Renato ‘Babalu’ Sobral fought his last bout this past Wednesday for the Bellator promotion. The BJJ black belt talks about his BJJ academy: Babalu’s Iron Gym:
“For my gym, I haven’t put together a ‘fight team’ or any team or anything like that. I have a different perspective than most fighters do when they open their gyms. I’m not looking to turn people into professional fighters. If it happens here and there, and it might, that’s different, but it’s not what I strive for.
My gym is for health and wellness. It’s a lifestyle gym. I do teach jiu jitsu there, to both kids and adults. I try to teach the people that come to my gym how it’s important to lead a healthy life. You should work out and be active in your life. It’s an activity that should be as natural to you as eating or taking a shower.
I think jiu jitsu is a great sport and a great way to keep you healthy. It’s something you can learn for many reasons. You can defend yourself, you can get in shape, you can learn discipline and you you can have fun. You don’t have to be a fighter if you train jiu jitsu. You can just use it towards being a better person. That’s what I teach at my gym.”
