Roberto Pedreira: I wanted to learn how to make a web site. I was already writing for Black Belt magazine and some others. The magazines paid me (except for Karate Bushido in France, whose check bounced), but they also changed my content and demanded the copyrights. I wanted to control my content, retain my copyrights, and also publish the articles in a form that would remain accessible for a long time. I get paid nothing for this, but that's ok.

Eddie: Where are you currently living?

Roberto Pedreira: I currently live in Chigasaki, Japan (20 minutes south of Yokohama), about 10 months of the year. Chigasaki is famous for surfing in Japan. The rest of the year I live in Pattaya, Thailand.

Eddie: What martial arts have you studied?

Roberto Pedreira: I studied boxing, muay thai, kali, silat, judo, hapkido, savate, non-sport taekwondo. goju-ryu karate, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, free-style and Greco-Roman wrestling. I'm not an expert at any of them. I like some more than others, but with the exception of taekwondo, none was a complete waste of time, although goju-ryu came very close. Any style that involves contact and resisting opponents and sparring that fairly closely resembles the real thing is good, as far as I'm concerned.

Eddie: Which style do you think is best for self defense?

Roberto Pedreira: None. The best style for self defense is common sense and self control. However, it is useful to back up common sense and self control with training and my personal opinion is that if you can only do one style and you have competent instruction and training facilities and partners, then the best would be muay Thai. That is for a lot of reasons, including how you are going to explain the damage you did when the cops arrive, the potential for self-injury, etc. That is assuming you can only do one. Obviously, the best way is to train striking, standing grappling, and ground together as an integrated whole. Which is what I try to do as much as possible.

Eddie: It is hard to know from your writing what your nationality is. What is your native country?

Roberto Pedreira: I went to school in the USA (Berkeley, CA, and Austin, Texas) and I have an American passport.

Eddie: Is Roberto Pedreira your real name?

Roberto Pedreira: It isn't precisely the one my parents gave me, but it is just as real.

Eddie: When did you first hear about the Gracies?

Roberto Pedreira: About 1992, in Seoul, Korea. A guy showed up from the states with the first Rorion and Royce instructional tapes. I knew nothing about grappling at that time but tried the uppah escape from the mount and was impressed, because the technique was simple, logical, and worked. My first chance to actually train with (more accurately, near) a Gracie was in January 1995 at Rickson's old academy at 11054 Pico, in West LA. For about 6 months prior to that I was serving as a practice dummy for a relatively unknown (so far) but great fighter/coach named John Frankl, who was already at Rickson's. So I learned most of the most basic escaping movements from him. At the time, I considered myself a stand up specialist. I didn't naively think "I won't go to the ground", but I did think that I already knew more about ground fighting than people who didn't specifically train for the ground, and I thought that was adequate for my needs. But at some point I decided to get more deeply into it. I didn't really know who Rickson was at the time either, but since John was there, I decided to go there too. John by the way recently got his black belt, after "only" eight years of consistent hard core training and will be opening his own academy in Chico, California in July. He also is the man who introduced Brazilian jiu-jitsu to Korea, and probably one of the most intelligent people in the world. Anyway, between 1994 or 1995 and 1998 I trained at Rickson's Academy for a total of about 7-8 months. Whenever I was passing through the USA, to or from Brazil, I would try to spend a few weeks or a month at Rickson's and also at the Inosanto Academy. But most of my training has been in Japan and Brazil.

Eddie: What was it like training with Rickson?

Roberto Pedreira: I didn't train with Rickson. He was preparing for the Japan Vale Tudo 95 (I think it was) and didn't teach much. On Tuesday and Thursday he did advanced classes but I didn't go to those. Due to the fact that I was still clueless.

Eddie: So you didn't get a chance to meet Rickson?

