by LUTA Team
31. January 2012 09:23
Jiu-Jitsu means ‘gentle art’ in Japanese and LUTA ambassador Nilton Garcia certainly lives up to the first part of the phrase. Despite standing at a towering two metres tall, Nilton’s presence is remarkably calming. His measured words and warm gestures proffer a quiet authority but don’t expect the calm persona to continue on the mat!
Both a World and European BJJ champion, Nilton has been training Jiu-Jitsu for over 13 years and is a Black Belt under the esteemed Roger Gracie (pictured above, right with Nilton). Although out of competition for a few years since he began the process of opening his own Gracie Garcia BJJ gym in Camden, London, Nilton has decided to make a competitive return at the biggest stage of them all: the World Championships in June this year.
“I’m going to try my best, that’s for sure. I started training again in November and I’m really motivated to get back into it. I made a decision to stop competing a few years back when setting up my gym was taking up too much time for training,” Nilton told LUTA. Indeed, the catalyst for the break was a defeat, the first in seven years, which clearly left the Brazilian weighing up his options.
“I decided to throw myself into getting my gym established. You have to go 100% either way, not 50/50. I’m so happy with the decision because most black belt martial artists only get the opportunity to have their own Academy long after they retire. It’s satisfying because I worked hard to get here – it’s been four years since I’ve been back to visit my mother in Brazil and I miss her terribly.”
LUTA is proud to have Nilton as an ambassador, maintaining the Brazilian connection and the core values of the brand. Overcoming the obstacle of starting his own Jiu-Jitsu academy through sheer will and patience shows Nilton’s real strength. And to still have the desire to return to the very top of his sport shows you his champion nature.
Nilton trains Jiu-Jitsu using LUTA’s MMA rash guards, which can be bought here.
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