Voices of Waimea Pt.4: Welcoming Waimea: An Interview With a Recent Transplant

Introduction

Hawaii is often referred to as a melting pot of different cultures which, for some,is a major reason to move here. Waimea specifically is a very welcoming place to people of any origin, even those from other countries. Horlando Monteiro, a professional fighter in jiu jitsu who won tournaments all around the world, moved to Hawaii from Brazil. He started working at a gym in Kona called Foundation BJJ, which he now owns and runs. As a resident of Waimea, he wants to share his experience with our community, and to improve the level of jiu jitsu that we have in hawaii. 

Horlandos views and thoughts really showed throughout this interview. He gave impactful comments that really shows how much effort he puts into his gym. Writing out what he said into an article wouldn’t have shown just how much he cares for his gym and the wellbeing of those who train there so make sure to read the whole transcription!

Interview

When did you move to Hawaii and why? 

I moved to Hawaii about five years ago, for a job opportunity and because I really like the lifestyle and the culture and all the beauties that this place has to offer. The people here are so nice and welcoming. And it's very similar to the place that I come from, which is Brazil. And the weather – the weather is amazing!

What other places have you lived in, before you moved to Hawaii? 

I lived in three different cities in Brazil. I was born in a city called Imperatriz, and I moved to Natal when I was six months old. And then I moved to João Pessoa when I was six years old. And then I moved back to Natal, and then I moved to Rio De Janeiro. 

WOW, that's a lot. 

And then from Rio, I moved to Texas for a short period of time, three months. And then I moved to Phoenix, Arizona.

And then you moved here? 

And then I moved here. I’ve been living here for six years.

Did you move that much because of Jiu Jitsu? 

Because of Jiu Jitsu, yeah.

How was the transition from Brazil to Hawaii? 

The transition was hard in the beginning because I didn't really speak English, so I struggled with that a little bit, with the language barrier. But I adapted fast because I was very young, I was 17, 18, and I adapted fast because I study English. I had a hard time understanding and conjugating the verbs, still now haha, but I've come a long way. Because I studied, like I said, I watch a lot of TV shows with subtitles in English, so I could read and listen to them.  So that really helps a lot with my understanding. My wife helps me a lot with English too. But overall, the transition went smooth. I feel like I'm well adapted and my whole life is here now.

How is jiu jitsu in Hawaii different from the Jiu Jitsu you had in Brazil? 

It's very different. I feel like here in Hawaii, the Jiujitsu committee is like a family, you know, everybody knows each other, they cross train a lot and you know, they support each other. They have fun. The level compared to Brazil definitely needs some work, you know? It's getting there, but it's come a long way so far since I moved here. Jiu Jitsu in Brazil, it's very competitive. We have a lot of people that train for hobbies, but there's a lot of tournaments, Jiu Jitsu is big. So, it's a lot more competitions, a lot more people training, and it's just part of our culture, you know? Like Brazilians, when you grow up, you either surf, you either fight or either play soccer. So it's a big part of our culture.

And do you plan on staying in Waimea? 

Yes.

For forever?

Yes, I would say so. I don't see myself moving anywhere else. 

What are your future plans? Like tournaments, MMA, and what's your future looking like with Jiu Jitsu? 

So, right now I'm 29 years old. And I still feel like I can compete at the highest level for a few more years. I would say at least four or five more years. I can compete at the highest level, that's the adult black belt division. So I want to compete in that, I still want to have a couple MMA fights, not sure how many, but I still want to jump in the cage again. I want to focus on helping the students to grow. Help them learn the technique, help them to learn their philosophy, lifestyle, jujitsu. Help each other outside of the mats, help them grow as a human being, as an athlete. And build my academy more and more, you know, try to get more students, really respectful and good people. I think the crowd of people is more important than the number. So I feel like right now we have a solid group of people and I want to keep that way.