Interview with Jacare´

Born in 1952, Jacare´ began his BJJ training at 11 years old. At the age of 16, he joined the famous Gracie School in Copacabana where he grew up. Jacare´ and the Gracies lived in the same neighborhood so he got to met all of them. He was in the same BJJ class as: Carlos Gracie Jr., Crolin Gracie, Fabio Santos, Mauricio Gomes, the Macahdos, Rickson Gracie, and many others.
"Gene, I just want to say that when I leave this world I want to leave a legacy. I want to be recognized as one of the best instructors of all times, see you and thanks for the opportunity. It is an honor to give you this interview … "
-- Jacare´

In the time that you competed (1972 - 1985) what were the competitions like & how did they differ from the spot tournaments we have today?

       THE DIFFERENCE WAS THAT IN THE TIME I WAS COMPETING JIU JITSU WAS STARTING TO HAVE THE FIRST TOURNAMENTS AND WE DID'N HAVE A LOT PEOPLE COMPETING OR WATCHING NOW WE HAVE HUGE ONES WITH SPONSORS, COVERAGE FROM THE MEDIA, INTERNATIONAL COMPETITORS,ETC... THE RULES CHANGED A LITLLE BIT AND THE LEVEL OF PREPARATION TOO EVERYTHING EVOVELD THERE IS NO MORE PLACE FOR AMATEURS IN THE MAIN EVENTS BUT FOR PROFESSIONALS TO WIN THE FIRST PLACES.

How did you get your nickname?

       IN MY OLD NEIGHBORWOOD BECAUSE I COLLECTED THE ALLYGATOR TSHIRTS, THEN SOMEONE FROM SCHOOL GRACIE SCHOOL IN COPACABANA HEARD AND THAT WAS IT. YOU KNOW IT MEANS ALLIGATOR IN PORTUGUESE RIGHT?

How was the Alliance team formed?

       BY ME AND SOME OF MY OLD STUDENTS LIKE FABIO AND BROTHER FERNANDO GURGEL, TRAVEN,ALEXANDRE PAIVA, VINI AND SOME OTHERS THE SCHOOL WAS EXPANDING AND WE WERE COMPETING AGAINST EACH OTHER SO WITH THE ALLIANCE FORMED WE WERE GONE JOIN FORCES TO COMPETE BETTER AGAINST OTHERS AND NOT AMONG OURSELVES.

Do you follow the same teaching method as your teacher(s) or do you have a different teaching style?

       ROLLS WAS THE GREATEST OF HIS TIME AND I OWN EVERYTHING TO HIM, I CAN STILL FEEL HE IS GIVEN ME THE POWER TO CONTINUE TO TEACH BUT I ADD A LOT NEW THINGS TO MY TEACHING JIU JITSU IS ALWAYS EVOLVING AND I TRY TO KEEP MYSELF UPDATED OF COURSE A GOOD TEACHER NEVER STOPS LEARNING.

Can you explain to people new to the art how Brazilian Jiu-jitsu federations work? Are there different governing bodies here in the US for your association and the Confederation in Brazil or are they connected?

       I TRY TO MAKE MY STUDENTS UNDERSTAND HOW EVERYTHING WORKS:FEDERATIONS, BELT SYSTEM,TOURNAMENTS,ETC...HERE IN THE US I'M FOUNDING THE GA STATE BJJ FEDERATION,WE COMPETE A LOT AND PROMOTE THE SPORT BY SPONSORING AND ORGANIZING THEM,I HAVE A VERY TOUGH TEAM THAT COMPETES IN BJJ,MMA,NHB YOU NAME IT. AND I HAVE CLOSE RELATIONS WITH THE ONLY OFFICIAL GOVERNNING BODY THE BJJ FEDERATION FROM BRAZIL THAT HAS CARLOS GRACIE JR AS THE PRESIDENT.

What is your opinion on the direction sport jiu-jitsu is taking? Do you see room for improvements & if so, what?

       DEPENDING ON ME I WILL TRY KEEP OUR SPORT AS CLEAN AND TRADITIONAL AS POSSIBLE OF COURSE WITH ONE EYE IN THE EVOLUTION LIKE MAKING THE RULES A LIT BIT MORE COMPETITIVE AND HAVING TOURNAMENTS LIKE THEY HAVE IN ABU DHABI AND ALSO PARTICIPATING IN MMA OR NHB IF THE STUDENTS WANT TEST THEMESELVES.IN TERMS OF EVOLVING I THINK IT CHANGED A LOT WITH MORE TAKE DOWNS, REVERSALS OR SWEEPS FROM THE GUARD, THE GUYS GETTING STRONGER AND MORE PREPARED, BETTER SPONSORS AND TOURNAMENTS, BETTER RULES AND MEDIA COVERAGE, ETC.. BUT IT IS ROOM FOR IMPROVING OF COURSE.

