What do you think about the Miyao brothers? Are they the face of modern jiu-jitsu, and have they ushered in a new era of development of the art? Or are they everything that's wrong with the sport, and the death of 'real' combative relevance of jiu-jitsu? 

One thing is clear: they're two of the most controversial figures in BJJ today, loved and loathed in equal measure by fans and critics. 

Maybe it's their preference to fight from bottom and their reliance on techniques such as the berimbolo that causes such consternation - but one thing about the berimboloing Brazilian twins that can't denied is their success. 

The IBJJF rankings are one of the most objective markers of success we have in the sport of jiu-jitsu. Regardless of weight category, competitors climb up the ladder with tournament wins and podium finishes. 

Paulo and Joao Miyao's dominance of the rankings (#1 and #3 respectively) is down to the fact they never. stop. competing. 

You'll find them at IBJJF Opens big and small and they compete in superfights and invitational tournaments. It's rare that a weekend goes by and they're not competing somewhere. 

Because of this, Paulo has taken IBJJF gold 16 times this year and Joao 15 times. They are relentless. 

Beating the Best Berimbolos in the World

31 gold medals in 2015 alone means they've left a trail of defeated opponents behind them. But a select few have managed to shut down the twins' well-known games, while others are closing in on snapping the brothers' winning streaks. 

Just a couple of weeks ago in a tournament in Guatemala, Osvaldo 'Queixinho' Moizinho overcame Joao's tricky guard game in a pair of matches. In their first encounter, he won with a sweep after a length 50-50 guard exchange that 'Queixinho' describes as "inevitable". 

It's no secret what the twins prefer. Even though they've been working more of their top game this last year, everybody knows they'll go for the berimbolo. 

"Their berimbolo game is the best and very efficient," says 'Queixinho'. "Sure it's easier to study their game, but that doesn't mean you'll win the fight. 

'Queixinho' ability to avoid getting caught out in the positions the Miyaos favor marks a shift in the balance. Until recently, when the Miyaos got that de la riva hook in it was almost game over. Their excellent leg fighting and ability to invert would take them straight to the back. 

Moizinho's strategy in both fights was excellent -- deny the berimbolo, use his own guard to nullify any passing attempts, and aggressively pass whenever he came up on top. 


Mikey Musumeci rocked the light featherweight world by winning the 2015 American Nationals in his very first outing as a black belt. As if this wasn't impressive enough, he took out Joao Miyao in the finals in the process, helped by the fact he plays a similar game to the Brazilian. 

"The key factor in beating Joao was my understanding of the same jiu-jitsu he's doing. We have similar styles, so I pretty much know every position he's going to do, and since I know the positions so well, I also know how to counter them and what is annoying to those positions," describes Musumeci. 

A deep understanding of this type of game is essential, as it seems you really need to fight fire with fire. "In this type of jiu-jitsu with berimbolo, 50-50, and lapel control it's really difficult to not have to play into that game," says Musumeci. "Typically the person that is playing it is so persistent with it, it's difficult to play a completely different game against it. For me, since I already play that game so much, why would I change my jiu-jitsu when fighting someone that plays the same game as me? What fun would that be?!" 

Along with the Mendes brothers, 19-year-old Musumeci counts the Miyaos among his biggest influences. "since I was a juvenile blue belt the Miyaos were idols to my development in jiu-jitsu. Their way of playing guard and style of the berimbolo is a little different [than the Mendes bros], so of course I can learn new tricks from them as well."

The Keys to Victory: Strategy, Persistence and…

Vitas Gerulaitis was a tennis player in the '70s and '80s. In 1980, he finally beat his nemesis Jimmy Connors. After the match he said "And let that be a lesson to you all. Nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row". 

The lesson is that we should never be disheartened even in the face of repeated losses. Kim Terra knows this well, having fought Paulo three times this year and Joao once. He's yet to get his arm raised in victory, but not for lack of trying. 

"Everybody knows their game, but only a handful of people were able to stop it so far'" says Terra. "I think its possible to beat them at their game - Musumeci did that against Joao - but that's because they play the exact same game. The best way to beat anybody is by playing your own game, focusing on what you do best, and ignoring what your opponent can do." 



With four matches against the brothers this year, he's had plenty of time to reflect on what works and what doesn't. Everybody knows the grips, set-ups and positions they favor. 

Terra and Queixinho both agree that they key to victory is simple; getting ahead on the scoreboard, and focussing on your own game rather than getting transfixed on what they're doing. 

"I think that I can beat them on any given day, and that day is coming," says Terra. "My match against João was a tie, and I lost by referee decision. It could have gone either way. Last time I fought Paulo I passed his guard. The previous one, I was winning until the last 30 seconds. The gold medal will present itself to me when the time is right - I can wait as long as it takes to beat them." 

Moizinho agrees. The techniques are only part of the equation - far more important is self-belief and the will to win. As he says, "If you don't believe you can win, you've already lost."