BRAZIL SCENE – UNITED STATES ONCE AGAIN
Full Contact Fighter, November 2000, interview by Marcelo Alonso
BJ Penn put his name in Jiu-Jitsu history after being the first North American World Jiu-Jitsu black belt champion. American Dustin “Clean” Denes of Brazilian Top Team showed that he has some of the same stuff. Completely addicted to Jiu-Jitsu, Dustin Denes left his family, and a degree in Business Administration to come to Brazil and learn Jiu-Jitsu. “I started training at Carlson Gracie Miami, but my life really changed when I met Rodrigo Minotauro Nogueira. He brought me to Brazil and I decided to live to learn Jiu-Jitsu. So I went to live in Brazil,” says Dustin, nicknamed by a Brazilian coach as CLEAN.
As soon as he got to Brazil four months ago, Clean started to train all day long. “I train with Brazilian Top Team fighters in Murilo Bustamante’s academy from 11 to 3 o’ clock, then I take some açaí (fruit sorbet) and go straight to de la Riva’s school for hours of training, late afternoon into the night.”
After four months of training really hard, Dustin got a big gift….the Brazilian national title in the brown belt open weight division. He won the bronze medal in the category; he defeated two opponents, and lost to Erick Wanderley in the semi-final. Dustin ran after the GOLD on the last day of the competition. To get there, Dustin choked out two highly respected fighters; first, Anderson Leal, then Marcelo Garcia (Alliance) in the final.
CLEAN submits MARCELO GARCIA
After winning the GOLD medal, Clean gave us the following interview:
FCF: How did you find out about Jiu-Jitsu?
DD: I trained free-style wrestling for 7 years of my life. One day a friend of mine took me to Carlson Gracie Miami, so I started to train there. I loved that, in Jiu-Jitsu I started using muscles that I didn’t even know existed.
FCF: When did you realize that your Jiu-Jitsu had improved?
DD: When Minotauro took me to Brazil. I knew that if I wanted to learn, I should come to Brazil where the best trainers are. When Minotauro brought me here and I had the opportunity to train with the best, I decided to move to Brazil and live to train and learn Jiu-Jitsu.
FCF: What do your parents say about that?
DD: They supported me. Actually, they are very proud of me because they always taught me that I should run after my dreams, and that’s what I did.
FCF: So what’s your dream?
DD: My dream is to represent Jiu-Jitsu in Vale-Tudo, represent the Brazilian Top Team in Vale-Tudo and all the people who helped me like Minotauro and Carlson Gracie Miami. They built the fire in me and now the BTT added gasoline.
FCF: Is it true that you have thousands of computer disks with notes of your training?
DD: Yes, I like to save positions in the computer, Jiu-Jitsu is a very complex sport, there are thousands of positions. It’s difficult to memorize everything.
FCF: I’ve heard that you train all day long…
DD: Yes, I really love to train. Normally, I train from 10 to 3 at Murilo’s academy in Leblon. After, I take some açaí and go straight to de la Riva’s academy in Copacabana, where I stay until the last training session. Master is a legend and most famous for his de la Riva guard.
I love to train at de la Riva academy because its the best place to learn new positions. Ricardo de la Rivais very knowledgeable and is one of the nicest people I’ve ever known.
How do you feel after winning this medal?
DD: I have no words. I feel really great because in the Brasileiro, you can face the very best that this sport has to offer. It has motivated me to train more and more.
FCF: Is it true that even the day after the competition you went to train?
DD: YES man, I NEVER STOP BECAUSE THE ENEMIES ARE TRAINING. I relaxed my body by running one hour on the beach.
FCF: How is living in Brazil?
DD: AMAZING, Brasil is a natural country. I’m really feeling good here. Besides Brazilians being really friendly, you can train and go to the beach and take some açaí, I really like it.
FCF: You intend to someday bring everything you learn here to the American people?
DD: Yes, some day in the future I intend to come back and give me experience to Americans and HELP JIU-JITSU GROW AROUND THE WORLD.
Congratulations and good luck in the next one.