Style: Brazilian Jiu JitsuTeam: Equipe IIIDate of Birth: May 13th, 1979Weight: 67kgHeight: 1,65cmFrom: Parintins, AmazonasOTM- How did you frist become interested in Jiu Jitsu ?
Paixão- I had a friend in Manaus, named Leison, he carried me to his Academy. We studied together at the school in the same class. He had invited me to go and train with him since 1992, but I only decided to go two years later.
OTM- Why did you delay starting your training?
Paixão- I do not know. My friend had spoken several times with me about Jiu Jitsu. That it was a good Martial Art. All I can say, is he always spoke very well about Jiu Jitsu. Then when I actually went to see what jiu jitsu was it happened to be the same day they were rebuilding the Academy. I was actually just there to help my friend with the work.
OTM- What was your first impression?
Paixão- I have a funny story first, about before even I saw Jiu Jitsu,
OTM- Tell us.
Paixão- I was helping my friend at academy, I painted the walls and he changed the old mats for new ones. Then the Master of that Academy arrived at the school and asked me if I want to train with them and the first three months would be free. I’d replied no thanks, but my friend prodded me and I changed my mind. I was saved by the bell, oops I mean by my friend. [laughs]
OTM- So, maybe if he had not offered, you many never have trained Jiu Jitsu?
Paixão- Only GOD knows that for sure. Destiny was in my favor that day.
OTM- What was your impression of Jiu Jitsu the first time you saw it?
Paixão- What attracted me most was the diversity of locks. In Jiu Jitsu we have so many ways to victory.
OTM- What was your first contact with Martial Arts ?
Paixão- The concrete one day! [laughs] I have always really loved Bruce Lee and his Kung-Fu / Jeet Kune Do. I was ‘addicted’ to all movies with him and ninja movies. I thought that the efficient things were punches and flying kicks.[laughs] While Jiu Jitsu was about trying to grab other man. [laughs]
OTM- When you first began doing Jiu Jitsu, did you think you would become a competitor or just practice as a hobby?
Paixão- In the beginning I was there just to have fun. All my friends trained and I was there all time with them. I began training Jiu Jitsu in the end of 1994. In 1995, when I had been training almost 4 months my friends asked if I wanted to compete in the upcoming Campeonato Amazonense de Jiu Jitsu. I think that I did well there, in that event, because I lost in semi-finals as a white belt to a blue belt.
OTM- How did he beat you?
Paixão- He got an ezequiel choke on me.
OTM- Did that discourage you?
Paixão- I was a bit sad. Nobody who competes likes to lose. It was my first competition and at that time, white belts and blue belts fought one another in the same division. I lost to a top blue belt fighter in semifinals. After our fight the blue belt that won, told my master, Olivio, that he felt I had a good future in Jiu Jitsu. So, I put more dedication in to my training, because I wanted to be a top fighter.
OTM- Which titles did you win while you were fighting in Manaus?
Paixão- After the first event, I started to win a good sequence of titles. I was champion of Copa Big Ben, Copa Osvaldo Alves, Copa Honest and Campeonato Amazonense. At that time we did not have many events in Manaus. However, I repeated my first place victories in these same events on the following years.
OTM- After that first defeat in your first competition, you have never lost in a tournament again?
Paixão- Not ever in an official tournament competition, never again.
OTM- Why did you come to Rio de Janeiro?
Paixão- I came to compete in the Campeonato Brasileiro 1996 and I got the first place in the blue belt division. So I came back on 1997 to compete in the Mundials. However, at this event there were three fighters from the same team to compete in pluma blue-belt division. The instructors and Master Osvaldo Alves asked me if I wanted to compete as purple-belt, I said ok if you trust me, then I want to fight as a purple belt. That year I got third place in purple belt puma division as a blue belt. After that I stayed in Rio de Janeiro.
OTM- And then in 1997, that is when you started to train with Master Alves?
Paixão- Exactly, I got my blue belt training under Orley Lobatto, then after 1997 Mundials I wanted to live in Rio de Janeiro. But I was living in an apartment of a friend of a friend of mines as a favor. After a while it was not working out. So Master Alves invited me to live on other apartment and I’m living here ever since.
OTM- Why did you want to try and live here in Rio de Janeiro?
Paixão- I moved because I wanted to be a top fighter. The training here was much better and I knew I would get better here in Rio and I think I have. Maybe had I stayed in Manaus I would not have built such a good name for myself.
OTM- Master Alves is not just a Jiu Jitsu instructor for you is he? It is a bit more, right?
Paixão- Yeah, he is a kind of father to me. Besides his select great technique, he also gave me the opportunity to be one of the best. He is THE MASTER and I have learned a lot from him.
OTM- How do you compare the Jiu Jitsu in Manaus with Rio de Janeiro’s jiu jitsu?
Paixão- There are a several differences, I think that the better technique is here in Rio de Janeiro, all the best are here training. In Manaus all the fighters have a lot of heart, will power, and strength; but it’s not enough. They need to train with a Master from Rio de Janeiro to improve their games to be the best.
OTM- You are know as the guy who developed an uncommon submission and did it mainly as a black-belt. The wristlock is now the mark of your game. How did that come about?
Paixão- Only Master Alves can speak about that. This skill is from his school, I think he developed a way to catch this submission very easily. Sometimes your opponent fights so close, that he does not leave room for an armbar or keylock. So if you pay attention to his wrists, it is often free to be caught. [laughs]
OTM- Is there some special technique on how to develop this skill?
