SG Pro – Fight Community have the distinct privilege of having the chance to talk to Mr Luke Chaya, the founder of BJJ-Asia.com, the definitive blog for Asia BJJ and MMA news and events.

SG Pro: First of all, Luke, thanks for finding the time do to this interview with us.

Luke: It’s my pleasure. It’s a nice change of perspective since I’m usually on the other side of the interview. Also appreciate what SG Pro is doing for the scene in promoting things positively and glad to be a part of it.

SG Pro: First off, tell us abit about yourself and what motivates you to start BJJ Asia?

Luke: Well, I’m originally from the US and moved to Thailand around 2005 but had previously lived in Thailand for several years in the mid 90’s. I moved out here for work as I’m a jewelry designer (www.lukesatoru.com) having worked in fashion while in New York and it’s there that I started training BJJ at Alliance NYC. Basically a lot of bad habits starting catching up with me and I had to make a lifestyle change and get healthy. I had little to no martial arts experience but always had an interest since I was a kid but it’s something my parents didn’t support. I was heavily into competitive swimming and the folks just preferred I kept to the pool. Having stopped swimming in college, I just worked and partied too hard but couldn’t stand the idea of going to a regular gym. Tried it once and just hated the atmosphere and really just found it boring. So as an adult I started looking into martial arts. Luckily one of my co-workers had a good friend who was a purple-belt at the time and who just recently got his black-belt this past year. Thanks to him I attended my first BJJ class on my 25th birthday and I’ve been hooked ever since.

Anyways, it’s around this time that I started working in Thailand, splitting my time between Bangkok and New York. As I made the full move to Asia and began competing, I realized there wasn’t a real network of people besides the handful of expats that would travel for tournaments that knew about anything outside their area. Ultimately, I wanted to be a part of this community and help connect people. Jiu-jitsu was a real haven for me living/working in Bangkok where I didn’t really know anyone so in a way it helped me to meet so many cool people all over Asia, many of whom are now good friends.

SG Pro: When you first start BJJ Asia, did you ever think that the blog will eventually grow this big and become the pushing force for BJJ in the region?

Luke: I had never done a blog before this one and at the time thought the whole blog-thing may have fazed out as a trend so it’s always been about what I wanted to do, an extension of my passion for BJJ. There’s no grand scheme of taking over the world or turning this into something that I would live off of. It takes a lot of my time and probably more than I’d like to admit to but it’s always been a priority for me to keep it fun. I’m just one guy doing my best to help the community and on occasion share my experience with others. I would say the majority of the jiu-jitsu practitioners out there are like me. We all have our day-jobs and we do the best we can to train and push ourselves cause it helps us enjoy life, be healthy and become better individuals. I am open to wherever this takes me provided it remains fun and I don’t take myself too seriously.

SG Pro: How many tournaments have BJJ Asia organized or co organized since you started?

Luke: Well, I do as much as I can to help support all the events in the area. Most of which I am unable to attend cause I just don’t have that kind of time to travel and be away from work and family.  The events that I have been directly involved in co-producing have been both Thailand Open’s in 2008 and 2009 here in Bangkok.  I work alongside friends under the group, ‘Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Association of Thailand’. We’ve had some real success over the past two years and 2010 looks to be even better. It’s a tournament organized by competitors for the competitors cause we recognize people make a real investment to come here and we want to make it worth their while. Whether you medal or not, we want it to be a great weekend for everyone.

Other events that I’ve produced would be the 2009 ‘Tinguinha SEABJJ seminar tour’ with stops in Bangkok, Manila, Hong Kong and Singapore. Other events have to do with my club Bangkok BJJ.

SG Pro: Do you have any staff helping you out or is it basically a one man show at BJJ Asia?

Luke: As far as the blog’s authoring is concerned it’s just me. Of course I get the support from friends and schools that send me info on events their hosting and that’s kind of how it works. I provide a platform for people to get the word out. I also do my best to connect people when I get e-mails asking about this event or where to train.

I work hard to not go without posting for more than 2-3 days but when I’m traveling for work it’s tough. I don’t always have the time to sit down and write or organize the info that’s coming in.

SG Pro: What plans do you have for BJJ Asia in the near future?

Luke: At some point I’d like to begin working on a full fledged site so that the information is easier to navigate through, more so than the blog format allows but that’ll just depend on whether I can make the time for it.

SG Pro: What got you into BJJ and do you practice any other Martial Arts?

Luke: I’d say the main reason I got into BJJ was to get fit. And as I understand jiu-jitsu better I come to appreciate the philosophy behind it and how it makes us all better people, hopefully hahaha. As for other martial arts I did try Tae Kwon Do when I was 13 for a couple of months but swimming and my parents put an end to that. In college I gave a try at Muay Thai in New York under Phil Nurse but was a heavy smoker at the time and soon quit cause it was too taxing on my body and I preferred to party. Times have changed of course and have been smoke-free since having started BJJ.

SG Pro: Who is your favourite BJJ practitioner?

Luke: I can’t say I have one favorite cause there’s individuals that I really enjoy watching as a spectator but then others that I appreciate cause I’d like to emulate their game but may not be the most exciting to watch.

It’s split between Terere & Marcelo Garcia.

SG Pro: If you have a chance to learn from any BJJ practitioner right now, who will it be?

Luke: Outside of my present instructor Adam Kayoom who is awesome, I would say Marcelo Garcia. I’ve been in and out of New York and I’ve always missed training at one of Marcelo’s classes when he was at Alliance but that now he’s returned to New York, I may get a chance.

SG Pro: What would you say is your best achievement thus far in BJJ?

Luke: In my own jiu-jitsu journey I’d say being promoted to purple-belt this past December. It’s hilighted both what I’ve accomplished and how much I still have to learn. It’s very humbling to me to get to this stage but I’m excited for the challenge.

SG Pro: Talk about BJJ in the Asia region and BJJ-Asia comes to mind. Have you ever thought of expanding and covering Brazil and US as well?

Luke: I think the blog works because I have a relationship with most of the major teams in the area. We either know each other by e-mail or have met in person at tournaments and that’s a big part of it. People understand that my intentions are to help connect and make this big for everyone. I don’t have any sponsors, I don’t get paid for this, I just do it cause I love  it.

So, unless I’m able to make clones of myself, it’s probably going remain Southeast Asia. Also, there are so many great sites and blogs that are already covering those areas. I will say that I took a lot of inspiration from sites like www.onthemat.com, www.thefightworkspodcast.com and blogs like www.aesopian.com and www.bjjvisionquest2006.blogspot.com when I first started out.

SG Pro: The BJJ and MMA scene in Asia forums can get really political at times but you always seen to be able to control the situation at BJJ-Asia. How do you do that?

Luke: Hahaha, thanks. I hope I’m able add some sanity to all the bickering I see online. I guess from all the traveling I’ve done and training at so many places I really see the benefit of being open and sharing as much as you can without being a know-it-all-pest. Of course at some point I may be drilling with someone that could be a potential rival but it comes down to how well you prepare on your own time and who’s the better competitor that day. My self-esteem is not contingent on whether I win or lose a match. Perhaps as a professional athlete/fighter it’s different but I am doing this for fun, that’s it. Not to say I’m going to make it easy for the other guy but I can accept when I’ve rightfully lost and learn from it.

Without getting too preachy I don’t put any stock in what ‘anonymous’ has to say about anything since I have no idea who this person is. It could very well be the guy that comes to class and knows all the hottest and latest moves but can’t do jack when put to the test. Unless this person wants to take real ownership of their opinion, that’s all it is. It’s not fact and it doesn’t carry any weight with me. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I just do my best to keep things positive and highlight the facts.

