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RENATO MAGNO

Living the Good Life

ORIGINALLY FROM SAO PAULO, BRAZIL, RENATO MAGNO BEGAN HIS MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING IN JUDO, BUT BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU WAS WHAT TURNED HIS LIFE AROUND. LUCKY ENOUGH TO SPEND TIME AND TRAIN EXTENSIVELY WITH SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE GRACIE FAMILY IN RIO DE JANEIRO, HE BECAME AN ACTIVE COMPETITOR WITH AN IMPRESSIVE LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS. IN KEEPING WITH HIS REPUTATION OF A TOP JIU-JITSU MAN, HE DISPLAYS ALL THE TRAITS OF A TRUE MARTIAL ARTIST. OUT OF DEDICATION, HE SPENDS LONG HOURS ON THE MAT TRYING TO PASS ON THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS BELOVED ART TO HIS NUMEROUS STUDENTS AT VARIOUS MACHADO JIU-JITSU SCHOOLS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

"NO QUESTION IS TOO INSIGNIFICANT TO ASK," SAYS MAGNO. "IF SOMEONE WANTS ME TO EXPLAIN A POSITION IT IS BECAUSE THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND IT. I'M GLAD TO HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE THAT ENABLES ME TO HELP SOMEONE. BEING AN INSTRUCTOR IS AS MUCH ABOUT HOW YOU RELATE, AS IT IS ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU KNOW. YOU CAN HAVE THE BEST TECHNIQUES IN THE WORLD, BUT IF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET YOUR POINT ACROSS THEN YOUR KNOWLEDGE IS WORTHLESS."

NO MATTER HOW REFINED HIS JIU-JITSU TECHNIQUES ARE, HOWEVER, MAGNO RECOGNIZES THE NEED FOR VERSATILITY. "NO MODERN MARTIAL ART IS A COMPLETE SYSTEM IN ITSELF. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR GRAPPLERS TO UNDERSTAND THE STRIKING ASPECTS OF COMBAT," HE SAYS. "IF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO DEFEND AGAINST STRIKES, SOMEONE IS GOING TO HIT YOU AND KNOCK YOU OUT. BUT IF YOU KNOW HOW TO DEFEND AGAINST THEM, THEN YOU CAN TAKE A PERSON DOWN AND GRAPPLE." THIS REALISTIC APPROACH HAS CAUSED RENATO MAGNO TO BE WIDELY REGARDED AS ONE OF THE TOP BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU INSTRUCTORS IN THE UNITED STATES.

Q: How did you begin your martial arts training?

A: In Sao Paulo, my father loved judo and he used to train several times a week. I wanted to do the same so I began going with him. My judo was with the Pinero club, one of the best in the city. Many competitors from there were selected to go to the Olympics, so the level was very high. I used to workout with Joan Gonzalvez and Fuscao, two great Brazilian judo instructors who taught me many techniques. After I began studying jiu-jitsu, the combination of the two arts was very interesting. I used judo for the stand-up aspects of throws and takedowns, but on the ground my technique was pure Brazilian jiu-jitsu. I think they complemented each other very well-at least it worked for me. Judo is very effective in dealing with how to throw your opponent, and also how to control his balance and position while on the feet. Brazilian jiu-jitsu is, of course, is the best art in the world for submissions.

Q: Why did you compete in judo and not jiu-jitsu?

A: Mainly because there weren't many jiu-jitsu competitions. So to improve my ground skills judo competition was the perfect place to start. I had many opportunities to compete and that increased my technical level. Of course, once my opponent was on the ground, I used jiu-jitsu all the way. Later on, jiu-jitsu competition began to grow and it was easier for me to compete there.

Q: When you moved to Rio de Janeiro, did you keep training jiu-jitsu?

