Unpacked In Santa Cruz
"Unpacked in Santa Cruz" is a homegrown podcast hosted by Michael Howard that dives into the lives, stories, and salty moments of people who call this coastal community home—or have been shaped by it in some way. Whether it's a deep conversation with local surfers opening up about mental health, or a peek behind the curtain of someone who started a one-of-a-kind food spot right here in town, every episode brings something real.
You’ll hear from folks who found healing behind the lens, built businesses from scratch, or chased massive waves thanks to a lifetime spent around our local waters. These aren’t just interviews—they’re conversations that reflect the heart and soul of Santa Cruz. Raw, reflective, and rooted in community, Unpacked in Santa Cruz brings local voices to the surface.
Unpacked In Santa Cruz
Episode 63: Claudio Franca: From Rio to Santa Cruz: How Jiu-Jitsu Built a Community of Mercy, Humility, and Embracing How to Lose
Mercy isn’t the word most people expect from a fighting art—but that’s exactly where we start. We sit down with Master Claudio Franca, who left Rio de Janeiro in the mid-90s with little more than a gi, a surfer’s heart, and a mission to plant Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Santa Cruz long before it anybody have ever heard of it. He opens up about early challenge matches, skeptical onlookers, and how a rough surf town learned to love the “gentle art” that wins with control, not damage.
From choosing Santa Cruz over the sprawl of SoCal to building a school that feels like family, Claudio traces the evolution of BJJ from a niche curiosity to a global community. We explore why the first lesson is learning how to lose—and how that rewires ego, patience, and resilience more than any medal ever could. The stories flow from Gracie lineage and the roots of self-defense to quiet transformations: kids finding their voice, women setting boundaries, and stressed adults walking out calmer than they walked in.
The conversation turns raw when we talk about COVID: a shuttered gym, teammates training in garages, and the grief of those we lost. When the mats reopened, Claudio’s joy was simple and profound—I forgot how much I love this. He describes the dojo as the most democratic room in the county: cops and former rivals, rich and broke, teens and sixty-year-olds, immigrants and locals—all solving problems together, one round at a time. If you’ve ever wondered how BJJ can be both fierce and kind, this is your map to the mindset, the community, and the deeper health that keeps people coming back.
If this resonated, share it with a friend who needs the mat, subscribe for more grounded conversations, and leave a review telling us the first lesson Jiu-Jitsu taught you.
Yah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:I had to do it. Everybody kept requesting this one, so had to do it for the culture, you know.
SPEAKER_03:We got Chatty Unic B. We got the E.
SPEAKER_00:Welcome to the Unpacked in Santa Cruz podcast. I am your host, Michael Howard. This podcast is brought to you today by Santa Cruz Vibes Magazine. It's a place you can go to both in the magazine and also on their website, and you can find out most of the comings and goings of everything fun that happens here in Santa Cruz. It's also brought to you by Point Side Beach Shack. It's an event site that is very, very fun to be at there on the end of 41st Avenue in the hub of Pleasure Point. Go ahead and look both those places up on the interweb, and you will find most of the information that you want. Well, tonight, or tonight, this morning, still stuck in last night, it was the fireworks. The man that's sitting in front of me represents a a very unique piece of our culture. And uh we will be talking a lot about jujitsu today, but uh before we get into all that, uh I'm sitting in front of Claudio Franza. And what what are there about are there 20 coral belts or I don't know, but I believe a little bit more than that. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's but maybe he in the night stage about training, but around the world, maybe more. Yeah. Um you know, for those of you who do not know jujitsu, it's if you're watching MMA when you think it's boring on the ground, it's the hardest part. And uh what's going on down there is is uh is a game that's been developed for a very, very long time. And Claudio really represents a very unique person here in the United States, that he was part of a Brazilian storm before we heard about the Brazilian storm uh here the last few years in pro surfing. But this particular group of people that chose to uh pull up roots from where they were from and show up in America is very, very unique. And because of Claudio and a couple others like him, there are now some 1.5 million jujitsu practitioners here, most of which, if they have any roots in Brazil, will know this man that's sitting in front of me. Uh it it's it's uh a unique spot for me because when we grew up here in Santa Cruz, it was the late 80s when we experienced a a very big wave of immigration from Brazil. And as Nate had uh referenced this last podcast I did with him, it was a little cantankerous there at first. There was a lot going on because they all surfed. They all surfed and made food, really good food. And uh Brazilians have become such a unique part of the fabric of Santa Cruz, and and it's fairly normal to to have it be the way that it is now, but for whatever reason they chose to make this place home. Uh, no one more than I think Claudio uh out of that group. And his impact really now globally is it's it's just very hard to explain that this group of guys who um, like I said, pulled the roots up from Brazil and decided to move to the US to to start something new here is just the the all the stories are dynamic, they're all great, and I can't really wait to get into those things. But Claudia, for for me personally, when when I showed up here at the gym, uh you know, it it the the it was really one of the first times I felt true mercy. And what I mean by that is that um you know we're all learning how to kill each other here, but uh it's only under those circumstances where you can actually experience mercy. Where when you show up at this club, if you're willing to be humble and you're willing to learn, the people who are here to teach you will put themselves at risk to do that. And I I can't express enough how important a culture like that is, where the things that really matter, there's a gentleness, you know, jujitsu is called the gentle art, but we'll get more into that later. Uh there's just a gentleness and a humility and a mercy that I have never experienced other than being here the last eight years. So Claudia Franza, thank you for showing up today. I appreciate you coming here. Why don't you tell the uh tell my guests, tell my listeners a little bit about yourself?
