Photo: IBJJF/Facebook

Kaio César is starting to reap the fruits of the discipline employed in the course of his journey in Jiu-Jitsu, which began when he was just 13, when he got an invitation from a friend while playing football.

Today, at 29, Kaio is one of the big black-belt names on the IBJJF’s master 1 competitive circuit. He is a 2021 American Nationals no-gi champion.

“I live to train and compete,” he said in a recent interview. “In Brazil, for example, I used to teach class. I notice that there is no difference between training in Brazil and here – it’s really just the language. Here, they often say that if you speak the language of Jiu-Jitsu, everybody’s going to understand you. But you’d better learn to speak English too!”

A representative of Gracie Barra, Kaio has an intense routine to keep up with the biggest BJJ events. By the end of this season, he wants to fight for the gold at the Pan and the World Championship, in and out of the gi. He currently sits atop the IBJJF’s master 1 rankings for no-gi light feather athletes.

“I train four times a week, and within those days, I try to organize the technical side, the specific training and lots of free training, which, in my view, is important,” he said.

Kaio went on to say that these days the master 1 age group is very hard-fought, and added: “Back in the day, even after the age of 30, most athletes would still fight in the adults’ group. But nowadays, I see that it’s pretty evenly split. The athletes from the adult category, when they reach master age, realize there’s plenty of tough fights and opponents in all categories. So it’s worthwhile to fight in the right division and do good matches regardless.”

The black-belt of seven years wrapped up the interview by sharing the greatest lesson he learned in his 17 years of jiu-jitsu: “Have discipline! Never give up on your goals, and be perseverant. Discipline has never failed to produce good fruits.”

Black belt Vagner Santana is getting ready for upcoming competitions and takes the time to share some clever attacks once you have the opponent inside your triangle.

Pay close attention and add a wrist lock and two different armbars to your game.

Hugo Leonardo with black belt Renato Cardoso at a tournament in Recife, Brazil / Photo by Junior Samurai/GRACIEMAG.com

GRACIEMAG.com has already introduced its readers to the hard-nosed purple belt Hugo Leonardo, a competitor on CheckMat team who never gave up on training, even after losing the use of his legs because of a spinal injury resulting from an accident while doing pull-ups.

At the Pernambuco Open, a tournament held last weekend in the Brazilian city of Recife, the brave Hugo donned his gi once again. He waited for his name to be called, steered his wheelchair over to the contest area and dove right in, with a smile on his face and the passion for Jiu-Jitsu that unites us all within.

“I lost, got tapped out today. But I’ll never give up. My friend taped the match and I’m going to go to the academy to correct where I messed up. I’ll be out there again at the next championship. And if I come up short? I’ll try again at the next one. One day I’ll make it,” he said.

Anderson Silva training Jiu-Jitsu without his gi bottom with his former instructor Fábio Noguchi / Photo from book "Anderson Spider Silva"

I’ll admit, on encountering Anderson Silva at the airport, I didn’t think it would be easy. But I grabbed the dark cover with the UFC champion’s face on it, shelled out 24 reais at the cash register and started reading on the plane. It turned out to be an unforgettable flight.

I thought it unlikely that I’d find anything new about Anderson, after so many years following his career. I met the fighter just before Christmas of 2003 in the town Vitória da Conquista, in the Brazilian state of Bahia, in the days leading up to the event that would get his career back on track. We took a seat by the hotel pool and struck up a conversation about his departure from Chute Boxe team, his early days at soccer club Corinthians. And during the fight, against hometown fighter “Diamante Negro”, I’ll never forget the shock on press officer Fernando Flores’s face when he said, “Look at his footwork! This guy’s the best in the world, Dunlop. How can he be fighting here?”

In the book I revisited those leaner times. The really lean times are there too, in contrast to the plump ones of today. It’s no wonder Anderson broke into tears at least three times during the interview that gave origin to the book, penned by Eduardo Ohata. Here’s what I learned from the book about the champion’s life:

1. RESPECT THE MASTERS

Anderson wasn’t a student with many masters because he wanted to be, but because that’s what fate had in store for him. The proof of his respect for them comes in the opening lines, when he mentions all the trainers who brought him up: Leandro Frates, Kang, Edmar Cirilo dos Anjos, Cláudio Dalledone Jr., Fábio Noguchi, Almir Ramos, Diógenes, Gibi, Vitor Ribeiro, André Xaropinho, Rogério Camões, Edelson, Luis Dórea, Sérgio Cunha, Rodrigo Minotauro and Rogério Minotouro.

