KombatClinic.com: Hi Rubens, many thanks for agreeing to give us your time for this interview, as I know you are very busy with seminars and training at the moment; can we start with a little background to your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, your first teachers and peers as you progressed through the ranks and the Jiu Jitsokas that you competed against as a white, blue and purple belt?

Could you tell us a little about your first experiences with BJJ and in particular competing?

Rubens ‘Cobrinha’ Charles Maciel: I started jiu jitsu in 2000 and my first instructor was Mauro Pacifico. I was introduced to the sport by a friend who owned a martial arts school and had started a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu program. As a white belt, I did some competitions, but it was always just for fun. Even as a blue belt and purple belt, I was learning jiu jitsu and competing just for fun. I had success at those early tournaments, and I trained very hard despite the fact that it was primarily for fun. At brown belt, I became more serious about the sport – quit my jobs and moved to Sao Paulo to train under Terere. There were a lot of excellent training partners at TT, including Andre Galvao.

KC: Over the years how have you seen Brazilian Jiu Jitsu change? Obviously the popularity for the sport is growing remarkably is the passion and commitment different in say the United States when compared to Brazil?

RC: It has been great to see the sport grow in popularity so much in the past 9 years! In the couple years that I have been in the United States, I can say that people here are also very committed to the sport and there are some excellent athletes involved in the sport. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has a bright future in the United States. There is a national affinity for the sport in Brazil that may not exist in the United States, and that probably has some impact on individuals’ decisions. Top jiu jitsu athletes in Brazil have more interest and feel more pressure to represent the sport in their career – as an athlete or instructor. It is not always the same for athletes in the United States. Often they have other professional goals they pursue and having a jiu jitsu career is a lower priority.

KC: I know from a previous interview I read that you first started martial arts through the Brazilian art of Capoeira . Do you still find time to practice this and have many of your training partners followed you across to cross train in BJJ?

RC: I still love Capoeira and regularly use Capoeira for warming up or doing cardio or stretching. There are several others, including Michael Langhi, Sergio Moraes and Marcelo “Uirapuru” Azevedo among others, who have strong Capoeira backgrounds.

KC: Where are you based right now? Team Alliance headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, US or do you regularly return to Brazil and if so, where are you based in Brazil and who is your instructor?

RC: I am based in Atlanta and spend all my time teaching and training at Alliance headquarters, unless I’m conducting a seminar somewhere else.

KC: What is the arrangement with classes whilst in Atlanta, are you responsible for any instruction or are you on a strict regime of drilling and preparation for upcoming championships such as ADCC, the Mundials, Abu Dhabi Pro, etc?

RC: I am an instructor in Atlanta and teach during every class. Usually, Jacare and I are both at each class and we teach together. Of course, I am still an active competitor so I am drilling positions and training along with all the students.

KC: Team Alliance is pretty much leading the way as the world’s most successful team in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at present, with athletes such as yourself, Tarsis Humphreys, Fabio Clemente, Chris Moriarty, Gabriel Vella, Bruno Malfacine, Michael Langhi, Marcelo Garcia and Sergio Moraes it seems Alliance will be here for a while yet as well. Could you tell us a little about some of the lesser-known athletes coming out of team Alliance that we should expect to see in the near future, both Brazilian and for the States?

RC: There are a lot to choose from! Michel Langhi, Michael Langhi’s younger brother, is definitely someone to watch. He closed out the purple belt featherweight division with another young star, John “Macarrrao” Thomas. Michel is now a brown belt and working his way towards being my successor at featherweight. Also, everyone should watch out for Ian McPherson and Gabriel Goulart who both won their brown belt divisions at the Mundials, Alec Baulding who placed 2 nd as a purple belt in a very close final as did Jonathan “Jamanta” Toooker. Sinistro Iturralde has been making big waves in the juvenile division, and the adults better watch out for this kid. Jeff Cummings is a blue belt who shows a lot of promise. Jordon Schultz just won his division (purple belt, leve) at the nogi Pan. This just scratches the surface because I’m not even including some tremendous up-and-comers at other Alliance schools (especially in New York at Paragon, in Ecuador) … there are some big names in Alliance’s future!

