Seven-times world champion of Jiu-Jitsu, being five of them conquered on the black belt category, Robson Moura, Robinho, gave an exclusive interview to TATAME website, on which he commented the good phase of his pupil Ricardo Demente, talked about the current champion on his category, Guilherme Mendes, and revealed he is out of this year’s CBJJ World.

What do you feel about your pupil’s success, Ricardo Demente?

Demente is a great athlete, I’m very happy with his victories and conquests. It is really good to see he exactly where he belongs to be. But something I don’t get is when people star to talk about Demente as if they were his coach. As far as I’m concerned, Demente is a black belt graduated by me and Nova União, and always have competed as it’s athlete. It is really easy to call him a son after he is already formed.  

When did he start to train with you?

Well, when I got to Ribeirão Preto, Demente was starting his trainings. He was just a boy, had 13 years-old, and I could tell, at that time, he would become a champion, he was born for this. I’m working with him since he was white belt.

How was he on the trainings?

The trainings were great, I’ve always pushed my students and he was one of those who wanted more and more and I knew he was born to be a champion. I used to talk about it a lot, and his last year’s comeback was good for him and for another student of mine, José Carlos Golveto, who helped a lot Demente on his return for the trainings. I was with him on last year’s World and it was great to see he coming back from where he should never have left.

On the other belt categories he was already having good results...

Demente achieved several important Jiu-Jitsu titles since the black belt. He was always with me on the trainings, I used to bring him to Rio so that he could practice on Nova União’s gym. There’s a funny thing about it. In 1999, we were going to Rio to compete the World… There were me, Demente, my wife and a pupil of mine, Rodrigo Ribas, and as we left Ribeirão Preto we got into a car crash, in which I was driving. The car flipped really bad and then it was destroyed, I don’t even know how we left there alive. So I looked at him and said “let’s take a bus and go to Rio”. Rodrigo had to take some time-out and we continued our trip to Rio. We didn’t say anything to anybody and got the title. If I remember it well, Demente got the second place on the juvenile blubelt’s category and was champion. After fighting we told people what had happened.

He took some time-out and then made a comeback last year and got the second place on the World. Do you think your trip to the U.S. made him unmotivated?

There were a lot of things that made him unfocused. On of the main reasons was his change for São Paulo, then the college, the distance from the trainings on Ribeirão and all of this made him unmotivated, but when I travelled to the U.S. he has already gone back to Ribeirão. He, among with two of my black belts, André Ushirobira and Jean Rotodaro, were in charge of Ribeirão’s gym along with the Association we have in that zone. 

Now he’s back to Rio de Janeiro looking for trainings. What do you think of it? Do you think he will evolve with the X-Gym trainings?

We talked a lot about this change of him to Rio. At first I didn’t agree because I thought he should come straight for the U.S., we even looked for gym so he could train on a MMA camp, but after a lot of talking we decides it would be a good thing for him to stay a while in Rio. I think the trainings with Jacaré, André Galvão, Anderson Silva and with all of that structure will be good for him to focus on the trainings.

How is your relationship with him nowadays? Are you always in touch with him?

Our relationship is great, we will always be pupil and master. Not only with him, but with all my students.

Will you fight this year’s World?

I would really like to fight the World, but I’m out this year. I’ve been working a lot on my RMNU Association. But, for sure, I’ll come back eventually.

How do you see your category?

The bantamweight has always been an excellent category, always had great athletes and the fights always are big challenges.

The current champion is Guilherme Mendes. How it would be a fight against him?

Guilherme has been doing a great job, I had the privilege to see him and Rafael starting their trainings when Leo Santos taught with Ramon in Rio Claro. A funny thing is that I helped Leo to do their belt exam… I remember I did Rafael’s, so it’s really nice to see them doing just fine… And, for sure, a fight against Guilherme would be a great battle. 

How is your life in the U.S.?

Life here in the U.S. is great, I’ve been working a lot on my RMNU Association and helping Gustavo Dantas and Bruno Bastos to promote Nova União’s name in America, along with others Nova União’s black belt. Every time I have a fight scheduled, I like to train on Nova União, with Gustavo Dantas, so that’s a thing which doesn’t help me a lot when it comes to competing, because I have to leave my gym, cancel my seminars… It’s a bit complicated.

Do you want to leave a message? 

First of all I would like to send a big hug for everyone on TATAME and all of it’s subscribes. Another for people who follow me during all these years, thank you very much for the support. And stay tuned on my website: www.robsonmoura.com.