Jorge Britto is recovering after suffering a heart attack immediately following a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training session.

Britto shared details of what happened in a message to his students and followers, explaining that the episode began right after a session he’d run countless times throughout his career:

Yesterday, after finishing training like I have done thousands of times in my life, I started feeling a very strong pain in my chest and nausea.
Within minutes, the pain became excruciating, something I had never experienced before.

I ended up vomiting and some of my students immediately helped me and called 911.

He was rushed to the hospital, where doctors found a blocked artery and performed a procedure to insert a stent and restore proper blood flow.
Britto described the experience as a stark wake-up call:

I was taken to the hospital and found out that I was having a heart attack. One of my arteries was blocked and the doctors performed a procedure and placed a stent in my heart.
It was a big scare, and today I am just extremely grateful to God that I am still here.

Born in Rio de Janeiro on December 13, 1979, Britto has built much of his life around physical discipline, starting Jiu-Jitsu at 13, earning his black belt in February 2005, and spending the decades since coaching, competing, and even taking a run in MMA.

He relocated from Brazil to Canada in 2008 and later co-founded Jiu-Jitsu For Life Team in 2016, maintaining what he describes as an active, health-conscious lifestyle throughout, which made the heart attack especially unexpected:

I have always tried to take care of myself. I train, stay active, eat well and have spent most of my life in good shape.
But this experience reminded me that none of us are invincible and that sometimes things can happen without warning.

Take care of your health. Get your checkups. Listen to your body. Have faith in God.
Life can change in a matter of minutes.

He plans to make going forward, including easing the pressure he places on himself and prioritizing the people and moments that matter most:

I know that some changes will have to be made in my life. I want to stress less, slow things down a little and appreciate even more the people and moments that really matter.

 

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