With each passing year we have seen the art of BJJ continue to grow in this country. Part of this growth has to be attributed to the popularity of MMA and the important role that BJJ plays within it but many people are now training BJJ in its own right too. With this growth we now have some excellent Black Belt’s teaching in the UK. When once it was a rare opportunity, now in London especially we have a great choice of teachers. A prime example of this is the London Fight Factory, which alone has a coaching staff of 3 black belts. London Fight Factory is home to Rodrigo Cabral a new bread of BJJ Black Belt who combines a slick style of BJJ with the skill and technical acumen to impart this knowledge to an ever growing number of students I have been spending a lot more time on the mat of late and this has opened a new circle of friends within the martial arts for me. Rodrigo ‘Brucutu’ Cabral is one such friend. I took some time to talk to Rodrigo about his approach and goals, which I am sure will be of great interest to you.Rodrigo’s Competition background:Urban gorillaz champion open division.
2 x Rio de Janeiro Champion
Nick Forrer, Rodrigo Cabral and Alan Orr Rodrigo: I started to teach Jiu-Jitsu in 2003 when I moved to England. At the time I was a brown belt so I had a number of years of experience to draw on. I started Jiu Jitsu as a young teenager in Rio at Gracie Humaita with Fredson Alves, which is the academy of Royler and Rolker Gracie, the sons of Helio. Royler is a very technical teacher and I learned a lot from him. Later I moved to Sao Paulo and continued my training under the guidance of Leo Viera, the 2xADCC champion. In terms of my own approach I always make sure when I teach that my students understand the details of each position and that the key component to making a technique work is leverage, which in turn comes from proper positioning. Jiu Jitsu is the gentle art: If you have to struggle and force a move in BJJ that generally means you are not doing it right. The other side of the coin though is that for sparring, competition and fighting a high level of conditioning is necessary and an intense training session that emphasizes speed, power, agility, cardio etc. is a mandatory part of every BJJ lesson that I teach.
MAI: What area in BJJ do you think is key to a good ground game? Rodrigo: In my opinion the key to a good ground game is you have to be looking for submissions all the time, regardless of what position you happen to find yourself in. I have an aggressive game and I always look to put my opponent under pressure. In this way I force him to give me the submission rather than waiting for my opponent to make a mistake. Of course this means you have to develop a high level of awareness. Part of this comes from the experience you get from sparring/rolling a lot. But another part is your mindset and psychology when training and competing. MAI: What is the idea behind Fight Factory? Rodrigo: the idea behind the fight factory is that the best way to learn a martial art and how to defend yourself is within a friendly atmosphere and also building and being part of a strong mma team. Although we are not as well established as some other teams in the UK, we are going from strength to strength and our membership continues to grow. We offer classes every day 2 times per day in BJJ both GI and No Gi but we also have Muay Thai, Yoga, Kung Fu and boxing. The club is a located at a purpose built gym near Liverpool Street and has excellent facilities with a fully matted area, weights, pads, and bags. We also have many good teachers and students. Our BJJ team at the moment has 3 black belts, browns, purples, blues as well as some tough and committed white belts. Everyone respects one another and everyone helps each other out. MAI: At the London Fight Factory do you teach kids as well? Rodrigo: not yet, but we have plans to start this year. BJJ is an excellent sport for children MAI: BJJ is a grappling art that continues to grow as a sport with the Gi. Do you use wrestling within your BJJ?
Rodrigo: Yes I do use wrestling, because some bjj techniques are derived from wrestling. Wrestling is an important element of fighting in general since the man who controls the clinch will have a huge advantage in dictating whether the fight stays standing or whether it goes to the ground. Of course if you do get taken down this is where a good guard game is essential which of course wrestling traditionally lacks. In this way I think BJJ and wrestling can help one another out and it is beneficial to study both although first and foremost I would have to class myself as a BJJ fighter. MAI: How do you see the sport itself growing in the UK? Rodrigo: The sport continues to grow and improve in this country. 2 years a go we didn’t have that many competitions. Now there are lots and they are always well attended. That proves that more people are training bjj in the UK. The growth in popularity of MMA is obviously part of that. But many people are just training BJJ for its own sake without any idea of competing in MMA, which is of course fine and just as beneficial. Very soon I think the UK will be a serious force in Europe and internationally if it isn’t already. MAI: We see a lot of BJJ black belts debuting in MMA. Are you planning to start as well? Rodrigo: yes, I am. I was planning to fight before but had to postpone my debut due to injury. I recently won the UK NO GI competition in the open advanced category and am feeling confident coming off that victory. My grappling now is as at its highest level and my stand up has really improved thanks to Leon Baile (my boxing coach). I’m excited to fight and believe that I will be making a big noise on the UK MMA scene very soon!
MAI: What are your plans for 2007? Rodrigo: As I mentioned my main goal is to start my mma career. I am in negotiations with a major fight promoter and they are just trying to find a suitable opponent for me. But in addition to that goal I also want to develop the club further and help my students improve. Every month I see the improvement in my students and this makes me proud. I watch them very closely when they spar and compete and I make a point of informing them of their mistakes and what they need to do to correct them. Sometimes these are basic mistakes; sometimes they are not – although clearly it depends on the level of the student in question. Often at the end of a class my students will approach me with questions about particular positions or techniques they are having difficulty with and I will show them the finer details and nuances that they need to make them work. The fact that they ask me these questions also shows they are thinking for themselves, which is very important in Jiu Jitsu and something I encourage. MAI: In your opinion Rodrigo what does a fighter need to be a champion? Rodrigo: Determination, respect and most of all you have to believe in yourself. You can have all the technique and athleticism in the world but if you don’t have self-belief then it will count for nothing once the fight starts. The fighter who is confident in his own abilities has a huge psychological advantage over one who doesn’t.
MAI: lets talk about that. What is it in your view that builds belief in yourself? Rodrigo: Self-confidence is the key. This comes partly from within but also partly from the training you engage in. By having a good team around you who push you and who all help motivate each other you get a great deal more confidence. Also just competing a lot is useful. I always encourage my students to compete even though it can be very nerve racking. Although they don’t like to admit it even black belts get nervous before a competition! Its normal and nothing to be ashamed off. The nerves go as soon as the fight starts anyway. Rodrigo: my approach to teaching BJJ is always to show the basics but in a way to keep the interest of the students. Nowadays in BJJ you have people inventing new techniques, new submissions, new kinds of guard etc. all the time. And it is important to keep up with the latest developments. After all one of the strengths of BJJ as a martial art (and MMA in general) is that it doesn’t stand still but is always evolving. But you must not neglect the basics. BJJ without strong basics is like a house without a firm foundation: it will collapse under pressure. But to really know the basics requires focus and determination. Therefore to me determination is the most important thing in BJJ - it is the basic key to learning and something I always stress the importance of to my students.
London fight factory and studio fitness in Highgate The London Fight Factory is based at 82 Hanbury Street, London, E1 5JL, which is within walking distance from Liverpool Street, Shoreditch, Aldgate and Aldgate East tube stations. Web Address is www.londonfightfactory.net Email is rodrigobrasa@yahoo.com Alan Orr is a disciple of Robert Chu Sifu and the European representative of the Chu Sau Lei Wing Chun system. Teacher of Tui Na Chinese Massage Therapy
www.alanorr.com For further information Tel: 07958 908 196 or email: info@alanorr.co.uk
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Interview with
Rodrigo "Brucutu" Cabral
of Brasa London -
by Alan Orr: First
published in UK Martial Arts Illustrated Dec 2007
