Alexandre Paiva

By Roberto Pedreira

      Paiva encouraged me to roll. Not just to train, but specifically to roll. Rolling is good. Rolling is indispensable. But I roll all the time. I don't get a chance to observe people who have just won gold medals in the black belt division of the Mundial all the time, not in person and up close. I particularly wanted to study Paiva because he is one of Jacare’s most technical students and while you can't really learn much from watching cascagrosas, you can learn a lot by watching  macetosos like Royler and DelaRiva--and Paiva). Paiva invited me to roll with him personally. This would be even better. I hadn’t had many chances to roll with black belt world champions at that point. Training in one academy is like training in another academy, even if different academies somewhat slightly emphasize different things. But rolling with a black belt world champion is always a unique experience. I eagerly accepted the invitation.

      Paiva pulled to guard and tried to sweep with the sweep he had just taught in the posiçaos part of the class. Since I had just watched him teach the move, I halfway expected him to open with it, and so I managed to keep my base when he did. I couldn't pass his guard however—no surprise there.  He changed to a different sweep, one that I had seen but wasn't accustomed to, a variation on the "Roleta" sweep that everyone in Rio is rushing to add to his repertoire, ever since Roberto Magalhães introduced it to the world in Mundial 1996. This was harder to avoid. “Roleta” sweeps sneak up on you in a very deceptive way.

      Paiva knew I had written an article featuring his friend Sergio Malibu for Black Belt , (July, 1998) and another on his professor Jacare for Martial Arts Illustrated (August, 1999). Jiu-jitsu stars like Paiva are staples of the Brazilian arte marciai revistas, but even a small spread in one of the American mags is something special. It is a sign that you are making it internationally, which is a stepping stone to some of the mega-money the Japanese have been dishing out lately. He had also just opened an academy in San Diego, and a little free advertising couldn’t hurt.

       One hundred and fifty of his 200 students at his former location in upper Leblon had followed him down the street to his present academy, on the 4th floor of the Rio Sports Fitness Club at Rua Visconde de Piraja 151, about three blocks north of Mehdi Judo in Ipanema. Not only students, but friends and family too. Sergio Malibu now trains there in the mornings, the better to win more titles and promote the business he runs with Paiva (Hot Blood Fightwear). Paiva’s wife Daniella, trains in the afternoons, in preparation for future matches against her arch-rival Leka.

      Paiva’s personal style is technical, but tough guys like Claudio Morena (99 Mundial super heavy black belt bronze medalist) are welcome there too. Paiva rolls with everyone, and never complains. That’s how he became a champion, Jacare says.