KC: KombatClinic.com recently did an interview with Professor Marcio Feitosa, a competitive rival of yours on many occasions, he has a great affinity and relationship with the head of his team Carlos Gracie Jr., could you tell us about your relationship with Fabio Gurgel and Romero Cavalcanti and what it means to have these two legends of the sport as your teachers?

RC: I am very happy and have a great relationship with both Jacare (Romero) and Fabio. Both have been very gracious to me – first in welcoming me to the Alliance team but also in supporting my training and developing experience as an instructor. They are great ambassadors for the sport, awesome teachers, and examples of character for me to follow.

KC: Throughout your career you have won almost everything within the sport of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and have had a great run of success at the Mundials; over the years who has been your most challenging opponent within these events and which title has meant the most to you in terms of accomplishment?

RC: Although every championship is special, probably my 1st World Championship, in 2006, still means the most to me.

KC: Based on this, are there any titles that have eluded you and do you have goal in mind that you would like to achieve above all else, perhaps Abu Dhabi Combat Club World Submission Grappling Championships (ADCC) 2011?

RC: Yes – the ADCC is the only major title I have not won, and I hope to be back at the next ADCC in 2011 to win it.

KC: Sticking on the theme of the Abu Dhabi Combat Club Championships, commiserations on your final placing at this year’s event. I believe most people, when they saw the brackets for this years event, had the foresight and a wish that you would meet Mendes in the final of the 66kg event. Whilst I am sure you would wish for a different outcome, were you happy with you performances overall over the weekend?

RC: I was happy with the way I competed, and believe I had an excellent championship. I submitted all of my opponents leading up to the finals and that included some very tough competitors even the defending (2007) Champion, Rani Yahya. The final was a great battle going through 2 overtimes and 40 minutes of fighting. Of course, I am very disappointed in the outcome of the fight, but I feel that I had a good tournament and did my best. Even in the finals, I think both Rafael and I put on a good, close fight.

KC: The event seemed to be full of newcomers taking the scalps of seasoned ADCC fighters, who, if anyone (new or old) impressed you at this years championships?

RC: Well, Braulio Estima was most impressive this year, winning both his division and the absolute in convincing fashion even submitting guys like Andre & Marcelo in the process. Anyone who does that, impresses me!

KC: Based on all the newcomers emerging at this years event and with you being a consummate professional athlete who is always looking to improve, have you any areas of your game that you would like to devote more time to? Did you catch anything at this year’s ADCC that you liked and think you might incorporate somewhere into you own style?

RC: I can’t name anything specific, but I think there are many things that I want and will add to my game. I believe that no matter what level, there is always a requirement to learn and improve. I do not believe that I have reached my pinnacle yet – I still have a lot to learn and will be working hard to do that.

KC: There have been reports that this years Absolute Champion, Braulio ‘Carcara’ Estima, was offered a very lucrative MMA bout as a result to his success in Barcelona. Have you any plans for MMA competition?

RC: I don’t have any MMA plans right now. I will continue working on my jiu jitsu and teaching, but I am not closed to the idea in the future. I am a competitor, enjoy learning new skills, and facing new challenges… if the right opportunity comes up, who knows? Maybe.

KC: Do you follow any specific strength conditioning programmes during the ‘off season’ or outside of competition preparation and if so, could you outline what this entails?

RC: When I’m not training for a specific competition, my regimen usually includes 3 or 4 workouts each day. I do jiu jitsu 2 or 3 times per day – 5 days a week, plus 1 time a day on Saturday and Sunday, and every day, I spend time stretching, doing balance exercises, and doing Crossfit (or circuit training). I also have private lessons & seminars that will increase the number of times I’m doing jiu jitsu each week.

KC: How is this different to when you are approaching a competition?

RC: When preparing for a competition, the frequency and intensity of all of my training increases. I will have extra sessions of jiu jitsu, more intense conditioning, and I add more some specific training to my schedule. In preparation for ADCC, for example, I had a wrestling coach I worked with regularly.

KC: A number of other athletes I have spoken to devote a tremendous amount of time on developing and maintaining flexibility, do you have specific routines yourself and how much of a role does flexibility play within the BJJ game of ‘Cobrinha’?