SPEAKER_02:Oh thank you, Michael. Thank you for the opportunity to be here. Um it's always a pleasure to come here and talk a little bit about Jiu-Jitsu, about my life, and everything that's involved. Uh about me. Um my name is Claudio France. I was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1965. And I was middle class kids in Brazil. Try to have fun, growing up doing sports and go to schools and and etc. And in 1986, I had my first experience to come to the United States. I come here, I spent like three months here in United States. First I went to Florida a little bit, then I came here for California. And this time there is no jiu-jitsu here, and I pretty much come for surface a little bit, and you know, you know the city, you know the state. And I work in a restaurant, clean dishes for a while, for a couple months. And then I came back from Brazil, keep my life over there, keep training my jiu-jitsu, keep going to school, keep going to college after, and etc. And then in 1994, I have an opportunity to come back again to the United States. At this time I read for visit some friends. They already teach Jiu Jitsu here in California, was the early days of Jiu-Jitsu, Jiu Jitsu Jiu-Star. And I come here for spend a month, and I teach some classes, I visit some friends, like I said. I have a lot of fun here in California, it's a great place. And I have the opportunity to come here in Santa Cruz and spend a couple of days here in Santa Cruz. Uh even I was most of the time in South California. And it was a great time, and this it's kind of turned the light for me to come back for the United States, for teaching jiu-jitsu here. I see people are very disasperate, very each to learn Jiu-Jitsu, and they don't have too much structure, they don't have too much people teach this time. And I came back for Brazil and was a very hard decision because I already have a school over there for almost eight years. And I love my school over there, I love my students, I love my lifestyle over there. And you know, I really enjoy to live over there in real. But I kind of feel like I have a mission to accomplish, to come to the United States, to develop Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, give opportunity to people to train Jiu-Jitsu, make difference, and make impact here in my community, and etc. And after six months, there was very hard decision to stay or come back to the United States. I decided to come here for a try. My original plan is to come here just for a couple years and you know, learn some English and do some fights and teach some jiu-jitsu. Um and then I decided to come. And this was 1995. And the two years pass, 97, I never come back. And now you talk about 2025, and I'm still here in California, and I still enjoy, and it's great to I feel very blessed to have an opportunity to make part this develop the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in the United States and in the world, you know. Because when I grew up in the 80s, in the 7th in Brazil, you put much of the Jiu Jitsu just in real. And today you have Jiu-Jitsu everywhere in the world. And as Michael said, you have over a million, a million and a half people change Jiu-Jits here. And I was very excited, very nice for me to see all this turn on from the time I get here, and they nobody know about Jiu-jitsu. People even make jokes about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, they say, Yeah, I never heard Brazilian know house fight. They know they they tell me they know the Brazilian go to the beach, and the girls lose a small bikini and stuff like that, but they never uh uh was think about you have a master art. And it was very nice to see all this, you know what I mean, for 95 for 2025, what jiu-jits get and make part this develop. You know what I mean? It was very you want to think very historic. You see all this growing and how the jiu-jitsu start to first was just more tough guys, uh fighters, then you start to open for more people in the society, more people not uh not wanting to be a fight, but want to have fun, train jiu-jitsu, learn some self-defense. Then you start to come a lot of kids too, because in the early days there you know, kids train jiu-jits, and these days we have a lot of kids, and you you know you make difference in the life, these kids for the rest of their life. Wumas, a lot of womans trained these days. Uh anyway, it was it was great to make part of that. It was beautiful to see all this this this this time and uh develop jiu-jitsu here in the United States.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. So let's talk a little bit about you know, you spent some time in Southern California. Uh what was it about Santa Cruz that really made it feel like home?
SPEAKER_02:Santa Cruz, it was very famous in already in Brazil, in Rio, between my friends, because most of my friends surf and was very well known here as uh one of the best surf spots in in the United States, in California. And I have even before I come here, I have already some friends told me about Santa Cruz. They lived here before and they spent some time. And the first time I come here, like I said, in '86, I I stay in different cities. I stayed a little bit in LA, I went to Las Vegas, and I passed here in Santa Cruz, I stayed a couple days in Santa Cruz and I really enjoy. But I stay most of the time in San Francisco. When I come back here in '94 for visit to France, uh also I come here in Santa Cruz. Uh at this time I also have the World Cup, the Soccer World Cup. Uh Brazil was playing in Stanford. Yeah. And I went here for watching Couple Games and stayed in Santa Cruz. I have read some friends to live here for real. And I was excited. Then I can stay a little bit here. I surf with my friends, and et cetera. And the city to Santa Cruz, it's an amazing city, you know. Especially 1990s. So nice. And kind of a little bit small, less traffic, and etc. Um, and then I said I back to Night State and sorry, I back to Brazil and was trying to make a decision where I'm going. And then I decided to come to Night State. The first moment I decided to come to South California. I have a friend, Zé Carlos Moreira, he lives over there, and have a school over there already. And I when I moved over there, I started teaching school. Um, you know, I have some friends already live over there in South California. And but I came from Santa Cruz for do a seminar. Um I moved in in February, and I believe about April and May, I came to Santa Cruz to do a seminar. And there is no Jiu-jitsu here in Santa Cruz, and people real excited to have uh there is some clubs already at Tichi-Jitsu, but was a blue belt, like even white belt was to develop something. And they was very excited to see me here, a black belt, Tich Jiu-Jitsu, and etc. And I was not very happy about South California. South California is fun, but it's it's too big, you drive too much, and you know.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it takes a half hour to go a mile.
SPEAKER_02:Exactly. Exactly. And I I was not anything like I I I was not really enjoying my work over there too. And then I when I come here for Santa Cruz, I see the opportunity and the opportunity to be the pioneer here in North California, uh, because there is no jiu-jitsu here, and you know, I don't want to compete anybody over there in South California. Then I decided to move for Santa Cruz. Also, you know, uh helping me in my decision to Santa Cruz to be like a beach city, like a very close lifestyle. The where I grew up like Rio Janeiro, you know, it's kind of good weather. And as we talk about, I'm a surfer too, and here the waves it's amazing. And I put all together the pact. I said, this is the place, man. I'm gonna come here. I really don't regret. I know I California is wonderful and I respect all the cities. Sorry, the guys to live in other counties, but I believe Santa Cruz County is definitely the best one in California.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it's it's really got quite the mixture, doesn't it? Yes. Of mountains, you know, surf, beach, nice people.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. It's still kind of small, and it's not like a place you can go everywhere like 15-20 minutes. If you have a bike, you can ride a bike pretty much everywhere in the city. And people here is very friendly, and and yeah, um they uh I basically that I make my decision coming here for Santa Cruz, and you know, and I don't regret it. I think it's a great place, and yeah.
