Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dewy Ventura Joa. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dewy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

As a Martial artist the journey has been rough. It’s been 7 years since I started, and Judo and Jiu-jitsu are probably the hardest things I do in my life. I learned “The Way” from one of the best to do it. Professor Maajid Al Kush. He told me no excuses and no complaining. Bad habits were some of the major obstacles in the way. I had to make hard decisions and sacrifices. But discipline won in the end.

Dewy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started training Jiu-jitsu after meeting Toker El Cholo and LocoFighter the homies from CholoMMA. They encouraged me to join a gym and train. The content that we film is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Character as gangsters. We are the only ones with paisley designs on our gear and grappling mats. We have paisley Gis and rashguards, shorts, and also sell Bjj instructionals online. We are proud that we get to sponsor young athletes and partner up with great organizations that serve many many practitioners worldwide. We can be found on all major social media platforms @CholoMMA.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I have competition coming up. I’ve worked hard for it. About a month ago I injured myself because I didn’t take the time to stretch. Needless to say I ended up with a slipping rib. This condition is marked by hypermobility of the cartilage attaching these ribs, causing sharp, stabbing, or aching pain in the lower chest. I was out of the gym for two weeks. During that time I wore a chest compression wrap and applied lots of heat and massaged the area and rested. I did that until the pain lessened and I felt good enough to get back on the mats. Injuries can be discouraging. I’ve had my share. But they are a part of the Art. It’s how we handle these injuries that matter. Our attitude and our resilience. Oss.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Our audience grew organically. We have our own niche. Yes Jiu-jitsu is growing rapidly and many influencers are joining gyms and hopping on trends. But we knew we were different. We had something no one else had. We had Latino Culture and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. We had our background in film and experience acting. All these things mattered. I think what really helped is people got to follow our journey. I was a non-practitioner at first. Then I became a white belt and competed. Then I got my blue belt and competed. Than I got my purple belt and competed. People could relate and they knew we were the real deal. It’s been 7 years since we started. They say it takes 5-7 years. It took us 5 years. Stay consistent, be unique, but most importantly enjoy what you do. It shines through in your videos, music, and in your art.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cholomma.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cholomma?igsh=MWk2YTJ5anlrMWU5NA==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1FXvmrLrWu/
• Twitter: https://x.com/CholoMMA?t=MXzC-ksn1bu8K2QnygK5vQ&s=09
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@cholomma?si=p2tkfIkD7zBQgagb
• Other: Bjj Instructional:

  https://tr.ee/jei0kxy5U4