We as a community have a hard enough time as it is, I don’t really see the point in turning your local scene into the wild’wild’west and have showdowns on the street or on the forums. If people were truly confident in themselves, there would be far less talk and more training.

I’m sure there is some cultural and personal-conflicts that have sparked the online-drama but I wouldn’t know anything about that and if I did, I wouldn’t talk. Gossip is for punks.

SG Pro: And it’s time for our little word association again! This is how it works, i’ll throw out something and you will have to give a description. Here goes nothing, BJJ.

Luke: Sounds good but don’t expect anything prolific.

SG Pro: The Gracies.

Luke:   OG

SG Pro: Frank Mir.

Luke:   big boy jits

SG Pro: Minotauro Nogueira.

Luke:   sick

SG Pro: Shinya Aoki

Luke:   nuts but I like it

SG Pro: Ricardo Arona.

Luke: boring but good

SG Pro: Demian Maia.

Luke:  the science

SG Pro: Nate Diaz.

Luke:  no BS

SG Pro: BJ Penn.

Luke:  awe

SG Pro: And of course last but not least, Luke Chaya.

Luke:   geek

SG Pro: Some really interesting word association there, Luke. With that we come to a concluding end to this interview. Any parting words for our readers?

Luke:   Just want to thank SG Pro for inviting me to do this interview. We all have the power to make the scene into something we can be proud of and make SEABJJ huge. Let’s make sure to keep things positive and help each other out cause the waters ain’t that big and we can all succeed together.

SG Pro: Luke, thank you so much for your time and we hope to see more from BJJ Asia!

Luke:  Thanks again and wish SG Pro the best for 2010.

*SG Pro – Fight Community would like to thank Mr Luke Chaya for finding time to do this interview with us.  Do continuing visiting SG Pro – Fight Community for more MMA goodness!

Kim Khan Zaki also known to fight fans as Zig Zach rose to fame after competing in the Contender Asia Season 1. The only Singaporean fighter in the Muay Thai reality show, Zig Zach gained entrance to The Contender Asia after winning the WMC Superfights World Muay Thai Heavyweight Grand Prix in Singapore. One of Singapore’s rising fighters, SG Pro – Fight Community got the chance to put Zig Zach in the hotseat, so sit tight as we grill Zig Zach on Muay Thai, representing Singapore in overseas fights and more in an online interview! This is one interview where Zig Zach let loose!

SG Pro: Zach, first of all, thank you for finding the time to do this interview with us!

Zach: No problem at all. I usually take awhile get to my email, thus the lateness in replying but I eventually get there! Haha!

SG Pro: First off, tell us how you came to fall in love with the Art of Eight Limbs?

Zach: I used to be a slightly overweight kid in school. I also got in a lot of trouble in school. I wasn’t a bully or a bad kid…but I always just seemed to either get kinda picked on or some kids who in gangs would think they were big shit and would treat some others like crap. I had a really bad temper and was never scared to get in a fight. I would never let anyone push me around in school or outside for that matter. So I always ended up fighting! But I remember one of my classmates, who was a Burmese kid and was really tough and strong. His dad was a Burmese boxer so that kinda got me thinking about trying it out. I read up about it and found Muay Thai instead.

SG Pro: Who is your favourite Muay Thai fighter and why?

Zach: There are loads of fighters that I have looked up too and really enjoy watching and kinda put it into my own fight training and style. Here are the few that have made a bigger impact. When I was just about starting Muay Thai, the most popular fighter then was, Namkabuan “The Ring Genius” Nongeepayahut, I like watching him move around in the ring and countering. He was a technical fighter and was always keeping the work rate up, constantly kicking, kneeing, punching or throwing elbows. Even when he was on the backfoot he just looked in control of the fight!! Just an intelligent fighter to watch. Nokweed Davy, a legend in his time known for his devastating kicks and for being the first Thai to fight in K-1 against Jerome Le Banner. I trained with him in Samui and he used to make me do a whole lot of kicks in training!! I guess I have him to thank for my kicks now!!  My trainer, Bangman that I’ve been training with for awhile now had trained as a boy from a very young age and was fighter of the year in 2004 and is the Rajadamnern Stadium Champ at 105lbs, Linglom Tor.Chalermchai. He was just awesome to watch. Quick and hard hands then throwing in some hard low kicks and to top things off he was awesome in the elbow department!

SG Pro: Interesting, how has the Contender Asia change your life?

Zach: The Contender Asia was a BIG stepping stone for me as a Muay Thai fighter.  I was pretty unknown and very much the one with the least experience in it. I think alot of people expected me to get the crap kicked out of. What happened in my first fight was truly unlucky and I’m just glad I got asked to do a re-match at the finale to finally showcase my skills. Contender Asia also really helped with the exposure of the sport and changed the perception people have of Muay Thai fighters. It raised all our profiles a lot, I mean, I get recognized a fair bit now sometimes and it’s always funny when people come up to me even outside of Singapore in say Sweden or in a club in Australia or on the streets of Malaysia and go…”Hey are you Zach from Contender? I saw you on TV” I never really expected things like that to happen.

SG Pro: You just had a fight on Planet Battle in Hong Kong, how was the experience like?

Zach: Planet Battle was amazing. I’ve heard nothing but compliments and good things from all my friends who have fought on their promotion. We were taken care of very well by the promoters. Everything we wanted or needed was attended to promptly by the staff. Allowance, flights, fight purse, transport, press conference…. everything was just really well organized. I lost my fight to a fighter from Thailand by the name of Phet Tanawat. He has had over 250 fights. Fight was pretty even until the 2nd round where I kicked him and he caught my leg and pushed me against the ropes. As I fell I got caught with a knee to the chin!!! Took an 8 count and carried on fighting. I lost on points in the end. You win some, you lose some.

SG Pro: You have taken part in quite a number of Muay Thai events. Which one stands out in your mind?

Zach: Yeah I’ve been to a few events and I have to say the one that really stood out to me was the K-1 event, ”Rumble of the Kings” in Sweden. I wasn’t there to fight but was actually cornering for Dzhabar Askerov. This was a pretty huge event in Europe with fighters coming in from all over the world! The venue was massive and the whole event was being recorded and televised on Eurosport. Everything just was so well organized and professionally done. Things like the lights, sound, stage, security to even just having decent food for the fighters in the dressing rooms!

SG Pro: When will your next fight be at?

Zach: I was supposed to take a fight in Phuket at the End of November. Nothing big and glamourous as Planet Battle of K-1 Sweden! I’ll see though, as I have yet to confirm it with my trainer who arranges my fights up in Thailand. Otherwise it’ll be 2010? Am really hoping the promoters will start flying me to Australia, Japan or Europe for a fight or two? I wanna rake up a few more good fights before I hang up the gloves.

SG Pro: What is your favourite Muay Thai technique?

Zach: I guess if you’ve seen most of my fights you can guess I love kicking! It’s just awesome to hear the sound of landing a low kick on the thigh or a high kick to the arm/head. But in the last two years since my shoulder surgery and all, my trainer has really changed me into an elbow fighter too. I won maybe my last 4 or 5 fights with elbows knocking the opponent or cutting them. So I’m quite happy with the change!

SG Pro: Who was your toughest fight thus far?

Zach: I think when I fought for the WMC Muay Thai Against Drugs in 2006 was pretty much the toughest fight for me. I think it was this fight that really made me stand out and made a mark as a fighter here. I fractured my rib in the 2nd round and then got cut in the 3rd by an elbow. I carried on fighting and I leg kicked the hell out of him and kneed him loads and he just still kept coming at me. I finally knocked him out in the 5th with a huge head kick! Those who were there that night will tell you it was an AWESOME fight.

