Catch up on the first part of Professor Rodrigo Teixeira’s interview here.
Pictures from a recent seminar, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Mount Position, taught by Professor Rodrigo Teixeira and hosted by FaMA - Fitness and Martial Arts on 11 May, 2019.
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Aside from being an experienced instructor, Professor Rodrigo is a seasoned competitor with some remarkable achievements under his belt, such as Gold at the 2017 IBJJF European Open, double Gold in the Masters category at the 2017 IBJJF Rome Open, and Silver in the 2017 Abu Dhabi World Pro Championship Brazilian Qualifiers.
The road to such accolades came with a lot of competition experience, but also with the adoption of new and healthy mindsets.
“I have always competed because I love the challenge that it brings. However, when I first opened my gym as a first year Black Belt, I found that I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to win all my competitions, and yet I was unable to find the right tools to feel at ease. It was only in my second year that I began to see things differently.”
"If I do choose to fight, and I do love to fight, why am I so worried about it? That’s when I started to approach Jiu-Jitsu in a more relaxed manner, and that’s how I began to do well again.”
"Competition can take away so much from you if you are not used to it. Anxiety from the week before, to not sleeping well the night before, to having a weird tummy ache moments before your match - By the time you fight, you’ve fought so many battles! But rest assured, as time goes on and you get the rhythm, it becomes the opposite. The noise, smells, people…make you more excited to fight.”
Now, that’s one thing regular competitors can truly relate to!
"I like being both a competitor and coach. I couldn’t have one without the other. Whether I win or lose, it gives me the opportunity to learn more about what’s happening, and that makes me a better version of myself. It’s never about a medal or proving anything to anyone but myself. I do it to challenge myself, understand myself, and understand Jiu-Jitsu. And maybe I’ll never fully understand it in this lifetime, but I have come to peace with that."
Tips for aspiring BJJ coaches and gym owners
Keen to give coaching a try? Thinking of starting your own academy in future? Having spent a majority of his BJJ career as a teacher, and owning his own academy, Professor Rodrigo has learned enough to understand what it takes in this area of work. While good BJJ and accolades help you to kickstart a student following, it is not the same as knowing how to be a good teacher, and even a good gym owner.
Whether you are a coloured belt thinking of assisting your coach, or a Brown/Black Belt looking to start your own team in your region, you might find these tips from Professor Rodrigo helpful in your journey ahead!
1. Make it about the people
"Not everyone wants to be a competitor. Some people come to the gym to be a part of a community. Some people use Jiu-Jitsu as a fun way to sweat and get a workout. Find out what they like and want, and make an effort to accommodate that desire as best as you can. In some ways, it’s just like a marketing campaign. Likewise, understand that different people have different body types. Not everyone will be flexible and like to move like the Mendes Brothers. Be willing to put yourself in other peoples’ shoes.”
2. Be curious
“There’s so much to be learned nowadays, and you’ll never be able to know everything. Hence, you’re going to have to be willing to come up with different kinds of questions, and be a bit more curious. That makes you a better fighter. Likewise, you want to encourage students to be curious as well. The more curiosity, the more you can take it to the next level. Don’t be willing to accept information so easily!"
3. Learn from everyone - including the white belts!
"Sometimes, white belts do crazy things and don’t know what they are doing. Yet, as a senior or instructor, this could open up so many new ideas that you might not have been able to see otherwise."
4. Be open to feedback
“Be willing to be easily criticised. I know of amazing instructors who are good at what they do because they were willing to be open-minded, open to correction, and open to be wrong.”
5. It’s not all about you
After receiving his Black Belt, Rodrigo started an academy of his own in Covina, California. Though it is named after himself, Rodrigo recognises that one does not achieve success alone. “A gym is not one person, it’s a team.”
6 quick questions with Rodrigo - not necessarily about BJJ!
Dog or cat person?
“Dog.”
Favourite food in Singapore?
“Chicken Rice.”
What three things you would bring with you if you were stuck on an island?
“Surf board, a lady, and a knife so I can cut coconuts and fish!”
Favourite country in the world to visit?
“Bali has a special place in my heart, but nowadays I would say Spain.”
How do you relax - with people or by yourself?
“Both!”
Passing or sweeping?
“I’m more of a passer nowadays, though I was a guard player in my younger days.”
FaMA - Fitness and Martial Arts Established in 2016, FaMA is a world-class martial arts training facility located in the heart of the Central Business District in Singapore. Walking distance from the Clarke Quay MRT station, FaMA’s main goal is to help people improve their lives through martial arts regardless of age or athletic capability. Each program is led by experts in their respective fields. Whether it is weight loss, a fun workout, camaraderie, competition training, or just to break a sweat, FaMA has something for everyone.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or BJJ as it is commonly known around the world, is a self-defence martial art that enables a smaller, weaker person to protect themselves against a much larger attacker using leverage and pressure. Formed from Kodokan Judo in Japan, Jiu Jitsu found its way to Brazil in the 1910s through Mitsuyo Maeda, a Japanese judoka and no-holds-barred prize fighter. During his time in Brazil, Maeda accepted a young Carlos Gracie as his student. Carlos would later pass on his knowledge to his brothers, most notably Helio Gracie - the father of modern Brazilian Jiujitsu. The Gracie family would go on to spread BJJ through The Gracie Challenge and eventually the creation of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Today, BJJ has grown to be more than just an effective unarmed fighting system. It helps young children deal with bullies and adults live a healthy lifestyle. BJJ classes are offered daily at FaMA under the tutelage of Black Belts Zoro Moreira, Robyn Goudy and Thiago Gaspary.
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