SPEAKER_00:So, so you know, I I as you know did Taekwondo for a long time. Uh coming, you know, we we don't have to get into the uh all all the big stories of of the genesis of jujitsu, you know, and and the rough and tumble portion. But what was it like bringing a new martial art to a town like this? You know, I I I I think one of the uh the things on observation that w we have in common is it the town's pretty chippy. You know, it it's it's got an attitude to it, and and and I and I think there's some synchronicity between Brazilians and Santa Cruz that like like we're we're not water and oil, we're water and water, but there's some dye in there that needs to get mixed up so the water's the same color. But but it seems that there's an attitude that's here in Santa Cruz that isn't dissimilar to uh Brazil. Uh so what was it like coming into a a world, you know, in essence, where a lot of the surfers were fighters, you know, it wasn't really the kindest uh atmosphere to to start surfing in or being around in. And uh and then being actually part of that fight world, you know, knowing what you knew. You know, I I always referred to you as the Glock whenever we were out in the water. You know, it's just just just a paddling Glock that surfs. Uh what was that like for you to to you know begin to establish jujitsu here in Santa Cruz? I I know there were a couple others, but but you really stood above the breast, you know, once it was all said and done.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I was the first one to move here and open school in Santa Cruz, uh Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school and start to teach. And you know, uh it definitely was a little bit rough in the beginning because it was a new martial art. Like like I said, people don't have no idea that is a martial art in Brazil, they will call Brazilian Jiu-Jits. And it's basically here, at this time the the martial arts ward was basically in strike. You see box, you see taekhandle a lot in Santa Cruz when you move, karate. And Jiu-jitsu is another line. You don't you don't strike. You can strike, but it's not your self-defense, not basic in strike. Your self-defense, your fight skill, it's basic in grappling. And in their early days, it's hard for people to understand that because it's not like plastic, it's not like beautiful. Yeah. You see two people in the ground sparring. You see, man, what this guy's doing?
SPEAKER_00:Just rolling around with each other.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it don't look like have efficiency. You see a karate guy break a wood, jump and make a high kick, stuff like that. It's way more plastic, way more excited. Then uh basic for you promote the Jiu-Jitsu in Santa Cruz and and everywhere in the world, yeah. We our market, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu market, this is our martial art, your fight, it's more complete than other martial arts. You even you call it better than other martial arts. Yeah, and this, Mike, it's a recipe for a problem.
SPEAKER_01:Yes.
SPEAKER_02:You come in here in the United States and you start to tell everybody you have a better martial arts, you have a better style the fight than everybody before create a lot of problems. And a lot of people come before checking out what the jiu-jitsu is about. For various reasons. Exactly, for various reasons, you know what I mean? And various type, different types of people. Some people come here a lot with respect, just want to see what's about. Some people come with attitude and tell man what does Brazilian talk about? The Jiu-Jitsu, the best martial arts, the the other martial arts is not complete, and blah. And some guys come very rough, real for fighting for sport. And I'm glad this time I was young, I was three years old, I was prepared. I know I'm gonna face that, I prepare myself for that. And I can you know make all these challenges, try to make cool with respect to my opponent, fight them, show the jiu-jitsu superior. It's not my superior because I'm not better than nobody, but I know one technique that is better than the technique the other guys know, then I can be superior in the fight. And you know, uh try to show the people what jiu-jits about. But it was very, very challenging, very funny, because you know, it's not every day you want to come here to the school and fight. You just have a night to go out and have fun, and wake up at eight o'clock in the morning for teacher class and they show up somebody, hey, what's the jiu-jitsu about? I want to train a few, and and etc, etc. The first six months from a year, it's pretty much it was this every week, I can say. You know what I mean? But after six months from a year, first people start to understand better what's jujitsu about and uh and what's uh us about. You don't want to come here fight, you don't want to come here disrespect anybody, you know what I mean? You just want to uh teach your jiu-jitsu, you know what I mean, give opportunity to help people with Jiu-Jits. And also after six months, one year, uh beside the people know red, I also have already the students, already the blue belt, and some guys already start to know Jiu-Jitsu, and when to come with these problematic guys, most of the time I put it for the students and they take care of them.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and and for my listeners, uh you know, the the one of the main differences about striking or between striking and grappling, specifically Brazilian jiu-jitsu grappling, uh the reason they they call it the gentle art is you know, once someone's in your game, you know, in in in a position that you can control them, you're controlling them without necessarily injuring them, you know. Whereas when you're striking and kicking, it the the prospect is for injury, you know. And it's you know, with jujitsu, one of the beauties of it is that once you have control, you can maintain control without injuring your opponent. And that really is the goal. You know, it it it is why it's called the gentle.
SPEAKER_02:I don't watch hurt nobody here. Yeah, no. And the way they have this challenge here, the people come here for hey, what's jujits about? A real child don't hurt nobody. You know what I mean? Yeah, a real child, like like you said, just control because juzits, the moment you peep you put the guy on the ground, yeah, you control him and put him on the ground, if he don't know jiu-jits, it's over.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:You know what I mean? The fight's over. And I don't have no reason that I punch the guy, hit my elbow the guy, and etc. Even if the guy's a little bit disrespect, etc. I mean, sometimes you hear the guy come and you you sparring, I control him, they are choking him, then he tap, and then he stands up, oh let's go again. You just was luck. I said, okay, let's go again. It was it wasn't lucky. You know what I mean? But yeah, this is a very good point, Mike, because you know, you don't you don't hate nobody. No, you know what I mean. We we we don't want to hurt nobody, you know what I mean. You just like I said, you just want to cheat jiu-jits and our fortune, our markets, it's about that. It's superior to the other martial art, it's complete the other martial art.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, there's a kindness wrapped into it, and you know, Matt Grenier and I are are very longtime friends, and and uh, you know, he's you know, I finally came in ten years later, you know, at 48. He he had been bugging me since I was 35 to to to come to this side of the fence. And and you know, I I was so intimidated when I walked in the door because you know, the level of anger that is just part of the surf culture, you know, when you're out surfing and and just this kind of chippy behavior that that's part part of growing up here. Um, it was never a piece of my personality that I liked, although it came easy, unfortunately, of just being super aggressive and you know, coming from a striking world. You knew for the most part it really wasn't gonna happen so much out in the water. It was you were gonna have a couple minutes to get your head clear. You know, someone might get punched in the face or something like that, but you know, no one did that. Well, uh that happened to me once when I was young, but but you know, the you know, in those striking arts, you know, you start feeling alive when you start getting punched. And so my my fear of of is the is this like that. Whereas I gotta, you know, I my head's not gonna be clear until I get punched a couple times in the face, and then it begins. The the amount of anxiety that I had was crazy, you know, when I first showed up. But the camaraderie on the mat is what was so different, you know, that that when I showed up here, you know, there were some 30 something people in the class and they all treated me like a friend, like immediately. And that was nothing I had ever experienced. You know, uh I mean I'd certainly been to some friendly churches before, but but that was about it. Yeah you know, that that there was a level of camaraderie sitting in that I was welcomed into immediately of like if if you're just here to to learn from us, then yeah, you're one of us. And and you know, it's hard to express for any of you who who don't fight uh or haven't been in in in martial arts or things like that. The lack of aggression in jujitsu is is amazing. You know, it's it's not go faster, it's make it slower, you know, make it more precise. You know, it's just it's just a whole different dynamic than I had ever experienced. You know, not that speed doesn't win in jujitsu, because it certainly does with all these young guys around me, but but you know, it's it's it's a unique world amongst the fight world of like, no, we're just slowing things down, yeah, you know, so nobody gets hurt.
