Raphael Barbosa is a Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt. Photo: Personal archive

Raphael Barbosa is among the most renowned teachers in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. This 39-year-old has over 25 years of experience across classes, seminars and competition. A black-belt since 2007, when he was promoted by his teacher Luís Cláudio, Raphael teaches Jiu-Jitsu at the gym from Ultimate Fight Champion, known as UFC Gym, which has over 400 students just in the gi classes.

The owner of a unique methodology, full of steps for preparing a good student on their journey to the black belt, Raphael in a recent interview explained that his teaching belongs to a Gracie lineage, due to his teacher’s education under the legendary Rickson. Additionally, his students have been achieving better and better results on and even off the mat, given that he also uses the sport as a tool for personal growth.

“Jiu-Jitsu is a unique sport; it provides many things beyond maneuvers and moves,” Raphael said. “On the mat, you learn to be a better person, a more patient person. You become more confident, believe in yourself more, and that is reflected in your life. It’s perceptible to notice that in the white-belts, because they come in with no confidence and with fear, but as time passes, they become confident, they believe more in their own effort. I really like Jiu-Jitsu because of that. No matter how much knowledge you have, the sport is always going to teach you something more. It’s one of the strongest tools for personal growth in the world.”

Below we organized a list of five concepts shared by Raphael. He views these as important for a student’s evolution, regardless of their belt color.

1 Not skipping the process: “The practitioner needs to respect the process! We know that Jiu-Jitsu is a very complex sport and demands lots of motor coordination, and explores all of the student’s physical functions. Because of this complexity of movements, especially when it’s time to put it into practice, many students get frustrated, and there’s always that question: ‘Professor, when will I be able to do all these moves automatically?’ I see that this is a constant occurrence in beginners’ classes. Within this concept, here at UFC Gym, I place beginners’ classes separate from the others, where I teach them the entirety of the ABCs. They perform drills thousands of times, and, until they reach the second degree, I don’t even let them spar on their own. First they will learn how the whole process of a well-done technique works.”

2 Studying Jiu-Jitsu: “It’s necessary to study how Jiu-Jitsu was created, to know the story of the Gracie family. Understand how the promotion system works, the scoring — how everything surrounding the sport works. In order to know what you are doing, to know the basics to get a better understanding. A white-belt needs to know these things so as not to get lost.”

3 Practicing self-defense: “Jiu-Jitsu was created for this, for the smaller person to be able to defend themselves against the bigger one. So never ditch self-defense — we never know when we’ll need to use it. The white-belt usually ends up trying to learn advanced Jiu-Jitsu online, instead of learning what they really need, and ends up hindering the evolution process.”

4 Practicing takedowns: “Jiu-Jitsu starts standing, and lots of gyms neglect this! I see lots of sparring done only on the ground, and sometimes on the knees. The takedown side of things is essential for the student to learn. Practice Jiu-Jitsu as a progression!”

5 Listening to the body: “Respecting your body’s limit is essential! Sometimes, a white-belt, in that endeavor to evolve or prove something to themselves, to the teacher and to training partners, ends up not tapping to and armbar, not tapping to a choke… Then they end up blacking out or getting arms popped, causing an injury. This can’t happen — it’s foolish! If the student really loves Jiu-Jitsu, they will want to practice it for the rest of their life, but by acting that way they will only be shortening the journey. Think about it!”

In addition to the world championships, Bárbara has nine South American and six national titles. Photo: Personal archive

Brown belt by Checkmat and two-time Jiu-Jitsu world champion, Bárbara Pires is no stranger to the challenges of Jiu-Jitsu and overcome, at the beginning of her career, the rupture of four ligaments in her knee, an injury that resulted in two surgeries and an uncertain window of return to the mats.

Despite the setbacks, she believes that the greater the difficulty, the greater the victory. With this mindset, Barbara gives six tips to help female athletes to adapt better to Jiu-Jitsu and overcome the obstacles of starting in the gentle art. Check it out below!

