Brazilian jiu-jitsu is known for its wide array of nicknames. There is Rubens Charles “Cobrinha” (‘little cobra”), Gilbert Burns “Durinho” (“little tough guy”), and Romero “Jacare” Cavalcanti (“caiman”).
Interestingly, not all of these names are flattering, despite the fact that they’re often attached to some of the greatest BJJ competitors in the world. Marcus Almeida’s nickname, Buchecha, means “cheeks,” and comes from the fact that he was a bit overweight when he started training. Felipe Pena’s nickname, Preguica, also comes from him being overweight when he was younger. “Preguica” means “lazy” or “sloth” in Portuguese, and came from the fact that Felipe moved slowly because of his weight.
If you train Brazilian jiu-jitsu, you might also get a nickname. But even if you hate it, it’s probably best not to fight it.
Why? Because as BJJ black belt Alec Baulding explains, nicknames that people fight against are more likely to stick. This is particularly dangerous in BJJ, where nicknames have a tendency to replace people’s real names.
You can listen to the rest of Baulding’s video below:
‘Cobrinha’ is little snake actually.