Rodrigo Santos Braga, aka ‘Braguinha’, swapped the edge of the mat for the center of the competition area and showed how it’s done. Used to guiding his students from the corner, the coach jumped into action at the Rio Spring Open No Gi, a CBJJ tournament held on Friday, October 16, in Campo Grande, in Rio de Janeiro’s West Zone.
The result could not have been better. ‘Braguinha’ took the top spot on the adult lightweight podium and left the venue with a gold medal around his neck. For those in the gym, the win felt like a hands-on class.
HANDS ON: THE COACH OF CHAMPIONS PROVES HIS METHOD ON THE MAT
A black belt in both Judo and Jiu-Jitsu, Braguinha combines the two arts in a training method that has been producing champions from the new generation. It is that dual experience he brings to his classes. The takedown foundation of Judo and the ground game of Jiu-Jitsu make up the repertoire he passes on every day.
An athlete for Pirâmide Grappling, he teaches at the team and also at 220 Pro Team, the academy of phenom Daniel ‘220’. In his routine, the focus is usually on his students. At Rio Spring, it was the teacher’s turn to prove what he teaches.
FROM JUDO TO JIU-JITSU: BRAGUINHA’S MARTIAL ARTS ROOTS
Braguinha’s relationship with the mat started early. He took his first steps in martial arts as a child, in Judo, and built there the foundation that now makes him a reference in takedowns. Years later, he moved to Jiu-Jitsu and began adapting throws to the reality of no-gi grappling.
That work gave rise to Judô dos Crias, a project he created to teach Judo applied to Jiu-Jitsu, both gi and no-gi. The idea is to show that takedowns don’t have to be limited to judokas and can decide a Jiu-Jitsu match from the very first minute.
Behind the scenes, the coach is responsible for sharpening the takedowns of high-level athletes who compete in the circuit’s biggest tournaments. At Rio Spring, it was his turn to use his own repertoire to climb to the top of the podium.
In no-gi grappling, without collar and sleeve grips, takedowns require adaptation. Control of the neck, arms and waist replaces the fabric, and that is where Braguinha’s Judo makes the difference.
This article was originally published in Portuguese: read the original version.