1. Have your goals defined: “Don’t allow yourself to be unmotivated. When I arrived at the academy saying that I wanted to be a world champion, many people laughed and doubted me. Today I have a solid career as an athlete, became a two-time world champion, and was able to visit places I never imagined, all thanks to Jiu-Jitsu. Determine your goals and fight for them, whether it’s a competition or any other aspect of Jiu-Jitsu.”

2. Enhance your uniform: “The uniform for women goes a little beyond normal. Wear shorts or high-waisted pants under the kimono. It is also important to use a tight top without plastic or metal parts so that it does not hurt you during training. Finally, separate a shirt without a neckline, preferably lycra, to take to the mat. It may sound silly, but you will train more comfortably and protected, allowing you to keep your focus on Jiu-Jitsu.”

3. Haircare: “Hold your hair tight, as it can break a lot depending on how you train. I like to make a high ponytail and then a braid so that the hair is not sticking to the skin, causing it to break less. Avoid clamps or metal fasteners, as they can hurt you and your training colleagues.”

Barbara in action without a gi. Photo: Reproduction

4. Nails and makeup: “Cut your nails so they don’t go past your fingertips. Long nails can hinder your training progress and pose a risk to your colleagues. It is also important to take off your makeup before training, as it will smudge and may end up dirtying the mat and the gi of other students. You can put it back after training.”

5. Choose your team and your teacher wisely: “You must be in a place that makes you comfortable, otherwise it won’t last long. Look for options that are nearby, watch and participate in an experimental class and, mainly, research about your teacher. You must know as much as possible about your future academy so that you can gain confidence to start your journey in Jiu-Jitsu.”

6. Don’t give up: “The start in Jiu-Jitsu can be difficult and even a little frustrating, but persist and you will start to see results. In addition to allowing you to blow off some steam from day-to-day pressures, Jiu-Jitsu stimulates the production of endorphins, gives you the self-confidence of knowing how to defend yourself and, like all physical activity, increases your self-esteem.”

Established in Florida, GMI Fábio Leandro brings tips to improve your Jiu-Jitsu teachings. Photo: GRACIEMAG Archives

Founder of Alliance Angra dos Reis and Grip Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, our GMI Fábio Leandro is no stranger to the challenges faced by Jiu-Jitsu instructors. With his base established in Florida, where he acts as an investor partner of Alliance Venice, the black belt balances a routine of athletes and gentle art teachers.

In conversation with GRACIEMAG, Fábio shared a little of his experience in the area and left five tips to teach Jiu-Jitsu more effectively. Check it out!

1. Have a basis as a teacher: Many new students check the history of the academy and the black belt who teaches there before enrolling. You wouldn’t go to a gym without knowing where it comes from or who’s the teacher at it, right?

2. Teaching beginners’ classes: These are the most important classes for a black belt to teach. There are a lot of black belts who are world champions and they tremble when they need to teach a white belt because he cannot just go training on the first day. The white belt needs to have a beginner’s class with lots of self-defense and needs to understand what is leverage, posture, and balance to make the positions.

3. Identify the student’s goal: You need to understand to direct your student in the right way and not to end up losing him after 5 or 6 months. It’s necessary to have a chat with the student, first of all, understand what he is looking for and what the objectives are so that you can keep this student for many years.

4. Define a class system: Having separate classes for beginners, intermediates, graduates, and self-defense is very important for the longevity of your academy. It is very important to have and follow this system. For example, imagine if a white belt appears in a class focused on black belt competition. This student may end up getting hurt and you might end up losing him because you didn’t have the wisdom to direct him to the correct class.

5. Represent a great team: There are very good academies that do not have a flag, but having a membership expands your resources. Your background is checked by the team, monitored, a base and structure are offered for you to follow. Furthermore, teaching is standardized. What I teach here in the USA is the same thing taught in the rest of the world. That way, you have a higher quality of teaching.

Lang doing an ice bath after a hard day of training.

After recovering from a serious motorcycle accident in 2013, Professor Rafael Lang, from Octagon MMA, was able to write his own story of overcoming obstacles in life and in Jiu-Jitsu.

Although recovery was a delicate matter, the athlete did not let his resolve waver. He dedicated himself even more and earned titles in the meantime, including when he stepped on the podium twice in the Pan Jiu-Jitsu 2020 .

