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Interview with: Mauricio Motta Gomes
By Colin Burton for: Choke Athletic *NB: In Brazil, nobody goes without a nickname. From now on Mauricio will be known as 'Mauricao'. In Portuguese this means Big Mauricio and is pronounced as <Mow-ree-sow>
Mauricao and I are sat in a pleasant little restaurant along the Kensington high road in London. The time now is approximately 8pm, and we’ve just come out of another one of Mauricao’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes. Today I’ve had a real taste of what it’s all about, as I rolled on the mats with Mauricao’s teenage son Roger (World Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Champion). As I lick my wounds, we order two fresh orange juices and a bottle of still water. We sit in the warmth of the restaurant, while outside the weather is wet and windy. The recorder is placed on the table and the interview begins.....…………….
Colin: Mauricao, what is it that you like and dislike about the United Kingdom? Mauricao: I got used to living here right about now, the only thing that really bothers me is the rain and the grey weather all the time <laughs>, it's a lot different to my country though. I enjoy it very much I have made lots of nice friends here now, it's just really the weather. Colin: How about the London transport system? Mauricao: AAAGGGHHH!! <laughs> No you can't rely on the trains they’re terrible! <both laughing> Colin: Are you enjoying teaching at High Street Kensington gym in London? Mauricao: Yes, yes I am very much. The gym is very nice and they have treated us very well, it's very nice. Colin: It's got a nice relaxed atmosphere hasn’t it? Mauricao: Yes I like it. Colin: How long do you plan on staying in the United Kingdom? Mauricao: I have a permit that allows me to stay here for four years right now, so if every thing goes as planned... (Smiles and nods) Colin: So we’re looking at having you teach here for four years at least? Mauricao: Yes, if everything goes nicely I will be staying. Colin: I understand that you will be the resident teacher in a new gym, that’s still being constructed in the heart of London? Mauricao: Yes, the new gym will be in Picadilly, right in the heart of London town.
Click on thumbnail images to see larger pictures Colin: How long before it’s all ready? Mauricao: It should be ready around the middle of March, and if things go to plan, we should be rolling around on the mats at the beginning of April. Colin: Have you been up there to have a look? Mauricao: Yes it's very special, It’s still under construction but you can get an overall idea of how it will look in the end. The whole thing has been planned very well. This is a very big project. I am really looking forward to it all. Colin: I've heard that Renzo Gracie will be coming to assist you in the grand opening. Is that true? Mauricao: Yes we spoke to him and hopefully he will be here for the opening. Colin: That would be excellent! Now I believe your son Roger is going over to Ireland to conduct a seminar. Mauricao: Yes he leaves tomorrow. Colin: Any plans to host seminars here in England? Mauricao: I lived here this last year and a half, so I have a lot of students who are now both students and friends, like Dave the guy that runs things in Birmingham. So I'm going to be going to these places, but not to give Seminars, you can't call them seminars, more like big sessions with loads of guys on Saturdays and Sundays. I should be doing that like I did before, over in Scotland as well with Rick Young and those guys. Colin: Right, do you think it is important for your students to take part in competitions? Mauricao: Yes I do, yes I do, yes I do. It's the only way you have to test your skills against different types of pressures, that have different features and different skills, so yes it's your test to see just how good you are, it's what makes you grow in your fighting system, it's something that will help you grow. Colin: Interesting theory. Mauricao: I have competed my entire life. In the Academy you can't expect that everyone likes competition, some people act differently, they are different and don't want to and don't have that much time to train, so they don't want to compete they just do it for physical training so it's really up to them actually. It is something I will always simulate, I will prepare them. Colin: I was talking with one of your students Assif earlier on, (Assif is a blue belt who trains at the London gym) and he mentioned about competing in the Mundials in Brazil, are you looking to take a team over there? Mauricao: No. I think if Assif wants to go…..he's been my student for almost three years now, he's been to Brazil with me, competed in the Pan Americans, he competed in the Mundials last year, so if he wants to compete this year that's fine. But I didn't have time to prepare a group of people to take over there for a competition of this level, there are no white belts in this competition just blue belts and beyond, with a lot of very good fighters, so I just didn't have time to prepare anybody for that. Colin: But in your planned four years over here, are you looking to get a team ready? Mauricao: Oh definitely, definitely. <Smiles> Colin: Excellent. <laughs> Could you please tell us a little about your son Roger, and his achievements so far in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world to date? Mauricao: Roger is a purple belt and has just turned 19, in the past two years at competition level he has improved an incredible amount. Only last year he won at least two local competitions in Rio, he won the world championship, the Pan American championship, the Brazilian team championship and the European championship the other year. Every competition he's been in he's done really well. In the Pan American championships he fought six times and won five out of six by submission. Colin: Bloody hell! <Laughs> Mauricao: The American competition is at a very high level. He was awarded with his purple belt, I think he got it in August, so he is a new purple belt, he's been training very hard and he likes it a lot. He really enjoys what he does. Colin: I've noticed when rolling with him that he has amazing technique. Mauricao: <Laughs> Oh yeah, oh yeah. You should see him compete with the same calmness he has when he's training, he competes with the same face, it's amazing.
