Guilherme (Gui) Mendes is a 4x IBJJF world champion who, back in 2012 and alongside his brother Rafael, opened up the “Art of Jiu Jitsu” academy. Through the years, the academy has brought up many successful students; a lot of whom started training in the academy’s kids classes (for example, Tainan Dalpra and Johnatha Alves).
However, Rafael and Gui don’t just want to turn their students into great competitors. Instead, they also want to equip them with the tools that are required for the creation of great careers as well… The tools which are necessary if they wish to create more financial opportunities for themselves.
Gui Mendes spoke on the VF Comunica podcast, emphasizing the competitors’ need to “improvise” in order to make a living from Jiu-Jitsu:
What I’ve always proposed to do is, not just help the person to be world champion, because I really think that doesn’t change a person’s life. We have several examples of people who were world champions and are not doing well. In a lot of other sports, you reach the maximum level and you’ll have a great life. But in Jiu-Jitsu it’s not like that.
There is a combination of things that need to be added to the world title for you to leverage your career and opportunities. I’ve always said that my goal was to guide a person to success; and to provide the right tools and give the right instructions to the guy. Not only to be champion on the mat… But to create an opportunity to make a living from Jiu-Jitsu.
Watch the entire podcast (in Portuguese) on the video below:
