Martial Arts World News Magazine - Volume 22 | Issue 2

COVER STORY
They’re not as fast as some of the other ones, but
they still figure things out. For me, whenever they do
that, there’s a spark. You know why? Because you
make a big deal one day when they know where to
find their spot, they know what’s asked of them and
perform what’s expected of them. We clap and then
I tell the parents to get them engaged, ‘Parents, give
it up!’ With kids, they are a reflection of their parents.
I know some schools don’t even like the parents
around, they put up barriers, a wall with a one-way
mirror because the parents can be disruptive.
They can behave in ways that undermine the
kid’s performance by putting too much pressure
or expectation on their kids. They treat the training
session like the world championships, you know? So
I don’t blame some instructors that try to put some
barriers up so they can have the peace of mind for
the kid, and so they can run the classroom without
interference. But if that’s not possible, I like the
parents to be on the same page, being enthusiastic,
giving little pats on the back or acknowledgement
every time there’s a little detail that the kid gets
through. But anyhow, for me, this is it: endorphins,
imagination, and making sure you’re clear about what
you’re asking, what the expectations are for each of the things you
want the kids to do.
MAWN: You also had some other innovations in your space
where you maybe borrowed some ideas perhaps from other styles
where you’ve built forms and flows, ways to teach chunks of curriculum
in a way that makes it much more easy to consume and
much easier to learn faster. And I know you took a lot of heat for
some of that too. What was your thinking, what were you trying to
accomplish, and how have the results been?
CM: You have to think outside the box.
At one point in time, you have to step out
of your comfort zone. I’ve been blessed to
have incredible students that have been
successful in their own right teaching
different martial arts. I think that business
principles apply to martial arts instruction
in terms of the structure, the consistency,
the way you look at things from a larger perspective. It has to do
with touching the three aspects that I consider essential. A lot of
times when people come to your gym, if it’s a kid, the parent wants
the kids to develop discipline and self-confidence, primarily in the
beginning. Adults, they want to be enthusiastic about a new hobby
and also learn some self-defense, and some others, they are more
acquainted with the martial art itself.
I think the first part is the lifestyle change. I cannot tell you to do
something that I don’t do. I have to live the lifestyle because then
whatever I tell you has a little more weight. If I just tell you what to
do, but then I’m doing something opposite when I’m outside the
academy…you know, we separate the personal from the business.
I think you should be friendly with students, but be careful how
you carry on your relationships. The worst thing that can happen
Master Machado has created a modern, effective Jiu-Jitsu program for children, parents,
professionals, and competitors alike.
is instead of being an instructor that has a degree of authority that
you can expect to implement within your group, you become a
peer where everybody feels everybody’s the same; That’s a very
undermining culture.
I think this was the biggest challenge. Initially, the culture was
seen as very laid back with high fives. We didn’t treat anybody
with any reverence. We started whenever we wanted; we finished
the class whenever we wanted. It was all about the rolling and the
flowing. But then, when you come to the United States, you realize
“I feel that when you make changes,
you’re not making changes for now;
you’re making changes for the future.”
that people have a life that is structured. They have work, they
have family, they have all their businesses they have to attend to.
If you don’t have a structure within your school, you’re out of sync
with everything else that’s happening outside of the school. I think
every instructor experiences that when you want to implement
changes: it’s not the new crowd that you recruit on a daily basis, it’s
the old crowd that has been with you for a while that are used to
things being done in a certain way.
I feel that when you make changes, you’re not making changes
for now; you’re making changes for the future. If you’re thinking
in terms of a legacy or a mission, you can’t be held back by a few
individuals who maybe feel entitled or spoiled, or are stuck in their
own ways. They don’t see the same way you see. The worst thing
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