SG Pro: What would you say is your best achievement thus far in Muay Thai?

Zach: I guess winning the WMC Muay Thai Against Drugs 2006 was something I can be very proud of. First Singaporean to win a WMC belt! But I guess it has to be the two fights I had in Contender Asia that I’m very proud of. I really got to show people what I was all about. I wasn’t just a pushover and I didn’t get in because I was the “local boy” and needed to make the numbers up on the show. I know I wasn’t the best, but I’m definitely not the worst and not a push over!

SG Pro: You are the only homegrown local Muay Thai fighter who fights internationally, do you feel the pressure of representing Singapore in fights overseas?

Zach: It may sound funny but no I don’t really feel the pressure? I just go in the ring and do my best and try to entertain the crowd as much as I can. This might sound abit controversial (and bitter) and it sounds better in my head maybe? Don’t get me wrong on this and start sending me hate mail people. I love Singapore, it’s my home and all that. But the Singapore Sports Council or the goverment has NEVER given me a single cent or helped me or even said a simple THANK YOU to me for what I’ve been doing in my career. When I step in the ring I represent myself, my gym, my trainers, my loved ones, people who have supported me and people who have been there for me…and then I guess lastly comes Singapore. The only reason I can think of as to why I’m representing Singapore, is just coz I was born here and raised here? I can already hear the bitching on the internet forums.

SG Pro: Do you see yourself being a full time Muay Thai instructor teaching Muay Thai to the locals or even starting a gym of your own?

Zach: At the moment, I’m pretty much a full time Personal Trainer and my job funds my training and my travels to Thailand for training or fighting. I’ve always thought of opening a place of my own but rent is just a killer in Singapore. Eventually when I’ve got the right idea, sponsors and investors, I would love to have my own gym. It would be focused mainly around the fitness and personal training side of Muay Thai. If the business was good, then I’d look at sponsoring and nurturing youths and talents to represent the gym in competitions.

SG Pro: You were on the cover of Men’s Health, how did that come about?

Zach: Contender Asia was a huge success and being the only Singaporean guy in an international hit reality tv show has its perks I guess? Actually one of my friends who was my agent pulled some strings for me and they did an interview and said ok we’re going put you on the cover too! I was like….”HELL YEAH!!!” now he better get me on Playgirl like he promised!

SG Pro: Besides Muay Thai, are you interested in any other fighting arts? Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or Boxing?

Zach: Funny enough, no. Not really, I never wanted to do anything else but Muay Thai really? I’m definitely not into MMA or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I’m just not into the whole training and fighting where you find yourself having a guy press his crotch in your face! Don’t get me wrong I have the utmost respect for them as fighters and I know it’s very practical and a HARD sport but it’s just not for me.

SG Pro: I guess everyone have their likes and dislikes, if weight class isn’t an issue, who would you want to fight and why?

Zach: I haven’t really given that much thought on exactly who I want to fight, but I know I’d really like to fight some of the Japanese fighters in K-1 Max. Some of the Japanese fighters on K-1 Max are pretty good and I think I think there could be a good chance of winning one or two fight in that promotion. Sometimes I wish I was a lighter weight to compete in Singapore. I guess I’d like to fight a Singaporean and truly claim that I AM Singapore’s best. It would be a bit more interesting for me and it’d make me work harder to keep me at the top of my game here at home. Sometimes I feel that I’m Singapore’s best because I’m just unchallenged at my weight category. It’s not the kinda thing I’d want to be known for. So if ever there was a 70 – 72kg Singaporean that wants a challenge in full Muay Thai rules for the top spot here. Get a decent prize money up for grabs and we’re good to go.

SG Pro: What do you do in your spare time?

Zach: I’m usually on the internet reading up on fights or watching videos, or downloading live DJ sets from my favourite artiste/producers/acts, or I’m trying out new tracks on my decks. But recently I’m also working with a company in the U.S on some vitamins and supplements products. I can’t reveal too much, but it’s a really cool company and they have got a very cool concept. I’ll save the juicy details for another interview somewhere down the road!

SG Pro: Through your facebook profile, we saw that you like DJing, so which clubs do you DJ at?

Zach: I love DJing. I usually do Guest DJ slots as I prefer doing one off gigs. I’ve played quite a few places in Singapore. Le Noir, Clinic, Supperclub, KM8, Cafe Del Mar, Azzura just to name a few. I’ve played abroad too with gigs in Hong Kong at a club called Volar and also played in a club in Koh Samui called Hush. At the moment no gigs planned, but there is interest in me doing New Year’s Eve on the beach club Azzura, so that could be really good! You can check out my DJ promo mixes here. www.soundcloud.com/zigzach

SG Pro: What do you have to say about the rising interest in the fight game here in Singapore? 2009 alone and we’ve seen more coverage on MMA and Muay Thai in the media than we have seen for the last 10 years.

Zach: The media has helped a lot with pushing martial arts and that’s a great thing!  It is helping people and uptight parents to realize that it’s not just a rough rugged hooligan thing to do, but that it is a great fitness alternative, stress relief and also a self defense training! What more could you ask for? The fight scene here has gotten so much better. And the guys training now are all soooo lucky to have top quality training! I mean 10 years ago when I started there was only ONE gym!? Now there are 13 gyms maybe? I was watching some amateur fights the other day and the quality of fights have gotten heaps better. With the gyms now getting in trainers from Thailand and the boys taking the initiative to travel up to Thailand to train and fight. It will only just get better and better. We just need to have competitions more regularly for the boys. So that they lose touch and lose motivation, training and training with nothing to look forward to is demoralizing!

SG Pro: And it’s time for our little word association again! This is how it works, i’ll throw out something and you will have to give a description. Here goes nothing, Muay Thai.

Zach: Muay Thai to me this is the ultimate stand up fighting sport in the world. The hard hitting blows that could knock a person out is complimented by the beauty and gentle side of the wai kru and the kind nature of the Thai people. That is Yin and Yang right there. =) Muay Thai is the ONLY sport that I never stopped practicing or loving. Muay Thai changed me as a person. Not just physically but also mentally, it has made me a better person and made me who I am today. It will always be in my blood.

SG Pro: The Contender Asia.

Zach: Big stepping stone in my career. Lots of highs and lows in the show for me! Very glad I finally decided to do it, was actually very close to turning it down!! Meeting the some of the top fighters and also catching up with some old friends on the set. Most of us became really good buddies at the end. Lastly, meeting the man Mark Burnett himself!

SG Pro: Zidov “Akuma” Dominik.

Zach: Heavily tattooed!!! Eats a ridiculous amount of sugar and junk! Never gives up in a fight!! Crazy party animal and a really good laugh to have around!

SG Pro: John Wayne Parr.

Zach: The king of bad jokes! A legend in the sport! Super fast and hard puncher! And an all round super super nice guy! Am very lucky to have been able to meet him and have such a great time during the filming of Contender Asia.

SG Pro: Yodsanklai Fairtex

Zach: Eating and fighting machine! Awesome eyes that can read punches before they are thrown! Amazing left kick! Crazy strong punches too! During filming, when I saw him kicking the pads and bags, I would thank God I was on the same team as him!

SG Pro: BXG.

Zach: Joe and Joy were awesome trainers and I would say they are the gym and people that have helped me get to where I am the most. The gym was well organized and had well structured classes. I miss training a lot at BXG, Joe and Joy really focused on my strengths and fighting style and made me work on it over and over in training. Just wish BXG weren’t in Katong! I live in the west side of SG! D’OH!!

