GB Value Series | Integrity

We continue our value series, understanding how our training builds more than physical strength. When we step off the mats, we are better versions of ourselves. We learned last week from Professor Flavio Almeida that Brotherhood is going above one's own needs and helping to fight for something larger than ourselves.

This week we hear from Professor Marcio Feitosa on what Integrity means to him as a competitive athlete. Integrity in competition requires athletes to fight with honor and respect. As a Gracie Barra athlete, you represent the red shield, keeping the legacy alive and honoring our predecessors and traditions that have come before us. Integrity starts at a place of humility as we must honor our legends and respect the process to be a positive force of change. 

Professor Marcio Feitosa, a 6th degree Black Belt began training with Master Carlos Gracie Jr. in 1988. Feitosa was born in Rio de Janeiro and raised in Barra da Tijuca, and when he was 12 years old, he began studying Jiu-Jitsu.

Since 15, Feitosa has been an instructor, starting as an assistant in Barra da Tijuca, and later as the head instructor of Gracie Barra Headquarter in the US in Irvine, California. Professor Marcio now plays a role in the continued development of the Gracie Barra School’s support platforms and assists in developing the Instructors Certifications Program (ICP).

In 2013, Feitosa was ranked one of the Top 10 fighters of all time by the BJJ Heroes website; in this same year, he was an inductee for the GB Legacy Award. As an athlete throughout his career, he has collected many competition titles such as 3x IBJJF World Champion and ADCC Submission Wrestling World Champion.

When asked about his early time with Master Carlos Gracie Jr., he recalled very fondly that Master Carlos had taken on a father figure role for him at the young age of 14 when his father left home. Even though his family did not have enough money to continue to train when they fell on hard times, Master Carlos insisted he assistant teach class, and then he could keep training.

He found a second home at the school.  He said that “Master Carlos and Gracie Barra were the people and the place that I felt secure. It helped me go through my teenage years.  Having him and having my teammates at Gracie Barra was big for me.”

For Professor Marcio, it was because of his deep commitment to his GB family that he continued to compete during these difficult times when competitions were not as well run as they are today. He wanted to honor that gift by being a positive force for change.

“Since the beginning, since I began teaching and competing, Master Carlos continued saying that we are a continuation of his family...and he keeps this integrity despite the challenges and different interests that come with being the head of IBJJF and the Founder of Gracie Barra. The fact that he has kept his promise, his integrity, for the past 33 years, for me, was the main source of inspiration for my continued dedication to competing through my kids' belts and adult belts. I continued with this focus and effort throughout my competitions because of Master Carlos’s integrity, and I wanted to continue to fight for my family.  I have continued my work with Gracie Barra after I was done with competing, with the same effort and focus I had when I was training for competition.”

Professor Marcio explained that other teams sometimes approached him during his active competitive career and often promised stuff if he would come to fight and represent them. Professor said that he never once considered what other teams could offer him because he was always coming from a place of humility and gratitude for the gift he was receiving for being a part of the Gracie Barra Family. 

“Sometimes athletes get taken off the path because they stop too much to evaluate and judge if their team is offering the best training possible so that they get what they need to be in the best shape possible for competitions.  For me, it was what I could do for Gracie Barra, not what they did for me. This gave me an edge because I never doubted that my training and teammates were more than I deserved. This allowed me just to focus 100% of my efforts on training and preparing.”

For Professor Marcio, Integrity as a competitor was about following the example Master Carlos Jr. set when he always stayed true to his words. It was about believing in the family that Master Carlos was building so much that being a Jiu-Jitsu athlete was about giving back to that family and not what he was getting from that family. He showed integrity because he understood that having a deep commitment to the traditions and contributions of those who came before him was more important than any personal gain he could get from winning competitions.

Stay tuned for upcoming CompNet Tournaments in your region. 

Blog Written by Dawn Korsen - Gracie Barra Purple Belt