Click on thumbnail images to see larger pictures Colin: The other night you came along to a local Vale Tudo competition. Can you see Roger competing in Vale Tudo at all? Mauricao: Not at the moment no, I think maybe when he gets his black belt he'll be able to chose what type of competition he may want to do, but at this moment he will be training for Jiu-Jitsu championships and looking forwards to Abu Dhabi in 2002. Not 2001 because the event is next month, but I think in 2002 he will be ready. Colin: Is there any special training that he will be doing for that? Mauricao: Right here in London now, he's learning some wrestling and possibly going into a Judo academy to improve a little more on take downs. Colin: So more stand up work? Mauricao: Yes. His groundwork is very good. Colin: What is your opinion of the current hype surrounding the Gracie clan and Sakuraba? Mauricao: He's an extremely good fighter. It's like Renzo said, he's the Japanese Gracie <Both Laugh>. I'm not going to say Sakuraba has been lucky in any Fights, but you need a certain amount of luck to win a fight with body sweat etc. Look at when Renzo won that fight by the guy coming in and Renzo kicking him to the face when he came rushing in, he knocked him out. <Both laugh>. Colin: Luck plays it’s part in all styles of fighting, look when Lennox Lewis got knocked out by a lucky punch from Oliver McCall and look at him now. Mauricao: Yes I want to see more, Ryan is fighting Sakuraba on the 23 December and Ryan has that energy…….that hatred energy that a fighter needs <Laughs>. Colin: Can you see Rickson fighting him? Mauricao: Yes I can, that would be very good to watch. Colin: On the Internet especially in America they say Rickson won't fight him, he's running away from him and that he's scared to get the fight on. Mauricao: I don't think so, Rickson is on such a great level, for people to fight him they have to be his match, they have to have good sponsors and they have to make a lot of money, he's not going to just put his name in the ring just like that for some person who just arrived the other day and wants to fight him. Rickson has been the champion for so many years, I've known him since he was little, he won't just fight anybody who comes around, it's all down to sponsors and money. But I have no doubt if the time comes he will fight Sakuraba. Colin: For Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, do you put emphasis on fitness training, i.e. running and weights etc? Mauricao: Yes that's very important especially if you are thinking of competing, if your goal is to compete in National competition yes you have to work on your stamina levels and do some weight lifting, yes you need that extra thing, like swimming, mountain climbing, running whatever. Colin: So you'd go for more cardiovascular work? Mauricao: Yes, you need it. Firstly the stress and the nervousness of competing.....that burns up a lot of energy, so you need that extra to help you through. Colin: What are your long-term goals in the UK and Europe with your style of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? Mauricao: Basically to help spread the word about Jiu-Jitsu and the effect that it has on peoples lives, it's not just a fighting system it's a way of life, that's the way I see it anyway. We are creating a European Federation of Jiu-Jitsu, this will legitimise belt grading, we will do two maybe three competitions a year to enable people to compete. Colin: Mauricao, the main and most important thing that I have learnt from you Over the last month, apart from loads of brilliant techniques is the fact that you Put great emphasis on being relaxed while fighting. Mauricao: Yes, that is very important. You need to be able to fight and use no energy apart from that of the guy you are fighting, but at the correct time, right down to a split second you must be able to explode and then apply a technique, if you miss you must wait, and wait, and wait until that exact time again when it is just right to apply a technique then you explode. This way you fight relaxed and store lots of energy, from each position you should know what your opponent can do and can't do, so at all times you should know what can happen, this way to can stop things happening, stay calm and explode at the right time. Colin: Mauricao, before we end this interview, I’d like to thank you very much for the last month. Training under you has been a great pleasure. Mauricao: The pleasure is all mine! The waiter comes with the bill, the bill is paid, and we head into the dark rainy night towards High Street Kensington tube station.……. Colin Burton.
FANCY TRAINING WITH MAURICAO? Club
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