Gabriel Almada 
Roney Edler is one of the most decorated Jiu-Jitsu teachers in the Northeast. In recent years, he has expanded the boundaries of his work to the United States to open doors for his students who live in Brazil.
Roney Edler founded his own BJJ school, Sertão BJJ, and developed a teaching methodology. Roney’s mission as a teacher is to train champions on and off the mats and provide a dignified reality for his students. He also has branches in the Northeast and promotes the sport in the region.
The Northeast is a source of Jiu-Jitsu talent and Roney intends to put more and more Northeasterners at the top of Jiu-Jitsu.
In an interview with VF Comunica, Roney Edler told us why he decided to found his Jiu-Jitsu team and the main challenges he faced when he arrived in the United States.
VF COMUNICA: What were the biggest challenges when you arrived in the United States?
RONEY EDLER: My biggest challenges were the culture and the other language, because I had to adapt to the customs and treatment. I didn’t know how to speak English and I started studying before I came. However, I arrived here and found it difficult. My wife, who is American, helped me the most. She was present in class and translated. So I gradually lost my fear and threw myself into it. Today I teach my classes alone and manage to get by. I don’t have excellent English, but I manage.
What is your greatest motivation for teaching your students?
It’s the martial art itself, which I’ve practiced for 30 years. Jiu-Jitsu doesn’t just teach a fight, it forms citizens and rescues lives. That’s what motivates me to be able to contribute to this world.
Roney, when did you decide that you were going to live for Jiu-Jitsu?
When I started teaching professionally and saw how much I was transforming lives through the sport I practice.
How has your attitude changed in the transition from athlete to teacher?
There wasn’t a transition because I still get into fisticuffs in competitions. It’s in my blood and I always like to test myself. This motivates my students and makes them want to compete. As a teacher, I need to be an example on and off the mats. I know that everyone is watching, not just my students, but society. So we have to try every day to be better than the day before.
Why did you decide to honor Leandro Lo in your gym?
There are many reasons, so I’ll tell you a bit. As well as seeing myself as he did in terms of enjoying life every day, he was an inspiration to me. Leandro showed me that you have to give your all on the mats and in life, regardless of the result. Like me, he liked to reach out to people. So how can we not pay tribute to a guy like that, Legends never die.
Why did you decide to start your own team?
For many reasons, and I’ll mention a few that I thought were crucial. From my white belt to my black belt, I saw my team being negligent in not extending opportunities to the North and Northeast of Brazil. As a result, they always left the opportunities to athletes from the so-called “clique”. If any athlete wanted an opportunity, they would have to leave their family and go to the headquarters to get their chance. I changed teams, but the same thing was happening. So I waited for time and matured the idea with my students. Today I have three black belts trained in Brazil who are in charge of our team’s branches in the state of Ceará to make the mistake I saw different from what I mentioned above.
Roney, why did you decide to start a Jiu-Jitsu team?
The team isn’t just here in the US, because here is a branch of it. As well as my academy here in Topeka, I have three other branches in Brazil, in the state of Ceará. This is a challenge I’m up for and I don’t intend to give up. I’m driven by challenges and the bigger they are, the more enjoyable the conquest.
What are your goals as a teacher on your team?
To train good people for society, to rescue those who are on the wrong path, to transform lives and to help my students change their realities and those of their families with this great door, which is our branch in the USA.
What sets your team apart from others in the region?
We’re more than a team, we’re a family. Everyone helps each other in all areas and no one is left behind. That’s what happened now, as we came third in the Badboy Classic. Some had sponsorship and others got money, those with better purchasing power helped out. We have almost 100% of the students from the branches, as we are a newly formed team. We still have a large number of athletes, but we arrived with quality and made all the podiums in the categories in which we had athletes registered.
Are you considering bringing in young people from the Northeast to strengthen your team?
I’m already working on getting two of them here in the USA. Of these two students, one was from the outskirts of the city and was likely to live in a gang-dominated neighborhood and enter the world of crime. The other lives in the countryside and had no prospect of a better life because he had no opportunities, but he found a chance through sport. So, with the little we have, we sent them both to Blumenau. They train at a project run by a friend of mine and they are in the spotlight and on the national Jiu-Jitsu scene. So the aim is for them to be able to fight in major championships. One of them applied for an American visa, but was denied. We’re rushing to bring them over. When I left Sobral, I told everyone that I was going to open the doors to whoever wanted to. So the priority is my students. However, I have friends outside my team that I’m also reaching out to. We have a team flag, but above that, I raise the flag of Jiu-Jitsu.
