There is nothing more refreshing in sports than when someone has the opportunity to meet a truly genuine individual. We know that everyone who chases a dream usually has a story to tell.
For Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighter and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) instructor Alexander Crispim, better known as simply “Crispim,” the path to fulfill his dream is one of those stories that serves to inspire.
As a child in Brazil, he grew up playing soccer and even trained with Ronaldo, who recently retired from professional soccer. Interestingly enough, Ronaldo has just started a sports management company in Brazil called 9ine (utilizing his famous number 9) and his first client ironically is world champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter Anderson Silva.
An interesting fact a lot of fans may not know is Ronaldo tried to be a goalie as a youngster.
“He was the worst goalie I ever saw in my life. He couldn’t catch anything that came his way, and then later I saw this guy who I grew up with and who I used to bully all the time and now he was making millions. That was my first big lesson in life, to be humble,” said Crispim.
When Crispim was 16 years old, he began training in Jiu Jitsu under Gracie Barra. He worked his way up and started his own fight school in southern Brazil.
At the time, however, there were a lot of established black belts already, which meant he had to leave Brazil if he was ever going to make a living with Jiu Jitsu.
Crispim arrived in the United States in 2003, taught classes in Dublin at Ralph Gracie’s gym where he also earned his black belt. He developed a good reputation teaching classes in Jiu Jitsu and what originally was a group of 20 to 30 students quickly exploded in large part due to the classes for young kids.
In 2008, Crispim reached one of his lifelong goals and opened his own academy, The Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers in Pleasanton.
The academy was named in part after Barra da Tajuca in Brazil, the neighborhood as well as group of guys Crispim grew up and trained with in Brazil.
Jeremiah Labiano, one of his very first students whom he met while at the Ralph Gracie gym in Dublin, coincidentally happens to be a CSU East Bay graduate.
Hayward native and Mt. Eden High alum Labiano, who graduated from CSUEB in 2010 with a degree in Health Science, is also an instructor at Crispim’s academy.
“My friend used to train with Crispim when I was still in high school and when I turned 21 my friend wanted me to meet him. I went in, I got hooked, and I’ve been here ever since 2008,” said Labiano.
On Mar. 3, both Crispim and Labiano will fight in Santa Rosa’s Cage Combat Fighting Championships. Crispim, despite all his accomplishments, still has his eyes set on reaching the UFC and his passion and dedication could very well land him there. He holds a 7-2 record as a MMA fighter and is also very proud of his pupil and his progress.
“I couldn’t be more proud of Jeremiah. It’s a dream come true. I wanted to have my students and my academy and my family, those were my dreams,” said Crispim. “Jeremiah showed his dedication when he first started and he is an excellent fighter. Having him fight on the same card as me now is surreal.”
The Crispim BJJ Barra Brothers Academy works under the motto “Um Estilo de Vida,” which translates from Portuguese to, “It’s a lifestyle.”
Castro Valley High School graduate Daniel Elias, an instructor at the academy, has been with Crispim since he graduated high school. Elias believes the motto invoked by Crispim is key to the success of the academy and its students.
“He’s a great coach. He was able to bring things out of me that I didn’t necessarily know I could do. From the kids to the adults, he will push you to be your best and I think that’s really a special thing about him,” said Elias.
Crispim almost teared up when referencing the support he has had in realizing his dreams, and praised his wife and kids for supporting him.
Family is the binding force for Crispim, who just recently had a baby girl, and is now realizing his dreams of fighting in the UFC are within reach.
