Noticed this on BJJ heroes so figured I would post it here as it is relevant to the discussion.
http://www.bjjheroes.com/featured/caio-terra-interview
(Questions are in bold)
Before we go on to the current state of affairs, please explain what your role was at the Cesar Gracie (Gracie Fighter) academy before the break-up?
Before last week I did not teach at Cesar’s academy, I taught at my own academy and a Gracie Fighter affiliate gym in Dublin (CSA). Kirian and MJ are very nice guys and as they were affiliated with Gracie Fighter when I was removed from the team I was asked to not teach there any more.
What kind of a relationship did you have with Cesar Gracie and his team (Diaz brothers, Jake Shields, Melendez and the rest of the crew)?
I respect every one, if they ever needed help or anything I was always willing to help out. Personally I did not know any of them very well. In the past 3 years I’ve seen Cesar maybe 10 times.
How did the opportunity to coach Carlos Condit occur, and why did you decide to take it?
Carlos got a hold of me and asked me to come to New Mexico for a week. At the time I was extremely busy with my own training, my academy and seminars, I hesitated at first but they said it was only a week and there were no obligations. Apparently during that week they really liked me and asked me to come back. For me it was a great week as I got a chance to really talk and get to know Carlos. Whether some one is a good fighter or good jiu jitsu person isn’t that important, what really matters is if they’re good people and Carlos is a phenomenal person! It was both an honour and a pleasure to work with him, I only wish he won the fight as I believe he has all the tools to be the champ.
Were you expecting this reaction from Cesar Gracie after you accepted this role as grappling coach of Condit?
Before I accepted to help I talked with Cesar, at first he wasn’t very nice about it and did not want me to go. After I talked with him about it more he said he was joking around and it was OK I wasn’t quite sure what changed his mind. As for his public reaction it came months after he knew and the day before the event, unfortunately, especially for my students at CSA, he does not want me to help with Gracie Fighter or be affiliated in any way.
Are you going to keep working with the Greg Jackson camp, or was this just for one camp, exclusive to Carlos Condit?
It really is up to them.
Is there anything you would like to say to Cesar Gracie at this point?
I wish every one from Gracie Fighter well. I appreciate all they did and wish things would have turned out differently.
You have recently started your own association, CTBJJA (Caio Terra Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Association), what are your plans for the future with regards to your life as a BJJ coach?
We officially started right before Pan’s, after planning it for a long time (I wore association patches on my gi at pants). This wasn’t a spur of the moment thing, it was many years in the making. I feel currently most associations take more than give. If the goal is to spread jiu jitsu and grow the business than the business and the person should come before the association! It’s simple as the gym grows so does the association, so with this in mind we put gym owners and students first. When you join our association you aren’t buying a name or lineage, you’re joining a group of like minded individuals who really are behind you. I am very excited to see where this goes and am very happy to know we are producing champions on and off the mat.
Any final thoughts you would like to share, with your fans and students?
I’d like to thank every one for the support. I personally would like to apologize to my students that trained with me under the Gracie Fighter affiliations. Keep training guys, respect every one and know that although we no longer are on the same team I will always cheer for you