SG Pro: BNM Muay Thai Gym.

Zach: Way too many TVs! No honestly it’s a really beautiful gym and has top class facilities. It really had a lot of potential to be an amazing gym. But sadly it didn’t really take off.

SG Pro: Samart Payakaroon.

Zach: Legend! Another one of those very naturally GIFTED & TALENTED fighters. Defensively he just had such a good eye for seeing punches or kicks coming at him and he would just move by just a centimeter to dodge it! Offensively he punched HARD and he also was just calm and technical and always controlled a fight making it look so damn easy! Was awesome to watch in Boxing fights and Muay Thai fights. He was also famous for his good looks, singing and acting.

SG Pro: Danielle Jeanie Poa.

Zach: Awesome night at sterolab! Lychee Martinis! Butt Cheeks! Before you all jump to conclusions on the whole thing. it was a namecard that she handed to me and the name of the company she worked for was Butt Cheeks!

SG Pro: And of course last but not least, Zig Zach.

Zach:   Wasn’t that the Singaporean guy that fell over in Contender Asia??? haha Personal Trainer, Professional Fighter, DJ and just your very average fun loving guy at the end of the day!! A “Zach of all trades!! Ohhhhh I am the one and only Zig Zach……Literally!! I asked my thai trainer before if there were any fighters in Thailand that have the fightname Zig Zag in Thailand and he said, “No,you are the first and only one!”

SG Pro: One of the longest word association we ever had there, Zig Zach. With that we come to a concluding end to your interview. Any parting words for our readers?

Zach: Just a huge thank you to the fans (if there are any out there!)! Also wanted to say a HUGE Thank You to my loved ones that have been there with me through the good times and the bad times, I know I can be difficult at times but I do appreciate everything that you’ve all done for me. My sponsors. Toni&Guy, Kombat Gear, Tuffboxing, 3rdborn (Bali) OPRC, Vanda Boxing, BXG, & Nikon. Thanks for believing in me and helping me out.

SG Pro: Zig Zach, thank you so much for your time and we hope to see you fighting soon in the ring again!

Zach:   Thanks SG Pro for the interview! Appreciate you guys coming forth and asking me for this interview. You guys can keep up to date with my life on my personal website and blog, www.zigzach.com Thank you everyone for taking time to read this interview.

*SG Pro – Fight Community would like to thank Zig Zach for finding time to do this interview with us. Credits to Mr Daniel Lois for the photos. Do continuing visiting SG Pro – Fight Community for more MMA goodness!

Known as one of the most exciting practitioners in the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu today, Leo Vieira made an impact when he entered the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships and won the tournament twice in 2003 and 2005 in the lightweight category. He was also a finalist in the 2007 tournament, losing out to former HERO’S and current WEC fighter Rani Yahya and also wound up as a semi-finalist in the 2009 tournament. Recently, Vieira came down to Kuala Lumpur to conduct a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu seminar with the help of BJJ Black Belt Marcos Escobar, who teaches Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes at CRUSH Mixed Martial Arts and fellow BJJ Black Belt Chico Mendes and SG Pro was able to conduct an interview with Vieira. Special thanks go out to Marcos Escobar and BJJ Blue Belt Lim Fang Han of CRUSH Mixed Martial Arts for helping us get the interview.

From left to right: Marcos Escobar, Leo Vieira and Chico Mendes

SG Pro: Leo, first of all, welcome to Malaysia and thank you for taking the time to do this interview for SG Pro. It’s an absolute honor having you with us.

Vieira: My pleasure to be here in helping spread the BJJ fever around SEA and even more visiting our first official branch in here.

SG Pro: First of all, can you tell the readers about yourself such as your upbringing, how you got started into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and your gym in California?

Vieira: I started when I was eight years old stimulated by Bruce Lee movies. I consider myself a lucky guy that could watch and participated in BJJ’s growth worldwide. As you all know IBJJF (International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation) is based in CA, running big competitions over there. We needed a training camp in that region and today thanks to the great job of Lucas Leite, Pantcho, my brother Leandro and many others we currently have five clubs over there.

SG Pro: The ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships is the most prestigious grappling tournament in the world and you have won the tournament twice in 2003 and 2005. What was it like to compete in the ADCC World Championships?

Vieira: ADCC is the biggest grappling competition in the world. It has changed the way people used to see No Gi competitions. All great fighters want to be a part of it. I’m one of the fighters with the most attendance in the competition and is always great to be part of it.

SG Pro: You’ve fought Rani Yahya twice during the finals of the tournament in 2005 and 2007. Both of you are 1-1 against each other. How tough was Yahya in the two fights you had against him?

Vieira: Hmmm… just for the record, we’ve fought at ADCC already three times – BRA 03, USA 05 and USA 07. Rani is a tough fighter and also a great guy. I respect him a lot and our matches will always be a great show cause both of us have a game that moves forward.

SG Pro: Do you see the two of you someday having a rubber match to finally settle the score once and for all and if so, would it be under ADCC or MMA rules?

Vieira: Well, as I mentioned before we’ve fought three times. We’re professional fighters and I don’t think the score is what matters. Fighting is our life and for sure we’ll meet again in some competition someday. Maybe in SEA in the future… who knows?

SG Pro: You competed in the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships this year, but lost out to Rafael Mendes in the semi-finals. What happened?

Vieira: Well, I made some mistakes and Rafael is great fighter. When you commit mistakes with a great fighter you pay the price. That’s what happened. I’m sure we’ll fight again in the future and I’ll try not to commit mistakes.

SG Pro: I understand that you had a match against the legendary Mark Kerr before. Care to share us your thoughts on that match?

Vieira: It was my first No Gi competition and Mark Kerr was in evidence at that time. I think that was a good opportunity to show BJJ’s efficiency once I was fighting someone twice my size & weight. Even not winning that match, till today people remember the fight and ask me about it.

Leo Vieira (blue gi) sparring with Marcos Escobar (black gi) at CRUSH Mixed Martial Arts Gym.

SG Pro: This is your first time visiting Malaysia and here, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is slowly but surely gaining popularity. It is no secret that MMA is becoming the fastest rising sport in the world and recently, there has been a strong interest in picking up the art either for leisure or competition. How do you feel about this?

Vieira: The rise of MMA worldwide is very good for BJJ. However I would say MMA is the fastest rising sport in terms of audience. People love to watch MMA competitions but when we talk about training or practice, most of them chose to go for BJJ. Even in Brazil or US we have much more people training BJJ than MMA. Most of the great MMA fighters came from BJJ. I think what SEA need is to have more people involved with the sport (BJJ) itself… academies, fight wear, competitions etc. This will help in the growth of the sport for sure.

SG Pro: When you came into CRUSH Mixed Martial Arts on Thursday (the day after Vieira arrived from Brazil), what was your reaction like seeing as to how many Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners there were in the gym with several of them coming from East Malaysia and also all the way from Singapore?

Vieira: I’m glad to see so many people and to see they love BJJ. I think it’s all about hard work with quality. Marcos Escobar is a good friend of mine for a very long time. He’s also a great fighter with many titles in Brazil and overseas, including ADCC. Nowadays, he’s the coordinator of Checkmat in Malaysia & our official representative in Asia. I’d like to congratulate him for the great job and I’m looking forward to coming back here soon.

SG Pro: What is next for you after this seminar is over? Any upcoming fights for you?

Vieira: I had a great time here, the seminar was great and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel staff took good care of us all. Anyways, I’m far away from home since September and now I just want to go back to my wife & kids.

SG Pro: How do you find it here in Malaysia? Any thoughts of coming back to the country again?

