To Athlete or Not to Athlete
Jiu-Jitsu entered my life when I was 13. Before that, I had tried swimming, basketball, handball, and soccer, but nothing really stuck. One day, I asked my parents for a punching bag to try boxing, but a friend suggested Jiu-Jitsu instead. I didn’t know much about it but decided to give it a try. I started training in Itatiba, São Paulo (Brazil), and from the start, I was hooked on competition.
Despite stepping into a sport predominantly led by men, I never saw this as a barrier. Instead, it became part of the thrill, a chance to challenge norms and prove myself.
After two years and an orange belt, I stopped training. Work and university took priority, and I needed to put my time and focus elsewhere. When things fell into place, I returned to Jiu-Jitsu, this time with a profession and a clear goal: to make my career and passion match. But above all, I was eager to prove myself and went straight back into competition.
I don’t see myself as an athlete, yet I’m very hard on myself. Yes, I train, follow a diet, sleep and, of course, fight like one. But I think the term “athlete” is reserved for those who are 100% committed. I’d say I’m only around 70%.
Even though I am very proud of my achievements, I'm sure I am not scoring a BJJ Heroes profile any time soon. So now that I have my own web site, I’ll create my own here:
Full Name: Mayara Munhos
Nickname: May
Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Reyson Gracie > Osvaldo Alves > Luis Dagmar >André Galvão > Mayara Munhos
Nickname: May
Lineage: Carlos Gracie > Reyson Gracie > Osvaldo Alves > Luis Dagmar >André Galvão > Mayara Munhos
Main Achievements:
2nd Place 2024 IBJJF World Master Absolute
3rd Place 2024 IBJJF World Master
2nd Place 2024 IBJJF World Master Absolute
3rd Place 2024 IBJJF World Master
Favorite Position/Technique: Triangle/Single leg X
Weight Division: You shouldn't ask that to a girl.
Team/Association: Atos
Team/Association: Atos
Yet, still not an athlete.
Since returning to the mats, it’s been over 10 uninterrupted years of Jiu-Jitsu and, in late 2024, I was promoted to black belt by Professor André Galvão. That might feel like the end of the journey, but the road is still long.
On my path, I’ve often been one of the few women in a sport predominantly led by men. Rather than seeing this as a limitation, I’ve embraced this challenge as part of my mission to break barriers, challenge taboos and show that women can excel in Jiu-Jitsu and beyond. My goal is to inspire other women to pursue what they love and my story is far from ending.
Check out my speech from my black-belt graduation below:
