Featured affiliated academy: Octagon La Paz, Bolivia BJJ
Where is the gym located?
La Paz, Bolivia.
How many people train there?
About 50 people of all disciplines and ages.
Is the gym growing – if so by how many new members each month or year?
Yes, by about 3 to 4 people per month.
What are the highest and lowest belt grades training?
We have third-degree brown belts all the way down to fresh white belts that have just started training.
When did the gym open?
The gym as an entity has been going for almost 20 years, but in our present incarnation we’re pretty new – we moved to our current facilities in January 2017.
Some facts about you:
Name: Oscar Negron
Academy: Octagon La Paz, Bolivia BJJ
Age: 24
Belt: Purple
Profession: Businessman
Years in BJJ: 9 years
Other martial arts: No
Currently living in: La Paz, Bolivia
Originally from: La Paz, Bolivia
Please tell us the story of how your gym came into existence:
The gym was founded by Jaime and Hugo Cabrerathe, the first BJJ black belts in Bolivia, almost 20 years ago. They eventually stopped training and then the classes were taken over by their highest-ranked students. Our Mestre Antonio Cicconi (4th-degree black belt) has been helping us constantly since 2012 to reach new goals as a team. With his help we’re currently working to join up with Gracie Barra.
Octagon La Paz, Bolivia BJJ
Tell us about the people that train in the gym – who are they?
We have a loads of people, all with different goals and approaches to BJJ – from kids to adults, hobbyists to active competitors. Doctors, students, lawyers, police officers etc. People that live right beside the gym and those that sit on a bus for two hours to come and train, then go back home. There are people that want to learn self-defense, others that want to keep in shape, and competitors that work hard to bring gold medals to the academy. But we all have the same feeling: WE ALL LOVE BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU!
Why do they train?
I believe that there’s a really nice environment in Octagon La Paz, Bolivia BJJ. People go there to learn more than just techniques and how to fight – Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has much more to offer. They train because they can improve their lives both physically and mentally.
What are some of the challenges of running a BJJ gym in general and in your location specifically?
For instance, La Paz is the highest capital city in the world (3600m – higher than many Alpine peaks) – does the altitude make it a tough environment for such a high-intensity sport as ours, or do people get used to it after a few weeks?
Well, running a BJJ gym is definitely challenging, and involves making lots of small adjustments and refinements. In the beginning, we just held one joint training session for everyone (beginners, competitors, and juveniles), but eventually we started to realize that this wasn’t the best idea. As I said, people have different goals. So now we separate the classes into beginners, ranked belt students, juveniles, and kids (and we divide the kids in two groups according their ages).
The altitude is tough, but people born here are used to it. I mean, the locals adapted physiologically thousands of years ago (it’s been proven that the membranes in their lungs are bigger). Of course, the effect is different for people that aren’t used to altitude, but even for foreigners their breathing changes very quickly – people get used to it in a few days, especially athletes.
To be honest, hardly any sport likes to compete in La Paz because of the effects of altitude. (For people that live here, we experience a different effect when we compete at sea level.) However, many athletes from all around the world like to come here and train at altitude to improve their conditioning. Colombian cyclists often come and bike around Lake Titicaca at 4000 m, for instance.
How do you see the future for BJJ in your area?
BJJ is growing all around the world. In La Paz, the gentle art is growing as well. New academies are opening and I see more competitors in tournaments, which makes me personally very proud. We’re really working towards producing some world-class competitors in future.
What’s the best thing about your gym?
The friendly environment, for sure.
What would you recommend Globetrotters to see in your area apart from the inside of your gym?
La Paz offers a lot of options for outdoor activities and exploring – like biking and hiking – since we’re surrounded by beautiful nature and mountains. It also has a wonderfully unique cultural side that isn’t like any other city.