Vieira: Malaysia is a great place, great people, great food… even though I’ve failed in eating Durian for this on I’m still white belt (rs). I’m planning to come back with my family next time.

SG Pro: Who do you think are the top Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in MMA today and why?

Vieira: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Demian Maia & B.J. Penn. Even though all MMA fighters practice BJJ, in my opinion, those are the ones that use BJJ the best in the fight.

SG Pro: Now it’s time for our SG Pro interview tradition, the word association! What I’m going to do is name a fighter or organization and you will have to describe them in just seven words or less. Let’s start with the first one. Marcos Escobar

Vieira: Checkmat Asia & SEA

SG Pro: Chico Mendes

Vieira: Checkmat wouldn’t be the same without him.

SG Pro: CRUSH Mixed Martial Arts

Vieira: Escobar BJJ Academy.

SG Pro: ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships

Vieira: Biggest and most traditional grappling competition.

SG Pro: Rani Yahya

Vieira: Great fighter.

SG Pro: Barret Yoshida

Vieira: Very flexible.

SG Pro: Rafael Mendes

Vieira: New generation.

SG Pro: Mark Kerr

Vieira: Great champion. A shame he has stopped competing.

SG Pro: B.J. Penn

Vieira: Great friend, big heart and an awesome fighter.

SG Pro: Kenny Florian

Vieira: Dangerous south paw.

SG Pro: Norifumi “KID” Yamamoto

Example of dedication.

SG Pro: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Vieira: First to display pure jiu-jitsu in MMA.

SG Pro: Ultimate Fighting Championships

Vieira: Biggest MMA event.

SG Pro: Romero “Jacare” Cavalcanti

Vieira: He who gave me the black belt and someone that I have a lot of care & respect.

SG Pro: And finally, Leo Vieira

Vieira: 1-father (family), 2-leader, 3-coach and 4-fighter. Nowadays those are the priorities in my life.

SG Pro: One last question, do you have any messages you would like to convey to our readers and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners out there?

Vieira: Doesn’t matter how great and talented you are, results come with dedication & faith. Train hard, train more & train always.

SG Pro: Thank you very much once again for your time. We at SG Pro would like to wish you all the very best in your career!

Vieira: Appreciate the opportunity, my pleasure. God bless you all.

Team CRUSH Mixed Martial Arts along with Leo Vieira and Chico Mendes

SG Pro – Fight Community has the privilege and the honor of interviewing the most technical fighter of the 2009 FBT Thailand BJJ/Sub-Grappling Open, Leandro Thomas Issa da Silva. Known to his peers and students as Brodinho, he is currently a 1st degree BJJ Black Belt instructor at Evolve MMA and is a BJJ Mundials World Champion with over 11 years of experience and has won numerous regional and national titles in Brazil. Join us as we discover what makes this World Champion ticks!

SG Pro: Brodinho, first of all, thank you for finding the time to do this interview with us!

Brodinho:  Thank you.  Thank you.  I’m happy to be here.  I’m sorry for my English.  I am still learning every day.

SG Pro: First off, tell us more about yourself, the information that we find about you on the internet is limited. All we know is that you are a BJJ Mundials World Champion with over 11 years of experience, you won the title of Most Technical Fighter at the recent 2009 FBT Thailand BJJ/Sub-Grappling Open and that you are currently teaching at Evolve MMA.

Brodinho:  I am from Ubatuba, Brazil.  BJJ is my life.  When I young, I was problem kid.  I have many street fights all the time.  But BJJ change my life and make me understand honor and respect.  It make me understand to be calm and humble.  I’m training BJJ now for 11 years every day for 6-8 hours every day.  This is my life.  I’m a professional fighter since I have been 15.  I don’t know how many tournament I compete, but I think around 200-250 tournament.  I am Mundials World Champion in 2004.  In Brazil, I training at Gordo Jiu-Jitsu in Rio de Janeiro.  It is one of best schools in Brazil and have many World Champions and over 50 Black Belt there.  Now, Gordo Jiu-Jitsu is become Evolve Brazil.  It is championship academy.  Gordo is the master there.  He is many times World Champion and he invent the half-guard in BJJ.  Now, I come to Singapore this year and I will live here forever.  Evolve is my life and my family.  Thank you to Chatri Sityodtong and Gordinho Correa for everything.   I am now learning Muay Thai because I am professional MMA fighter.  Muay Thai at Evolve is the best from Thailand.  I am thank you to Evolve for making me better in everything.

SG Pro: How old were you when you started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and what draws you to it?

Brodinho:  I have about 14 years old when I start BJJ.  I love BJJ.  It gives me discipline, honor, respect.  It make me humble.  BJJ is a beautiful art.  This is it.  It is art.  I love to challenge myself physically and mentally.  BJJ make me a better person.

SG Pro: We did a search on youtube and found a couple of your fights in no gi competitions in Brazil so do you actually prefer competing in the gi or without the gi and is there any difference to it?

Brodinho:  I love gi more.  I do both.  But with gi, it is more technical and makes you a better fighter.  If you learn only no-gi, it is very hard to reach a high level.  There is big difference.  When you are beginner, it is very important to learn with the gi.  For my MMA fights, I still train with the gi because it make me to be more technical.

SG Pro: What is the thing that inspires you to keep on training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu all these years?

Brodinho:  BJJ is a martial art.  It teach me to become a man.  I love BJJ.  This is my heart.

SG Pro: You currently have a 4-2 record in professional MMA, winning 3 of your 4 fights via submissions. Are you more comfortable grappling than striking and are you currently working more on your striking?

Brodinho: I am BJJ Black Belt.  I am a World Champion in BJJ.  For me, I am grappler.  Submissions is natural for me.  But since I come to Evolve, I am now training very hard in Muay Thai.  The Sityodtong team is the best from Thailand.  My dream is to have my Muay Thai as good as my BJJ.  As a professional MMA fighter, this is what I need.  I am lucky to have the best teachers in Muay Thai like Nuengpichit Sityodtong, Chatri Sityodtong, Yoddecha Sityodtong, Daorung Sityodtong, and everybody.  They teach me so many things and I never seen so much technical detail before.  Before I came to Evolve, I thought Muay Thai was just power.  Now I realize that it is like BJJ.  Muay Thai is art with many technique and details.

SG Pro: We reviewed one your fight at Fury FC 3 against Takafumi Otsuka and it seems that the referee stopped the match too soon and the camera shows you visibly upset and seemingly adjusting your cup. Would you want to share with us what happened in that fight?

Brodinho:  The referee is there to protect the fighters.  I know this. When I step into the ring or cage, I am prepare to die.  The cup break because the Japan fighter knee my balls.  This is illegal.   I try to speak for referee that the cup is broken.

SG Pro: You won the 2004 BJJ Mundial World Championship under 70kg Category, how has participating in this prestigious event changed your life?

Brodinho:  It is nice, but I want to be better more every day.  MMA is a new challenge.  My goal is to be World Champion in MMA in the future.

SG Pro: You were declared the Most Technical Fighter of the 2009 FBT Thailand BJJ/Sub-Grappling Open, share with us your thoughts on the tournament.

Brodinho:  For me, I am happy because my students do so good.  I win too, but more nice is Evolve is the Champion Team of the tournament.  We have many tough fighter like Tommy, Judd, Neelan, Brian and everybody.  Evolve is tough people.  They have many tough fighters there for the tournament, but Evolve is better technique, more heart, and more fitness.  The absolute finals for Black Belt was tough because Rodrigo is a top fighter from Brazil too and he is 10 kilos more heavy than me.  Makoto in No-Gi final is good fighter too.   I am happy to win both of these tough fighters.