RC: Flexibility is definitely an important part of my game. When I started doing jiu jitsu, I already had a lot of flexibility because of my Capoeira training so I learned to use that to my advantage early in my jiu jitsu experiences. I don’t have any specific routine but I still use many Capoeira routines in my stretching.

KC: I recently watched your fight at the 2009 World Pro BJJ against Rafael Mendes where both of you spend a great deal of time contorted in the 50/50 guard. I believe I am correct in saying that you lost this bout do to a sweep from the 50/50 guard, what are your thoughts on this position? Is it good for the sport? Do you find it frustrating that people use it to stall the fight?

RC: This has been a hot topic for the past year, and I am on record repeatedly supporting the position. It is a very useful position, and I have used it for several years for sweeps and submissions. The problem with the position is when it is used to slow down or stall the match. This is predominately an issue when used with the gi because once locked in the 50/50 with the gi, it is very difficult to get out because the opponent can use the pants to hold you there. Also, some 50/50 submissions (heel hook) are illegal with the gi so not available. My concern has little to do with the 50/50 position itself. I would say the same about any position that someone uses just (or primarily) to stall the fight. Anything that slows down our fights and makes them boring is bad for our sport. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is growing fast, but it is still a relatively small sport. We want to draw more fans and participants – and critical to that is having aggressive athletes and action-packed fights.

Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles highlight video

KC: Fabio Gurgel mentioned that you have been working on this position for quite some time now, was this in response to its development by the Mendes brothers or had you seen the potential to use it against fighters that maybe didn’t seem to understand its versatility?

RC: I used the position before its recent popularity made by the Mendes brothers and Ryan Hall.

KC: When you mentioned the name Rubens Charles to anyone within the BJJ community there is a definite appreciation and admiration for an athlete at the top of his game and someone that is arguably the world’s best pound-for-pound grappler. I was wondering if there is anyone competing now who you hold in the same light yourself, who do you admire from the current circuit of world class Jiu Jitsoka’s and who inspired you to train when you were coming through the ranks of BJJ?

RC: When I was developing, Terere was my inspiration – both as an athlete and a person. But sadly, he is no longer competing. Of today’s athletes, Roger Gracie stands out for so many reasons. Obviously, his record is amazing, and he submits everyone which is what we all should be trying to do. He is a big guy but with amazingly technical jiu jitsu. His skills are second to none, and he is always calm no matter the situation. Even if he finds himself in a bad position (which is rare), he remains calm and composed in his response. He is a humble man and a great representative of our sport.

KC: Rubens, what are your plans for the future, both immediate and long term? Have you plans to open you own BJJ academy and are there any immediate plans for new instructional material?

RC: I’m back to training and learning as well as instructing at the Alliance headquarters in Atlanta, GA. I still haven’t finalized my competition plans for this year but will certainly be preparing myself for next year’s World Championships (and anything else that comes up before then). Long term, I hope to be back at the next ADCC in 2 years. I have had a lot of requests for new instructional materials. I do want to do that soon, but I have not yet planned anything specific. Stay tuned because I hope to announce something soon.

KC: Would you like to pass on a message to your fans or thank any sponsors before we wrap the interview up?

RC: Yes. I want to thank all my fans for the support and motivation you provide to me. I appreciate the encouragement that I get from those who come up to me during events or follow me through my facebook fan page. I feel honored to have your support. It motivates me to train harder and set higher goals for myself. I also want to thank my wife, Daniela, who supports me endlessly through difficult training, dieting, travelling, and competing. Finally, I’d like to thank Jacare for his leadership, mentoring, and jiu jitsu instruction, my wrestling coach – Paul Creighton, my conditioning coach – Josh Brown, my friends and training partners -Rafael Dos Santos and Ed Kennedy, Derek Kaivani for his business guidance, and the entire Alliance Atlanta Academy. This is the team that helps me prepare every day, and I rely on them to be physically and mentally prepared. To Keiko & Bull Terrier, my two primary sponsors, thank you for all your support!

KC: Rubens, thank you so much for supporting KombatClinic.com and giving up your free time to do this interview, all the best for the future.

Possible links:
Rubens ‘Cobrinha’ Charles Homepage
World Team Champions: Alliance Brazilian Jiu Jitsu