Coral belt Pedro Sauer has a surprising recommendation for experienced grapplers, particularly black belts: spend time teaching children.
“My advice for all the black belts here, go play with the little kids. Go to kids class. Once in a while”
The reasoning behind this advice reveals a profound understanding of technical refinement that many advanced practitioners overlook in their pursuit of perfection.
Sauer challenges black belts to consider a simple scenario: teaching a five-year-old girl how to execute fundamental techniques. The exercise forces practitioners to completely rethink their approach.
“Are you going to put your hand in and just, that’s how you’re going to choke the little girl? Or are you going to very smooth put your hand over there? Very smooth.”
This contrast between execution and gentle precision lies at the heart of his philosophy. When working with young children, aggression and strength become not just inappropriate but impossible to employ. Practitioners must instead rely entirely on technical accuracy and smooth movement.
“Every time that you practice this smoothness to come in, your training partner is going to underestimate (you)”
Sauer explains, suggesting that training partners will be caught off-guard by the effortless quality of properly executed technique.
The coral belt’s philosophy extends beyond mere technical advice. He speaks of being
“playful on the mat, but playful with poison”
. It’s a striking metaphor that captures the duality required in high-level BJJ maintaining a light, enjoyable atmosphere while possessing devastating capability.
“You have poison in your hands. You have very, very dangerous mechanics in your hands”
Sauer notes, acknowledging the martial effectiveness that practitioners develop. However, he emphasizes that true mastery involves controlling and concealing that lethality behind smoothness and precision.
For Sauer, the ultimate achievement in BJJ is securing a submission without causing discomfort or displaying aggression.
“It’s so nice to make somebody say, uncle, a checkmate with a big smile on your face and no pain”
he says, painting a picture of jiu-jitsu at its finest—effective yet gentle, dominant yet kind.
His final guidance is direct:
“Even if you got the power, just be smoother. Just be technical, be smooth. Technical, you’re never going to go wrong.”
Sauer‘s message serves as a reminder of the art’s deeper principles. By temporarily setting aside training with similarly skilled adults and instead working with children, experienced practitioners can rediscover the technical foundations that often get buried beneath strength and speed.