For this to be possible, the black belt followed a rigorous training and sent us the five tips that guided him through the most difficult moment of his career. Check out the lines below!

1. Accept that your plans are going to have to change, readjusting your goals will be necessary.

2. Discipline. Take your recovery as seriously as training for your fights.

3. Surround yourself with the right people, competent people who will assist you in your recovery, positive people and those who’ll cheer for you.

4. Invest in yourself, remember that your body and mind are the main tools for your success.

5. Respect the right time for your return, but always remain as active as possible, you can always do something, staying put is the worst decision.

Claudio Calasans Jr. has reached the highest levels of achievement in Jiu-Jitsu thanks to a lot of hard work to take advantage of his natural born talent.

The 2015 middleweight world champion and ADCC open class champion has a lot to teach to those starting out their Jiu-Jitsu life.

We have highlighted 10 tips he was kind enough to share with us.

1. In Jiu-Jitsu, you won’t be surprised by your opponent if you train more than them.

2. The more hours at the gym, the greater your chances of surprising your rival. Go train!

3. Go to Jiu-Jitsu championships to learn new moves. Whenever I watched competitions, I’d always go back home wanting to repeat some position and test it in my game.

4. Whenever you learn a new position at the gym, persist until you get it right in the rolls. Only against a colleague will you be sure of whether it fits your fighting style.

5. Training is risking. If you go to the gym and just do the very same positions both on top and on the bottom, you are reducing the speed of your evolution.

6. When the position doesn’t work very well, don’t simply discard it. Reflect on it, study, analyze, and unravel the position. See if you are able to adapt it before deciding that no, actually it doesn’t fit in your game.

7. Be complete. Standing, on top, on the bottom. But fight with a plan, drawn in accordance with the strong qualities of your opponent.

8. You don’t compete against other fighters, but against yourself.

9. At every training session, every competition, try to test your limits – physical, technical, mental. At each limit crossed, use that as an incentive to train more and more, and develop your Jiu-Jitsu constantly.

10. Every sport grows at a pace directly proportional to the emergence of good role models, good athletes, and good people. Be a martial artist useful for the rest of society. By becoming a good example, you help the sport grow.

Let’s just hope Marcelo Garcia doesn’t hear us, but here are ten awesome off-the-mat activities to keep your gas tank full.

We went after some of the best in the business and they shared with us how they complement heir routine of training.

Here is the list:

1. Swimming: Put that bathing suit on and jump in. Swimming is great to increase your cardio and also one of the best all-body activities. Another great feature is the virtual no impact environment provided by the water.

2. Jumping: Exercises that include jumping are great for the cardio aspect of your training and also increases the muscular strength of your legs and you know there’s no guard without strong legs.

3. Gi bars: What about strengthening your upper body and also making your grips stronger at the same time? That’s the package offered by the gi bars. Use different grips to the gi and practice atual fight situations.

Fabio Gurgel training his grips at GMA academy Cobrinha BJJ / Photo: Instagram @FabioGurgel

4. Rope climbing: Again, work your grip strength, but also your cardio and core. If you keep your legs perpendicular to your upper body, you will also work your abdomen muscles.

5. Running on the sand: The soft and irregular surface increases the effort of each step, which is great for the cardio. Also, the reduced impact puts less stress on your joints and muscles. Mix short and fast runs with resistance exercises where a partner holds you back as you move forward.

6. Stairs: A classic among Jiu-Jitsu competitors, climbing stairs is one of the best cardio efforts you can add to your routine. Breath right, find your rhythm and rest properly between climbs to have an even better performance.

7. Leg press: Making your legs stronger is vital for a strong guard game. When you are able to mix great technique with the strength of your legs, you’ll be able to create a lot more problems for the passer. So, don’t skip leg day.

8. Boxing pads: The classic boxing training method will increase your speed and improve your reflex, while also working on a better cardio. Remember that if you react faster, you’ll be able to use less energy to defend and attack.

9. Rubber bands: A simple tool with multiple uses. The rubber band is ideal for resistance exercises even when you are not in the gym.

10. Chains: As you lift a chain from the ground it gets heavier. This increase in effort will help you deal with those moments in a fight when there’s no rest in sight and giving up is not an option.

