Demian Maia is a born competitor, but the ADCC champion also enjoys teaching. Professor Maia, nowadays a UFC fighter, tries to balance his training and classes daily at his Sao Paulo gym. It’s no easy task, but Maia feels accomplished and believes that teaching makes him complete as a fighter.
I think since when I started to train, I always taught. From the blue belt I gave lessons. And that is a tradition in Jiu-Jitsu. The athlete, he is first teacher. He starts to train and teach all at the same time… And for a long time I heard people speaking that it is very difficult to be an athlete and teacher at the same time. And for a long time I stopped giving classes because of this. After my second fight at UFC, I already almost not give more classes, only seminars and spared classes. In 2014 we opened the “Vila da Luta” and, then, I feel that I back again with that part of giving lesson. And I started teaching again and I saw that in truth it was good and helped me how you always help me evolve also my athlete side.
