Thamara Ferreira is one of the top female BJJ competitors on the planet and the IBJJF world championship silver medallist was just given the first degree on her black belt by her coach, Caio Terra. Ferreira has actually only recently started working with Terra, as she left her original team to join the Caio Terra Academy earlier this year. She hasn’t had much chance to compete since making the switch, but she did manage to go unbeaten at the IBJJF Santa Cruz Open in both gi and no gi.
Thamara Ferreira announced the news that she had been promoted to first degree BJJ Black belt by Caio Terra in a post to her official Instagram account. The initial announcement was in Portuguese but a rough translation can be found below:
“26/04 I got my first degree and today I am part of one of the most technical academies in the world, if not the most technical. It’s amazing that every day I enter training and think: “I wanted to be a white belt today, because I wanted to have learned all this time here.” It’s funny the feeling of starting over, seems like I still don’t know anything. Ever since I started training with Caio my energy and interest in jiu jitsu has become one: learning. Better yet, learn Caio jiu jitsu. Caio has humbled me beating because i thought i knew something. And when you hang out with him you understand 100% why he’s a 12x World Champion. And I can say that I’m really happy to be learning from him, and it brings me clarity and energy in this phase of mine.”
“Clarity is in seeing myself here, in this now, and remembering why I came. And very few know what I faced this past year. Been months of self abuse. Low self-esteem too, which I’ve faced since I was a young woman. Along with that I wasn’t training like I would like, and I had no way to occupy my head. I am the woman that if I am working and dedicating myself, I will achieve wellness. My self worth has alot to do with my effort. If I work hard I feel accomplished. And after almost a year of therapy and 4 months training in Caio Terra, I see myself full of energy, plans, and grateful for my life! Im feelin so gud ….. I’m breathing in self awareness. And that’s good because when we really know each other we live better. But going back a little bit, I had to give a speech, and sometimes I can’t express myself the way I’d like to because of language.”
“I wanted to finish the speech by saying here how happy I am and how much I thank the compass of my life for everything that has brought me here. I’m excited and confident about how I’ll be in awhile. I thank you professor Caio Terra for making this day more special than it usually is by being with you. And also for patience and trust. Caio Terra Association and saying it’s great to be with you all. Thank you for all that you are together and individually.”
