Felipe Costa is one of the greatest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitors of his generation…
However, before he reached this level of success, he had to push through a lot of failure.
In fact, Costa hasn’t won any major tournaments until he became a black belt!
He shared his story in an interview we did with him back in 2019:
I was completely unknown and the last person people would bet on to win in many tournaments and, even more so, the Worlds.
But, what I believe to be the reason behind my success as a black belt has a deep relation to the answer I gave previously about ego and the way I carry myself.
I was never a gold medalist in the colored belts at IBJJF; the best I did growing up was conquering minor tournaments that were not impressive at all.
But still, I was super proud of them.
Costa lost matches in all shapes and forms:
I lost so many times and in all kinds of different situations that you can imagine.
It’s not even a joke – think of a way to lose a fight. What came to your mind? Yep, I have lost that way.
That is how confident I am of my losses. (Laughs)
He kept going nevertheless… And eventually earned success:
But, even without a gold medal around my neck, I behaved like a champion, I carried myself like a champion, I trained like a champion, I focused on improving my technique as a champion.
So when the opportunity came, I was ready to take the gold and officially become the number one.
Read more on Felipe Costa’s experiences and wisdom in our full interview.
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