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Felipe Pena is one of the most accomplished Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt competitors in the world. Felipe’s nickname “Preguiça”, which is Portuguese for lazy or sloth, was given to him by one his early coaches “Draculino” when he was a teenager. Despite being overweight when he first started jiu-jitsu, Felipe became motivated to train harder and eventually realize his dream of becoming a world-class professional athlete. Now, Preguiça represents the Gracie Barra academy and is widely regarded as one of the top jiu-jitsu competitors of his generation. He has solidified this status by becoming the 2017 ADCC Absolute Champion,an IBJJF No Gi champion, as well as winning the IBJJF World Championships in both 2018 and 2019.
We talk about how Felipe transformed his innate love of competition into the motivation that fuelled his rapid growth in the art of jiu-jitsu. We explore the early influences on his game and the moment he realised that he had a future as a professional athlete. We also discuss the evolution of his incredible work ethic, a far cry from the Preguiça of his youth, as well as his amazing training camp wars with fellow BJJ champions Marcus Almeida “Buchecha”, Romulo Barral and Leandro Lo. Finally, we look at what the future holds for Felipe, from unaccomplished goals, to super-fights as well as life after competition. -
Professor Octavio Couto, more affectionately known as “Ratinho”, is a 6th degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Romero Cavalcanti, and one of the most innovative and sought-after coaches in the world. Originally competing with Alliance, he was one of seven black belts to form Team Brasa in 2002. A true scholar of the world, Professor Ratinho speaks four languages, and has used his expertise in such projects as incorporating the principles of BJJ into the self-defense program for the Italian Carabinieri Police force. He co-founded and developed the curriculum and operations at AKXE BJJ, the largest academy of Rio de Janeiro, and now travels the world, spreading the gentle art through his seminars.
We talk about his unique philosophies and teaching methods with respect to BJJ, incorporating a deep understanding of body mechanics, movement and connection. We explore his concept of jiu-jitsu as a highly developed form of Dynamic Meditation and all the physical, mental and spiritual benefits that entails. Professor Ratinho also details some of the amazing experiences he has amassed along his journey in coaching both jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts, including stories about his time coaching Fabricio Werdum for some of the sports biggest and most consequential fights. -
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Dr. Kimberley Carder is a clinical psychologist, avid jiu-jitsu practitioner and retired professional MMA fighter. Having grown up in Hong Kong, Dr. Carder, or simply Kim to her friends, has a unique understanding on the mental health climate of international, fast-paced cities. As a human-centered clinician, she adapts her approach to the children, teenagers and adults she works with and draws on her clinical training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Psychodynamic Analysis to help people overcome challenges they face.
We talk about growing up in Asia, her love of combat sports that led to her career as one of the first professional female MMA fighters in in Hong Kong. We discuss what it means to push one’s limits, developing mental and physical aptitudes, and the importance of the mind-body connection - as well as what it means to pursue and even choose between one’s dreams. Kim shares her very timely thoughts on maintaining positive mental health in the often chaotic world we live in and how to overcome the common challenges that almost all of us encounter at some point in our lives. -
Master Carlson Gracie Jr. is the only son of the legendary Grand Master Carlson Gracie Sr. and grandson of the founder of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Carlos Gracie. “Junior” as he is known to his family and friends, started jiu-jitsu at the tender age of three under the direction of his father. He now holds a 6th Degree Black Belt in BJJ, as well as a Black Belt in Judo, and is known throughout the jiu-jitsu community as one of the humblest and most genuine representations of the incredible legacy of Gracie jiu-jitsu. Although based out of his academy in Chicago, Junior also travels around the world hosting seminars that support the growth of jiu-jitsu, providing students everywhere the opportunity to learn from one of the most knowledgeable instructors in the history of the gentle art.
We talk about the singular experience of growing up in the Gracie family during the rough and tumble early days of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, including incredible stories of his famous father that highlight the unique character that was Carlson Gracie Sr.. We discuss what legacy personally means to him, why jiu-jitsu continues to have such an enduring impact, and what the future holds for the martial art as it expands into new communities around the world. -
This episode‘s guest is a good friend of 4STRIPES, who just so happens to be one of the most accomplished and decorated jiu-jitsu athletes of all time. Lucas Lepri is a 9-time black belt World Champion who has won almost every major jiu-jitsu tournament in the world, and is broadly considered the greatest lightweight competitor of his era. To list just a few of his accomplishments: In 2014, Lucas won every major tournament he entered, including winning the World title again in one of the most dominant performances ever. In 2016, he achieved gold again at the 2016 World Championships in a performance universally described as “flawless”. Finally, in 2019 Lucas won his 6th World title with another perfect run, with no points scored on him by anyone, in the most stacked division in the sport. We talk about Lucas’s upbringing in Brazil, his first few years moving as an instructor to New York City, through to the creation of his own academy. We dive deep into his competitive mindset, his regime during training camps and the road to this year’s ADCC. Lucas shares what, if anything, about his approach has changed with time and age, his views on the state of jiu-jitsu today, and finally, how he thinks about his legacy in the sport and art.
