In part one of this series, Erin Herle revealed how the Miyao brothers embraced the jiu-jitsu lifestyle. Here, she shares observations on the famous Brazilian black belt twins' private lives.



By Erin Herle



Sometimes, people get caught up in trying to replicate successful athletes' lives. They believe following in their footsteps will allow them to achieve similar results. But as I learned by spending time with the Miyao brothers, this simply isn't realistic.

You can't reproduce the exact same background, motivations or characteristics that led to an individual's success. You can work as hard, but what works for one person does not necessarily work for another.

This article won't tell you to train or live like the Miyao brothers, but it will shed light on their personalities. They are far from their one-dimensional reputations, and there is more to them than what we see during competition.

From Brazil to NYC

The brothers moved to New York City a year ago to train at Unity BJJ. Since then, Joao and Paulo's routines haven't changed much. They still practice frequently, but compete less. NYC doesn't host as many cash competitions as Sao Paulo, but the less-active schedule also might come with the territory of being a black belt.

The Miyaos enjoy the little things that most Americans take for granted, such as ordering takeout through their iPad. Joao considers it an advantage: "I don't want to walk to go out and get it or cook. I don't want to waste time." He loves to splurge on all-you-can-eat sushi, which I

witnessed firsthand after a training session. I've never seen someone eat so much food. Plate after plate was copious, but healthy. He enjoyed every second.

Joao said if he wasn't a jiu-jitsu athlete, he'd be a nutritionist. Personally, I think he could have been a competitive eater given his ability to put away sushi and his admiration for Takeru Kobayashi! He still has time to make another career move, so I wouldn't put it past him yet. When he does get time to watch TV, he catches up on "Master Chef."

Paulo likes to eat, too. Once at Chipotle--a lunch spot they frequent when not cutting weight-- I couldn't finish my bowl. Instead of throwing it out, I was told to pass it along to Paulo. On another lunch trip, I only wanted half my wrap and half my drink. Again, it went to Paulo. Whatever I didn't eat, it got consumed anyway.









Life away from the mat

Most of Joao's and Paulo's time is spent training, reading the Bible, eating or resting. They go to sleep and wake up at the same time, have similar religious beliefs, and share goals. Together, they drill, train extra rounds, and rest between classes.

Not necessarily simultaneously, they also like to read, watch movies, play games on their phones, and spend time on social media--mostly Instagram and Facebook. I'm trying to get them to join Snapchat, but haven't succeeded yet (although they seem to enjoy the funny filters as much as I do).

One major thing they do separately is eat, since that their weights are a bit different now. Paulo is competing in the featherweight division, while Joao is competing at light featherweight for 2016 Pan-Ams. At Worlds, Paulo will move down to light featherweight, and Joao will drop to rooster weight.

The CrossFit connection

The Miyaos recently began training CrossFit together. I started at Brick CrossFit thanks to its founder, Jarrett Perelmutter, who I met at Cobrinha's in Los Angeles while he trained jiu-jitsu. I was given the opportunity to cross-train at any of their affiliates, and chose the Grand Central location. It's less than 10 blocks north of Unity, so I asked the brothers if they would be interested in joining in the classes.

When they started training three times a week, they never missed a session; as a result, I haven't missed a day either. It's not close to my home or even my academy, but seeing the Miyaos' tenacity in a new skill enticed me.

Despite their quiet demeanors, the twins adapted well to training in classes with strangers. Brick coach Ben Sweeney works with them almost weekly. "They are prime example of top-level athletes," Ben said. "When they hear a cue, they make the adjustment, even when it's not directed at them."

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Initially, adding CrossFit to an already physically demanding routine is tough because it makes you sore in new ways and can damage your hands. But seeing how the brothers seamlessly implemented it despite being in classes without Portuguese translators helped me resist skipping regardless of how many jiu-jitsu training sessions I was also enduring.

For more than a week, my calluses ripped open and stung with contact. I noticed that even though Joao and Paulo did the same workouts, their hands didn't suffer. When I asked Paulo why it kept happening to me and not them, he said, "I have crocodile skin." He then added, "Because you use chalk. It's good for the moment, but not long-term."

They knew I was struggling, but I only received this advice by requesting it. Although they could have spared me the pain, they didn't think to tell me until I asked. They don't concern themselves with others. While that may sound like a negative trait, it helps steel their focus and contributes to their success.

Following in their footsteps

There's an alluring quality to the Miyao twins' presence. I found myself wanting to spend more time with them--when I did, it felt as though I couldn't do any wrong. Because they are so rigid and calculated in their routines, I felt if I just followed along, I would improve. It felt safe.

Getting the chance to train with them isn't hard--you just have to ask. They don't have egos and don't believe in hierarchy within the gym. That's also the message Unity Jiu-Jitsu owners Murilo Santana and Ana Lowry send their students. They don't turn anyone away, and don't let politics influence their business decisions. Their message is, "Hard work by good people."

The Miyaos will train with you, apologize for any accidental knee or bump to the head, and thank you for the roll. But they won't tell you what you could do better, or give their opinion on a certain person's game. Their job is to train and be examples to others in the gym, and they do it well.

Besides, if you ask them how to get better at jiu-jitsu, they will just tell you to "train more."









Training with the Miyao brothers

I attempted to get Joao to teach me a thing or two whenever I attended the open mats. I thought it would allow me get to know him better, and even help him develop his English. At first, he responded he was too tired, so I began to ask specific questions. With that approach, I soon learned his way of using the torreando pass. The following week, it turned into "How do I defend the torreando?" which was answered with "lasso." When he attacked my foot with a toehold by wrapping it in his own lapel, I had something else for him to teach me. And he did.

Soon, I began asking Paulo to roll, as well. Joao has always been my connection, and I had no reason to reach out to Paulo until I had the chance to train with them both. While Joao will pass my guard and let me recover (before passing it again right after), Paulo is more inclined to put on pressure and submit me.

Rolling with Joao is great, since we're closer in size (I'm a female lightweight, and he's a male light-featherweight) and he takes it easy on me--more or less. When he can tell I'm getting exhausted, he pretends to work harder to keep me motivated during the roll.

When Paulo armbars me and I squirm with hyper-extended elbows, he lets me escape, then looks around like what he just saw was crazy, or stupid, or both. The one time I really felt Paulo training particularly hard with me was the day after I beat him at UFC on the Xbox. Competition is always present, no matter the platform.

The brothers have matter-of-fact dispositions, but have offered moments of congeniality. I asked Paulo to train a day before we were on the mats. Because the opportunity never presented itself, he made sure to call me over after class for a roll. I was dead-tired by then, andhe noticed it after a few minutes. He asked me if I was tired, then said he'd drill instead, so we finished up the round with some passing.





Read part one here. In part three, we look at how growing up as twins influenced the Miyaos' personalities and molded their careers in jiu-jitsu.

Related articles:

• The Miyao Brothers vs. The World: Beating the Berimbolo

• Quit Or Get Tough: Training At Cicero Costha's Gym In Sao Paulo

• Paulo Miyao Just Loves Jiu Jitsu

• Miyaos Bros Drilling At Unity Gym In New York