This adapted story is proudly presented in collaboration with Choke Clinch Crank Combat, a coffee table book that tells the stories of 25 fighters in Singapore.
Alexsandro “Leke” Dos Santos Machado is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Ricardo Vieira of Checkmat.
He was a deputy coach at the famous Fight Zone Academy in Rio de Janeiro where he was in charge of training the black and brown belts at Checkmat Brazil, home to some of the best world champions.
Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Professor Alexsandro is currently the head coach of BJJ at Impact MMA.
For Alexsandro, BJJ was never just a sport. It was a way out from the favelas of his childhood, a way to support his family, and more importantly, it was a way for him to uplift his community.
Alexsandro’s success with BJJ has allowed him not only to give back, but to uplift his community. Every year, he heads back to Brazil where he helps out in the social project “Projeto do Cantagalo”.
He is honest with his advice to kids in the project as he was once in the exact same position. “Every year I tell kids, life is difficult, BJJ is difficult. Nothing is easy. For me, it was very difficult, there were many times I wanted to stop.”
“I need to be different. I cannot go drinking, I cannot smoke. If my friend does wrong, I will stay far. I cannot do this. I need to be different because in the future, I need to help these people.”
Alexsandro believes that BJJ changes communities by providing positive role models.
“BJJ helps a lot because you change your mindset. People in the favellas would now say, ‘See this guy! This guy last time, same as you, no money. Now see this guy, have a nice house, go overseas all the time. You need to be same, so you need to train hard.’”
He echoes the words of the man who helped him stay in the sport. “Of course it’s not easy, but one day, maybe it will lead to a good life. You can help your família, help your friends.”
His words echo the loyalty that binds communities within the favela. As he puts it, “Because in the favela, people think, ‘I help you, you help me. It’s different. You die for me, I die for you.’”
Although far from home, his love for his community is palpable and he hopes to continue to change lives through the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
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