Bernardo Faria recovers from injury, praises Jiu-Jitsu training with Marcelo Garcia

Bernardo Faria on top. Photo: Ivan Trindade/GracieMag

The Jiu-Jitsu Pan Championship 2013 in late March, in Irvine, Calif. was not so good for Alliance athlete Bernardo Faria.

Bronze in the absolute, the black belt from Minas Gerais, Brazil, failed to return Sunday to compete in the super heavyweight. As a result, he lost some positions in the IBJJF ranking and saw Marcus Buchecha, ultra heavyweight and absolute champion, take his position at the top.

The athlete, who is recovering in New York, where he has been training with the star Marcelo Garcia, commented on his rib injury with GracieMag.

“It was kinda serious, my rib clicked in the middle of the (semifinal) fight with Buchecha and from there I had only to defend myself, because I could not move. But now I’m taking care of my recovery and I’ll be back in the Long Beach World Championship, God willing,” said Faria.

And why would a heavy fighter with a solid game be learning from a light and fast athlete like Marcelo Garcia? Bernardo said:

“Training with Marcelo has been a fantastic experience. I’m actually getting to know him better and understanding how he thinks about Jiu-Jitsu, the way he trains. The coolest thing is to see that, as a person, he may be even better than as an athlete. He is very humble and considerate to everyone, so I am learning outside the mats as well,” he said.

About the positions, Faria analyzed: “I’m trying to bring several of his positions to my game, and he has helped me with this. It’s hard for me to completely change my style, but I can add many things to what I do, many details. Not to mention the no-gi Jiu-Jitsu, which I have trained a lot here. I’m feeling a cool evolution.”