SG Pro: When will your next fight be and how is the preparation for the fight going?

Brodinho: I am fighting in Art of War next.  It is the biggest MMA show in China.  I am start training already for it.  Every day, 2x training per day.  I train a lot in my Muay Thai with Nuengpichit, Chatri, and Yoddecha.  This morning I train with Chatri and Nueng at 9am.  I fight on November 28, 2009 in China.

SG Pro: Brodinho, you trained under Professor Gordo in Evolve Brazil and now that you are permanently in Singapore, you are training under Professor Gordinho. How is it like training under two of the best instructors that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has to offer?

Brodinho: I am have so lucky.  I have the best teachers in the worlds for BJJ and Muay Thai.  I learn every day.  I am improve every day.  They teach technique and details.  So technical.  I am so have luck. Gordo and Gordinho is best from Brazil.

SG Pro: How has teaching in Evolve MMA alongside some of the world’s best, changed your life?

Brodinho:  I am so have lucky!  In Brazil, I train with BJJ World Champions every day.  Nothing new.  In Singapore, I train with BJJ and Muay Thai World Champions every day.  I am learning so fast.  I improve so much.  My teachers push me and teach me.  Thank you for Gordinho, Nueng, Papa, Chatri, Lui, Tommy, Neelan, Brian, Josh, Oliver, and all the instructors.  My team make me better.  This is my family.  My students make me better too.  Evolve is my life and my family forever.

SG Pro: You were seen rolling around with your students and sharing tips and techniques with them. Most of the Evolve students we speak to talks of you as a jovial man who always make the effort to greet them when they enter the gym and as someone who is very approachable and that they see you as a friend rather than just an instructor. What are your thoughts?

Brodinho: Thank you for Gordinho and Chatri.  Everybody want to be instructor at Evolve now.  In Brazil, they have many Black Belt who want to come to Evolve.  But Gordinho and Chatri don’t let.  For them, only the best can come.  The best fighters who are the best teachers and who are the nice people.  I think Evolve have the best teachers in the world.  All the Evolve instructors like each other a lot.  This is family.  My students is my family too.  Gordinho and Chatri care about everybody a lot.  This why Evolve is family.  Love for everybody and learning together.  Evolve is family.

SG Pro: Beside you and Professor Gordinho, two of your best friends, Mundials World Championship Silver Medalist, Almiro Barros and multi time Mundials World Champion, Antonio Braga are also Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructors at Evolve. With such a strong instructors team, do you see any of your students competing more in both local and regional grappling tournaments and events?

Brodinho:  Yes, the Evolve team have champion in first tournament in Thailand.  Everybody is getting better.  In future, Evolve will win a lot.  My students will be best in Asia.  Evolve is best already.  Our family will have stronger and better.  Best teacher is make best students.

SG Pro: Are you getting used to living in Singapore and used to the culture here?

Brodinho:  Singapore is nice.  Brazil is my home, but now Singapore is my home too.  I want stay here forever.  Everybody so nice.  Evolve family help me so much.

SG Pro: We heard that you are really good at UFC Undisputed! So which is your favourite weight class to play and who is your favourite fighter to use? Or have you already created yourself in the Create a Fighter mode?

Brodinho:  I play a lot.  I like for video games.  Andersen Silva is my favorite on the UFC game.

SG Pro: When a couple of our readers knew that SG Pro will be conducting an interview with you. They requested to ask a couple of questions so here goes;
What is the best way to beat an opponent who is bigger and strong than you in a Jiu-Jitsu competition? (eg: absolute division)

Brodinho:  Technique make for win.  If you better technique than opponent, you win.  Practice everything.  The detail is important.  For big and strong, play top game is important.  For submission, take the back and choke.

SG Pro: When injured, do you completely stop training? if you still train what is your training regime?

Brodinho:  No  I don’t like to stop.  If I hurt bad, I stop.  If I hurt no bad, I try to something.  Swimming and other physical preparation.   If no fight, I train 1x a day in the Fighters Program at Evolve.  If I have fight, I have 8 week preparation with 2x training every day.  BJJ and Muay Thai.  Some wrestling and some MMA.  I focus most on BJJ and Muay Thai.  I eat protein shake and vitamins.  I do running too.  I do FightShape too.  Everything is preparation.

SG Pro: What is the one piece of advice you can give for improving your Jiu-Jitsu game at any skill level?

Brodinho:  Train consistent. If you come every week, you will better.  If you don’t come every week, it is more time to be better.  2-3x one week, then be better for your jiu-jitsu.  If more training, then better more.  Evolve have the best teachers in worlds for you.  So you can improve more fast.

SG Pro: You are well known for your flying armbar and your technique at jumping guard, is there any advice you can give us on how to train for these two techniques?

Brodinho:  My favorite technique is flying triangle.  I do many times in tournament for submission.  Practice it a lot.  This is what I do.

SG Pro: This last question is from one of your student; How do you make really nice pasta? (rumour has it that you made really good pasta!)

Brodinho:  Yes I am good for pasta.  It is cheap and easy to make.  When Braga and I live together, I teach for him the make the pasta.  I do pasta cook a lot.

SG Pro: And it’s time for our little word association again! This is how it works, i’ll name someone and you will have to describe that person in just seven words or less. Here goes nothing, Professor Gordinho.

Brodinho:  the best in the world

SG Pro: Professor Gordo.

Brodinho:  the best in the world

SG Pro: Antonio Braga Neto.

Brodinho:  he is UFC Champion in future

SG Pro: Almiro Barros.

Brodinho:  very good BJJ, my good friend

SG Pro: Rafael Dos Anjos.

Brodinho:  UFC Champion in future too

SG Pro: 2004 BJJ Mundials.

Brodinho:  Train hard makes victory

SG Pro: 2009 FBT Thailand BJJ/Sub-Grappling Open.

Brodinho:  Team Evolve is Champion!

SG Pro: Singapore.

Brodinho:  Beautiful country and nice people

SG Pro: Evolve MMA.

Brodinho:  My family is the best in Asia.

SG Pro: Future.

Brodinho:  I want learn every day

SG Pro: And of course last but not least, Leandro Thomas Issa da Silva.

Brodinho:  I am hope Future MMA World Champion

SG Pro: Some really interesting word association there, Brodinho! What advice would you give to all the aspiring Jit-Jitsu practitioners out there?

Brodinho:  Evolve is best teachers here.  Training hard every week, ok?

SG Pro: Any parting words for our readers?

Brodinho:  BJJ and Muay Thai change your life.  This is it.  Evolve is special.  No have academy like Evolve in the world.  Evolve family is champion.  Evolve is for peoples who are champion in their heart.

SG Pro: Brodinho, thank you so much for your time and we hope to hear more from you in the near future!

Brodinho:  Thank you, thank you.  I fight next month in Art of War in China.  I will win for Evolve.  I fight many times next year.  Come train with me!

*SG Pro – Fight Community would like to thank Brodinho for finding time to do this interview with us. Do continuing visiting SG Pro – Fight Community for more MMA goodness!

With a current MMA record of 12 wins, 4 losses, with only 1 of those losses coming via KO. Rafael dos Anjos is a rising superstar in the UFC Lightweight Division and is also a member of the official fight team of Evolve MMA. Based in Rio de Janeiro at Evolve Brazil, Rafael is a BJJ Black Belt with aggressive striking. How aggressive? Check out his match with Rob Emerson at UFC 103 and you will see how good a game plan Rafael had, demolishing Rob Emerson with a series of brutal low leg kicks and earning the unanimous decision victory! Rafael is in town recently to work on his Muay Thai at Evolve Singapore and we managed to secure Rafael’s thoughts on his fight at UC 103 and much more!