Photo: Gustavo Aragão

We all know how powerful Jiu-Jitsu is for changing anyone’s life. The gentle art is an awesome tool to help one abandon unhealthy habits and work on a cleaner lifestyle. On GRACIEMAG #151, we dove into the actual ways BJJ can help you achieve a better, longer and happier life.

Here’s what we came up with after we searched the wisdom of Master Carlos Gracie Jr.

1. Philosophy: We all age (if we are lucky). There’s no pointing in fighting the passage of time. What we have to do is adapt our lifestyle to each stage of life. Our body will tell us what we are capable of doing and what we are not capable. once we do that, we can achieve a state of mind where we search for pleasure without incurring in hedonism. What you have to seek is satisfaction.

2. Sleep: Sleeping is rebooting your vitality. The more active you are, the greater is your need for rest. Master Carlos Gracie Jr. is know for not allowing himself to sleep less than 8 hours a night. The lack of sleep is the entry way for illness, bad performance and a shorter life.

A video posted by GRACIEMAG | English Edition | (@graciemagazine) on Jan 7, 2016 at 4:53pm PST

3. Breathing: Anxious, tense, jumpy people breath like they are constantly drowning. On the other hand, people who project confidence breath in a calm and constant rhythm. Master Carlos Gracie Jr. performs a breathing warmup prior to every roll. It consists of a series of perfectly paced breaths that compress the diaphragm followed by a long intake of air to fill up the lungs.

4. Nourishment: It is simply impossible to be healthy if you don’t mind what you put inside your body. Master Carlos is a fine example of how the wholesome attitude promoted by the gentle art can influence our entire lives. he likes to choose and prepare everything he will intake. Also, he learned how to read the signs his body is sending. You need to know when your organism is telling you it is satisfied, full, hungry, thirsty, etc.

5. Exercise: Looking good is great, but not enough to stimulate you to have a continuous routine of physical activities. The true incentive, according to Master Carlos, needs to come from how you feel on the inside and not how you look in the mirror. As you get older, you will fell more and more the results of your choices. So, if you haven’t started to live a healthy lifestyle yet, do it asap.

With Jiu-Jitsu gaining popularity by the day, the number of Jiu-Jitsu Professors also grows by the day. How can you know which ones are for real and which ones will hurt you more than help you? On GRACIEMAG #179, the cover story addressed the 10 fundamental qualities a great Jiu-Jitsu Professor needs to have. Here are 7 of them. Here we go.

1. Motivate the student: Carlos Gracie Jr. says that the teacher’s mission is to develop the ability to motivate students to fulfill their dreams. Rickson Gracie says that the first thing he does when a new student comes in is to find out what are their interests and goals. If you know it, you’ll be able to help them more efficiently.

2. Motivate yourself: Teaching the techniques is not the hard part. The really difficult part is to figure out if teaching Jiu-Jitsu is really your life’s mission. Carlos Gracie Jr. says that the question you need to answer is: “Is Jiu-Jitsu what I want to do for a living?” If the answer is yes, the hurdles in the way will be much easier to jump over.

3. Develop an effective method: It may take a while, but once you find an effective method to teach, things will get easier. Carlos Gracie Jr. says that what he does is to at first stimulate students to repeat movements until it’s become muscle memory, then he aims to make students get creative and try to find solutions for problems using what they know.

4. Cherish the essence of the art: You cannot inspire others if you don’t believe in the essence of what Jiu-Jitsu is, and that means self-defense. Master Jose Henrique Leão Teixeira says: “Every teacher needs to know self-defense. It helps to teach new students with no previous martial arts experience.”

5. Team work, tight-knit group: Carlos and Helio Gracie had one of the most well-ran Jiu-Jitsu academies in history. They would attend to every detail of the operation and would know every student personally. Discipline and method were the back bones of their success.

6. Serve as an example: Just like any other teacher, the Jiu-Jitsu professor is an educator. That means people will look up to you for guidance and you know actions mean a lot more than words. A clean gi, a fit figure, good maners, humbleness, so and so are all qualities a great Professor needs to possess.

