Name: Amirul Syafiq
Age: 32
Occupation: Jujitsu Instructor
Status: Married
Food: I don’t stick to any diet. I just take the usual three meals a days. Only when I am cutting weight for a competition, then I’ll go for more protein and less carbs.
Exercise: Outside of teaching classes, I do about 4 sessions of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) training, 3 strength training sessions and 2 runs, in a week.
When you were younger, were you active in sports?
I used to swim a lot when i was younger and I also did track (sprints and jumps), but nothing competitive. I just liked to train and would consider myself a subpar athlete haha.
What did you get into as you got older?
I got into Muay Thai first then slowly ventured into BJJ and Mixed Martial Arts.
How did you get into BJJ?
I was around 16 years old and I saw the schedule wrongly for my boxing class. I ended up late for that class and missed it. I was wandering around the gym and I went to have a look at the BJJ class, to see what it was all about.
After observing the class, I went onto YouTube to search some of the techniques and then tried it on my brothers. Eventually, I decided to go for a class and it stuck since.
What motivated you to earn your black belt?
The motivation wasn’t about earning a black belt throughout the journey. It was more of learning and understanding the techniques. I like how it’s a ‘thinking man’ sport and it is about problem solving with your body. It is also how there is so much to learn where there is always a counter to a counter of a move.
The sport is ever growing where new techniques and positions are always being invented, so I’m actually in a position where I will forever be a student in this sport.
You also had a side quest and competed in Muay Thai.
Hahaha I just kinda miss punching and kicking. It was more of an impulse and a joke where I asked the coach if I could take up the fight because one of the fighters pulled out. It became real and I’ve competed several times with a current fight standing of 5-0.
You went for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in 2013 and scored a bronze medal.
I went to the SEA Games 2023 and competed in the U62kg Newaza Men’s Division. I was ecstatic about it as it has always been my dream to compete for the country since they started the national team back in 2017.
I was aiming to qualify for this year’s SEA Games but I fell short, as I did not prepare properly and did not get enough data points needed to qualify.
What are your ultimate goals in BJJ?
To be a world champion. Then once I retire from the competition scene, it is to build and coach the next generation of BJJ competitors and to help them achieve their goals.
When you were younger, did you experience any incidents that made you feel insecure about yourself?
I’ve always been an insecure person growing up, thinking I wouldn’t amount to anything in other people’s eyes. As i grew older, I began to realise that the insecurity I feel is just a need of validation from others and that the less I thought about other people’s perception of me, the better I’d feel.
When did you feel the least confident about yourself?
It would be the time I suffered a string of competition losses. It really does impact me, making me feel that maybe I should just quit and focus on other things. Coming out of that and finding the motivation is really hard but my family and friends are always there to support me as I manoeuvre through the tough times.
