It’s no surprise that someone as decorated as Andre Galvao has an absolutely insane work ethic. The man has taken home countless medals, world titles and has ventured into many different weight classes in the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu world.
On top of his talents on the mat, Galvao has also displayed his skills inside of the cage for top promotions such as the defunct Strikeforce.
However, to get to where he is now, it took more than just hard work and dedication for Andre. Anyone can have the drive to succeed, but being able to maintain that mind frame is so important for a world class, top flight athlete.
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For Andre Galvao, he looks to various outside resources to help conjure up the motivation and determination to be the best.
The Focus Behind Atos Jiu Jitsu
By now, the name ‘Atos Jiu Jitsu’ is commonplace among the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu diehards. A world renowned team, Atos was the brain child of Andre Galvao and close friend Ramon Lemos. The two formed the team to help develop the younger talent of BJJ.
With an impressive stable of talent—Davi Ramos, Guilherme Mendes, Rafael Mendes, Vitor Toledo, and of course, Andre Galvao—Atos Jiu Jitsu has firmly been established as a hot bed of Jiu Jitsu talent. If you’re looking into learning about how Galvao trains on the regular you should check this article out.
However, the bond and meaning of Atos Jiu Jitsu goes deeper than just the talent on the mat. A very religious man, Galvao admits that he came up with the team name after the Book of Acts from the bible. ‘Atos’ is Portuguese for “acts.”
Every day that they step onto the mat, they are reminded of their own actions, and to make sure they are aware of how they carry themselves. It’s not just subjected to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu; Galvao is also aware of how he carries himself on and off of the mat.
With a keen sense of how people perceive him in public, the meaning behind ‘Atos’ clearly speaks volumes as to how much Galvao truly cares about the sport, himself, and his team.
Studying The Greats
With perfection always in mind, Andre makes it a focal point of studying other great athletes and how they have achieved success. Not restiricting his answers to simply BJJ or MMA, Galvao lists various athletes such as Muhammad Ali, Koga, Roy Jones Jr, Anderson Silva and Michael Jordan as some of his favorite athletes o all-time.
Why? Simply put; they’re great.
When various athletes exude a blueprint of (consistent) success, it’s easy to study their ways. Ali, Jones Jr, Silva, Jordan…all of these men have proven track records that have stood the test of time. It’s easy to see why Galvao looks up to them.
Despite having all of the physical gifts in the world, it’s clear that Galvao isn’t content with just that. Clearly, there is much more driving him than just his talents.
It’s about how he carries himself; it’s about how he acts—atos.
Dan Faggella