SPEAKER_02:When when did my man goes when they move here from the night state and they open my school here, they have a school-friendly school. You know what I mean? They everybody be respected, you know, everybody train hard, but everybody shake their hands off the train, everybody respect everybody to create a family. As you know, we we we are here, you know what I mean? And I understand jujitsu can be very intimidating, especially if you need to start with four years old, 50 years old. You don't have no idea what's gonna happen inside the mat. If people's gonna be nice, wanna be respect, etc. etc. If people are gonna beat you hard or not gonna have a beat, you know what I mean. And I understand some people here get uh very even scary to come here. And I try to make the first class most friendly as possible. And but also I said it's for me it's very important here at the school have a good energy, everybody respect, everybody befriend, you know what I mean for one help another one. Because you know, more people change Jiu-Jitsu, better gonna be our society, better gonna be our community. I want to bring in most of the people as possible. And between surf and jiu-jitsu, now you you have a lot of disconnect, especially in this town that there is surfing and the jiu-jitsu, like what's real, like here, Santa Cruz, California in general, yeah. The surf loves Jiu Jitsu and the Jiu Jitsu guys love surf too. And we always staff have been together since the 60s in real. Yeah, it's a stereotype at this point, right? And and no, I love, and I mean it's pretty much how I do my my life with surf Jiu Jitsu. I remember the days I can train here in the morning, then go surf in the lunchtime. Man, I go home in the afternoon. I feel like sleeping. Sleeping too, but I feel like the most happy man the world, the most blessed man in the world, I feel full. And I mean, maybe for other people, this is nothing, but for me it was such a special day. I said, man, it feels so good. But the unfortunate the energy the surf, that the surfers, uh most of the time is not not very nice. It's not here only Santa Cruz, only California, everywhere in the world. Yeah, the surf have this local stuff, they feel local. And I I feel this way too, and I try to control myself sometimes. Sometimes I surf where the place I surf every day, and I see a person they never see. I said, Who's this guy? Blah blah blah. And say, man, come on, Claus, we're not gonna act like that. But it is the way the surf it is. Um and here when you start to surf, I definitely have some plum. I mean, uh surf don't like tourists, you know, don't like people from outside. Surfers don't like other people's acts. And then when you get there, I start to surf the point, the lane. I mean, and when I have some plum, I need to talk to somebody, and they already see I don't speak English very well, or speak English with every accent. Then I go, eh, you go home. Wow.
SPEAKER_00:Well, you guys were a real target for a little bit. It was a rough thing.
SPEAKER_02:You know what I mean? And always jiu-jitsu learned, of course, if I need to fight, I think jiu-jitsu always help me a lot when I fight. You know what I mean? But uh my goal always avoid fight. That's where I learned Jiu-Jitsu. And jiu-jitsu also helped me a lot to avoid fight. Yeah because I don't be scared in the confrontation. I can keep myself calm, I can talk to the guy, you know what I mean. Uh, you know, I can avoid the fight because I don't think it makes any size any sense to fight because one wave, you know. Yeah, I don't think, you know what I mean. And yeah, thanks God. Always I have some confrontation in the beach, but uh, you know, people sometimes see my accent and they they kind of don't like me, but always cool down and you know, try to to finish with just just the talk, you know.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Well well you you mentioned um family, and uh I I think that that term is used too much to describe too many things. But in this case, when I showed up here, I felt like family. And y you know, the the culture that has been created, you know, on this particular mat felt more like family than anything I had experienced in a very long time. And as you know, someone who has a very strong family who, you know, was a pastor for 25 years who tried to create that culture, it was really interesting to come to culture of this type where there are so many different kinds of people and personalities. You know, the running joke is watch out for the nerd with the glasses on, because that's the killer, you know, the the last guy you would expect to uh be be be the one who's the who's the best. And and uh you know, it it was uh to my demise in a way that that that there's so much math and geometry, the 3D chess nature of of jujitsu, you know, I I feel like I came to it a little bit late, but you know, I'm here so so my body will function how it functions. Uh but but to that point, uh all the personality types that show up here to try to learn to kill people, turn into people who love each other. And it's such a unique space that if you come here aggressive, you're not gonna last. You know, and and if you're big eagle, yeah, just not gonna last.
SPEAKER_02:I have a lot of plummet that begins, uh uh come a lot of professional surfers here.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:And I'm not gonna say names, yeah, no, but you know, the guys we all know who they are. They guys have a big ego. You know what I mean? They think they are better, they think they are super cool because they ride big waves, because they are competitive surf, professional surf, and they come in here, like you said. Sometimes you have a guys, guys with a glass, you know what I mean, not in very good shape, and make they tap like three or four times. And for them it's hard, man. It's a hard lesson. You know what I mean? Then or you humble and understand you you're just one person. You know what I mean? Maybe you can be a good surfer, but you're not better than anybody because you're a good surfer.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. Or you give up. I see a lot of people coming here, give up because they cannot humble enough. You know what I mean? They cannot understand that you're gonna lose in the beginning. You know what I mean? Here in the Jiu-Jitsu. You train the guy, train three jiu-jits, and you come for a week, even if you're super tough, you're super hard, super talented, you know what I mean? This guy's gonna beat you. It's normal. It happens in any sport, any martial arts. And they they a lot of time they have they have problems with the ego, you know what I mean? And I think this is great in Jiu-Jitsu because you definitely make people humble. People understand, you know what I mean, you you develop self-esteem, you develop self-confidence, but at the same time you you get a humble person, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:And this it's it's very important. I mean, sometimes people come here, Michael, and they ask you, what the first thing you you learn in Jiu Jitsu? Then they say, ah, a choke, a sweep, uh, armbar. I said, no, the first thing you learn Jiu Jitsu, it's how to lose.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Because you can hear and tap all the time. The first six months, first month, first six months. And this is one of the most important lessons you have in the life. Because you need to learn how to lose, because you're gonna lose the life.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, you're gonna lose most of the time.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, most of the time, exactly. Life is too complex. You're gonna lose girls, you're gonna lose work, you're gonna lose friends, you're gonna lose treatment, you're gonna lose job, you're gonna lose money, you know. I mean, it's you need to do if you're lost in in life. You know what I mean? And this one lesson you're learning here.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, that that that that that's really well put.
