Aryzinho touched by promotion. Photos: personal archive.
Ary Farias has a pristine record at the intermediary belts, having won major events like the Worlds and Brazilian Nationals, among so many others. But he has been born anew. Now that he’s a black belt, as GRACIEMAG.com readers already know, the mileage turns back to zero. In the following interview, the Atos representative speaks of his hopes for this new stage and remarks about some career questions that to some may be somewhat controversial.
What will it be at black belt? Will you drop or move up in weight classes, now your team has Bruno Frazatto and Rafael Mendes at featherweight?
Man, I’m going to do what’s best for the team. I’m a robot, they give orders and I obey the rules.
What does your new rank mean to you? What do you feel it will be like fighting at black belt?
It means a lot. When Sensei Ramon Lemos tied the belt around my waist, everything I’ve been through in life flashed through my head and I realized that was the moment I was missing. I looked around and saw my dad and brothers with me, I saw the great team I train with, everyone in the room all sending me positive energy. There’s no way to explain it, I felt rock solid, it’s inexplicable! I’d been preparing for that moment since I first stepped into a dojo. I’d been through sad and happy moments. I feel everyone has their day, and now it’s mine! It will be a great honor to compete against the best of them and I’ll be pleased as punch to compete against each and every one of those professionals.
Ramon Lemos fastens the belt.
You’ve trained at academies other than Atos. What are your thoughts on that?
I couldn’t be prouder to say I come from team Asle, in Manaus, and CheckMat. The experience I had with Ronaldo Jacaré was really important and Ricardo Vieira was a role model in my life. I can only thank them for having taught me what they did and the way they taught me. They provided me an array of options before I made it to black belt. And this belt is theirs too.
Do you get upset when people criticize you for that?
I feel there will always be things to criticize and I always try to correct my mistakes so I won’t make them again. I try to see where I’m going wrong and I try to fix that part of me. I’m not perfect, I’m always messing up, but the one thing I don’t lack is the desire to do what’s right. The outsiders who don’t know what’s going on, how it’s going on, they take it out on me. I try to do what’s right for my future and my career. So if I left those teams, it was for some reason and not everything in life has to have meaning or an explanation. Jiu-Jitsu is my school, college, post-grad, masters, doctorate… I want to do everything right so I won’t be beat. The most important thing is to I’m happy with the team I’m at and the people by my side, now.
Team Atos in Rio Claro.
Will you be participating in the big events in 2011?
Of course. I’m all charged up for the big competitions in the Jiu-Jitsu scene. It will be the greatest pleasure and satisfaction to go up against all those sinister lions.