Roberto Pedreira: I met him the same way everyone there met him. He was there a lot in the afternoon, just hanging around or passing the time or whatever. I didn't have anything to tell him so I didn't try to talk to him, and as far as jiu-jitsu went, his assistants (Luis, Mauricio, Jason) could help me perfectly well. I was still at the stage of trying to understand the uupah escape so what Rickson had to teach was far beyond what I could have comprehended then (and probably now too).

Eddie: Did you detect a sort of super star aura around Rickson?

Roberto Pedreira: Far from it. He just seemed like another guy there, friendly and easygoing. No one, even new white belts, made any big show of exaggerated respect. No one called him sensei or anything like that. He was just Rickson.

Eddie: Are you a Rickson fan?

Roberto Pedreira: Sure, in general, but for jiu-jitsu, his game is too advanced for me to understand. I don't try to do jiu-jitsu like him, if that's what you mean.

Eddie: Then who does inspire you for jiu-jitsu?

Roberto Pedreira: I like anyone who is versatile (guard and passing games, standing and ground games), adaptable, and attack oriented, but strategic. Also guys who have more or less normal physical attributes. Also guys who stick pretty close to the fundamentals. And guys who look for the finish.

Eddie: Are you still teaching Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil and what school do you represent?

Roberto Pedreira: I never taught jiu-jitsu in Brazil!!! Everyone I met in Brazil knew more than I did. Not until my third trip did I meet anyone that I could sweep or tap. I knew nothing to teach anyone about jiu-jitsu. Now if anyone had asked me about muay Thai, I might have had something to teach them, but no one did, and I was first and foremost there to learn from them. I trained at many academies in Rio de Janeiro, mostly Master Alliance, Dojo, and Corpo Quatro, and one in Sao Paulo called the Top Form Academy run by Prof. Ricardo Kowarick) but I do not represent any of them.

Eddie: What is your belt level?

Roberto Pedreira: Still a beginner after 8 years. Still trying the get the basics right.

Eddie: What city or cities in Japan is Jiu-Jitsu most popular or prevalent? (For example: California is the Mecca for jiu-jitsu in the U.S. and Rio)

Roberto Pedreira: Jiu-jitsu is popular in Tokyo of course, and any city where there are a lot of Brazilians and a qualified instructor. There are many academies between the two biggest cities of Tokyo and Osaka. There are some good Japanese instructors, Yuki Nakai, for example, but most of them are teaching jiu-jitsu in the context of mixed martial arts. For them, jiu-jitsu is basically shooto (or shoot fighting) with a gi.

Eddie: Who is the most egotistical fighter you have ever met?

Roberto Pedreira: With only a few exceptions, all the interviews in GTR are translations done by myself or by Yoko Kondo, from Japanese and Brazilian magazines. So I hardly ever interview anyone. But I've talked to many fighters and teachers. None of them was egotistical, although Tra Telligman and Jason Delucia seemed unusually fixated on justifying why they lost to Vitor Belfort (Tra) and Royce Gracie (Jason).

Eddie: Out of all the martial arts you have practiced is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu the one you enjoy most?

Roberto Pedreira: Probably, because of the rolling and because there's something new to learn everyday, unlike boxing or muay Thai where the tools are few and easy to learn and the art is in perfecting the timing and other elements needed to execute in competition. Based on my limited knowledge of judo and wrestling, I think one could say that about them too. The techniques that you need to win are relatively few, and most athletes practice getting more efficient at a few high percentage techniques rather than learning more and more techniques of questionable effectiveness. I may be wrong, but that's how it seems to me. Don't misunderstand this to be a criticism of boxing etc. The fact that boxing etc techniques are relatively few and simple to learn is an excellent thing, especially if you have upcoming contests to keep you motivated. If you don't have, then perfecting one or two techniques could get boring after a few years and learning a new move now and then would be stimulating. I suppose some jiu-jitsu guys get to the point where they are learning relatively fewer new moves because they know so much already, but I'm no where near that. That's why I like jiu-jitsu best. That and the rolling. With or without gi, it's all good.

Eddie: Do you practice jiu-jitsu for self-defense, sport or both?

