Interview with Pedro Sauer

6th degree black belt, Professor Pedro Sauer, doing
what he does best...teaching killer Brazilian Jiu
Jitsu techniques

Fighting Stars: Good evening lady’s and gentlemen we are delighted to have with us this evening, Professor Pedro Sauer, the world-class instructor of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Pedro, can you tell us how you got started in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?

Pedro Sauer: I began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with a friend of mine by the name of Rickson Gracie. He was good friend that I knew from my neighborhood and he took me to train Jiu Jitsu. And that’s how I got started.

FS: So was Jiu Jitsu the first martial art that you had studied?

Pedro Sauer: No, I started training in Boxing, Judo and Tae Kwon Do. I was around five years old when I first started training in the martial arts.

FS: And who were your instructors at that time?

Pedro Sauer: In boxing my teacher was Santa Rosa. Judo was Professor Alberto. In Tae Kwon Do it was Master Wo Jae Lee.

Pedro serving up an arm wrap...Brazilian style

FS: And who were some of your martial arts heroes while growing up?

Pedro Sauer: Bruce Lee!

FS: He seems to be everyone’s hero.

Pedro Sauer: Yes sir, I loved watching movies with Bruce Lee.

FS: Did he inspire you to continue in your martial arts training?

Pedro Sauer: Yes, absolutely.

FS: Now I would just like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on earning your 6th degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Pedro Sauer: Yes, Thank you very much.

FS: More so than any other person I believe that the Gracie family seemed to take you under their wing. Can you describe for us what it was like to be a part of this great Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tradition?

Pedro Sauer: It is an incredible family and they have a very good bond. They all have incredible athletic abilities. They are very nice people especially when you get to know them. You learn that they are very simple and very humble people when you get close to them. They know an incredible amount of Jiu Jitsu and they are just incredible people. I have a lot of good things to say about the family. I knew Helio Gracie’s family the best. Helio has always been a very tough, hardcore and very disciplined man. And Rickson was the same and Relson and Rorion also. Everybody was always the same they were tough and well-disciplined and very nice people.

FS: So they were very supportive of you in your training?

Professor Sauer teaches a lesson
in the art of tying knots

Pedro Sauer: Yes, I was a very small guy back then. When I first got my black belt I was only 120 pounds. So I guess Helio and everybody else always figured I was just a little guy and I think they figured I needed more help and maybe some polish because of my size. And today I would just like to say that I am thankful for all the help that I got from them.

FS: Can you tell us some of the key fundamental differences between traditional Japanese Jiu Jitsu and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?

Pedro Sauer: I believe that traditional Japanese Jiu Jitsu has a lot of takedowns and a lot of throws and good joint manipulation. And I believe that in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu we work primarily on the ground. So the grappling aspect and the evolution of Jiu Jitsu was a lot further. I see the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as being a lot more involved in tricks and submissions that require a lot of setups. Traditional Jiu Jitsu was very effective but it was not as detailed in the submission or grappling aspects that one finds in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

FS: Yes, from what I have been able to observe there seems to be a great deal of sophistication in your technique. And from what I have seen you have an incredible ability to impart that knowledge to your students. However, I was wondering if there is any emphasis on striking in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?

Pedro Sauer: Yes, we have a great deal of emphasis on striking. In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu we use a lot of boxing skills that have been incorporated into the striking. What you should do is try to strike from a close range. And with the techniques that I use I like to keep an open mind. I learn a new movement every day from everybody. So, every time I see somebody doing a move. It can be done right or wrong, but either way, I am learning something. I am always learning what to do and what not to do. And I think you should keep yourself humble in always learning and you are never going to see the end of Jiu Jitsu.

FS: What was the most important aspect of your training that made you the champion that you are today?

Pedro Sauer: Well I was not a champion to be honest I was a very small guy and I had incredible matches when I was a kid and what made me different was the numerous hours that I had in private classes with Rickson Gracie and for over 6 years I had private classes with him and the same thing with Helio Gracie I took a lot of private hours with him and Royler Gracie. Every time I had a chance to take some training with one of the Gracie’s I just had to take the opportunity and just do it.

FS: What are some of your favorite Jiu Jitsu techniques?

Pedro Sauer: There are a whole bunch of things in Jiu Jitsu that I love. I love arm bars and I love chokes those are my favorite moves. Yes, I would guess my strongest moves are probably the chokes and the arm bars.

FS: Can you tell us about some of the competitions that you entered into? And what were some of the outcomes of those matches?

Pedro Sauer: I competed several times in Judo matches in Brazil and I took the gold medal in I believe every tournament that I competed in. In Jiu Jitsu I fought a few hardcore guys and I got a few golds, I got a few silvers and I lost a few times. Back in Brazil they didn’t have too many tournaments so we used to go to every tournament and just show up. We went to Judo tournaments, we went to Jiu Jitsu tournaments any time there was a tournament going on we would sign up for it. That was back in the 70s and 80s when there weren’t that many competitions. But the competitions were very hardcore because anyone that was there was a very good Jiu Jitsu practitioner