Jiu-jitsu black belt spars at Cape class

Invented in Japan and perfected on the streets of Brazil, jiu-jitsu is a martial art that typically involves no kicking or punching. Instead it is a grappling competition that emphasizes limb locks and choke holds to neutralize an opponent.

"It allows you to use leverage without worrying about sheer power. The power is the application of force on the right place at the right time," said Mario Roberto, a 28-year-old black belt of Rochester, Minn.

Saturday, Roberto, originally of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was at HealthPoint Fitness to spar and train with 13 aspiring jiu-jitsu students.

"Most fights end up on the ground anyway, and it's like if you were fighting in the ocean, then you'd want to be the one who could swim better. In jiu-jitsu, the ground is our ocean and we're the sharks."

Jiu-jitsu participants say it's the ultimate exercise in mind versus matter.

"It requires very little strength. It's all about technique and leverage," said Michael Harl, who instructs jiu-jitsu at the center during his free time from his work as a plastic surgeon. Harl, of Cape Girardeau, has studied for 12 years and now has a purple belt, the third level below black.

"It's a thinking man's game, like physical chess. And in this game of chess, he's a grandmaster and we're all just trying to learn how the pieces move."

Roberto operates six academies around the Midwest and travels to each of them regularly to check his pupils' progress. Saturday, he spent four hours at HealthPoint teaching new moves and sparring with some. Roberto, who speaks four languages, is also a doctor but no longer practices.

He doesn't regret leaving the medical field.

"I get up in the morning, and I'm happy. I love what I do," he said.

A sparring event is judged on a complex point system and involves a "throw" or takedown to the mat followed by extended grappling. It ultimately ends when one of the two competitors "taps out," signaling defeat.

'It's really humbling'

Going against Roberto is often a futile endeavor.

"It's really humbling," said Harl, the instructor, who found himself quickly neutralized by the master.

But Roberto said jiu-jitsu is not about being a "tough guy."

"Nobody thinks less of you if you have to tap out. It's the only way to train and get better," he said.

And because of this, Roberto said, jiu-jitsu is actually a safe sport. "I've never seen anything more serious than a bloody nose," he said.

Roberto along with many of his students said they planned to attend the Devastation Fight Night event at the Arena Building on Saturday.

Roberto has fought in several mixed martial art-style competitions and believes the sport is gaining in popularity.

"We've just seen exponential growth over the past few years," he said.

Roberto also instructed a group of 23 police cadets who are required to learn elements of jiu-jitsu as part of their training.

"It's very effective," said Lawrence Fleming, a local law enforcement instructor who has attained a blue belt during his nine years studying jiu-jitsu.

Fleming said in arrest situations the martial art often comes in handy. He said officers with superior size to a criminal can benefit from neutralizing the criminal's mobility and officers of smaller stature can use jiu-jitsu to take away a criminal's strength.

tgreaney@semissourian.com

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