Rafa and Gui Mendes are two of the best pound-four-pound grapplers out there, but they’re both lightweights and their style of jiu-jitsu reflects that. Speed and flexibility are two attributes that really make their games special, and these are not normally qualities that you associate with bigger guys. 

Joseph ‘Moku’ Kahawai is a 280lb man-mountain and a black belt under the Mendes brothers. In this interview he talks about his style of jiu-jitsu, why he chose to train with two of the top lightweights in the world, and how he often trains with people he outweighs by 100lb. 

FloGrappling: First off, can you tell me about your name 'Moku' - what's the background to that? 

Joseph ‘Moku’ Kahawai: Moku is my Hawaiian name. Many Hawaiian names have multiple meanings as well as ‘kaona’ or deeper, underlying meanings. There are two common translations of my name. The first translation is ‘island’. To determine the kaona of this translation, ask yourself what comes to mind when you think of an island? An island is solid, strong, and beautiful. Ever heard of the saying, ‘tall, dark, and handsome’? It came from my name – just kidding! The second translation is ‘to be cut, severed, amputated, broken in two’. I think this translation speaks for itself. So I guess you can say that I’m that tall, dark, and handsome guy that breaks things in two! [Laughs]

FG: You're a black belt under the Mendes brothers. What's it like being a heavyweight at the Art of Jiu-Jitsu academy? There aren't too many big guys to train with there. 

JK: When I first came to AOJ, I received the typical response that any new big guy gets when he joins a new school – no one wanted to roll with me. Professor Gui & Professor Rafa had to partner me up with other students for several months. You know the kid who gets picked last in gym class? That’s how I felt at every class when I first joined AOJ. I didn’t let that get to me though. It was funny because I am used to being the guy everyone picks first. 

As a big guy, you have to earn people’s trust in order for them to feel comfortable rolling with you. One of my teammates, Professor Chelsea [Bainbridge-Donner], AOJ’s women’s class teacher and a light-featherweight female competitor, has rolled me on several occasions. That speaks volumes when you realize that she weighs less than 118lb – compare that to my 280lb body! I think it’s safe to say that I have earned the trust of my AOJ teammates.

In Hawaii, we don’t have as many jiu-jitsu schools or competition teams as there are here in California. Before moving to California to train at AOJ, I trained with four of my students in Hawaii. I outweigh all of them by 100lb or more. That’s why transitioning to AOJ was pretty easy, aside from the whole ‘who wants to be my partner?” debacle. 

My decision to train at AOJ was not based on the number of heavyweight students they have enrolled in their competition class. I have never chosen my jiu-jitsu schools using that criteria. Among other reasons, I chose to attend AOJ primarily because I knew I would stick out as an ultra-heavyweight competitor. 

I didn’t want to be on a team that already had an ultra-heavyweight star. If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. I wanted to fight those stars, not be their teammates. I also wanted to learn the Mendes Brothers competition mindset. What makes them multiple-time world champions? How do they drill? Who they look up to and why? How do they teach their kids classes?  

Additionally, I also admire their business acumen and how they conduct themselves. They are a great example for young people and adults alike. I could go on and on. But ultimately, I want to bring what I learn here back to Hawaii. I want to share this knowledge with the keiki [Hawaiian for ‘children’] so they have opportunities to become champions both on and off the mats.

FG: Having seen you compete, you definitely don't have the typical berimbolo-style game people associate with the Mendes bros. So how did you develop your style of jiujitsu? 

JK: The only people who know my game are my professors and my teammates. I consider myself a well-rounded jiu-jitsu practitioner. I work on my guard game, takedowns, and guard passing equally. While I have a berimbolo game, it is not my go-to style during competition. I focus more on my top game. In my weight division, whoever has control of the top game is most likely going to be the victor. And I always want to be the victor. So if you want to know more about my particular jiu-jitsu style, I guess you’ll have to come train with me at AOJ! 

FG: You actually did really well in the Metamoris Challenger series last year. Do you have a preference when it comes to gi or no-gi, points or sub only? 

JK: I think Xande Ribeiro said it best when he said “It doesn’t matter what rules you are fighting. If you are a jiu jitsu fighter by heart, you should be able to fight under any circumstances.” I have no preference whether gi, no-gi, points, or sub-only, I just love competing. This is what I was born to do.

FG: You're competing at the U.S. National Pro Jiu-Jitsu this weekend in Long Beach. So I guess your eye is on a trip to Abu Dhabi for World Pro? Tell me about that. 

JK: The Abu Dhabi World Pro is like the Olympics of jiu jitsu. I’ve always wanted to compete in this event because the best athletes in the world compete in this tournament. Big names like Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida, Rodolfo Vieira, Andre Galvao, Keenan Cornelius, and of course Rafael & Guilherme Mendes, among many other notable athletes, have competed in the Abu Dhabi World Pro. I want to make my mark in jiu-jitsu history. This is my chance. 

Joseph 'Moku' Kahawai will compete at the U.S. National Pro Jiu-Jitsu tournament this weekend. Watch it live or on replay ONLY here on FloGrappling.