Tainan Dalpra: “The level of kids jiu-jitsu is crazy”
The four-time world champion and AOJ coach told VF Comunica he is prouder of his team’s culture than of his students’ medals
The IBJJF World Master Championship in Las Vegas wrapped up with the kids on the mats. On the last day of the event, which shared the venue with the Jiu-Jitsu Con kids and novice tournaments, Vitor Freitas found Tainan Dalpra coaching his AOJ students. A four-time middleweight world champion, Tainan looked around the mats and did not hold back.
“Man, the way it is today, the level of kids jiu-jitsu is crazy, right?” he told VF Comunica.
A different world from the one he grew up in
Tainan recalled that when he started there were no kids tournaments this big. There were not even other kids at the gym where he trained.
“When I started training jiu-jitsu, there weren’t even kids where I trained. So I actually started early, but I say my career really began, when I started taking it seriously, once I saw kids joining the classes and I started training with kids.”
He also made a point of praising the organizers. “I want to congratulate the federation for putting on an event this size, and it keeps growing every year, right? You can see the unity this event is bringing to the sport. It’s been really great, and keep it up.”
Prouder of the culture than the medals
When Vitor asked whether today’s kids would beat Tainan back when he was an orange or yellow belt, he did not hesitate: “For sure.” Then he moved the conversation to what he values most about coaching kids.
“We have a really cool culture at the gym, and thank God everyone embraced it. Everyone is committed to the team, everyone is really close, and I’m prouder of that than of their jiu-jitsu itself, you know?”
For the champion, winning is only part of what the sport gives to those who start young. “Of course I’m happy when they win, we train to come here and perform, but sometimes we even forget how good jiu-jitsu is for their lives, right? Learning discipline, those daily battles, emotional control.”
The gym comes first for now
That fits where Tainan is right now. He explained that he splits his year in two: in the first half, he focuses on his own career and competes in the full Grand Slam; in the second, he focuses on growing the gym and his students. His decision on whether to compete again will come in January, as VF Comunica reported here.
“So, for me, I’ve been thinking more and more about that side. I’ve even stepped back a bit from competing and focused more on the gym, which I believe is the essence of jiu-jitsu.”
In the same conversation, Tainan picked his top five guard players of all time and joked about a Rafael Mendes comeback.
Watch the vlog (in Portuguese)
The interview with Tainan Dalpra is part of the World Master behind-the-scenes vlog on the VF Comunica YouTube channel, starting at 13:37.
How good are the kids at your gym these days? Tell us in the comments.
