For those out there that are unfamiliar with Rodrigo, he is twenty-three year veteran of the BJJ scene and a disciple of legendary world champion Saulo Ribiero. Representing the Gracie Humaita lineage, Rodrigo has won many titles in the world of sport BJJ, including multiple state championships.
“I started training in 1989,” Rodrigo told us about how he got into the sport. “I used to be kind of hyper and get in a lot of trouble so my mother wanted me to channel my energies towards some kind of sport. In Brazil, Jiu Jitsu is a national sport. If you don’t play soccer then you’re doing BJJ so that’s how I got started.
Looking to compete more and more nowadays, Pinheiro decided to go home to Brazil to compete at the IBJJF Rio Open. “It was a pretty tough tournament,” he says. “There were over forty guys in my weight division and I did five matches with each one being very tough. I prepared well though and I’ve been training hard. The result was that I was able to win against some really tough guys.
Beating Eduardo Duda Milioli of Gracie Elite (Rilion Gracie) in the final, Rodrigo capped of his tournament run with the first place medal. Even more impressive was the fact that Milioli ended up moving on to win the absolute division that day after Pinheiro elected not to compete, making his victory over his worthy opponent that much sweeter.
“I think it’s going to be a nice match for everybody and a fun match to compete in. He (Daniel Almeida) is one of the guys that has been a champion so it’s going to be a really good challenge to face him on the mat in Dallas. It’s going to be interesting for my students and everybody to watch us compete.”
As far as future goals, Rodrigo mentioned his main goals in the near future to be expanding his association, beginning with his third school opening up this September. Also in the same month, he plans on fighting in an MMA bout in his native Manaus.
“It’s something I do for fun,” he says of his MMA hobby. “In September, I’m going to fight in the Amazon jungle in my hometown of Manaus. It’s one of the biggest events in the country and this is going to be a really big show. I think Royler Gracie is going to do the main event. Paulo Filho, Ricardo Arona, and a bunch of other guys from the UFC and everywhere will be on the card too so it’s going to be fun for me to do.”
Speaking of fun and hobbies, Rodrigo would like to offer these parting words of advice to our TXMMA readers out there that aspire to make something of themselves in the MMA/BJJ world.
“Whether it’s Jiu Jitsu tournaments or anything else, if you want to be good at something you have to enjoy it. You cannot be forced to do anything and ultimately succeed unless it’s enjoyable for you. Then, if you find out this is something you really like to do, go ahead and put the time and dedication on the mats. There’s no magic or secrets in BJJ. It’s just training. Go put your time into it and the results will come. Try to train hard and have fun doing it. Those are the only secrets.
Rodrigo Pinheiro vs. Eduardo Milioni – Rio Open 2011
Acknowledgements
I want to thank God for the strength that allows me to do everything I’ve been doing. Also I want to thank my sponsors. They’re the ones that support me with money to travel the world and keep doing what I’ve been doing so thanks to Manuel Valdez, Tim Morris, and everybody else that’s supported me and my academies. – Rodrigo Pinheiro
YOU can help us grow Texas MMA! Please take a moment to read this article to see how YOU can help us grow the sport. Please make sure to LIKE TXMMA on Facebook when you get the chance and let us know if you have any feedback on how we can serve you better!