A: I did, but there weren't many classes for kids. The jiu-jitsu training was more for adults than for kids. The training at that time under the Gracie family was very technical and very specific and detail oriented. For instance, when you learned a technique like the triangle, you were supposed to train that single technique for the whole month-changing the angle, the position, applying leverage in different ways, and paying attention to the little details that make the technique work. You spent weeks or even months working on that. By the end of the year you might know only 12 or 15 basic techniques but your knowledge and skill was so good that you could pull them off anytime almost at will. The transitions from one technique to the other were very smooth, and the control over the opponent's body in order to apply the movement was very important part. The training was not competition oriented. It was very, very technical and we were not in any kind of rush to learn thousand of new movements to win a tournament. The basic were strongly emphasized and the technical level was very high.

Personally, I had to work hard in order to get better at jiu-jitsu. I know some people are very natural and able to duplicate techniques very fast, but I had to work at it. I believe that it was good for me because it made me learn the value of hard work. Since those days, I always try to work positions that I don't feel comfortable using. I always try to improve on my weak points.

Q: Was the training more for self-defense or competition?

A: There weren't many jiu-jitsu competitions so the focus was more on self-defense. The training was very quality-oriented and the sportive aspect was not fully developed. I don't even think too many of us were thinking about sport competition at all. A lot of the family members were training there together: the Machado Brothers, coached by Carlos Gracie Jr., Royler Gracie, Renzo Gracie, Ralph Gracie, Rillion Gracie and many other family members.

Q: There are competitions everywhere now. How has sport jiu-jitsu affected the art?

A: Now the whole thing is very different. The students who want to compete don't have time to spend an entire month polishing only one technique. There are new techniques all the time a as result of the tournaments. In some ways this is very good for the sport, but in other ways life in the fast lane is not all that. Competitors need to spend time catching-up with the new competition movements and can't spend hours and hours on the basics. It's very hard to find a good balance if the student's interest is in competition. The sophistication of the techniques is 100 percent superior to those in the past. There are new ways to hold the belt, better approaches to body controls, better entries and takedowns, et cetera. Unfortunately, some things have been lost along the way. That's the reason why it is more difficult to be a good teacher and a good competitor these days-you have to work twice as hard as in the past to get on top and stay on top.

Q: Are all jiu-jitsu instructors willing to change and adapt to the new techniques?

A: Regardless if your jiu-jitsu is more based on the old traditional techniques, or its focus is on modern competition, there is hardly ever an instructor who will not alter his methods to some extent. If he is convinced that an addition or change is more effective for a particular technique then he will replace it. In the end, the art of teaching is the sum total learned from theory and practice. But if you are not interested in sport competition then you have to train differently, maybe with a more traditional approach.

Q: Weren't you one of the first jiu-jitsu fighters to start training in boxing?

A: Yes, I was! I was living in Sao Paulo and I got interested in boxing, so I began to take classes. As time passed I became very good at it-or at least so I thought. I began to feel that boxing was the best art! Every time I went to Rio de Janeiro, I went to the Barra Gracie school. Carlos Garcie Jr. Renzo, Rigan and everybody else was there. I told them about boxing and they began to tease me over the whole thing. All of a sudden, everybody knew I was into boxing. So they put me on the training mat to show my boxing skills, and I ended up on the ground and being choked-out every single time by several students. I was embarrassed in front of everybody! From that on every time I went to visit Barra Gracie everybody would yell, "Watch out for Renato's boxing!" They all had a ball teasing me about it!

Q: Did you keep training in boxing?

A: I quit! At that time I was so frustrated with the whole experience that I decided to stop my boxing training-although, now I know as a fighter you need to know how to use your hands effectively. So I guess I was just ahead of my time and didn't realize it.

Q: Living in Sao Paulo, how did you train with the Gracie family in Rio?

A: It's a long distance from Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro-around seven or eight hours driving. My father used to drive to Rio and that's when I went to Barra Gracie. Fortunately, Renzo Gracie had a girlfriend in Sao Paulo so he was there all the time. That was perfect for me because he would come to my house and we would spend a lot of time together-not only training jiu-jitsu but also having fun.

Q: Haven't you been closely involved with the Machado Brothers for many years?

