Rafael Gamba’s performance at the Europeans, held last month in Portugal, was nothing short of impressive. In the adult brown belt middleweight bracket, the athlete from Mario Reis’ Alliance finished on top with rare authority: five matches and five submissions on his way to the gold medal. Rafael’s name is no surprise popping up at the tournament with an unknown threat level. Before his promotion to brown belt, he won gold at the Pans and the Brazilian Nationals. At blue belt, in 2022, he was an IBJJF world champion. On the podium, his purple belt, tied by his coach, came as a reward along with the gold at the Pyramid.
In an interview with The Mat Nation, Gamba talked more about that aggressive efficiency, highlighted by his flawless triangle strike, which made him one of the standouts of the Europeans, the competition that kicks off the IBJJF’s major event calendar. According to the tournament’s current middleweight king, fighting in a forward-moving style is a clear goal set in advance in the gym.
“This big result is very important for my career. It’s all about how you win. My coach, Mario (Reis), always teaches that. There’s no point being a champion by fighting badly, stalling, having ugly matches. The fans want to see a Jiu-Jitsu show. I have a very aggressive style, always looking for the submission. When I get the finish, I reach my peak. It’s the ultimate stage, when the opponent taps and gives up. I managed to do that in every match; it’s an indescribable feeling,” he described.
A COMPLETE ATHLETE: FOR GAMBA, TEACHING CLASSES IS A TOOL FOR PROFESSIONAL GROWTH
Intense training sessions aren’t the only way Rafael Gamba sharpens his skills. For him, his commitment to teaching Jiu-Jitsu, a role he has taken on since purple belt, makes him a more complete athlete who masters technique and knows how to communicate.
“I teach group classes and a lot of privates. Athletes just want to train, but I see it differently. I feel it adds a lot to my life. I’m learning how to teach, which is very different from being a champion. Being a champion doesn’t make you a good instructor. So I’m developing new skills within my athletic career. That makes me more complete than someone who only competes. There are champions who can’t express themselves; for example, when they teach a position, they can’t even explain it, and that matters a lot,” he explained.
HANDLING EXTREME DISCOMFORT IN TRAINING IS A FUNDAMENTAL QUALITY, AND RAFAEL HAS PLENTY OF IT
Asked about his training environment, the brown belt explains that all of his development as a competitor happens in hostile territory. A total discomfort zone, a setting deliberately designed by Mario Reis that, according to Rafael, is fundamental to building a strong body and mind, able to react under extreme pressure, as happens at competitions. For him, overcoming the enormous difficulty imposed day after day is the key that unlocks confidence.
“The training sessions Mario puts us through are horrible, almost hell. He always prepares us for the worst. So after training, I know I’ll hardly find a more challenging scenario than my own preparation. For those of us who train every day, without missing, more than once a day, it’s hard to stay mentally sane and physically healthy, but I love it, going through that process to show up at the tournament with my mind bulletproof. The hardest days, the ones that don’t let me leave training happy, deep down make me realize I’m on the right path,” he clarified.
Consistency is a word that means a lot in the careers of professional athletes on a path to success. Rafael Gamba isn’t the only one who praises that quality. Winning the Europeans in a packed bracket, without ever being in danger, is a sign that the homework is being done rigorously. In Rafael’s words, always doing what it takes, even under adverse conditions, is what separates the champion from the ordinary athlete.
“I believe consistency is what separates a good athlete from a champion. Doing what has to be done even when you don’t feel like it. There are athletes who are very good, who are way ahead technically, but don’t pay the price. Getting through weeks, a year of hard training, without slipping, without sabotaging yourself. That’s what separates the athlete who makes it from the one who falls by the wayside. At the tournament it’s going to happen: you’ll get tired, you’ll want to quit, give up a position. When you’re forged in a cauldron, those situations get easier when it’s time to fight,” he said.
MAKING HIS OWN LUCK: EARLY ON, RAFAEL GAMBA WORKED AROUND HIS WEAKNESSES TO BECOME THE COMPETITOR WHO RISES TO THE TOP
Anyone who fully believes in destiny when it comes to sports is mistaken. The Alliance multiple-time champion is a clear example, as he explains himself. When he started training Jiu-Jitsu, he realized he would have to build the virtues of a true champion on his own.
“I see a lot of resilience in my journey. I wasn’t a prospect. When I started Jiu-Jitsu, I didn’t have the attributes people associate with a champion; I gradually became that guy. Never give up on your dreams if you want to pursue a professional career, no matter what people say. Be consistent, do what needs to be done,” he reiterated.
This article was originally published in Portuguese: read the original version.