SPEAKER_02:Special for kids. Prepare the kids to learn how to lose, you know what I mean, because they're gonna lose their life.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah. And and, you know, on this mat at least I lose 90% of the time. You know, but that's what draws me here. You know, it it's it's it's a great feeling to come and just embrace it.
SPEAKER_02:It's a circle, Michael, because when I start jiu-jitsu, I lose 90% of the time. Then I start to train, start to get better, then I start to lose 10%. Then I keep training, I was very competitive, very good, excellent. Maybe I lose 10%.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:And then I start to don't compete as hard as before, I start don't train as harder before, I start to get a little bit old, then I start to lose again 30%. Then I I hit more age and injury and etc. Then I start to lose 50% again. You know what I mean? And you see all the cycle, yeah, yeah, the life cycle.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah. Of really continually learning how to lose in a different way. Exactly.
SPEAKER_02:Or you should respect the guy you beat today, yeah, because tomorrow, yeah, things change. Yeah. And he can beat you. Yeah. And you want his respect to you. Yes. You know what I mean? Yeah. So it is, it's why this family here, it's why you have all this respect to that. It's why you try to make people understand that because everything changed. Today you can be the best fight in the world. In ten years, maybe not more.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, or or six months from then.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, exactly. Yeah, yeah. Especially if you don't don't appreciate, don't appreciate God. And people sometimes hit, ah, I'm so tough, I mean all that, I'm so strong. No, you're not. God give everything for you. Yeah. You know what I mean? Your health, your toughness, your talent. God bless you with that. And if you don't appreciate that, God takes this for you too.
SPEAKER_00:I mean, I think you I think you volunteered away. Exactly. Oh, yeah. Yeah. So um you have uh fairly strong roots with the Gracies, as I understand it.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I, you know, when I grew up in Brazil, in Rio Janeiro, Gracies was what jiu-jits about. Now the family Grace pretty much it's uh control the jiu-jitsits over there in the early in this time. And I have a lot of good friends. I used to surf, you you know, go hang it out together. And also I teach in the Heilson Grace School in Brazil before I opened my school over there. And it's a great people, and I mean it's real good guys, super fun to hang out.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, you know, and and I I think, you know, especially with how Brazil's changing, or not Brazil, uh how jiu-jitsu is changing, because it, you know, it's going to mass scale, right? There's one and a half practitioners that we know of, potentially two million, like we just don't know yet. But it's it's getting such a broad audience, you know, there there's a genesis to this thing. You know, that there's there's a way that it formed early, and it was with this idea of family and this idea that uh of really being connected to its roots. Um you you know, you along with a lot of other practitioners, you know, in the region, uh, you know, this is very important, you know, that that we bring honor to the past as as jiu-jitsu moves to the future. And you know, there there's you know lots of silly arguments now about you know what what jiu-jitsu is more dominant, you know, as far as fighting goes. And in a way, it it kind of to me it loses its point because that was never the purpose was domination. It it was that it was more just about evolution and and and learning new technique. What what is it like for you to have those deep roots, you know, with with the men that started this thing and and to be a part of that family in a way, because you're from there, like that this like nobody in America is gonna explain what it was like to be you you know, as and and I and I think that these stories they get glorified, but I don't know that they get honored, you know. Um like like there there's a sense of being that I think you get to work from of knowing that that look, I I'm I'm I'm from the roots of this tree. This isn't something I just did, this is my family, this is who we are, you know.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I think there's no honor. They can real honor whatelio grace and Carlos Grace did for Waward. You know what I mean? Because if not Carlos and the Hilio, we're not gonna have probably not gonna have Jiu-Jits. You know what I mean? Probably we're not gonna be here talk right now, probably not gonna be here and live in the United States, you're not gonna be learning Jiu-Jits, and etc. And I think the impact the Jiu Jitsu makes in the world, you know what I mean? Like I said, these days, millions of people train Jiu Jitsu, you know what I mean? And each one, Jiu Jitsu help in different ways. Sometimes I get here with plumber the alcohol, Jiu Jitsu helping him. Sometimes I can hear guys with depression, Jiu Jitsu help them, sometimes coming here plummet with the overweight, Jiu Jitsu helping him, sometimes you can be a kid here with plummet the not self-esteem. He cannot talk with no buy, he go to school and don't have friends, and Jiu Jitsu develop that. So Jiu Jitsu gives so many tools for you can develop yourself, you know what I mean? You get a better purse, you can develop, understand you and develop yourself, you know what I mean. And like I said, there is no no worries, no gratification. I think you can pay this for Hilo and Carlos. But uh behind Helio and Carlos, yeah, they star, they start with the family, they star with his students too. They have a lot of people also, it was very important before you get the jiu-jitsu I get in these days. This included my master, Master Francisco Monsou. They like always say thank for him for everything he did. He was a student to Ilio Grace. And I remember when I was a kid training over there in the school, I see Santa Milio Grace over there with Master Monsieur and they was hanging out there and I was watching both guys. Like pretty much for me was a god back there, like such a special person and etc. And later when I got a little bit old, you know me I can have opportunity to meet uh Master Hero Grace and the other members of the Grace family, the his kids and his nephews, etc. was a very good experience for me. It was very important for me. But uh Jiu-jitsits don't make nobody violent. If you talk about a fight, everybody comes here and think about Jiu Jitsu, a fight. Yeah, you learn how to fight. You learn how to defend yourself very well. But I think in the list the priority, what jiu-jitsits make for yourself, I think there's way in the back.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. Because you know, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:It's good you know how to defend yourself. Maybe you're gonna have one or two problems in your life and you're gonna use the jiu-jitsu for fight. But jiu-jitsit help every day in your health, happy every day in your happiness, have make your friends, you know. Like I said, make you a better person, you know what I mean, make you you feel good, you know what I mean. Uh help you with so many other aspects of the life, you know what I mean? Because I, in my opinion, learning house fight, it's by below in the in in the priority where you learn in Jiu-Jitsu.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and and I want to echo a little bit of that. You know, what when you know, at least when I first showed up, you know, Matt was like, you just need to get in the mat. You know, I I was in a really dark spot in my life when I showed up. You know, I just quit being a pastor, you know, it it it was a hard time. And I got to show up with all my shit, you know, to this mat and be accepted. You know, to your point earlier, one of the things that that that I began to learn to realize is that this was a place for personal growth.