SG Pro: Rafael, first of all, welcome to Singapore and thank you for finding the time to do this interview with us! This is our first interview with a UFC fighter and honestly, we are very much honored to have you with us!

Rafael: Thank you for having me here.

SG Pro: First off, congratulations on the victory at UFC 103! We watch the match and one thought came to our mind. Great fight. Four minutes into the first round, amidst the exchange of strikes, Rob Emerson tried to clinch you and throws you towards the cage, you however using a foot, tees off the cage and comes right back to guard! Then in the opening seconds of the third round, we saw you throwing a really great low kick that had Rob Emerson buckling down. Was that your strategy going into the match? Attacking the legs of Rob Emerson and cutting him down?

Rafael: No, I adapted as the fight went on.  Before the fight, the strategy was to take him down and submit him.  But he had better wrestling than I thought.  Also, I saw that he was putting a lot of weight on his front leg.  So I took advantage of it and decided to throw low leg kicks and use my Muay Thai.

Rob Emerson was clearly taken out of his game and was visibly upset after the unanimous decision was awarded to you. Clearly Rob Emerson has come into the fight thinking that you as a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt would want to bring the fight to the ground and never had expect you to actually stand up with him. Your thoughts?

Rafael: Yes, my plan was to take him down.  But my stand up is quite good too.

SG Pro: During the UFC 103 weigh ins, you and Rob Emerson had an intense staredown and Dana White had to restraint Emerson. What was in your mind at that very moment?

Rafael: Rob came very close to me and put his face very close to mine.  I was a little angry and I was not going to back down.  I was prepared to destroy him.

SG Pro: Out of your 12 wins, five of them came from submission victories, one via TKO and the remaining five via decision, do you personally prefer to submit an opponent as oppose to knocking them out?

Rafael: I like to submit people more.

SG Pro: All three of your UFC fights went to the limit; three rounds. Do you train specifically to go all three rounds and what kind of advice do you have for aspiring fighters who want to work on their cardio?

Rafael: I do cardio training.  I run uphill.  I also do a lot of strength and conditioning.  I usually do it 3x per week in addition to my training in BJJ, Muay Thai, and Wrestling.

SG Pro: Let’s move back in time back to UFC Fight Night 18 where you fought a tough fight against Tyson Griffin. Even though you lost the fight via unanimous decision, you had Tyson Griffin in several submission holds and the fight won “Fight of the Night” honors. Tell us your thoughts on the fight.

Rafael: I had a leg lock on him and I thought he would tap.  It was a very tough fight.  He has a very fast pace and great cardio.

SG Pro: And back to UFC 91: Couture vs. Lesnar, you took Jeremy Stephens to the limit only to get KO by an uppercut in the opening seconds of the third round. That is by far the only loss in your career where it is not a decision loss. If you have the chance, would you want to take on Jeremy Stephens again and avenge that loss?

Rafael:  I don’t mind, but I want to fight the best fighters in the world.  Right now, there are plenty of people who are superstars like Kenny Florian, BJ Penn, Diego Sanchez, and Clay Guida.  I want to fight any of those guys.

SG Pro: You were the Lightweight Champion in Fury FC, Brazil’s top MMA promotion. A promotion where Evolve MMA instructors, Antonio Braga Neto and Leandro Issa also fought in. How was the competition like in Fury FC?

Rafael:  The fighters in Fury FC are elite fighters.  They are very tough.

SG Pro: You were on a rampage in Brazilian MMA promotions like Fury FC, XFC,      Juiz de For a, Arena BH among others. Tell us, have you ever dreamt that one day that you’ll be fighting in the UFC?

Rafael:  Being the UFC Champion has always been my dream.

SG Pro: How is training with the Evolve-Sityodtong Muay Thai team like? Has training with them added a new dimension to your already devastating striking arsenal?

Rafael:  The best Muay Thai fighters and teachers in the world are at Evolve. I have learned a lot.  They are very technical and give a lot of details.

SG Pro: You also train in Evolve Brazil, where Professor Gordo is the head instructor. Share with us how is training under the inventor of the half guard like.

Rafael:  Gordo is the best teacher.  He is a great friend.  He is my main cornerman and he is always very relaxed and calm.

SG Pro: You are going be 25 this coming 26th October, what will your birthday wish this year?

Rafael:  I want to win all my fights in the UFC.  I love fighting in the UFC.  My dream is to get a title shot and win it.  But let’s see how my next fights go.  I am still trying to find my place in the UFC.  I believe that I can be World Champion.  I also want to bring exciting fights for the fans.

SG Pro: How has your stay in Singapore been thus far? Has the Evolve Team brought you around?

Rafael:  Singapore is great.  The tropical weather is like Brazil.  I like Singapore.

SG Pro: Will there be any chance of you holding a MMA Seminar at Evolve MMA in the near future?

Rafael:  Yes, I plan to do an MMA seminar during my stay at Evolve.

SG Pro: Who would you want to face next in the UFC Lightweight Division besides the current UFC Lightweight Champion, B.J. Penn?

Rafael:  I want to fight Nate Diaz.  I think it would be a very exciting fight.  But I am willing to fight anyone that UFC wants me to fight.  I am a warrior.

SG Pro: Who is your favourite fighter and why?

Rafael: I love Minotauro.  He is the Rocky Balboa of Brazil.  He is very technical with a great chin.  He has a big heart.

SG Pro: You trained under Professor Gordo in Evolve Brazil and now that you are in Singapore, you are training under Professor Gordinho. How is it like training under two of the best instructors that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has to offer?

Rafael:  They are both the best with super technique.  Gordo is more slow paced.  Gordinho is more fast paced.

SG Pro: When we told a couple of our loyal readers that we’ll be interviewing a UFC fighter, they all clamber to ask for their questions to be answered, we choose three of them and here goes; if weight class isn’t an issue, who would you want to face and why?

Rafael:  I would love to fight Lyoto Machida.  He has a different style.  He is unique.  It would be fun to fight him.

SG Pro: Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

Rafael:  UFC Champion

SG Pro: Who was your toughest opponent thus far in your career?

Rafael:  Tyson Griffin

SG Pro: And it’s time for our little word association again! This is how it works, i’ll name someone and you will have to describe that person in just seven words or less. Here goes nothing, Professor Gordo.

Rafael: Good friend, good teacher.  Serious.

SG Pro: Jeremy Stephens.

Rafael:  Heavy hands

SG Pro: Tyson Griffin.

Rafael:  Good cardio, good fighter

SG Pro: Rob Emerson.

Rafael:  Heavy hands

SG Pro: Professor Gordinho

Rafael:  Good friend and good teacher.

SG Pro: B.J. Penn

Rafael:  The best in the world right now

SG Pro: The Sityodtong Muay Thai Team

Rafael:  Best Muay Thai in the world

SG Pro: Evolve MMA.

Rafael:  My new home

SG Pro: Fury FC.

Rafael:  It gave me the passport to UFC

SG Pro: UFC.

Rafael:  Best in the world

SG Pro: And of course last but not least, Rafael Dos Anjos.

Rafael:  The future UFC Lightweight Champion

SG Pro: Some really interesting word association there, Rafael. With that we come to a concluding end to your interview. Any parting words for our readers?

Rafael:  Train hard.  Learn from great teachers.  Believe in your dreams.

SG Pro: Rafael, thank you so much for your time and we hope to see you fighting soon in the UFC again!

Rafael:  Thank you.