Roberto Pedreira: Originally for self-defense and to have a more rounded game, but now just because I like doing it.

Eddie: Do you still study hapkido?

Roberto Pedreira: No, but I like to see if I can find set ups that will allow me to do some of the hapkido joint locking techniques. It's a challenge but it can be done, sometimes. They work best from standing up, of course.

Eddie: What is the meaning of the word,"Yamato Damashii" I know it is a tattoo that Enson Inoue has on his back but would like more information regarding this mind set or attitude if you can possibly expand upon it. I find this subject fascinating as I have read the works of Eiji Yoshikawa (A book of five rings) and the life of Sadaharu Oh. Each of these individuals spoke about the concept of "Body of a Rock" which I believe is related to Yamato Damashii.

Roberto Pedreira: It means "Japanese spirit", in particular the spirit of old Japan (which was called Yamato). It is more or less synonymous with "fighting spirit", or "not giving up", "no surrender". Japanese fans like this and when foreign fighters use such expressions it seems to please them. It was promoted by the Japanese military during World War Two to encourage the people to make more sacrifices when they were under pressure from the American Army and Navy. Thanks to "Yamato Damashii" Japan would defeat the weak, self-centered sissy Americans and impose enlightened Japanese rule on all of Asia, and eventually the world. As it turned out the Japanese people did make all the sacrifice that the Japanese military asked them to, and more, but in the end it didn't help. On the contrary, it hurt tremendously. I don't think it helps fighters either. But the fans like it, even if the younger ones have no idea that, like most of what people now think is traditional Japanese culture, Yamato Damashii was actually invented during the 30's as a tool for controlling and exploiting the population in the service of military ambitions for conquest and empire. (Sorry about the digression!)

Eddie: Many jiu-jitsu masters have emigrated to the United States to teach (mine included) is their primary purpose because of money?

Roberto Pedreira: I don't know about primary, but it for sure can't be a small consideration. Being unemployed in Brazil is no fun at all. But in addition, I guess they must enjoy teaching and they probably also like certain aspects of life in the USA and other countries.

Eddie: Many predict that the United States will eventually have equal jiu-jitsu skill to the Brazilians, do you espouse this idea as well?

Roberto Pedreira: It makes sense to me that if enough people do anything long enough, they will get very good at it. The Japanese had a big head start in judo, and similarly the Brazilians (in Rio at least) had a big head start in jiu-jitsu. Thais are good at muay Thai, Koreans are good at taekwondo, Filipinos are good at kali. It is merely a matter of how many people are doing it and how long they've been doing it.

Eddie: I wanted to learn more about De La Riva, will you interview him more extensively in the future?

Roberto Pedreira: I might the next time I go to Rio, but I don't know when that will be. Or maybe the next time he comes to Japan. He's an interesting guy, and possibly the only person in Brazil who doesn't have enemies. He's the only one in Rio who nobody dislikes, according to many Brazilians I talk with. Believe it or not, there are a lot of people in Rio who don't like the Gracies, but no one doesn't like De La Riva. He is regarded as the quintessential technician. One of his students, former Pride HW champion Rodrigo Antonio Nogueira, said recently in Tokyo "I've tried and I've tried, but I still can not pass professor's guard". On the other hand, from my experiences with him, he doesn't talk much, so an interview might not be all that revealing. Could be better to just train at his academy, if you have the chance.

Eddie: Have you ever seen live sword sparring in Japan? I understand one of the ryu's called Katori Shinto Ryu practices using a live blade.

Roberto Pedreira: Never saw it.

Eddie: In the past many Jiu-Jitsu practitioners have been criticized for not working on their take down skills. Have you seen any changes in Brazil since you have been there in reference to a great emphasis on improvement in take down skills?

