Marcelo Garcia, a name synonymous with expert BJJ performance is back in the spotlight for all the right reasons. He beat cancer, returned to world-class level competitions, and submitted fellow veteran Masuzaku Imanari in a spectacular fashion in his comeback match. After the fact, the GOAT took to Reddit, opening a Marcelo Gracia AMA thread where he shared some invaluable pieces of advice on every aspect of Jiu-Jitsu and life he was asked about.
Marcelo Garcia AMA: White to Purple Belt Focus Explained
Marcelo Garcia’s path to becoming a multiple-time world champion in BJJ is a testament to his dedication and passion for the art. Starting his training in Brazil, Garcia quickly rose through the ranks, earning accolades and respect from the global BJJ community.
His innovative approach to grappling, particularly his mastery of the butterfly guard and X-guard revolutionized the sport and inspired countless practitioners worldwide.
In the Marcelo Gracia AMA thread on Reddit, the 42-year-old kept answers short and to the point but took his time to answer everything respectfully, offering some invaluable advice along the way. A few particular answers caught people’s attention the most interesting of which was Marcelo’s advice on what to focus on at different belt levels.
One of the Reddit members asked the GOAT: “If you were to start all over again – what would be the 1 key essential that you’d try to get as good at as possible at each belt level?”
Marcelo’s responses, while short, gathered as much attention as his comeback grappling match in ONE. Well, almost:
1. White Belt: Injury Proof Yourself
Marcelo Garcia started at the beginning, addressing what he’d do at white belt IF he had to do things over again:
“White belt – I would’ve learn how not to get hurt.”
With injuries quite prevalent in our sport, this advice is not something people training should take lightly. Marcelo has seen thousands, if not tens of thousands of people on the mats in his BJJ career, and knows injury rates better than anyone.
2. Blue Belt: Become a Specialist
Addressing the blue belt level next, Garcia had this incredible piece of advice to share”
“Blue belt – I would’ve learn specific training and techniques. For example, back attacks, side control, mount etc”
The time for specializing is at blue belt, as you already understand enough to navigate BJJ, but need in-depth practice in everything as well. The biggest takeaway here is not to focus on everything at once, but rather take your time to go through different positions and moves and study them in detail.
3. Purple Belt: Fight on the Feet
The final piece of advice Marcelo had to offer had to do with the goals a purple belt should have, according to him:
“Purple belt – I would’ve focus more on my stand-up.”
Pretty straightforward, but also very smart. At purple belt, you already have more than an idea of what’s going on. You’re good at different things, can work your way around injuries, and can dedicate yourself completely to learning takedowns without the fear standing practice usually presents newbies and less experienced grapplers.
More Marcelo Gracia Reddit AMA Gems
You know that while the centerpiece of the entire Marcelo Garcia AMA on Reddit was his take on progressing through the BJJ belts rank, at the end of the day there were going to be some great gems among the questions, and even better ones in the answers Marcelo provided.
Check these out:
- Q: “Best advice for older grapplers on reducing wear and tear on the body?”
- Marcelo: “We need to train with no ego. We should be better at that especially when we’re older.”
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- Q: “How did you get so good at grappling bigger opponents? Did you favor training technique over live rounds? Give me your secrets.”
- Marcelo: “I believe jiujitsu would definitely help on that. I always feel that I need to prove my jiujitsu against people my size and bigger people too. Since I started, I always train with people bigger than me.”
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- Q: “Has anyone ever told you that you look like Murr from Impractical Jokers?”
- Marcelo: “At least five people on the streets.”
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- Q: “I just opened my first gym a few months ago. Pls wish me luck and could offer any advice to maintain a positive environment?”
- Marcelo: “Good luck and don’t let people be rude to each other inside and outside the mat.”
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The Marcelo Garcia AMA thread on Reddit went on to cover a bunch of other topics, related or unrelated to BJJ, as people enjoyed having the chance to change a few words and get some advice on arguably the best grappler ever in the history of submission grappling.
The Best For Last
If there’s one more Marcelo Gracia AMA session answer that deserves to be pointed out from among all the others it has to be this one:
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- Q: “Any tips for longevity?”
- Marcelo: “Jiujitsu – focus on not getting hurt and use it to release stress. Life – Do jiujitsu so you don’t get too stressed out.”
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Marcelo Garcia really knocked it out of the park with his AMA session, which was the very first of its kind with the legendary grappler. We hope to see much more of Marcelo in the ONE circle, but also on Reddit in the upcoming months!
Marcelo Garcia Comeback: “It’s Not Just About Winning Titles But Appreciating Life”
