THE STORY BEHIND

In early 2021, when we were all in lockdown, I spontaneously decided to visit my BJJ professor, Broa, in his hometown of Recife, Brazil. Originally planned for three weeks, the visit quickly extended to six. Together with him and two other friends, we trained in numerous dojos in and around Recife, enjoying the wonderful time in Brazil.

Vacations in such a country are amazing for tourists, but, as we know, every coin has two sides. Through my coach, I saw how life is in the many favelas. The people there have much less than us in Switzerland, Germany, or Austria. It's easy to forget how grateful we should be for what we have. It was remarkable to see how people there remain calmer and happier compared to us, even though they have so little.

The wonderful thing about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the incredibly respectful and familial atmosphere, maintained from the youngest to the oldest. This introduced me to kind-hearted people whose stories deeply touched me. Two individuals stand out in my memory: Jairo Santos (in the center of the picture) and Renan Bastos (on the right). Jairo is a BJJ professor and has been running his school in Ibura since 2019, and Renan is the head coach of the BJJ school in Pina.

My goal for this trip was to collaborate with Jairo and Renan to establish good infrastructure in the favelas. We aim to lead more social projects that rescue children, teenagers, and adults from the streets. The focus is on providing them with the opportunity to have a safe space away from all the problems.

It's crucial to look beyond our own experiences. All students should have the chance to learn English alongside BJJ. This creates an ideal platform that offers a new opportunity for everyone involved.