7. Convey knowledge in a concise manner: There are great champions who just don’t know how to teach. Passing the knowledge is an art, just like Jiu-Jitsu itself. Develop an effective way to teach others what you know and also pass on the importance of Jiu-Jitsu in people’s lives.

Dominyka Obelenyte

Competing is a tricky thing.

Being successful at it is the result of multiple factors combined.

You need to be in top shape physically and you need to be very well trained with your game ready for whatever your opponents throw your way.

Perhaps, more than anything else, you need to have your mind in the right place.

Thinking of that, we have rounded up 10 valuable advices from 10 super-champions to help you be ready for the next time you step on the mat of a tournament.

Here you go.

1. “Champions seek tough training partners in the academy. They go for the challenge. The power of the will needs to be greater than the fear of losing or the vanity of being seen as a champion”- Carlos Gracie Jr

2. “Be aware of how the mind is the controlling factor for everything that happens. A lot of guys are great in the academy, but fall short at the championship. You need to be able to withstand the pressure of putting everything on the line in a tournament and show what you know.” – Rickson Gracie

3. “A champion cannot lose the positions he conquered in a match. A champion knows how to apply non-stop pressure when on top and also knows how to give no space when on the bottom. A champion knows how to maintain firm grips and hooks.” – Ronaldo Jacaré

Roger Gracie Photo by John Cooper

4. “Champions need to be patient. Like a drowning man, if you make wrong decisions and waste energy you will sink faster, but if you keep calm and follow a plan the chances of surviving increase.” – Roger Gracie

5. “If you want to be good at Jiu-Jitsu, train Jiu-Jitsu! You have to be able to do at the competition all you do at training.” – Marcelo Garcia

6. “Learn to start over. After a tough defeat, be at the academy the next day to work on your mistakes.” – Marcio Feitosa

7. “In training, ask yourself how would you win if you could roll against yourself. This way, you will find your weak points and draw a strategy to fill the holes in your own game.” – Leo Vieira

Marcelo Garcia vs. Kron Gracie at the 2009 ADCC, in Barcelona, Spain.

8. “Competition starts the moment you open your eyes in the morning. If you have that mindset, you’ll be closer to victory.” – Saulo Ribeiro

9. “In training, bring your body and mind to their limits. Competition will look easier the harder your training is.” – Braulio Estima

10. “Value progression. Secure positions and score your points. Then, look for the submission.” – Xande Ribeiro

Another year is over, so it’s time to set new goals for the next period. Maybe you weren’t as dedicated as you should be in the past 365 days, so we put together 10 reasons why you should put your act together and give the gentle art that special effort. The benefits will be overwhelmingly greater than the effort put.

Your opponent. ”He is my friend and biggest foe. If he didn’t exist, it wouldn’t be the same and maybe I wouldn’t train as much, always going to my limit,” said Rodolfo Vieira the other day about archrival Marcus Buchecha. If laziness knocks, remember your adversaries are out there practicing and correcting flaws in order to catch you by surprise next time. One great, unsettling reason to get your ass off that couch.

Your professor. If you chose your BJJ school wisely, your professor is not just there to take your money in exchange for classes. They do what they do for love, and few rewards can mean as much to them as your technical and personal evolution. Make your master proud; get moving.

Your body in the mirror. You remember how flaccid and feeble you were before you started training, don’t you? Wanna see that sad picture again? Didn’t think so.

The black belt. Yes, we do repeat over and over that thinking about belt color is not the best attitude for the smart Jiu-Jitsu practitioner to have. Haste and anxiety may lead to frustration, and squandering time thinking you are not headed anywhere may hack away at your mindset. So ignore what belt you wear today. But do think about the black belt. One day it will be yours, believe it. And then you will see the whole journey was worth it. Remember the lesson by Rorion Gracie, who said a BJJ black belt that’s honestly earned is worth more than any Harvard degree.

Your children. Training BJJ is not an individual, selfish activity. Soon you are going to be able to roll with your kids, have fun with them and give them health and vitality. Persist and have a perfect pastime to do together.

The unpredictable. We train Jiu-Jitsu in order to never have to use self-defense techniques, but imagine some maniac grabs your neck tomorrow and today you missed a class on that very move? Go practice and protect yourself.