What is your opinion on State Legislation of Martial Arts (requiring that Martial Arts instructors be certified by the State to teach) here in the US?

       I AGREE TO DO ANYTHING TO HELP SEPARATE THE GOOD AND LEGITE INSTRUCTORS FROM THE ONE S THAT DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE SPORT, ONLY WITH SOME KIND OF CONTROL WE GONNA ACHIEVE THAT. I'M FOUNDING THE GA STATE BJJ FEDERATION TO DO MY PART TO REGULATE BJJ HERE WE HAVE A LOT OF GUYS THAT TRAIN FOR A LITLLE WHILE AND THEN CLAIM TO BE INSTRUCTORS IS LIKE GOING TO COLLEGE FOR ONLY 2 YEARS AND THEN STARTING TO TEACH OR WORK IN SOMETHING I WAITED MANY YEARS TO HAVE THE RIGTH TO BECAME A LEGITE INSTRUCTORS AND I SEE BLUE AND PURPLE BELTS TEACHING HERE IN THE US IT'S WRONG I DON'T AGREE, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.

Since you have been involved with jiu-jitsu for such a long time, what are some significant changes you've noticed in the art over the last 10 - 15 years?

       WELL THE MAIN CHANGES ARE BEFORE THE FIGTH DID'N HAVE MANY VARIATIONS LIKE FOR EXAMPLE A NEW BUNCH OF SWEEPS AND REVERSALS FROM THE GUARD, THE NEW HAF GUARD POSITIONS, THE STAND UP GAME IMPROVING THE EXPOSURE THE ORGANIZATION OF BJJ CONFEDERATION AND FINALLY BJJ TOOK THE WORLD BY STORM EVERYBODY TRAINS BJJ NOW BRAZIL, SOUTH AMERICA, US, CANADA, EUROPE AND EVEN JAPAN HAVE NOW GOOD SCHOOLS OF BJJ NOT TALKING ABOUT THE IMPACT IN NHB AND MMA I THINK THE MAIN CONTRIBUTION IS THE REALITY BROUGTH AND A HOLE LEVEL OF FIGTHERS IN THE WORLD TODAY.

Do you think Americans have influenced Brazilian Jiu-jitsu? If so, how?

       I THINK IS THE OPOSITE WE HAVE INFLUENCED THE AMERICANS TO SEE A NEW REALITY IN MARTIAL ARTS, WE CHANGED THE GAME HERE BY SHOWING THAT A SKINY GUY WITH GOOD THECNIQUE ON THE GROUND COULD BEAT MUCH BIGGER GUYS WE PROVED THAT JIU JITSU IS VERY EFICIENT, PRACTICAL AND ANYONE CAN DO IT. I THINK THE WAY THINGS ARE EVOLVING HERE SOON WE GONNA HAVE GUYS HERE WITH THE SAME LEVEL WE HAVE IN BRAZIL WE STARTED TO ACHIEVE GOOD RESULTS IN INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC COMPETITIONS NOT TALKING ABOUT THE TREMENDOUS DEVELOPING OF THE AMERICANS FIGTHERS IN MMA AND NHB IS LIKE WE SAY IN BRAZIL ONE HAND WASHES THE OTHER.

"Gene, just to finalize, in my projects besides having always a good team ALLIANCE/ TEAM JACARE in the US. I am founding the 1st. GA STATE BJJ.

See Jacare´ in action

FEDERATION with the intention of developing and organizing the art here, on top of this I have a project with Matt Larsen in Fort Benning Ga. where we have been training the Army Rangers in hand to hand combat for about 2 years. The project includes passing BJJ to the whole Army and is going very well so far. My school has now more than 160 members active and at the last Pan Am we as a team got 2nd place in the adult and juvenile divisions and 3rd in the masters/seniors divisions, we made many, many champions again. I just want to say that when I leave this world I want to leave a legacy. I want to be recognized as one of the best instructors of all times, see you and thanks for the opportunity. It is an honor to give you this interview … BJJ is my life!"