“Technique is More Important than Strength” Says 6 ft. 9 Musclebound Black Belt

“I have always said that technique will triumph over brute strength,” said Mauricio Bellman, who stands at six foot nine and resembles Predator-era Arnold Schwarzenegger in physique.

“I’ve been training nothing but jiu jitsu for 12 years and I am blessed with excellent genes. Sure, I can deadlift a house and squat a car but it doesn’t affect my jiu jitsu.”

With washboard abs and 18-inch biceps, as well as a year-round tan, Mauricio considers himself a beacon of hope for those less gifted physically.

“Smaller, weaker students look up to me and realise they too can be a world champion as long as they just keep doing jiu jitsu.”

Although Mauricio was a junior world gymnastics champion in his teens, he prefers to play down his athletic achievements. “Jiu jitsu is 100% about technique,” he said, subconsciously making his pectoral muscles dance under his incredibly tight vest. “New students sometimes struggle when sparring with me, but that’s because they don’t use enough technique.”

When pressed on his training regime, Mauricio insists it’s basically jiu jitsu all the way. “I just train jiu jitsu, there is no need for anything else. I get the most satisfaction from just relaxing and using pure technique. I lift weights maybe three, four times a day, sometimes seven, but hardly anything that really affects me,” he said, performing a one-legged pistol squat and pressing a 30kg kettlebell over his head.

“I just do this for mobility,” he insisted.