Check out this article from Gracie Mag CEO Luca Atalla’s blog. Neglecting the nutritional aspect of the Jiu Jitsu lifestyle is one of the biggest mistakes a practitioner can make. Atalla’s shares a moment from the beginning of his journey into the Jiu Jitsu life style and how he was inspired by the diet of Master Carlos Gracie Jr.

Last night, I went to Gracie Barra Dana Point, house of my big friends Flavio and Ricardo Almeida, for a 30-minutes, quick Jiu-Jitsu training session.

After the workout, Coach Scott Pearson asked me to give the final message for the class, and introduced me as the person in Gracie Barra who understands the most about nutrition.

That was too kind but not true, Gracie Barra is a huge organization, and many people know more than I do about the subject, Master Carlos Gracie, Jr. himself being the most notable of them. But, anyways, that “title” gave me a big responsibility on talking to a group of white, blue and purple belts, many of them already a parent, about such important matter.

Jiu-Jitsu way of eating, to me, means fruits

Before starting my speech, I looked to the big pictures of Master Carlos Gracie, Sr. and Master Carlos Gracie, Jr. framed in the wall, and right away felt them besides me as if they were physically present. I immediately was pumped with confidence.

I spoke of course about the importance of eating mainly fruits and vegetables instead of the traditional cooked food, and remembered the time I started to work and live in Master Carlos Gracie, Jr. home, back in 1994, when I came to see to box of guavas, apples, mangos and bananas all over his kitchen, pantry and backyard, and how that unusual view had a huge impact on me.

Carlinhos used to eat (and does it until today) cooked food only once a day.

I’m a Jiu-Jitsu evangelist, and I believe that Jiu-Jitsu may help a person’s life in many ways. But when I say Jiu-Jitsu I’m not talking only about the obvious benefits of training in the mats. Perhaps where Jiu-Jitsu can help the most is when you acquire the entire Jiu-Jitsu philosophy conscience, and looking for nutrition’s habits that may impact in a better living for you and your children is a sign you are getting there.

Now let me go. My 2-years old daughter is asking me for some more broccoli.

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