SPEAKER_02:You know, that that that that is like that there's no ladder you're gonna climb.
SPEAKER_00:I mean, there's a spot on a ladder somewhere for anybody who shows up. You know, I joke around with Nate, you know, when or if I get my black belt. I won't be a black belt with my hands and my legs, but I will be one in my head. You know, that that it was the first time in my life that I don't have to fight for something, yet I'm fighting all the time. And and it was it was a joy to be in that and it is a joy to be in this culture of not having to fight for your place, but getting to be, you know, in in this highly physical environment. But you're not like there there's no thing to climb, and someone else comes and tells me how I did. Like I I don't have to know how I did, you know, just just being able to kind of remove myself from my personal headspace where it's like you're always fighting, fighting, fighting to get a spot, and it's like, well, the spot either happens or it doesn't. That's not why I'm here. I I'm here because this is how life is felt the whole time. But actually here, it gets accepted and it gets promoted. You know, you you're not you're not always fighting your for your spot. And so it was a very refreshing thing to have introduced in my life because I hadn't experienced it before, even when I showed up at 48. And I don't I don't know if I ever told you the story uh the first time I came by myself because Matt Matt brought me the first two weeks, and uh then he couldn't make a weekend. And and uh so I had to show up by myself. I pulled up, I cried, I left, drove home, pulled into my driveway, cried a little bit more, drove back, and god like the the amount of anxiety that I showed up with, just with like, is this real? Like, like can I trust everybody?
SPEAKER_02:It it was yeah, really, really an interesting like I said in the beginning of the interview, uh I the talk and I said I it's a very intimidate situation coming by master school. You know, you don't have no idea who's who's gonna be there. How people's nice, people it's not nice, people are gonna respect you, and not, you know what I mean, especially when you get kind of age, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah, especially at that age. You know, and I knew how to fight, you know, I know how to hurt people. I don't know how to not where you want to hear.
SPEAKER_02:No, no, no, no. That's it's it was such a contradiction. Exactly. That's against how I didn't know what to do with all the feelings. When you fight somebody, you you don't charge hurt somebody. It's great. You charge control the person and talk to the person, but not hurt the person.
SPEAKER_00:I mean, yeah, yeah, and and it's it just is such an extreme contradiction, you know, because you know, clearly you you get a lot more control, you know, over uh over situations, you know, if they ever arise, you know, with with with you know being a good jujitsu practitioner. But but at the end of the day, like like it's it's been so refreshing to have all the fight in me removed. Like I there's just not a piece of me that ever wants to be in a fight. It's like I do this all the time. They're not the same.
SPEAKER_02:I think the last thing in your life you want, it's a fight. Or argument or physical fight or anything, you know, because you you go home so peaceful now after Jiu-Jitsu, you go home so so then, so relaxed, I mean, you real don't argument, somebody argument feel, you know what I mean. You said, oh, it's okay, blah blah blah. And no, you you get so friendly. And another thing happened when you train Jiu-Jitsu, I do a lot of sports, you know. But the only sport I forget everything in my life, it's here when I train. You know what I mean? Because if I play tennis, if me here surf, I still think about my bills, I still think the plum I have, I still think about the guy I need to call later, something like that. When it comes transit, I don't think I know. I just think about man, the guy's gonna switch here, uh he's look for my army, man. Look at his leg here, I can't kneeb here, you know what I mean. I just it's such a like a brain watch, but in positive way. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it's it's washing your brain, not brainwashing.
SPEAKER_02:And you know, in no other situation in my life happened this. Only when I train jiu-jitsu. You know what I mean? Only when I train jiu-jitsu, I can't forget everything and be, I mean, just folk in the jiu-jitsu.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Well, you you know, you you you uh asked me Saturday where I've been. You know, I I've I've really taken this year to get introspective and retrospective, and and you know, as I'm heading to the second half of of whatever belt crawl I'm in the middle of, I I wanted to take a moment to really reapproach everything that I did, whether it was surfing, jujitsu, my marriage, uh, my approach with my kids, all of it. You know, so I've literally taken from you know January until now to to really get clear about why it is that I'm I'm doing everything that I'm doing. And uh, you know, of course, you know, last week was my first three days, you know, in a week and in in about four or five months. And uh, you know, I'm going through the pain process. You know, of course, I'm gonna be here tonight now to to stay stay on it. Great. But but you know, the the nature of of this place to be able to even reapproach, you know, as as my you know, for me it was I was training so much there a couple years ago that I that you know, Matt and Doug set me aside and said, you know, this is a lifetime sport, you're using your time up, you know, like like you're you're training too much. And and it is the first time I had ever been pulled aside by by someone telling me I was doing too much of something. And the level of love and grace that they were coming with, because because they both came separately, just you know, explaining like, look, this is a marathon, this is something you want to be able to do the rest of your life. You know, you're trying to learn too much too fast. And you know, at our age, you know, we're we're we're fairly similar similar age in age age spans here. To have, you know, in Doug's case, a lot of gray hair, you know, have someone my age with just way less gray hair. Matt, grene, you need more gray hair, but uh they have hair. Yeah, they're right. Yours is still hanging on Gloria. But but uh again, this culture of of love and acceptance and and really helping people along their way. And and you could think, yeah, it's just jujitsu, but but it it really isn't about the martial art itself, it's about the culture. You know, it's such a unique expression of love, and and it it's just been so great for me, even to have this year, to really sit back and go, okay, like what do I want from jujitsu this year and in the future? There are very few things that you can pause and take the moments, and and you can pause on the mat too, you know.
SPEAKER_02:I yeah, you know it's a very funny way to love, you know. You try to beat each other, but you love each other, too. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I I mean, because you don't want to injure your partner because you want them there tomorrow. You know, it's it's a you needed that. Yeah, you know.