Roberto Pedreira: As long as you can pull guard in a jiu-jitsu contest, you can get by without great takedown skills. If you want to have better takedowns, then you have to spend time working on takedowns. Most jiu-jitsu guys prefer to spend that time of ground grappling. Obviously, the guys that are competing in events like Abu Dhabi, UFC, Pride and so on, they need better take-downs and defenses and most of them are working on that, and some have become very good. They tend to be the guys whose jiu-jitsu is already at a high level. Less advanced guys have to decide where their priorities are. They may be restricted by what their instructor wants to devote class time to. But the basic wrestling techniques (double leg, single leg, high crotch) are not complicated. Once you can do them, it is just a question of drilling with a live opponent. Anyone can do that after class or before. Wrestlers do this. One guy takes a shot, the other guy defends. They alternate like this maybe 20 times. Do this every day and pretty soon you will have serviceable takedowns. If you mean judo throws, then you can do what the judokas do, which is called uchikomi. One guy stands there and the other guy sets up the throw. Usually 20 times for each of about 4 or 5 of the basic throws, and then they switch. These drills are good for both offense and defense. Don't ask me why more jiu-jitsu guys don't do them.

Eddie: In your article "Corpo Quatro" Sylvio Behring spoke about Xadrez, which is a way of training Jiu-Jitsu like chess. Have you seen or employed this method to accelerate your learning of Jiu-Jitsu. If so has it been successful?

Roberto Pedreira: Actually, I haven't used it much. It's hard to explain to other guys the process sometimes and most guys like rolling. But it's a good idea and probably I'll try to do it more in the near future. Thanks for reminding me. The best way that I have found for improving my jiu-jitsu is to concentrate on one position at a time and forget about tapping or not tapping. For example, the bottom guy works kimura variations, and omoplatas, from every possible set up and the guy in guard tries to go with the technique and find where the holes and exits and counters are, and at what point his base is lost, etc. It can be very instructive for both guys. A lot of instructors say something like "you can't improve if you never tap". I can't disagree with that. I also agree with Rickson who said you should train at 50% intensity most of the time and without gi about half the time. Not only because he said it but also because I noticed improvement after I tried it. One more drill that helps is to play pass the open guard, with or without gi, with neither guy using ands, or at least not grabbing cloth.

Eddie: Your interview with Orlando Cani was fascinating. Have you ever trained personally with him or utilized any yogic techniques in your training?

Roberto Pedreira: Actually the interview was conducted by Paulo Ruy Barboso. I have not met Orlando personally, and I don't specifically use yogic techniques, unless I'm doing something that is yogic that I'm not aware of, which is very possible, because most of the people I learned jiu-jitsu from learned Ginastica Natural from Orlando Cani, or from someone who learned from him. As everyone knows, Rickson is a believer in yoga, and it hasn't hurt him any. Leka Vieira was big time into the Cani movements too, it seemed to me.

Eddie: I have heard of jiu-jitsu exercises performed in Brazil called "Kempo." Perhaps my spelling is off but have you ever heard of these exercises and do you do any special exercises for flexiblity and strength other than weight lifting?

Roberto Pedreira: Never heard of kempo in Brazil, other than what Orlando says in his interview, I never heard anything about it. Personally, in addition to high reps weight training, I spend a lot of time with the heavy bags. Working the bags is hard to beat. It's not an accident that boxing gyms have heavy bags.

Eddie: In your interview entitled,"Academia Shoto-kan" you said you didn't like the culture of the Japanese dojo very much. Can you elaborate on this statement and perhaps contrast the way Brazilian jiu-jitsu dojos are run?

Roberto Pedreira: Just what I wrote. The Shotokan dojo was run like any dojo anywhere. Something like a religion or military organization. You do what you're told and everyone does it the same way. You have no idea whether any of it will work, for yourself, or for anyone. Some people like this way of training. I did it myself for about five years, and I don't like it. A jiu-jitsu academy is more like a laboratory where you make experiments. You find out what works and what doesn't work. I like this way. This is just me. Everyone can train the way they want to. There are plenty of options out there.