*SG Pro – Fight Community would like to thank UFC Fighter and Evolve Fight Team member, Rafael Dos Anjos for finding time to do this interview with us.  Do continuing visiting SG Pro – Fight Community for more MMA goodness!

What is Commando Krav Maga?

Commando Krav Maga is the Krav Maga system as devised by Moni Aizik. The System was officially born in 1973.Commando Krav Maga, aka CKM, is considered by many experts to be the most devastating fighting system in the world. In CKM, you’ll learn to defeat attackers (even multiple attackers) armed with knives, guns, bottles, sticks, baseball bats etc. Additionally, you’ll learn how to debilitate your opponent immediately irrespective of his size, training background or experience level. Most importantly, you’ll see immediate results. SG Pro – Fight Community sits down with Instructor Lim Beng Kit, the Director for Commando Krav Maga Singapore and also the highest ranking Commando Krav Maga instructor in Asia and Australasia region.

SG Pro: Thank you for finding the time to join us for this interview, Beng Kit!

Beng Kit: It is my pleasure to have you guys for this interview.

SG Pro: Beng Kit, first of, tell us the differences between Krav Maga and Commando Krav Maga.

Beng Kit: The term Krav Maga in Hebrew is usually translated as “contact Combat”. The word Maga means ‘contact’ and the word Krav means ‘fight’. The prefix “Commando” is used to signify that this is the Krav Maga system which is used by Israel Special Forces Sayeret. Commando Krav Maga is a modern and evolved reality based fighting system. CKM practice engaged, create maximum damage and disengaged quickly. Spending to much time in “contact” with an attackers will increase the chance of fighting them in different dimension where it may have been possible to escape unharmed.

SG Pro: So is CKM an offshoot of Krav Maga?

Beng Kit: Yes, CKM techniques evolved and continue to be tested for it’s effectiveness. The techniques has to be simple, effective and easy to be executed under stress.

SG Pro: Is Commando Krav Maga Singapore the first school in Singapore to teach authentic Krav Maga techniques?

Beng Kit: Yes. CKM Singapore is the first to teach Commando Krav Maga techniques in Singapore and the only school to teach Commando Krav Maga techniques in Asia.

SG Pro: Beng Kit, do you see CKM having a surge in of interest in Singapore? Afterall of late, martial arts seems to be on the rise, with the media covering Muay Thai, Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA.

Beng Kit: CKM is growing rapidly in Singapore and around the world. CKM is taught to Military, Police, Security Officers and Civilians in Singapore.

SG Pro: Tell us bout the courses you have at Commando Krav Maga Singapore.

Beng Kit: The courses that I provide is as followed; pre and post conflict techniques,hand to hand combat,pressure and weakness points,joint attacks,understanding of weapons,psychology of weapons confrontation,gun disarming,edged weapons defense,impact weapons defense,Israel ground survival,improvised weapons, defense against multiple attackers, mental and physical training. Special tailored courses like Children CKM, Women CKM Self Defense, CKM Bootcamp for children or Adult.

SG Pro: How effective is Commando Krav Maga say against someone who knows BJJ or Muay Thai?

Beng Kit: Commando Krav Maga covers all aspects of Self Defense and it is an evolved system that teaches all kind of confrontations in a reality based training. All fighting system and martial arts have their advantages; BJJ with their grappling and Muay Thai with their striking techniques.

SG Pro: What can practitioners gain out of Commando Krav Maga?
Beng Kit: Practitioners of CKM will have the opportunity to learn the most evolved and modern tactics and techniques, develop mental and physical toughness, physical conditioning exercises to help to improve your health and performance, build self confidence, increase street awareness and conflict prevention methods, and most importantly to learn the most devastating fighting system to save your life or the life of your loved ones.

SG Pro: Picture this scenario; there is a martial arts convention and there is a potential student who is not sure whether to take up Muay Thai, BJJ or CKM. How will you promote CKM to him?

Beng Kit: Simple, effective and easy to learn. In this hectic lifestyle, everyone wants to learn self defense in the shortest time possible, they want to be able to use it instantly and not taking years and years to learn self defense.

SG Pro: Beng Kit, tell us what plans you have for CKM and how you intend to take things to the next level?

Beng Kit: I am looking at the big picture, collaborating with CKM Instructor in Australia and promoting CKM at international level in Asia Pacific region.

SG Pro: One of our featured gym is Kapap, which also offers training in Krav Maga. With Commando Krav Maga Singapore, Kapap and FightWorkAsia offering Krav Maga training, would you say that the art Krav Maga is on the rise here in the Singapore and how would Krav Maga ultimately affect the martial art landscape here?

Beng Kit: I know the Kapap instructor as he attended our CKM seminar and being awarded Self Improvement Certificate of Commando Krav Maga. Krav Maga popularity is on the rise as it is an effective fighting system. Krav Maga has been taught to Military, Police, Security Officers and civilian as soon as it landed our shore. It grow rapidly and the demand is always there.

SG Pro: You mention that Commando Krav Maga Singapore is also distributor for Zebra Mats and Macho Martial Arts Products. So how did this alliance came about and how can our readers purchase any of these should they need it?

Beng Kit: I purchased the Zebra mats and Macho products for my gym. With this, we are also getting the distributorship for their products. Those who are interested in purchasing the products can contact me for more details.

SG Pro: Beng Kit, tell us more about yourself. We know you are the Director for Commando Krav Maga Singapore and also the highest ranking Commando Krav Maga instructor in Asia and Australasia region but that’s it. Anything you can share with us about yourself?

Beng Kit: I started learning Martial Art and Self Defense techniques from my father, Mr. Lim Eng Choon at the age of 7. In my quest to the path of the warrior, I train Tae Kwon Do and Hap Ki Do from Grandmaster Sunny Tan Sar Bee, Grandmaster Jurg Ziegler, Grandmaster Andy Yuen; Bujinkan Dojo Ninjutsu with Shidoshi Wayne L. Roy, Michael Brinkmann and Justin Olby; Kombatan Arnis with Grandmaster Jurg Ziegler and Grandmaster Andy Elliot; Commando Krav maga with Moni Aizik; Krav Maga with Albert Merlo and Russian Martial Art of Systema with Adam Vounoridis. I am also a qualified Martial Arts Coach and First Aider, received my Cert III in Martial Arts Coaching from International College of Kenshusei, Australia.

SG Pro: What do you do in your spare time? You can’t be training Krav Maga 24/7 could you?

Beng Kit: I am a full time CKM Instructor in Security companies, Oneberry Concierge, Oneberry Technology and Evtec Management that provide security solution and manpower. Most of my time is dedicated to teaching and promoting Commando Krav Maga but during my free time, I will spend my time with my son, Joshua Lim.

SG Pro: If you weren’t in CKM, what will you be doing?

Beng Kit: I will be teaching Bujinkan Dojo Ninjutsu, Flying Eagle Hap Ki Do, Ji Do Kwan Tae Kwon Do and Kombatan Arnis.

SG Pro: Any parting words for our readers?

Beng Kit: Every Martial Arts and Fighting Systems have their distinctive advantages if used effectively. The convenience and knowing what you learn is more important than the style you choose. Being the best fighter is not just mastering every move from any one art, rather it is mastering the mind. The best is to read and gather as much information as you can about various styles and choose the one that suit your needs.

SG Pro: Thank you for your precious time, Beng Kit and we look forward to seeing the rise of Krav Maga in Singapore!

Beng Kit: Thank you guys, cheers!

*SG Pro – Fight Community would like to thank Mr Lim Beng Kit for finding time to do this interview with us.

Do continuing visiting SG Pro – Fight Community for more MMA goodness!