Felipe Pena is one of the most accomplished Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt competitors in the world. Felipe’s nickname “Preguiça”, which is Portuguese for lazy or sloth, was given to him by one his early coaches “Draculino” when he was a teenager. Despite being overweight when he first started jiu-jitsu, Felipe became motivated to train harder and eventually realize his dream of becoming a world-class professional athlete. Now, Preguiça represents the Gracie Barra academy and is widely regarded as one of the top jiu-jitsu competitors of his generation. He has solidified this status by becoming the 2017 ADCC Absolute Champion,an  IBJJF No Gi champion, as well as winning the IBJJF World Championships in both 2018 and 2019. We talk about how Felipe transformed his innate love of competition into the motivation that fuelled his rapid growth in the art of jiu-jitsu. We explore the early influences on his game and the moment he realised that he had a future as a professional athlete. We also discuss the evolution of his incredible work ethic, a far cry from the Preguiça of his youth, as well as his amazing training camp wars with fellow BJJ champions Marcus Almeida “Buchecha”, Romulo Barral and Leandro Lo. Finally, we look at what the future holds for Felipe, from unaccomplished goals, to super-fights as well as life after competition. 

Professor Octavio Couto, more affectionately known as “Ratinho”, is a 6th degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Romero Cavalcanti, and one of the most innovative and sought-after coaches in the world. Originally competing with Alliance, he was one of seven black belts to form Team Brasa in 2002. A true scholar of the world, Professor Ratinho speaks four languages, and has used his expertise in such projects as incorporating the principles of BJJ into the self-defense program for the Italian Carabinieri Police force. He co-founded and developed the curriculum and operations at AKXE BJJ, the largest academy of Rio de Janeiro, and now travels the world, spreading the gentle art through his seminars.We talk about his unique philosophies and teaching methods with respect to BJJ, incorporating a deep understanding of body mechanics, movement and connection. We explore his concept of jiu-jitsu as a highly developed form of Dynamic Meditation and all the physical, mental and spiritual benefits that entails. Professor Ratinho also details some of the amazing experiences he has amassed along his journey in coaching both jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts, including stories about his time coaching Fabricio Werdum for some of the sports biggest and most consequential fights.

Dr. Kimberley Carder is a clinical psychologist, avid jiu-jitsu practitioner and retired professional MMA fighter. Having grown up in Hong Kong, Dr. Carder, or simply Kim to her friends, has a unique understanding on the mental health climate of international, fast-paced cities. As a human-centered clinician, she adapts her approach to the children, teenagers and adults she works with and draws on her clinical training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Psychodynamic Analysis to help people overcome challenges they face.We talk about growing up in Asia, her love of combat sports that led to her career as one of the first professional female MMA fighters in in Hong Kong. We discuss what it means to push one’s limits, developing mental and physical aptitudes, and the importance of the mind-body connection - as well as what it means to pursue and even choose between one’s dreams. Kim shares her very timely thoughts on maintaining positive mental health in the often chaotic world we live in and how to overcome the common challenges that almost all of us encounter at some point in our lives.   

Master Carlson Gracie Jr. is the only son of the legendary Grand Master Carlson Gracie Sr. and grandson of the founder of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Carlos Gracie. “Junior” as he is known to his family and friends, started jiu-jitsu at the tender age of three under the direction of his father. He now holds a 6th Degree Black Belt in BJJ, as well as a Black Belt in Judo, and is known throughout the jiu-jitsu community as one of the humblest and most genuine representations of the incredible legacy of Gracie jiu-jitsu. Although based out of his academy in Chicago, Junior also travels around the world hosting seminars that support the growth of jiu-jitsu, providing students everywhere the opportunity to learn from one of the most knowledgeable instructors in the history of the gentle art. We talk about the singular experience of growing up in the Gracie family during the rough and tumble early days of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, including incredible stories of his famous father that highlight the unique character that was Carlson Gracie Sr.. We discuss what legacy personally means to him, why jiu-jitsu continues to have such an enduring impact, and what the future holds for the martial art as it expands into new communities around the world.