Eddie: I couldn't help but laugh as I read your Mario Miglio Luta Livre academy report, especially reading that your consistent attendance was rewarded with his (Mario Miglio ) consistent absence. Did you ever find or see a Luta Livre academy and did you ever get to meet Mario Miglio?

Roberto Pedreira: Never did. Problem was there were so few Luta Livre academies at the time (maybe now too), and I didn't have the time to go out searching for them. Maybe next time.

Eddie: Who is the strongest person pound for pound you have ever grappled with?

Roberto Pedreira: The best guys were not generally the strongest. Or at least, you couldn't sense their strength because their technique was so good. I didn't grapple with anyone in the Carlson Academy. Probably I would have felt strength there. As Carlson says, when the other guy also has technique, then strength is important, and Carlson guys tend to stress strength more than the Humaita guys, the Barra guys, the Alliance guys, and the various other guys. But De La Riva was originally a Carlson guy, so it's hard to generalize.

Eddie: If you could interview any living martial artist today who would it be?

Roberto Pedreira: Someone, anyone, who has been around forever but whose version of jiu-jitsu history in Brazil we haven't heard yet. Helio Vigio for example (of course he is known in Rio), or any old guys like that. The only version we have really heard has been Rorion's and I have meet a few older guys and researchers who claim that Rorion's version is slanted, to say the least. But I'd much rather interview Paul McCartney or Pete Townsend than any martial arts person.

Eddie: Would you ever like to write a book on martial arts? If so what would the title or subject be?

Roberto Pedreira: I'm planning to do it. It's in the works. Subject is jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai from an anthropological point of view.

Eddie: Have you ever heard of a martial art called Systema? If so what is your opinion of it?

Roberto: I haven't heard of it.

Eddie: When was the first time you met Rickson Gracie and do you still stay in contact with him?

Roberto Pedreira: Met Rickson at his academy in January or February 1995. He wasn't teaching that day but was just watching me (maybe my second or third class) get crushed by a big body builder type guy who kept putting his forearm in my throat and leaning heavy on it. Rickson saw this and, without getting up, gestured how to deal with the situation-parry the guy's elbow across his centerline, trap his arm against my chest, and wrap my arm around his head, and take his back. This was very effective and a move I still use. After the class I worked out some variations with my friend and coach John Frankl, who I mentioned earlier. From that position you can sweep, and you can choke. It's jiu-jitsu in action, very simple, logical, and it works.

Obviously, I met Rickson many times, because I was at his academy 3-4 times a week. He never taught any of the classes that I attended, but he was often just hanging around. I also met him in Japan at Pride 2 (Royler was fighting Yuhi Sano). However I don't know him well enough to keep any kind of personal contact. He wouldn't even recognize me if I met him again.

Eddie: Have you ever grappled with Rickson?

Roberto Pedreira: I have not, but several friends have. One says Rickson is different from everyone else. In this sense, "Renzo, Royce, Royler and most other guys are a million times better than we are, but they are doing the same jiu-jitsu that we are doing. Rickson is doing a different jiu-jitsu, his own. Mainly his sensitivity is at a much higher level. You know what he's going to do, and you know what to do to stop him, but you can't stop him. And then you are tapping." (interestingly, he mentioned that B.J. Penn had this unusual level of sensitivity too). Another asked Rickson where his jiu-jitsu came from. Rickson said (35% from his family, 65% he made up).

Eddie: What are two or three of the main differences (differences such as discipline, class curriculum, approachability etc.) between training in Japan and Brazil?

