Gabriel Almada 
Black belt Bruno Bastos has had a successful career in Jiu-Jitsu and has become a reference on and off the mats. A multiple IBJJF master champion, Bruno heads up the Lead BJJ school in Texas and is an agent for top BJJ fighters such as Horlando Monteiro, Melissa Cueto, Emily Fernandez and Lucas Norat.
Lead BJJ is a hotbed of promise and has revealed many athletes who have shone in the sport’s main tournaments. In an interview with VF Comunica, Bruno Bastos listed the great prospects that have been cut at the school.
“Today we have three new black belts who won the World Championships in colored belts and have the potential to achieve the same feat in black. This is the case with Emily Fernandez, Abbigayle Pontes and Thalys Pontes. When an athlete wins in the colored belts, it helps them with their baggage as a black belt competitor. In addition to them, I would like to mention Cássia Moura, this year’s world champion in the blue belt and already a reality in the purple. I can also cite Agatha Nigro, who became Brazilian junior champion by defeating Sarah Galvão. Our team also has other promises, such as Zion Mendoza, runner-up at the World Championships when she lost to Cássia, Maya Padilla, who is only 12 years old, but is a prodigy. She went from yellow belt to green in a year. Maya was a two-time Pan Kids champion, Brazilian Kids champion, European Kids champion and Jiu-Jitsu Con Kids champion. Other talents are Patrick Deleon, purple belt champion at Jiu-Jitsu Con, and Felipe Padilla, an orange belt who won gold medals at Pan Kids and Jiu-Jitsu Con Kids. They have already shown results that point to them as future competitors,” says the teacher.
Bruno Bastos has established himself as an excellent coach of young champions and is regarded as one of the leading Jiu-Jitsu teachers. He explains why Lead BJJ has projected so many athletes onto the biggest stages in BJJ.
“I believe in the importance of systems. We have a teaching methodology focused on systems. There are several systems in BJJ. If you can pass this on to your students in an organized way, it’s easier for them to have a better understanding of the connection between movements. Those who want to compete at a high level have a different kind of accompaniment, in which we also work on the understanding of competition: mental support and periodization of training according to the competitive calendar. I believe that this combination of factors allows us to develop skills in competitors to maximize their talents,” says Bruno.
Nowadays, it’s not enough just to be good at Jiu-Jitsu to star in the big events. You need to have career direction, promote your fights to captivate the public’s interest and learn how to use your own image. Bruno, who is an influential manager in the BJJ community, lists the agent’s role in boosting the athlete’s visibility.
“The manager’s job goes beyond arranging fights at events, sponsorships or seminars. It’s about having a career plan, helping with choices that lead the athlete to his goal. If you just ride the wave, one day the wave ends up on the sand. And then what are you going to do? When I started as a black belt, I understood that the market was opening up in the United States. I worked to be in a prominent position to take advantage of an opportunity. But I broke my back a lot, since no one guided me through the process. So, with the knowledge and experience I have, I help athletes understand the market, have a goal and follow the plan to achieve those goals,” says Bruno.
As well as being a teacher, businessman and experienced athlete, Bruno Bastos is a BJJ scholar. On Saturday, September 9, BJJ Stars will rock the city of São Paulo with the women’s Heavyweight Grand Prix and the mixed martial arts fights. Bruno analyzes the Grand Prix and points out the favorites for the title.
“First of all, I’d like to congratulate Fepa on the initiative of holding a Women’s Grand Prix with R$100,000 on the line. I hope the event is a success so that we have more opportunities like this for Women’s Jiu-Jitsu. I see that the GP is between three names, either because of their recent results or their career history. They are: Gabi Pessanha, Tayane Porfirio and Melissa Cueto. In my opinion, these are the favorites. Obviously, other athletes are in the running, but I believe that the three names mentioned are ahead. The bracket will tell us a lot about how this competition will unfold,” says the black belt.
The matched fights are sure to be exciting and promise electrifying duels. Bastos says which fight of the event he is most excited to watch.
“Without a doubt, Diogo Reis against Samuel Nagai. I’m excited to see how Samuel will deal with Dioguinho under ADCC rules. I think Samuel will have the edge physically because he’s bigger, as well as having a very aggressive style. Dioguinho, however, showed tactical mastery to win the ADCC and is an assertive competitor. He doesn’t miss opportunities. A possible victory over Diogo could seal his passport to the ADCC. I’d like to see a rematch between Dioguinho and Gabriel Sousa, for example. Anyway, the outcome of this fight is anyone’s guess,” he said.
