MMANewsline’s own Nick Portella had the opportunity to sit down with Marvin Castelle, a BJJ practitioner affiliated with 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu under the tutelage of Eddie Bravo, this week for an exclusive interview. Castelle hopes to compete at FloGrappling’s Submission Underground IV event on May 14, and has already applied to do so.
Let’s get right to it!
Nick: What does it mean (for you) to be a fighter?
Marvin: It means to me that I have to teach people the way to evolve much faster than I did when I started.
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Nick: At what age did you begin to train martial arts?
Marvin: 18 years old.
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Nick: What belts do you have and in what disciplines?
Marvin: Brown belt Nogi BJJ and Blue belt in BJJ Gi.
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Nick: I know you started out as a mixed martial artist. How many fights did you have? Under what promotion did you fight under?
Marvin: (I had) Two fights at Flint Town Fight Club.
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Nick: What made you decide to switch from MMA to BJJ only?
Marvin: Neck kicks and elbows were not really fun, but I did feel cool.
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Nick: How long have you been with 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu?
Marvin: Four years.
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Nick: What would you say your biggest the thing you need to work on the most?
Marvin: The whole game Jiu Jitsu game still needs work. I am always learning.
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Nick: What’s your favorite submission to use?
Marvin: No favorites, just submissions from everywhere.
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Nick: What was it like training and now being an instructor under the great Eddie Bravo?
Marvin: It’s insane but I am very blessed to have an awesome instructor and team.
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Nick: People talk about the next generation of fighters no matter what combat sport you participate in, do you feel that you represent that in some ways? Do you feel any pressure to represent that next generation?
Marvin: Nope I am here to show the importance of Jiu Jitsu for any and everyone. MMA guys or women are welcome to come train with me and my team if they want next level grappling.
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Nick: I know you have won several titles for BJJ, have you ever considered competing in Submission Underground?
Marvin: Yes sir I already contact them for a spot in (Submission Underground IV) 4 but no reply yet.
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Nick: If the opportunity presented itself would you consider going back to MMA if it was for the UFC or Bellator?
Marvin: No sir, I found a home with BJJ.
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Nick: Have you been branded with a nickname? If so what is it? Who gave it to you?
Marvin: My yellow belt called me the Cerberus 2 years ago and I stuck with it.
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Nick: On February 3 you performed an Imanari Roll heel hook which won you the match. Your video got over 11 million views because it appears to defy physics. How did this move come about? Can you give us a brief walk through of what happened?
Marvin: I drilled it everyday in class and been doing it two years so I figured from his stance he didn’t know what I wanted so I attacked him quickly.
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Nick: If you could have one dream fight with anyone, who would it be? Why?
Marvin: Not really into calling people out not really motives in bjj but I want to battle against the best 145-pound grapplers in the world.
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Marvin would like to give a shout out to his squad The Break Squad and his team 10PHQ. He would also like to thank all his fans and followers along with his sponsors.
@phalanx_usa, @leao_optics, @dsgear, @dcmouthguards, @kettlebellssouthbay @vedayoga, @q5labs
Nick’s Notes: It was a good time talking with Marvin. He is a great guy that is there to help. He teaches at all levels from children to the pro’s. I am sure we will see big things from him in the future and i wish him the best of luck.
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