Roberto Pedreira: You mean training jiu-jitsu, or training in general? Things that are considered traditional martial arts in some way in Japan tend to be extremely formalized, structured, and even ritualized. The Japanese believe that the right way to teach beginners anything (including cooking, flower arranging, foreign languages, sex, anything) is to break everything down into named steps and to follow an exact sequence, and that the teacher knows all the answers and the student doesn't know anything worth knowing yet. It isn't always bad method in general. Everything is exactly the opposite in Brazil. However, jiu-jitsu can't be learned like this, so jiu-jitsu in Japan is taught the same way it is taught in Brazil. The only difference is that classes begin and end on time and students bow to the instructor before and after class. Boxing in Japan is taught in the same step by step method, but there is no bowing in a boxing gym, so it sort of depends on whether the activity is categorized as traditional Japanese (even though the bowing part is a recent innovation), or as Western.

Eddie: When you teach does part of your curriculum entail teaching the self-defense techniques Helio Gracie taught to his sons?

Roberto Pedreira: I don't teach, I coach. I try to help everyone with whatever it is that they want to learn. I also try to emphasize the things that I am personally working on, so lately that would be no gi takedowns, and especially upper body throws. However, everything must involve a resisting opponent, as soon as the basic movement is understood.

Eddie: You mentioned meeting and working with Dan Inosanto on occasion. Have you trained in Kali, JKD and other arts and do you still practice them?

Roberto Pedreira: I trained at the Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts in LA for about 10 months in 1994-1995, and for a couple more months in 1997 and 1998. I took almost all of the classes that were offered. I learned from Guru Dan himself, Chad Stahelski (kickboxing, kali), Erik Paulson (shooto, kali), Larry Hartsell (who missed almost every class, but promised to show up next time for sure, "unless something comes up".) Fred Ginn (boxing), Damon Caro (kali). Yori Nakamura (shooto), Ron Balicki (kali, muay Thai), Nick Saignoc (savate), and Salem Asseli (savate). I didn't take the silat classes but learned the silat from a guy who did, the same John Frankl I mentioned earlier. I don't train these styles as such anymore, but I have retained what is useful. I do the kali stick drills as a warm up. As Eric Knauss (Dog Brothers founder) once said, there are only about two kali techniques that work (a hard fast forehand and a hard fast backhand) and one defense for each ("many are taught, few work" Eric says). I occasionally teach these mainly because they are so simple and so effective. My interest in kali was and is purely to avoid getting hit with sticks or cut by knives and doing stick or knife patterns just doesn't seem to be useful for that. I also try to incorporate silat moves into standing take down drills. I don't mean they'd necessarily be the right moves to try in a vale tudo, but in other contexts, they can be more appropriate than tackling, pulling guard, smashing guy's face with your elbow, etc.

Eddie: Did you ever hear the time that Gene Lebell tapped out Bruce Lee on one of Lee's movie sets? Gene was there as choreographer.

Roberto Pedreira: I asked Gene LeBell that question myself, and many others, when his agent offered to make an interview. However, Gene never answered any of the questions. Too bad, because there were some good questions. So I can't tell you what happened with Bruce Lee.

Eddie: Which do you enjoy most: Writing or practicing the martial arts? Or is their specific enjoyment derived from each one?

Roberto Pedreira: Without a doubt, I prefer training. I like writing, but if I didn't train, I would write about different things (which I did before I started writing about training-I wrote about music, and about Asian politics and history).

Eddie: Do you have a chance to watch many of the Pride or Shooto fights in person?

Roberto Pedreira: When I was covering the Japanese fight scene for the magazines I mentioned earlier, I saw all the Prides, Pancrases, and K-1's in person. In the case of Pride, they charged the Japanese press for the privilege of taking pictures and sitting close to ringside. Black Belt wasn't about to cough up any money, so my seats were always far away from the ring. I got a better view by going out into the hall and watching on the monitors. The Pancrase and K-1 seats were good though. Now I prefer to watch the edited versions on video.

Eddie: Have you ever fought in vale tudo style or had a desire to do so?

Roberto Pedreira: Have not. Too old to do it now, but I think I would have wanted to do it at once, for experience. But only once.

Eddie: Do you believe like many NHB fans that the NHB will eventually take over in popularity to boxing?

Roberto Pedreira: I don't think there is the slightest possibility that this will ever happen.