At first glance, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (BJJ) can look a little strange. “Just looking at people rolling on the ground in their pyjamas always looked weird,” said Chris Tang.
It is a line that captures how many outsiders see the sport. Strange, unfamiliar, maybe even a little absurd. For Chris, that impression was real. BJJ was never something he imagined himself getting into.
Garie, however, was already on a different path.
“I started training martial arts first, 14 years ago. I started training Muay Thai first and then I wanted to do MMA… eventually, a couple years down the road, I started BJJ.”
For him, BJJ was part of a wider progression through combat sports, one that would eventually lead to a decorated competitive career. He has won the national wrestling and BJJ championships multiple times, was the first Singaporean to win the Asian Open, and has medalled at every Southeast Asian (SEA) Games – for Jiu-jitsu – he has competed in.
Chris entered the sport later, pushed in part by circumstance and proximity. “When COVID-19 happened, Garie made me try BJJ again; just so he can get a training partner.”
What began almost casually became something much deeper. As the brothers trained together more often, the mats became a place not just for practice, but for exchange.
“I think it’s very useful because I think a big part of learning is discussing and exchanging ideas,” Garie said. That process of learning side by side shaped more than their technique. It also improved their relationship. “I believe training probably brought us a bit closer,” he added.
But if Garie’s story reflects achievement at a high level, Chris’s journey reveals something equally compelling: After unfortunately getting laid off at work, Chris found personal meaning through the sport.
“I think if I don’t compete, it’s a lot easier to stay stagnant. But if you know that there’s a competition in three months, six months’ time, you’re forced to work on your gaps.”
Although Chris won his category (M1 Blue Roosterweight) at the IBJJF World Master Championship last year, competition is not just about results to him. It was about direction. It created urgency, exposed weaknesses, and gave shape to improvement. More than that, it changed how he related to sport itself.
“I didn’t really care much about Garie and his sporting pursuits. It was only until I started BJJ, then it meant something,” he shared. “This is the first time I’m so committed to a sport. For me, I think it gave me a lot of confidence.”
Together, the brothers embody two distinct but overlapping truths about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It can be a vehicle for competitive excellence. It can also be the thing that transforms your relationship with yourself.
For Garie, it became a platform to build an exceptional record. For Chris, it became the sport that finally clicked – one that gave him confidence, purpose, and momentum.
And for both, it became something shared.
By the end, their perspective is simple but hard-earned. “Discover yourself through this sport… you find out more about yourself than you thought otherwise. Just don’t give up.”
What once looked strange from the outside became central to both their lives. Not just as a sport, but as a space where two brothers – who started from very different places – found common ground.