A: Yes, I have. I still learn a great deal from them. It is interesting to note that each one has a different fighting style-Jean Jacques, Carlos, Rigan, John, and Roger have different strong points in their jiu-jitsu and I've had the great opportunity to learn specific information from each of them. I have also incorporated some other aspects like takedowns and controls from wrestling into my game. These days, everything happens very fast and you need to be explosive and powerful on the ground-much more than in the past, simply because good mat technique is not enough in competition. You need to be a very well-balanced competitor to make it into the top three. In the last few years, the technical level has risen enormously. The practitioners are more aware of others elements that make your jiu-jitsu better. The cardiovascular training, the nutrition, the stretching and flexibility aspects are really important these days and make a huge difference.

In the past we used to train straight jiu-jitsu-period. No weights and no concerns about cardiovascular training and endurance. We were not aware of the needs for specific training programs to gain strength and cardio, and of the importance of nutrition and rest in order to recover from training. Don't forget that if you don't sleep, your body doesn't rest-and if you don't rest you can't train hard. It's that simple; but unfortunately we didn't think about it in the past.

Modern training methods is one of the reasons why students are improving so fast these days-they know about all these elements. Even if they combine them at a very basic level, the overall result is far better than what we had 20 years ago. In some ways, you can't really compare what we have now with what we had in the early days. It's like basketball; you can't compare the NBA of today with the NBA of 15 or 20 years ago. It's still basketball, but all the training around it is 100 percent better. Today, jiu-jitsu is all about having a complete package.

Q: When is the appropriate time to incorporate other training elements into a student's routine?

A: Not as a beginner, that's for sure. Only when you have been training jiu-jitsu for a while-maybe around one year when you have the basic techniques down. But it should only be done if you have extra time. You should start incorporating weight training, cardio, plyometrics, and flexibility training but always as a compliment to your jiu-jitsu and not as a substitution. Running five miles a days, lifting weights for one hour, and swimming for another hour won't improve your guard or mount position. Don't get caught in the idea that because your body looks good after all the weight training and running that you are good at jiu-jitsu. Jiu-jitsu is about technique, not about the way you look.

Outside training also depends on the student's age and goals. For instance, if you are not interest in competing and just want is to be in shape and enjoy the training, then you have to focus more on techniques, positions, and pure jiu-jitsu. If you do a jiu-jitsu workout three or four times a week, you'll be more than OK. That's because a jiu-jitsu workout gives you all the basic fitness elements with the calisthenics, strength, and stretching exercises you do in class. But if you are interested in competing and winning tournaments, then your supplementary training has to complement your jiu-jitsu. You'll need that extra edge that comes from running, swimming, stretching, and specific weight training routines. You need to know the latest technical improvements so you won't get caught by surprise in the half-guard game or by the new leg-locks.

In sport jiu-jitsu, the techniques change and evolve all the time-a competitor needs to be updated constantly. A regular student who trains jiu-jitsu for self-defense and for fun doesn't need to worry about all that. The principles and concept s of Brazilian jiu-jitsu cannot be changed. They are the same for everybody and standard throughout the world and every student learns them. The techniques, however, can be changed. Brazilian jiu-jitsu is not a very old art and there are millions of practitioners around the world already. It is one of the fastest growing sports.

Q: Is sport or self-defense training more popular?

A: In the United States, people are interested in competition but not as much as in Brazil. In Brazil, there are competitions every weekend, and this raises the technical level very fast. In America only a small amount of students want to compete. Therefore the way we teach the classes has to fit into that. The importance is about how to master the basics and not in learning a lot of competition techniques. It's in separate classes for those who want to compete, where you can focus on technical aspects more suitable for sport. Also, you have to understand that most students have day jobs and can't afford to get hurt in class because they won't be able to work the next day. Jiu-jitsu may be their passion but not the way they make their living. Therefore, as an instructor, you need to control and regulate the classes so the students know how much pressure to apply without hurting each other. It's stupid to try to fight against an arm bar when your classmate has the lock 70 percent complete. That's the reason I don't like to let beginners to train with beginners all the time. I like to mix the students so the higher belts can control the techniques and don't get involved in an ego contest. You need to know when you can't get out of a technique and when to let your partner finish the movement. If you develop a feeling for it, very soon you'll be able to feel the position and escape the lock just as your opponent begins to apply it. If you always try to use strength to resist a lock, then not only will not learn anything but you'll get injured as well.

