“It’s not the victory that matters most, but what you become while pursuing it.”
📊 Fighter Profile
- Name: Tainan Dalpra
- Division: Middleweight (82kg)
- Academy: AOJ (Art of Jiu-Jitsu)
- Coach: Guilherme Mendes
- IBJJF Resume: 3x World Champion (2021, 2022, 2025), 3x European Champion (2022, 2023, 2025)…
In the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, few documentaries manage to capture both the intensity of IBJJF competition and the depth of personal development. This analysis of Tainan Dalpra‘s return to the IBJJF World Championship 2025 is a perfect illustration. For nearly 25 minutes, we follow an exceptional athlete from AOJ Academy in his environment, between physical preparation, inner faith, teaching the youth, and quest for redemption after a 2024 marked by failure.
A Brutal Disillusionment: The 2024 IBJJF Disqualification
It all begins with an invisible but painful wound: a disqualification at the 2024 IBJJF Worlds, due to a move legal in no-gi but illegal in gi. What should have been a major championship, prepared with the characteristic intensity of the Mendes Brothers, ends in seconds.
For Tainan, this technical error becomes a complete questioning of his mental approach to competition jiu-jitsu.
“I left the competition not knowing what was ahead of me. For the first time, I had no plan.”
This disqualification, which many would have experienced as a simple sporting defeat, becomes for him the catalyst for profound inner change. He decides to return to his foundations: his faith, his family, and a complete redefinition of his relationship with BJJ.
A Renaissance Driven by Faith and Mental Training
The most striking aspect of this reconstruction lies in Tainan’s spiritual approach. Unlike classic mental training methods in BJJ, he integrates his faith as the central pillar of his preparation.
“I’ve won before, but this time, I won in the presence of God.”
This spiritual dimension completely transforms his relationship with competition. Every movement becomes an expression of faith, gratitude, presence. It’s a form of inhabited, embodied mental jiu-jitsu, far from simple physical performance (as he specifies himself, he is “elsewhere”).
Key elements of his mental transformation:
- Pre-training meditation
- Redefinition of objectives (process vs result)
- Emotional management in competition
- Spiritual connection during fights
Technical Reconstruction: The AOJ School in Action
After his hand fracture (caused by a poorly anticipated defensive wristlock), Tainan adapts his training according to the AOJ Academy method. This period of forced inactivity becomes an opportunity to refine his mental game and analyze his strategies and techniques.
Adaptations in his preparation:
- Advanced technical visualization
- Active coaching despite absence of sparring
- In-depth video study of opponents
- Strengthening of the coach-athlete bond
The influence of Guilherme Mendes proves crucial in this phase. More than a technical coach, he becomes a guide in his champion’s mental reconstruction.
Technical Analysis: The 2025 IBJJF Worlds Final
The middleweight final against Ronaldo Junior perfectly illustrates Tainan’s evolution. His game, once driven by pure intensity, now reveals impressive tactical maturity (he builds more, rushes less).
Technical points observed:
- Dominant closed guard: Rhythm control and neutralization of passes
- Center mat management: Strategic positioning to avoid going out of bounds
- 50/50 transitions: Offensive rather than defensive use
- Methodical back taking: Progressive construction without rushing
- Iron mentality: No panic, game plan execution
The technical victory (3 points for guard pass) crowns a performance where the mental dimension proves as decisive as the technical aspects.
Transmission at AOJ: The Mendes Brothers Legacy
An emotional part of the documentary takes place at AOJ Academy, where Tainan coaches the new generation. This sequence reveals the particular DNA of the school founded by the Mendes Brothers: technical excellence AND human development.
The AOJ philosophy in action:
- Coaches trained in the academy since childhood
- Attention to technical AND ethical details
- Creation of a family environment
- Mental preparation from an early age
“My role is to help them love competition without fear. To guide them, as I was guided.”
This holistic approach partly explains the constant domination of AOJ athletes on the IBJJF circuit.
The Coach-Athlete Relationship: Mendes-Dalpra
The evolution of communication between Guilherme Mendes and Tainan perfectly illustrates the maturation of the jiu-jitsu champion.
Before the transformation:
- Partial listening to instructions
- Interference from “outside noise”
- Emotions taking over strategy
After mental reconstruction:
- Fluid and instantaneous communication
- Total confidence in tactical adjustments
- Precise game plan execution
“Before, I heard him. Now, I listen to him.”
This relationship, built over years of common work, becomes a major competitive advantage in the ruthless universe of IBJJF competition.
Tainan also describes Guilherme as a “second father,” and we witness very beautiful images at the end of the documentary, after the final!
A Bond That Goes Beyond Coaching
What the video quietly reveals is that Guilherme Mendes isn’t just a technical coach — he’s a steady guide, almost like a silent lighthouse in the storm. You can feel that in Tainan’s moments of doubt, it’s Guilherme who anchors him. And over the years, Tainan has learned to let go and trust him completely.
In the close-up shots during matches, just a glance or a word from Guilherme is enough to center Tainan. That kind of connection can’t be bought. It’s built over time — through hard training, through disappointments, and above all, through mutual respect.
Tainan calling him a “second father” isn’t a metaphor. It’s a real emotional bond. And perhaps that’s AOJ’s secret strength: the deep-rooted belief that no athlete ever walks alone.
More Than a Victory: A Message for the BJJ Community
Tainan’s victory at the 2025 IBJJF Worlds transcends simple sporting achievement. His third middleweight world title (after 2021 and 2022) comes with a profound message for the entire jiu-jitsu community.
Universal lessons:
- Failure as an opportunity for growth
- The importance of mental training in BJJ
- The value of patience in reconstruction
- The central role of entourage and coaching
- Spirituality as a mental resource
“I don’t want to be remembered for my medals, but for the path I followed.”
💭 Practical Applications for Your BJJ
How to integrate Tainan’s lessons into your practice:
- Develop your mental training: Integrate meditation or visualization into your routine
- Redefine your objectives: Focus on the process rather than solely on results
- Strengthen the relationship with your coach: Work on communication and mutual trust
- Use failures as stepping stones: Analyze your defeats to identify improvement areas
- Cultivate patience: Accept that progression is a marathon, not a sprint
Impact on the IBJJF Middleweight Division
This victory repositions Tainan as the absolute reference in the middleweight division. His ability to combine AOJ technique, advanced mental training, and emotional maturity makes him a formidable opponent for years to come, like in previous years… but even more formidable!
Conclusion: Tainan Dalpra, A Model for the BJJ Community
This documentary is not a simple IBJJF competition highlight. It’s an inspiring work that shows BJJ is more than a sport: it’s a life path, a school of humility, a truth revealer.
Tainan Dalpra’s example proves that with work, faith (whatever it may be), and the right entourage, it’s possible to transform your greatest defeats into even more beautiful victories.
💬 What lesson from Tainan’s mental approach could you apply to your own jiu-jitsu practice?
Share your thoughts in the comments and discover our other analyses on IBJJF champions and training methods from reference academies!
Tags: #TainanDalpra #IBJJF2025 #AOJ #MentalTraining #BJJChampion #MendesBrothers #BrazilianJiuJitsu
