For Bernardo Faria, 2015 was his best career year as a competitive black belt. He rose to the top of the podium at the 2015 IBJJF World & PanAm Championships, taking gold in both his weight class and the openweight division. 

What made Faria a true champion was not his performance on the mats or the medals he conquered: It was a thoughtful message delivered to a grieving young boy. 

Life in the Favela

Photo: Hywel Teague

Gabriel ‘Moleza’ Barcelar is a 14-year-old orange belt from Rio de Janeiro. he lives in the favela of Pavao-Pavaozinho, a short walk from the world-famous beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana. 

Life is tough in the sprawling hill-side favela complex of Cantagalo Pavao-Pavaozinho. Ruthless drug gangs rule the roost, and young boys like he are often recruited to become lookouts and later dealers. It’s tempting for teens to drop their studies and opt for a life of crime, as proceeds of the drug trade far outstrip anything they’d make breaking their backs in the few unskilled, menial jobs on offer. 

Aside from the ever-present dangers of the drug trafficking, resources are poor for those who live in the favela. Education and healthcare are chronically understaffed and given meagre support from the government. Children leave school barely able to read and write, and health problems among the community are rife. 

Photo: Hywel Teague

The Power of Jiu-Jitsu

‘Moleza’ trains at the Terere Kids Project, an initiative founded by legendary jiu-jitsu champion Fernando ‘Terere’ Augusto, himself born and riased (and still a resident) of the favela. 

Offering kids the opportunity to train jiu-jitsu for free, Terere emphasizes the power of jiu-jitsu to instil values such as discipline and respect, to cultivate a healthy lifestyle, and potentially give them a profession to pursue as they grow older. 

Over 20 kids train at his small gym, located at the base of the hill, and Moleza can be found there daily. 

So when he stopped coming to jiu-jitsu classes, people started to worry. 

Nico Ball is an American educator living in Rio de Janeiro, where she works as a volunteer co-ordinator for the Terere Kids Project. “Moleza stopped coming to class, so I asked his friends where he was and they said he had been looking after his dad.” 

At 14 years of age, ‘Moleza’ was skipping school and jiu-jitsu practice to care for his father, who was sick with tuberculosis. 

“I came to the gym one day and he was sat on the step outside the locked door, crying,” says Ball. “His dad had passed away.” 

A Champion’s Act of Kindness

 When you walk into Terere’s gym you will often find kids huddled around a cellphone watching jiu-jitsu videos, whether their most recent matches from a local tournament or techniques from some of the sport’s biggest names. 

‘Moleza’ loves to play halfguard, and just like his training partners, he studies techniques from his favorite grapplers before class. His favorite is Bernardo Faria, and he watches him every day. 

Soon, ‘Moleza’ would receive a special video message just for him. 

Ball was able to reach out to Bernardo Faria via her connections in the U.S., and the champion jumped at the opportunity to send some support to the young boy. 

“It was a pleasure for me to do this. I know how hard is for these kids to live in the favela, no money, sometimes nobody to help them by talking to them and with advice,” says Faria.

I’m glad this kid is following the jiu-jitsu path under Terere, and to be able to help with a message meant a lot to me too.

Faria recorded a heartfelt and thoughtful message and sent it via WhatsApp to Ball, who rushed to show it to ‘Moleza’. 

“One week after his dad has passed away, ‘Moleza’ was signed up to compete in a tournament" she says. "I had no idea if he’d still want to go, but I got to the gym early on the morning of the competition and he was there. I showed him the video, and he was so happy. It couldn’t have come at a more perfect time!” 

For ‘Moleza’, receiving the video from his idol was a glimmer of light in a dark time. He went to the competition that day full of enthusiasm, his passion for jiu-jitsu giving him something positive to focus on. 

“He’s my idol! I really look up to him,” says ‘Moleza’. “When I go train I always watch videos of him, so I really liked the video he sent me.”  

Bernardo Faria already had the reputation as being one of the nicest guys in the sport of jiu-jitsu, and cemented it with this compassionate act. It is the mark of a a true champion. He didn’t do it for Facebook likes or to look cool – in fact, he wouldn’t have told anybody about it if we hadn’t reached out to everybody involved for their permission to write this story. 

But it doesn’t stop there. Not only did Faria send his best wishes during the message, but he included a promise. “Next time I’m in Brazil I will make sure to visit him and train with him at Terere’s gym!”

Images in banner copyright Mike Calimbas and Ines Junior