Emmanuela Oliveira 
Roney Edler is one of the Jiu-Jitsu black-belts who have thrived abroad. Born in Ceará, in the northeast of Brazil, Roney is now the leader of Sertão Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, with an academy that works as headquarters in Kansas. In a chat with journalist Vitor Freitas, Roney defined himself as a person who “doesn’t wait, but makes things happen.” That’s how he managed to establish himself in the United States through teaching Jiu-Jitsu.
Having lived in the country for three years, Roney has learned to identify the different aspects that separate teaching methodologies in Brazil and America. According to Roney, to be successful as an entrepreneur in Jiu-Jitsu academies, it is necessary to pay extra attention to beginner students. It is in the success of treating these students that their longevity within the academy lies, consequently leading to fuller classes.
“I think it’s very important, especially for people in Brazil, to start improving the way we teach, because the student needs to have a good experience in the first class. In Brazil, we’re used to throwing white-belts into the jungle and that’s it. In this Brazilian culture, we end up losing a lot of students, because the student doesn’t have a good experience on the mat.”.
Roney Edler mentions the determination of the American student in a country that values sports more
“I have a student who drives an hour to train with me,” Roney said, referring to the American athlete’s determination. For him, this is another noticeable positive point in a country that takes the sport more seriously. Perhaps it is because of this, he points out, that grappling is growing at a fast pace in North American territory.
According to Roney Edler, around 80% of students, between the first contact and attendance at classes, are recruited at Sertão Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. “These are people who come to us wanting to learn Jiu-Jitsu and these people stay.”.
Another tip the black-belt gave in the interview concerns controlling very large classes. In this case, as often happens, the professor ends up losing sight of the beginner students, who need extra attention. “I put my advanced students to help the fundamental students. I make them know that they should help the beginners. We have this philosophy here.”.