The detail. Strive to drive away the torments of the drubbings and moves that have been causing you trouble. Focus on the detail, on little objectives: to not fall for that same old move, to keep your posture in the guard; to improve upon that guard pass, to not lose the mount.

Those that can’t train.While you sit there under the reins of tiredness, work and whatever else, there are people facing much tougher physical problems who wish they could move like you. Get your gi and find an hour in the day to get your Jiu-Jitsu on.

Your dreams. Persevering in BJJ can help you realize your most improbable dreams, from that elusive job to that woman you’ve got your eye on.

Nothing. Don’t give yourself a choice – just get your gi and go! Thank Jiu-Jitsu later for that indescribable post-practice feeling.

Rolls Gracie. Photo by Ricardo Azoury

All those who roll know how tough it can be when we get that feeling that we are just not evolving in our performance on the mats.

Maybe the problem is that we are not paying attention to key points that can really hurt our ability to improve our game.

We listed 10 of the most important things you cannot not do if you want to thrive in your Jiu-Jitsu journey.

We selected then from 21 years of learning from the best in the business.

Take a good read and put that to work for you.

1. Vary the duration of your rolls

It’s important not to be a prisoner of the same duration on your rolls. You need to be able to deal with the necessity of managing your gas tank on long rolls of 10 and even 20 minutes, but also have the quick thinking to solve problems on short rolls of 3 minutes or even 1 minute starting from specific positions like the back or the mount.

2. Don’t train like a staller 

Don’t let vanity get the best of you. When training, take your mind out of the outcome of the roll and focus on what you are doing and how that moment will help you improve your game. Go with the flow, allow yourself to be in uncomfortable positions, tap as much as you need and go home knowing you learned a lot.

3. Know your basics

As exciting as it is to be doing the latest trend in terms of techniques, don’t ever forget to have your basics in order. Take your time to practice those simple techniques you learned as a white belt so you can get a better understanding of how the whole thing works.

Roger Gracie. Photo by Gustavo Aragão

4. Know your body and look for the best fuel

Maintaining is always better than fixing. Pay attention to your body and go see a professional whenever you feel that something is not right. Also, you can’t expect to be a champion if you run on bad fuel. Study the principles of a healthy diet and look for the best nutritional plan for you. Again, ask a specialist.

5. Repeat!

If you don’t practice, you’ll never get it right. The secret for having a flowing game is to make every movement a reflex. The only way to do that is to practice as much as you can and understand why you are doing each movement and how it connects to the next one as well as the one that came before.

6. Always warm up (no, really — always!)

If there’s no excuse for not training, there’s also no excuse for not warming up before training. Modern science shows that dynamic stretching is vital for safer rolling. Work your joints and muscles and get your body ready for the demands of a training session.

7. Sleep well 

This is so basic we feel we should not even mention it, but we will. If you don’t get that nice 8 hours of sleep every night, you are not allowing your body recover properly. Make it a habit as much as going to the academy and washing your gi after each session.

Royce Gracie. Photo by Luca Atalla

8. Train even when tired

It doesn’t need to be an everyday thing, but now and then try going for a second roll without resting after a specially tough session. It’s going to be good for your body and for your mind. It will help you find that extra fuel and also train your mind to solve problems even under a lot of stress.

9. Strengthen your grips

Strong grips are one of those things that go unnoticed despite its incredible importance. Include in your routine exercises to strengthen your hands and fingers and also learn how to break grips. The one who is able to have a strong hold of the opponent is closer to victory.

10. Always come back the next day 

Don’t quit! Just don’t! Even after a really bad session (or competition). That’s when it’s specially important to be at the gym the next day to work on the mistakes made. Also, don’t focus your Jiu-Jitsu journey on results. Enjoy the ride!

One of the most brilliant competitors in the black belt division, Lo took the Jiu-Jitsu community by storm in 2010 when he defeated Michael Langhi at the WPJJC.

After that, he continued to amaze the crowds with a dangerous and active game both on top and on the bottom.

Here’s Leandro teaching one of his guard passes and also telling a bit about his career.