Q: Why does it take so many years to get a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu?

A: The black belt is the essence of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. It is not like some other arts where being a black belt has been watered down and doesn't mean anything anymore. Although we have degrees within the black belt rank, the faixa preta is the sign of the highest skill level in our art. Therefore, when a student reaches that rank he is pretty much on his own. There is not a lot of interest in getting the second or third degree black belt. It is simply not important to people. The first two belts in jiu-jitsu are the foundation for the rest and you have to spend time there. The blue and purple belts create a base for the student to grow. To a certain extent, a good purple belt knows almost every technique a black belt knows-he just lacks the time, fighting experience, and years of training and practice.

When you compare the jiu-jitsu belt ranking system to other martial arts, you'll notice that jiu-jitsu has only four belts (blue, purple, brown and black) while karate, for example, has six. So a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt is probably more equivalent to a second or third degree black in karate in terms of the time it takes to earn. So a BJJ black belt is better trained than black belts from other arts because it takes much longer to get.

On the other hand, there are undoubtedly BJJ who prevent or delay their students from getting their black because they're afraid of losing part of the business. Keeping a student in a belt rank too long is as unfair as giving out a belt too fast. In the very end, it boils down to the instructor's honesty. Nowadays, students train very hard and the time to achieve the black belt is shorter-not because of a lack of requirements but because people train harder and smarter than 20 years ago. There are exceptional people who achieve black belt rank in four or five years but these are very rare. They must train many hours a day, be physically gifted, and have a natural talent for jiu-jitsu. Their dedication to the art must be absolute.

Q: Is a black belt automatically a good teacher?

A: A black belt can teach anyone they want, of course, but it doesn't necessarily mean they know how to do it properly. I have seen black belts who have won major championships who cannot properly explain the most basic techniques to a student. They are great as fighters and competitors but their ability to communicate is not adequate enough for them to teach properly. On the other hand, I know purple belts who are not interested in competition, but yet who are extremely knowledgeable and can help a beginning student understand and apply almost any technique. They have the ability to transmit the essence of the art. In the future they will be the ones training the champions because they can pass the knowledge to future generations. Being a good fighter or competitor does not necessarily mean you'll be a good teacher. A good teacher will always know how to help the students recognize and deal with the important points of any technique. Effective teaching is the final responsibility of each instructor.

Q: What is the most important element in applying a jiu-jitsu technique in combat?

A: Relaxation is a big part of the game. Being relaxed is very important, especially when your opponent is in control. You want to be relaxed because that is the only way you'll eventually come up on top. When you are relaxed, good things just happen. Do not tense up or think too much because that is a waste of energy. When you are on the mat, you want to be relaxed physically and mentally. Your strong points should be your intelligence, your conditioning, and your ability to read your opponent. The essence of jiu-jitsu is to let the technique explode from within. You must use the art with feeling. It is vital to draw from all your physical and mental resources. To a true jiu-jitsu practitioner the words "try" and "impossible" do not exist-you simply execute a technique when the situation warrants it.

Q: What is the most important advice you can give a student?

A: Every time you train, do it with sincerity and heart. In all martial arts, sincerity is essential to building a credible technique, although many people can't see the relationship between sincerity and the actual physical movements of jiu-jitsu. You need to be serious and perseverant in your training, otherwise your training will have no value. You can't have the mindset that training is merely something to do to kill time. Don't go to the academy and merely go through the motions. Have a goal in mind every time you train-and train regularly.

Q: What have the martial arts meant to you?

A: The art of jiu-jitsu has given me everything I have in life. Jiu-jitsu keeps my body healthy and clean, relieves my mind of stress, and fills my life with goodness. If I live another thousand years, I'll spend them all studying the art of jiu-jitsu and living the good life in the company of family and friends. Life is good and I intend to live it to its fullest.