Alain Guerra Pozo may not know this, but he is a very important man in my BJJ life. For most people who began BJJ in the early 2000’s, Royce Gracie was their inspiration. Not me. I had never heard of Royce before, but Alain was the very first person I ever sparred against. I’d like to say he held my hand and introduced me to the arte suave with cotton gloves, but the reality was a very different story…he tooled me in a way only a Brazilian, trained in the old skool hard core ways could ever do with a raw beginner. I cannot remember how many times I had to tap to him within the first twenty seconds but it was brutal. And yet, that experience, over seven years ago, left a very deep and profound impression on me. Here was a small, slightly built man, not much bigger than myself, giving hell to guys twice his size. Ever since that moment, I vowed that I too could be the small guy who kicks jiu-jitsu ass. It’s also nice to know that Alain, who I see at every tournament, is still giving hell to guys twice his size.
Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you part one of my interview with Mr Alain Pozo where he discusses his BJJ origins in Recife, Brazil where he met and befriended a young unknown talent called Braulio Estima, plus a whole ton on the early history of BJJ in the UK back in the day…