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According to Cole Sirucek, you'll fall in love with jiu jitsu if you’re passionate about improving yourself. And you will most certainly will fall in love with Cole for his determination to change the world, and his pearls of wisdom on health, marriage, parenting and business.
Cole and his wife created DocDoc, a health-tech startup, after their infant daugther was suddenly diagnosed with a rare liver condition that required a transplant. Since that time DocDoc has grown into one of Asia’s largest doctor discovery and appointment reservation system, empowering thousands of patients to make data-driven healthcare decisions which are safe, transparent and fair.
In 2012, prior to DocDoc, MIT and Harvard graduated Cole and his partner founded Epic MMA Club in Hong Kong, which at the time was Asia’s largest mixed martial arts training center.
Cole has started his jiu jitsu journey since the mid 1990s. In this episode, he talks about his favourite memories along this journey, how to develop mental fortitude and deal with adversity, the challenges of building a martial arts brand in Asia, and his views on the most important values a parent can instil in their kids. -
David Jacquier is the co-founder of Joint Dynamics Hong Kong. An investment banker turned health and fitness practitioner, David Jacquier brought a personalized conditioning center for all those in Hong Kong who want to train and do it right.
Joint Dynamics is Hong Kong's first multidisciplinary studio combining physiotherapy, massage therapy and personal training. After a successful 20-year long career in investment banking, David created Joint Dynamics to provide an individualised approach to prevention and treatment of movement dysfunction and injury, as well as executive health transformation and high-performance training. David was one of the first who saw the synergy between his business of personalised fitness and 4STRIPES, with its unique jiu jitsu training opportunities and events. In this podcast, David talks about the key components of training for the long-term, common mistakes older athletes make, lifespan vs health-span, and the power of compound interest when it comes to performance and wellness. -
Viking Wong puts Hong Kong on the map in International jiu-jitsu competitions. His dream is to make the sport as accessible as possible.
Viking is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) black belt and an active competitor on the international competition circuit with notable matches against world champions with his aggressive submission style. Before becoming the first Chinese male black belt to qualify and compete at the IBJJF World Championships in 2017, Viking’s first passion lay in the world of fashion. Graduating in fashion design from the renowned London College of Fashion, Viking worked at different design houses including Vivienne Westwood, Burberry and Victoria Beckham, before deciding to launch his own brand. Ever the entrepreneur, upon returning to his native Hong Kong, Viking launched several businesses including Sans Frontières Enterprises, The Openmat and Shoyoroll HK.
We talk about his roots in Hong Kong, what motivates him to such wildly diverse creative pursuits, his views on the competition circuit and his perspectives on the future of the grappling phenomenon in Hong Kong, China and beyond. -
Rodrigo Medeiros is a 5th degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and was part of the famous Carlson Gracie Academy team in the 1980s and 1990s. With $800 in his pocket, that was enough for him to start a revolution when he came to the US from Brazil. That was BJJ Revolution, the franchise that today counts 57 locations around the world. In 2012, Rodrigo Medeiros moved to Hong Kong to found the jiu-jitsu program at EPIC MMA, a ground-breaking martial arts and fitness facility. In this podcast, Professor Medeiros talks about growing up in Brazil, his firsthand experience of Carlson Gracie, that unique moment of time as BJJ took an early foothold in the US, and why jiu-jitsu is the only martial art that works in any situation and can be practiced for as long as one lives. Professor Medeiros also shares his thoughts on building a world class Jiu-Jitsu franchise and team, and the future potential of the sport and practice in Asia.
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Transitioning from sous-chef to head chef is not dissimilar to one's jiu-jitsu journey. Our guest, Vietnamese Chef Que shares his recipe: first, master the fundamentals, but then create your own style. In your restaurant kitchen and in your game. Born in Vietnam, but having moved to New York City as a child, Chef Que grew up in an immigrant family in the Bronx. He then attended the Institute of Culinary Education and apprenticed at the some of the best New York restaurants. Upon moving to Hong Kong, Chef Que launched several successful and much beloved dining concepts including TBLS, Quest by Que, as well as his latest venture, NHAU, an exploration of contemporary Vietnamese cuisine. We talk about the nature of creativity, the difference between chefs and cooks, thinking in first principles and how the journey along the path of mastery is the same, whether it’s in cooking or jiu-jitsu.
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Having oxygen drained from your brain in a choke is only one of the ‘worst case scenarious’ for a grappler. Drawing parallels between business and jiu-jitsu, entrepreneur Alex Lin, shares how inviting such challenges into your life strengthens you spiritually and prepares you for disruption.
