The ADCC Interview with Marcelo Garcia
4x ADCC Champion Marcelo Garcia hails from the state of Mina Gerias, Brazil but now calls the urban jungle New York City his home.
Recently I made a trip out the concrete jungle to turn back the clock and talk with one of the ADCC greats about his glory years and preview the upcoming bi-annual mega-tournament, the ADCC World Championships.
Press play, sit back and come along on this two hour ride with Marcelo and I as we dive deep into the difference between winning and losing, the biggest lessons he's learned over the years and his thoughts on the current state of jiu-jitsu competition.
Interview Notes:
1:00 - It’s good to be remembered, talking about jiu-jitsu
2:00 - The beginning: “I never enjoyed no-gi”
3:30 - Marcelo’s teammate going to ADCC
4:00 - The first time Marcelo was forced to train no-gi
5:00 - Finding fun doing no-gi grappling
6:00 - 20 year old Marcelo does his first ADCC Trials
8:00 - Marcelo almost not getting into ADCC 2003
9:00 - The feast before ADCC
10:00 - Getting the call for to compete at ADCC
11:00 - “You’re in”
12:00 - Marcelo’s first experience at ADCC
14:00 - “In 2003 I wasn’t supposed to win, but inside I didn’t see myself losing.”
16:00 - On fighting the grappling legend Renzo Gracie
19:00 - An unreal experience, I felt I didn’t belong
20:00 - Self belief carried Marcelo to greatness
23:00 - A complete surprise to win ADCC
25:00 - I haven’t forgot how much hard work I’ve put into jiu-jitsu
26:00 - The feeling of winning an ADCC World title
27:00 - Training and competing with Terere / ADCC Finals
28:00 - The first time someone wanted to take a picture with Marcelo
29:00 - Marcelo competed the weekend after ADCC 2003 in the gi
31:00 - Overcoming past loses that weekend, focusing on winning
33:00 - On Confidence, “people lose before they step on the mats”
35:00 - Making your opponent think he’s gonna lose
36:00 - On putting people to sleep
37:00 - It was life changing to win ADCC
39:00 - Coming to USA for ADCC 2005
40:00 - Where do you find the motivation to do it all over again?
42:00 - How does it feel to win two ADCC titles?
43:00 - “I thought things would change”
45:00 - Why did the absolute division so important to Marcelo?
46:00 - Doing absolute since yellow belt
47:00 - “I wanted to show people all my jiu-jitsu”
48:00 - Jitsu works against anyone, big or small
49:00 - “I still have the fear of losing”
50:00 - Trends in winning the absolute divisions
52:00 - It’s entertainment
53:00 - ADCC 2001 vs Shaolin, most memorable match
55:00 - That match changed my life
56:00 - Marcelo’s first loss in ADCC 2009
57:00 - I don’t want to make excuses
58:00 - Training in NYC and building his gym in 2009
60:00 - Coming back from MMA training, “MMA is bad for jiu-jitsu”
1:02:00 - Overcoming losses
1:03:00 - What did you learn after losing to Pablo Popovitch
1:05:00 - The cost of pride in jiu-jitsu
1:06:00 - I don’t want to be called a stall’r
1:09:00 - Passing knowledge to students
1:10:00 - Every second counts
1:11:00 - Life can change if you become a world champion
1:13:00 - You need to believe for ten minutes, not last two minutes
1:15:00 - You need tough rounds in training, don’t back down
1:18:00 - The mental side of jiu-jitsu
1:20:00 - They will get tired before me
1:22:00 - Don’t lose focus during a match
1:23:00 - Marcelo isn’t happy with the level of jiu-jitsu he’s sees
1:24:00 - Take a chance
1:27:00 - Don’t be upset when you lose a ref’s decision
1:28:00 - How do you make jiu-jitsu better?
1:30:00 - The ref is against you
1:31:00 - Will we see Marcelo back at ADCC?
1:32:00 - Money at ADCC
1:34:00 - “I’m enjoying so much being a father”
1:38:00 - Moving to New York
1:40:00 - Giving advice to his students for ADCC
1:43:00 - ADCC strategy
1:45:00 - Graduating to the role of coach
1:47:00 - “I want my students to win so bad”
1:48:00 - Marcelo predicts Felipe Pena vs Andre Galvao
1:51:00 - Marcelo’s final words and advice for upcoming competitors
1:53:00 - Take responsibility to be a good role model
1:56:00 - The end.