2. ANDERSON SILVA IN CARANDIRU PRISON

In journalism and in fighting, a professional who starts by throwing his most potent punch may surprise and win right off the bat. The book does a good job of that, opening with a little Anderson arriving at Carandiru, a penitentiary complex in São Paulo where sons cry and their mothers aren’t there to see. It was a chilly day, and Anderson was visiting his stepfather. He promised to never again set foot within those walls, to be an honest person. It wouldn’t be the first time the black belt derived something positive from such a dreadful moment.

(Watch Anderson on Globo channel last Sunday. “The fight [with Sonnen] will be sinister,” he promised.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIPC6OrDCWI

3. KEEP AN OPEN MIND

Silva started out in capoeira, embraced taekwondo, learned to box, fell in love with Thai boxing and Jiu-Jitsu. He was never content to only master one aspect of the fight game. He opened his mind, and thanks to that he’s now seen as the best in the world.

4. LESSONS FOR ANYONE WHO FIGHTS IN THE STREET

The book stores two profound lessons for youths who get into street fights. The first, from his taekwondo teacher, a Korean named Kang: “Street fighting is for the weak. When someone gives you an undesirable present and you don’t take it, to whom goes the present? To him. Provocation is the same deal. Don’t accept it.” And the best one, from his uncle Benedito: “Anderson, if you get in a fight in the street I’ll stick you in the dog kennel.”

5. HOW TO DEAL WITH HATE AND RACISM

Anderson has taken a lot of hard knocks—outside the UFC, of course. He’s been socked in the gut by a prejudiced police man, insulted by a customer when he worked at McDonald’s, taken for a thief by his own teacher. Such episodes forged a man who has learned to turn the other cheek. That helps in, for instance, understanding his stance in the face of Chael Sonnen. His disinclination to exact retribution is apparent in his fight with Demian Maia—for which he feels remorse. “I was hateful towards Demian, lost focus and went overboard,” he explains in the book.

(Watch the cheerful side of the “Spider” on TV, hiding from Sabrina Sato and teaching how to do the triangle he used on Sonnen:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi4gavwL5yU

6. URGE TO KILL

In the most powerful part, Anderson recalls the day he got slapped across the face by Rafael Cordeiro, now a coach on TUF Brazil, who demanded that he stop teaching Jiu-Jitsu at an upscale gym in the city. Anderson wasn’t even a blue belt, and feared he would be left without a job again, with children to feed. With a revolver given to him by a lowlife friend in his hand, Anderson made the decision that saved his life while sitting in a parked car in front of Chute Boxe academy. “I’m not going to do this. It’s not in my nature – I said, my head bowed down, and returned the weapon,” he says on the riveting page 66.

7. FINAL LESSON

I put down the book after Anderson’s final teaching—in fact, three lessons that were left for after the conclusion of the work.

1. It’s more important to produce good people than champions.

2. The most important thing in life is to become a person your children can be proud of.

3. Going through a rough spot? Always maintain your good cheer.

To me Anderson Silva’s jovial spirit throughout the course of his career is what’s most inspirational—and his greatest weapon. That must be why Chael Sonnen and his other rivals always resort to attacking his good cheer first. If Anderson doesn’t lose it, I feel they’ll just have to settle for second best.

Keenan Cornelius in action. The absolute champ has a collection of great results from IBJJF tournaments. Photo: Ivan Trindade/GRACIEMAG.

Keenan Cornelius ran roughshod through the purple belt division at the Brazilian National Championship last Sunday at Grajaú Country Club in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The American athlete on team Lloyd Irvin took the competition by storm, cinching the middleweight and absolute titles, even beating the top-ranked João Miyao in the open weight final.

IN JIU-JITSU, ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN B

You can check out the young talent’s style for yourself in the videos below. As with any good fighter, he is constantly collecting different options to use in each combat situation he finds himself in. The lesson you can gain from him: once you have control over your opponent, come up with two or more ways of finishing him.

Which of Keenan’s moves is your favorite? Help get the debate rolling by letting us know in the comments field below,

An intricate sweep, a Jiu-Jitsu specialty / Photo: Regis Chen

Leandro “Tatu” Escobar, the leader of Soul Fighters team and a competitor from the lower weight divisions, guides us in learning the following sweep.

The trick to the reversal is in getting your foot behind the opponent’s knee. When you extend the leg, the foot guides the the sweep wherever you’d like. Check it out.