Paixão- If there is a secret it is with Master Alves. [laughs]
OTM- Do you like to be known here in Brazil as “The King Of Wristlocks”?
Paixão- No problem with me, but Master Alves does not like it much because he thinks it limits me to being known as a fighter of only technique. I have also become a good catcher of the back.
OTM- But isn`t the wristlock one more good technique for you?
Paixão- Because my opponents step on mat thinking about they need to have a good wristlock defense? For sure! I think that is exactly what happened last year in my fight against Marcos Barbosa (Barbosa Jiu Jitsu) at the 2001 Mundial. He is a tough Judo fighter so he works his grips on the gi’s lapel but, against me he did not even try his normal judo grips. He worked a different grip because he knew I could catch his wrist. So this opened up places for me to catch his back. I think it is a psychological advantage for me too.
OTM- Was 2002 a better year than 2001 for your career?
Paixão- No doubt. It was a excellent year with many good victories for me over top ranked fighters.
OTM- Is it because you fought and beat Ricardo De La Riva in 2002?
Paixão- That is part of it, but I also won every event that I competed in this year. De la Riva is a great fighter, I studied his game a lot with Master Alves and the strategy he gave me was perfect. The tape of De La Riva broke because I watched it so many times. [laughs]
OTM- You stalled a bit in that fight near the end. Did you try to protect yourself from getting a bad surprise?
Paixão- Yes that is what I was thinking. I had already lost before because once near the regulation time I tried to make show and this gave an opportunity to my opponent to sweep me and I lost.
OTM- Your titles are from CBJJ Confederation. What do you think about this new Confederation, CBJJO?
Paixão- I think CBJJO came to crack Jiu Jitsu, because they are doing events in same dates as the CBJJ. I think if CBJJO did its events on different dates, then they would be helping Jiu Jitsu to grow. CBJJ is the tradition while CBJJO pays with good prizes, however the World recognizes the Mundial title is from CBJJ.
OTM- Do not you feel the absence of Nova União fighters on the events where you fight?
Paixão- Like a show I feel their absence, but they went to the ‘other side’.
OTM- You fought a kind of CBJJ versus CBJJO event named, Desafio Olivertur de Lutas Casadas. Where you beat Róbson Moura (Nova União) and Márcio “Pé de Pano” Cruz (Gracie Barra) beat Fernando Augusto “Tererê” (Alliance Jiu Jitsu). So are CBJJ fighters better than CBJJO ?
Paixão- I can not really reply to this, however that day CBJJ overwhelmed CBJJO fighters.
OTM- Tell me a secret, wouldn`t you like to fight and win money?
Paixão- Like at CBJJO events? [laughs] Are you crazy? There is no secret there, everybody who reads this this web site knows that [laughs]. I am a soldier and I only do what my Master orders.
OTM- You already are a ranked BJJ fighter, however in Submission Grappling events you still haven`t gotten much recognition. Do you have an explanation?
Paixão- I have only fought ADCC Brazilian Trials 2000, ADCC 2001 and Submission Grappling de Marica in 2002. I think that my only explanation is the different rules. While fighting in the trials I lost due to a bad habit and new the rules. The rules were only explained to me on the same day of event. In the semifinals, I pulled Marcelo “Bocão” Ferreira (Brazilian Top Team) to the guard in the overtime and lost. In ADCC 2001 I faced a US wrestler (Joey Gilbert) who stalled a lot in the fight. He did not want to fight on the mat. Finally my last performance was on a local event where I lost via points to a very experienced submission guy from BTT, Adriano “Nasal” Pereira.
OTM- Why didn`t you try to submit them with a wristlock?
Paixão- Actually I was almost was caught by Barbosa in the 2000 Trials via wristlock! [laughs]
OTM- Really?
Paixão- Yeah, he almost made me tapout!
OTM- Do you like ADCC rules?
Paixão- I like them, but I am not sure it makes sense to have no points the first 5 minutes.
OTM- What did ADCC 2001 do for your fighter career?
Paixão- That was a long trip! [laughs] I learned about another culture and it was a very good experience for me. On the Mat, I felt the lack of my Master shouting in my corner.
OTM- Have you thought about fighting in just submission events since they are paying with good prizes and international recognition?
Paixão- I think I can do both jiu jitsu and submission. I have not taken part in many Submission events because a lot of the big events have taken place when I was injured or I was preparing for a big CBJJ event.
OTM- Do you intend to fight NHB?
Paixão- Yeah, I hope to debut this year! I hope to get a good proposal and to show my game inside NHB World.
OTM- Recently you got a sponsor who is supporting you very well. Are the things better for you now?
Paixão- I am not rich. [laughs]. But before, only Master Alves supported me. I had some small sponsors but now UNAMAR is letting me relax more and not be worried as much about money. Now I only have to train.
OTM- Would you like to add anything or to say something?
Paixão- First off, I want to thank GOD for giving me life and putting special people in my life: LenÃsio, Master Osvaldo, Orley, Dr. Fernando, Luis Fux, Gabriel, “Bodó”, Carlos Gracie Jr., José Mário Sperry, Amaury Bitetti, Sr. “Dedeu”, Artur Netto and his son Artur Bisneto, the Hotel’s cia UNAMAR came from heaven to me, its support is so important to me, also Antônio Carlos from FotoLeme, HotBlood and Atama Kimonos. To the fans, I say to them wait for the new Paixão’s phase where I will arise more often in Submission and NHB events. And, I will show it is not impossible to fight Jiu Jitsu, Submission and NHB. Also thanks to my fans for the affection, which they have shown for me, I have the double for them. Thanks!