Does it help your Jiu Jitsu to train with heavier opponents?

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Felipe Costa: "Lightweights should train with lightweights"

Our friends from BJJPIX have recently interview Felipe Costa, check them out!

Author: William Burkhardt
Email: williambkh@gmail.com

BJJPix Photographer

2003 BJJ World Champion Felipe Costa tells us about his specific training only for lightweight atheletes and his prepation for the Brazilian Nationals and Worlds.

BJJPix - Do you think training with heavier opponents is making a mistake in jiu jitsu?

Felipe - I think it's very important training with heavier opponent but there is a limit to everything. What is the necessity of someone weighing 60kg training with someone weighing over 80kgs? Of course, from time to time, yes, but I believe, based on my own experience, that the risk of injuring oneself are well higher than the benefits that this kind of training can bring.

BJJPix - Did you change anything in your way to prepare for the Brasileiros and Worlds this year?

Felipe - The focus is to maintain the emphasis on our training for lightweights that has become increasingly stronger and more serious. Many athletes, even from other teams came to train with us and all are welcomed. We are following Itallo Vilardo's worksheet and his knowledge brings us a configuration of our training and resting breaks that does a big difference in the final result, and give us more confidence.

BJJPix - Where are you going after the Worlds?

Felipe - After the Worlds, I will be teaching for 4 weeks in the U.S.. I will visit California, Nevada, Arizona, Tennessee, Ohio and New York. My classes will be filmed and available on my website www.BrazilianBlackBelt.com who want to follow can register for free and use the code BBBFREETRIAL to access everything.

BJJPix - Can you tell us more about your website? What was your intention when you created it?

Felipe - My intention when I created the website was to stay close to my associates and their students. I can only visit them once or twice a year so the website is a way for them to get access to my classes. When it was done, we saw that it could be something bigger, something that everyone could beneficiate and exchange information to help with their jiu jitsu. We are still working on the website to improve it but the results are good and the number of registration has exceeded our expectations.

BJJPix - Erick (Raposo) is competing a lot in Rio. Do you think he has potential?

Felipe - Erick has a huge talent and is very dedicated. His potential has been slowed because his visa to the U.S. was denied four times. It's a problem for him to compete in international tournaments. But his results in Brazil are very good and I see him as one of the best in the category.