SPEAKER_02:But you need a team for practicing. Yeah, it it it's it's not like swim, like uh track, you can practice yourself, not like a team sport like volleyball, soccer. Do you you play if you did the team? No, you play by yourself, you compete by yourself, but you train if you're a team. So it's very important to have your team here with you.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and and it's really is a unique version of team, and unlike any team I've ever been a part of, because you know, you have you have the competitive group here, you know, they're doing competitions. Yeah, you know, you you you have the hobbyists like myself, you know, who are just here to remain healthy, you know, both emotionally, physically healthy with a group of people that want the same things. And you know, unlike just going to the gym or or or you know, being in a striking spot, you know, where where you're working bags and doing doing those in-between workouts of of you know that you can do with other sports, this really requires a partner. Yeah. You know, you you can do your stretches, you can do your dummy work. You know, I certainly have my dummy, but that dummy's not moving the way that someone else is gonna move. Yeah. So so you know, it you've been in Santa Cruz now for 30 years. You know. Uh do you consider yourself a Santa Cruzan now or a Brazilian?
SPEAKER_02:Like like what like what feels most like I consider myself uh Santa Cruz now, America, but I don't know if America considers Well never never mind the administration. Mike, I never thought about that. I'm I'm sits in the world, you know. I'm when I go to Brazil, I have a great time. I love here to live in California, and when I travel for other parts of the world, um, you know, I really enjoy to make friends and and you know, know new cultures, different types of food, etc. Uh I want to be always Brazilian, uh this is where I grew up, my culture, where my family is coming, you know. But in these 30 years, I definitely I learned a lot in here in the United States about the American culture and etc. And you know, this I'm sorry people from the other culture, but it's the best cult in the world. This, you know, I mean, there is no culture like the United States to give you so many opportunities, and you know. Yeah, it's it's amazing to live here. It's amazing. People born here sometimes. I don't think they appreciate, I don't think they are how much blessed they are to born here, because sometimes people die.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:For me, for move for the United States.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:You know what I mean? For living here.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I I think we're a little confused about ourselves here right now. You know, what what what it means to be American and and and the idea that is America, you know, the the this this idea that everybody is welcome. You know, yeah, it's it's a competitive culture, but you know, everybody's welcome.
SPEAKER_02:I think America's great. I think you if you have a freedom word in these days, yeah it's basically because America.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Well, I I I have a couple more questions. You know, I I you know I watch people. Like you you see me, you know, just just kind of kind of observing you know how things shift and and you know, during COVID, uh those were dark times for everybody. Hard subject. Very very, very hard subject. And and and we'll leave all the all the that stuff behind. One of the things in my life that I really appreciate and appreciated about you, because it it explains something about the journey, you know, because you got about five years on me, uh, that explained what the journey is gonna consist of. Is I'll never forget when the club opened and it was first day and the smile on your face and I I forget exactly how you said it, but you just you looked at me and I think it was something like this. I forgot how much I love this. And I'm so grateful for COVID because I was reminded how much I love this. Yes, and and how much it's given and how much can be taken away so fast. And and you know, again, that was a hard time, you know, for all of us, but that excitement in you was something that really moved me forward, you know, because you know, there were groups of us that were still training, you know, illegally in garages and things like that. You know, I I think my pace went way up over COVID. Yeah, you know, because there's there's so much, so much uh offsites going on. Uh, but but the joy that I saw in your eyes after having done something that that's just about crippled you, you know, that you just wanted to be back on that mat again.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:What was was just just seeing that at your age, it like it gave me a lot of hope.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, jujitsu's my life now, Mike. And when they forced us to be closed in school, I don't have opportunity to help people. If my school is closed, I cannot help people. You know what I mean? Uh and with the corona was very tough for everybody. A lot of people abusing alcohol, a lot of people started to use drugs, a lot of people went depression. And I know if my school is up, I can help them.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:And then when they let us uh get back to work, you know what I mean? I was super happy because I know the society, I know the community needed your help, you need us, you need jiu-jits, you know what I mean. And you know, yeah, like you said, it makes us more appreciated, yeah, because make me remind how much I love Teach Jiu Jits, how much I love this gen, how much I love my students, the camaradague here, etc. etc. And it was very hard to be about six months away from that.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:But basically that, you know, I mean, I know uh I can help people. You know, I mean it's it's my priority here since the first day I opened my school, since the first day I start to teach Jiu Jits, it's not make champions. Of course, you make a lot of champions here, uh good fights, etc. But borderline help people. You know what I mean? Uh and when the school is closed, it was sad. It was, I mean, it was hard because you cannot help people, you know what I mean.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, we lost a lot of guys over that over that. That was we did. That was a really uh tough moment. You know, I I think even within my own friendship network network, I had a dozen people take their own lives, you know, from from the point and around. It was it was a very challenging moment. And you know, even within the club, we we we had a bit of that. Um you know, so so you know, again for all you listeners, jujitsu's it it is it is so not about fighting. It's it's crazy, yet you're learning how to break a lot of limbs and choke each other out. You know, it is it is such a unique contradiction.
SPEAKER_02:Don't take me wrong, it's great you know how to fight. Yeah, I love to fight here in the Met, compete, train, sparring, you know what I mean. But I uh this important you learn how to defend yourself, but it's not the most important. The most important here, like I said, the humble lesson you have, the camaradage, you you have, you know what I mean, the friendship you envelope, the health you game here. I mean, so many people come here with 200 pounds overweight, and I mean with uh uh diabetes and hard plob and you know, I mean you should take care.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, you just you're gonna be sorry doctors, but you got better than doctors. You're gonna you're gonna go to the doctor's office for something different.
