that we have. Other schools are interested in implementing the class too. That makes us really happy, since we managed to leap a major hurdle. I’ll take this opportunity to thank the Facex-RN school board for their sensational support and compliment them on the commitment and affection they have shown for their students.

What do you recommend for Jiu-Jitsu professors who would like to strike up a partnership with a school?

First off they have to put together an effective class program. Then they’ll need to implement the program in their own academy to make sure it works. Once they’ve come up with results then they can present them to the school. They’ll need to have arguments for everything, since they’re proposing to teach children, and their parents will want to know the who, why and how of what’s to be done. Take good care of the kids and treat them as if they were your own; after all, they’re our most precious asset. That’s the gist of what I recommend.

Ronaldo Aoqui: Jiu-Jitsu com padrão Gracie de qualidade na escola Facex em Natal. Foto: Divulgação

Faixa-preta de Jiu-Jitsu, Ronaldo Aoqui é o professor da Gracie Humaitá do Rio Grande do Norte, e screveu gentilmente ao GRACIEMAG.com para contar as novidades por lá.

São boas novas. Agora, uma das mais respeitadas escolas da capital Natal está oferecendo o Jiu-Jitsu para seus alunos. Serão inicialmente duas turmas, uma para os mais jovens e outra para os maiores. Segundo o professor, trata-se de um marco no ensino do Jiu-Jitsu no Nordeste do Brasil, e o fim de “uma barreira” para o esporte no resto do país.

Conta, Aoqui:

GRACIEMAG.com: Como vão funcionar as aulas de Jiu-Jitsu na escola Facex?

RONALDO AOQUI: As aulas serão ministradas dentro da estrutura da Facex-RN. Não será apenas um espaço cedido no cantinho (risos). Será uma atividade que vai fazer parte das atividades regulares da escola, integrada, assim como todas as outras. O programa que será ministrado é exclusivo da Gracie Humaitá RN, com foco no nosso “Antibullying”. Nas aulas, trataremos de forma mais precisa esse tipo de caso.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-njJyj8SIeU

Quais as vantagens e desvantagens de ensinar para estudantes de um mesmo colégio, com origens parecidas?

Ao ministrar essas aulas para alunos da mesma escola podemos conviver e ficar mais perto dos envolvidos. O objetivo é que esse programa entre como uma solução real para os casos de bullying. Imagine vermos a criança que sofre as agressões, que podem ser físicas ou verbais, e a criança que agride na mesma turma, treinando juntas. Será fantástico. Com o nosso programa, com treinamentos específicos para cada situação, elas se tornarão amigas. Esse tipo de abordagem talvez só seja possível dentro da escola.

Como foram as conversas com a diretoria da escola?

Ótimas. Nas reuniões, além da diretoria, foram convocados coordenadores pedagógicos, coordenadores de esportes e psicólogos. Todos ficaram impressionados com o Jiu-Jitsu, com a qualidade do nosso programa e como ele poderia resolver vários casos que chegam até eles constantemente. Não tivemos nenhum tipo de comentário negativo. Inclusive, eles disseram que já tinham recebido outras propostas para incluir o Jiu-Jitsu por lá, mas nenhuma com a abordagem pedagógica que temos. Outros colégios estão interessados em implementar também. Ficamos muito felizes por isso, pois conseguimos quebramos uma barreira enorme. Aproveito para agradecer a diretoria da Facex-RN pelo apoio, que foi sensacional, e parabenizar pelo comprometimento e carinho que demonstram por seus alunos.

O que você recomenda para professores de Jiu-Jitsu que planejam ir atrás de uma parceria com colégios?

Primeiro de tudo é elaborar um programa de aulas eficiente. Depois, é preciso implementar esse programa na própria academia e fazê-lo funcionar. Com isso você terá resultados e poderá apresentá-los na escola. Sempre tenha argumentos para tudo, pois você está propondo ensinar para crianças, e os pais delas vão querer saber quem, por que e como vão fazer isso. Cuidem bem das crianças e vejam elas como seus próprios filhos, afinal elas são nosso bem maior. É a principal dica que posso dar.