When I look back over more than 25 years of training and high-level competition in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, what stands out is not the medals I won—but the moments I nearly lost, the ones I did lose, and how I rose again. 

My name is Professor Lucio “Lagarto”, head coach at Valour Jiu‑Jitsu HQ in Fulham, London. 

“ My mission now isn’t just to pass on moves — it’s to pass on wisdom I’ve gained from the mats of Brazil, Europe, and the world stage. “

1. Awareness is the foundation of skill: Humble Beginnings in Brazil

I started in Rio de Janeiro, a skinny kid with more passion than technique. I learned early: techniques don’t matter unless you’re willing to learn, fall, and get up.

In those early local tournaments, I saw fighters who looked stronger beat me. What separated them wasn’t just muscle—it was timing and leverage. This taught me my first crucial lesson:

Skill begins with awareness.
You must see what’s happening — under pressure — before you can respond.

2. Rising Through the Ranks: International Competition

When I moved to Europe and began competing internationally, I faced a new reality: talent is everywhere. You may train hard, but so does everyone else.

In one memorable championship in Europe, I was ahead on points with a dominant grip-fight, but I relaxed. I was tapped. That moment changed me. I realised:

Winning isn’t staying ahead; it’s staying ready.
From that day forward, I trained not just technique, but mindset.

3. True consistency is tested in adversity: Battling Cancer

Midway through my journey, I faced the toughest opponent of my life — cancer.
When I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the easy path would have been to stop — …to rest and let the illness define me.
…But I chose differently.

I kept training — sometimes going straight from chemotherapy to the mats, a bucket beside me in case I felt sick.
People thought I was mad. But for me, maintaining normality was my way of fighting back.
If I could keep my routines, keep showing up, my mind wouldn’t accept that I was sick.

There were days I was pale, weak, and exhausted, yet I still stepped onto the mats.
And during that same period, I competed on some of the world’s biggest stages.
Consistency once again became my lifeline — the thing that pulled me through darkness into light.

That experience taught me a lesson no medal ever could:

Faith, consistency, and purpose can turn suffering into strength.

It didn’t just change how I trained —
it changed how I live, how I teach, and how I guide every student who walks through the doors at Valour.

4. From Competition to Contribution: Transition to Coaching

When I joined Valour Jiu-Jitsu HQ in Fulham, my role shifted. I went from competitor to coach, from “what can I win?” to “what can I pass on?”

Here’s what I found: the highest-level competitor and the newest white belt share this truth:

You learn only as long as you stay a student.
That becomes the cornerstone of our teaching philosophy at Valour.

5. How These Lessons Help You — The Student’s Application

Here’s how you can use what I’ve learned:

• Skill: Focus on fundamentals. Whether you’re in your first class or your 100th, go back to the basics of posture, balance, and movement. Every advanced technique rests on it.
• Mindset: Train with the belief that you will improve, not just perform. The mat is a mirror of your daily life—how you think affects how you move.
• Consistency: Show up, even when it’s hard. Let it become a habit. Let the routine build your identity. If I had given up after the injury, I’d never be coaching today.

6. Why this Matters at Valour Jiu-Jitsu HQ (London)

At our academy in London, we don’t promise fast-track black belts or “secret moves”. We promise you a genuine path:

• • coaching by someone who’s walked the world stage
• • a community of practitioners who care
• • training grounded in real-life lessons, not marketing slogans

🚀 Take-away for You

No matter your goal—fitness, self-defense, discipline—the path of BJJ is the same.
  It doesn’t begin with medals…
  It begins with showing up…
  It deepens with skill…
  It stabilises with mindset…
And it endures with consistency.

If you’d like to explore more about how we build these principles into every class:
visit our Classes & Programmes page.

Or come see the team in action at Valour → BOOK YOUR FREE INTRO CLASS