SPEAKER_02:I think I've been at PAMF like three different times thinking I broke my wrist and didn't, but uh I remember one time in Brazil, a long time ago, I have a kid, they start training for me, and the kids very shy, cannot look nobody, cannot talk to nobody, etc. And like two months the jiu-jitsu, the kids totally change. When the parents come, talk for me, and say, Man, Cloud, where you did, man, I spent so much money in psychology, and the doctors want to give medicina for my kids, my kids don't have friends in school, my kids don't talk to nobody, etc. etc. Now he's he's over there, he's had friends, people going to house, and even he wants to be uh a class leader over there. What you did? I said, I didn't do anything, Jiu-Jits did for him. I just bring Jiu Jitsu for him. You give the Jiu-Jitsu for the kids, like I said, they get the weapon, they get the tools for him that can develop. Yeah, and and and our society's tough. Yeah. What is very violent?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:There's violence everywhere you're going. You cross the street here, the people gonna change past the car over you. Yeah, you go surf, people are gonna yell at you. Uh, kids go to high school, they have violence. Everywhere you go, have violence. Jiu-Jitsu don't make nobody violence, mate. Yeah, Jiu Jitsu protect you against the violence to learn how to deal with this violence. And it's best for the kids, because they are most suggest uh subject to this violence.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and and and it's the undercurrent, you know, without getting it in, you know, America's just got a it's got a troubled past, you know, the like just the nature of who came here were not people that were welcome in the countries that they came from, you know, and I think America has a chip on its shoulder just because we're all from these kinds of people, yeah, you know, that that didn't belong. And and you know, to your point again, uh about the mat the you know, it it it's you know, the the the the nature uh of not feeling like you belong, somehow on this mat you do. You know, you have this thing in common and it really does so much for mental clarity about those things. I you know, as someone who who worked you know fairly deeply in in the counseling and psychology side of what I did for work, you know, being a pastor, I don't think that I've done something physically that has brought so much emotional clarity ever in my life. Yeah, you know, I agree with you.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it's I believe in God, I go to church, but you know what I mean? Forgive this client of mine, jujits definite. Yeah, it makes a big difference. And this dojo here, our schools, it's the most democratic, maybe the most democratic area in the county because everybody will come here. I mean, you see here training Brazilian, Mexicans, Americans, Japanese, people from anywhere. All the race, white, black, blonde, you know what I mean, oriental, everybody will come here. All the age, you know what I mean, money. People rich come here, people poor train training here, middle class training here. It's a democratic area. I mean, everybody train here. Even sometimes you have a police officer, yeah, and that guy used to be a bad guy, and he put the jail happen here before. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what I mean? Because it's such a democratic area here, this Dojo, you know what I mean, or Jiu Jitsu Dojo, because everybody will come.
SPEAKER_03:You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_02:You don't close the door for nobody. You know what I mean? And you you learn to deal with all the variety of the word colors, race, and type of people, uh how can say money situation, etc. You get everybody together, everybody get together, everybody gets friends because they love for Jiu Jitsu. Everybody having common, they love for jiu-jitsu. Even you put, like I said, a police officer, time they got you to be a very guy. It's true. It's a very democratic area, and everybody will come. If you listen, go follow.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah. Okay, one last question. Yes, my friend. When you when you look towards the future, what brings you hope? Like what what what's the thing you're holding on to right now?
SPEAKER_02:For Jiu Jitsu, I think my hope for the future personal, it's my kids to be happy, to have a good life, have a professional, you know. Here for for my students, uh to keep developing the Dojo, to keep growing this our team. And one point, yeah, I'm sixth, one point, I don't know if I'm gonna be here 100%, one point maybe I'm not gonna be more here. This Dojo keep going. You know what I mean? All my schools keep going, keep making this, you know what I mean, this process that help people, the new generation is coming. And this is my hope for the Jiu-Jitsu and for the world. Uh word uh free world, you know what I mean? A word with uh with people respect the right of everybody, you know what I mean, a word the the more peaceful world. And and sorry, but one capitalism word. Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is why I look for the future.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah. You know, and that that's that's a compliment.
SPEAKER_02:Sorry for the people who agree with me. I don't expect everybody to agree, but yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Well it it's yeah, but I'll be explaining that further in my podcast about the nature of capitalism and and and because the beauty of it.
SPEAKER_02:Uh people come here for a night date, the people understand how the capitalism it's it's important. Maybe it's not perfect, for sure it's not perfect. Definitely not perfect, but definitely the best way because you go to the other place in the world, there is no capitalism, it's very sad, my friends.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it's it's it is very interesting ingredient, you know, because it it isn't perfect. You know, that there's there's there's uh you know everything has its flaws. You know, I was just in Chile uh uh back in April and it was it was it was a good trip, but it was a hard trip because I was reminded of my little town called Capitola and and what it felt like growing up here where you just weren't sure what was gonna happen next. You know, the the valley hadn't developed, there was no jobs, yeah. You know, and that that dis-ease, you know, that that lives amongst the people as that economy is emerging, uh, you know, not really knowing what the future is gonna be like, uh as you know, they're really in in the in a uh a short time frame of the process. They're only about 30 years in to these capitalist principles. But but you see the hope in their eyes that that there will be a future, and and but I forgot what that contradiction was like, you know, of of being somewhere you know relatively small and like not really having the kind of hope that we get to see around us right now.
SPEAKER_02:I I moved for here in 1925. I sorry 1995. I always tell this for my kids. I moved for here with$2,500 and I was not speaking English very well this time. I still don't speak great, but way better. And you know, I have my geese, a couple gears, my clothes, my bag, and here 30 years later, I did my life here, man. Yeah, you know what I mean? And it's a lot because the capitalism gave me opportunity for that. Yeah, you know what I mean. They opened my school, they start my job here, they start to do my tournaments in the United States, and etc, etc. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, well, well, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Life is wonderful, Mike. Life is wonderful. And you know what I mean? It's such a bless to be alive, to can live in the United States, you can live in Santa Cruz, do jujits, you know what I mean. So much bless. So much bless you have. Yeah, and sometimes you forget.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, you do. It's really easy to forget.
SPEAKER_02:Wake up in the morning by the moon, group, yeah, you know what I mean? No, it's doing your health. I mean, there is no more uh more fortune than you'll be healthy. You get your age and you feel good. I mean, one thing I'm more proud, again, I'm six years old, and I don't take one medicine. You know what I mean? I don't need to take medicine. Thank you, God. Yeah, and I don't plan to take medicine. Yeah, medicine is juju.
SPEAKER_00:That's so great. Yeah, Claudio, Master Claudio. Actually, I need to refer to you properly, seeing as we're in temple here.
SPEAKER_03:I think it's the way I'm getting older than Rushback's touch of gun.
SPEAKER_01:Yes.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you so much for taking the time. I I I I don't just appreciate this moment in front of the microphones, but but really for you as a person that you've made a place for me. I love being here. It's just been a joy to get to know you, and I appreciate all that you are as a human. Thank you, Why? It really you created a space that I got to come to at my worst, darkest moment. And so I'm forever grateful for what you did.
SPEAKER_02:Thank you, my friend. And this worry make me even more motivational for keeping going because I know I have another people gonna come tomorrow in the same situation that you, and we can help. Yeah, okay. Thank you for the opportunity to be here with you. It's a lot of fun. I always love to talk about Legit, about life, and etc. Real enjoy. And yeah, and keep training, Giuji.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, keep training. Yes, all right, everybody. Thank you so much for uh giving us a listen. And uh we're gonna leave you with uh Nathan Mendelssohn and Elite Technique. The math. You guys all have a great rest of your day.