Cobrinha explains what “loving the process” means and shares the checklist he runs before a match
An IBJJF Hall of Famer, Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles tells VF Comunica why he didn’t celebrate his 2006 world title and what he tells an athlete about to step into a final
“Love the process” has become a T-shirt slogan in Jiu-Jitsu, repeated by many people who never explained what it means. Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles, an IBJJF Hall of Famer who now coaches a new generation of champions, gave VF Comunica his definition during the 2026 Worlds, at the Pyramid in Long Beach.
“What is loving the process? No matter the result, the next day you will be there doing what has to be done. Period,” he said.
It’s not just training
For Cobrinha, the process starts off the mats. “Loving the process is being disciplined with your diet. The guy says, ‘No, you just have to train.’ No, it’s not just training,” he said.
He said students often push back with the example of Leandro Lo, an eight-time world champion remembered as much for his talent as for his easygoing way of life. The coach’s answer is always the same. “It’s working for him, so he keeps doing it, but it’s not for everybody,” he said. “You have to have discipline.”
The title he didn’t celebrate
The question that bothers Cobrinha the most is the one every champion hears right after winning: what are you feeling right now? “Hold on, right now? No, this moment is about loving the process. How many years have you been working for this?” he asked.
That is how it went for him in 2006, at the last Worlds held at Tijuca Tênis Clube, in Rio de Janeiro, the title he calls the most special of his career. The final was against Márcio Feitosa. “I loved the process so much that when I won, I didn’t even celebrate. The next day I was already training,” he said.
The checklist before the match
When it comes to stepping on the mat, Cobrinha starts from a simple idea: at the top level, everybody has trained. “It’s the guy’s head,” he said. “There’s no point in saying, ‘God, help me.’ No, God is helping everybody.”
What separates the winner, for him, is showing up on the day believing in the work that was done. That confidence is built with a checklist he goes over with his athletes:
- Did I train?
- Did I follow my diet?
- Did I do my reading?
- Did I study my opponents?
“There’s a checklist we do. That will help you too,” he explained. “It’s important that the guy shows up on the day and believes.”
“Everybody gets nervous”
Cobrinha also takes apart the idea of the champion who feels nothing. “Everybody gets nervous. If a guy tells you, ‘No, I’m walking in there and I don’t get nervous,’ he’s lying,” he said. “Now, if the guy knows how to control his nerves on the day, he takes it to another level.”
Full video on YouTube
The conversation with Cobrinha is in the vlog from day two of the 2026 Worlds, on the VF Comunica YouTube channel (in Portuguese).
What is on your list before you compete? Leave your opinion in the comments.
