Ivanka Trump's jiu-jitsu practice benefits whole family, celebrity trainers reveal
Self-defense methods boost spiritual, mental and physical wellness, say Valente Brothers
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}First daughter Ivanka Trump has gone public with her practice of jiu-jitsu.
In a recent Instagram post by martial artists The Valente Brothers, Trump showed off her mastered maneuvers with trainer Gui Valente.
Trump recently shared that her daughter, Arabella, first started taking classes before the entire family joined.
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Supermodel Gisele Bündchen, who has also trained with the Valente brothers and is the mother of Joaquim Valente's child, has publicly called out the benefits of her own jiu-jitsu practice.
"I feel stronger, more confident and empowered since I started practicing self-defense," she said in a previous Instagram post. "I feel it’s an important skill for all, but especially for us women."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In an on-camera interview with Fox News Digital, the three Valente brothers — Pedro, Gui and Joaquim, who are based in Miami, Florida — shared why a self-defense practice like jiu-jitsu is a great physical and mental workout for the whole family.
"We have students starting as young as 3 years old and as old as 87 continuing their training," Joaquim Valente said. "It creates an opportunity for everyone to engage."
For kids facing bullying, the practice helps them develop the physical confidence to protect themselves and parents wind up tagging along, according to Joaquim.
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"Saturday, we call it family day here at Valente Brothers," he said. "We have so many families that come together, and they train with their kids."
The art of jiu-jitsu
The martial art, which originated from samurai warriors in medieval Japan, started to become popular in the U.S. during the 20th century, when then-President Teddy Roosevelt practiced it in the White House.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}For the last 30 years, the Valente brothers, whose family is originally from Brazil and trained with world-renowned Brazilian martial artist Helio Gracie, have specialized in teaching jiu-jitsu as both a self-defense tool and a path to wellness.
The Valente brothers, (left to right) Gui, Pedro and Joaquim, operate several jiu-jitsu facilities in the U.S. At right, Ivanka Trump is shown training in jiu-jitsu with the Valente brothers. (Valente Brothers; Instagram/@valentebrothers)
The brothers focus on a "7-5-3 code" philosophy, which is intended to create "spiritual, mental and physical wellness."
Joaquim Valente shared that their instruction focuses on empowering people for various situations, like being put in a headlock or preparing for a punch.
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Gui Valente added that jiu-jitsu can also provide health benefits, noting that their predecessors were doctors — including their father, Grand Master Pedro Valente Sr., who was a plastic surgeon.
"He often talked about how what he learned on the mat helped tremendously with his career," Gui said. "All the fundamentals of jiu-jitsu, the philosophical aspect of jiu-jitsu, can be beneficial on and off the mat."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pedro Valente, pictured, also trains members of the U.S. military. (Valente Brothers)
"Self-defense is a human necessity," Pedro Valente added. "Our style of jiu-jitsu gives students this opportunity even if they're very busy with their lives – with business and work and family – they still can come in and learn a very powerful system of self-defense but in a very safe way."
Jiu-jitsu is an "exercise of the mind," the brothers described, which makes it a great mindfulness practice amid the stresses of daily life.
Maneuvers to master
The brothers repeated that their 7-5-3 philosophy – which represents the seven virtues of a warrior, five keys to health and three states of mind – is lesson No. 1 in learning self-defense.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Simple techniques — like learning how to release control if someone grabs you by the wrist and pulls, or if someone places two hands around your neck with the intention to choke — are a basic necessity, Joaquim Valente noted.
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Another essential technique of jiu-jitsu is learning how to fall without being injured.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}But the best self-defense technique, according to the trainers, is avoiding confrontation altogether.
"We want to think about self-defense even before the fight happens," Gui Valente said. "When we talk about situational awareness, we also talk about teaching students risk management."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pedro Valente also discussed the importance of emotional balance and developing a "sense of poise" when approached with danger.
"When you are in a state of panic, the frontal lobe of your brain is not functioning well, you're not going to be able to rationally decide what's the best escape route," he told Fox News Digital.
"The best self-defense is always avoidance. If you get into a physical fight, you're already a step behind."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pedro added that having emotional balance also helps to avoid "petty arguments, bickering, that many times will lead to a fight."
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"Anticipation is key — and the only way to anticipate is to be present," he said, emphasizing the importance of being connected to one's surroundings.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Presence is something that can really enhance our mental state and, at the same time, allow us to anticipate a problem that might be happening around us."
Self-defense in schools
The three brothers, who are all fathers to young children who train, shared their goal for jiu-jitsu to be taught more widely in schools as physical education.
The brothers have been leading this movement in the Miami area, where a few instructors have been teaching in some schools.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We consider it to be the best form of PE," Gui Valente said. "It really complements the academics … and what develops into physical confidence, improves children's self-esteem."
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Pedro Valente echoed that this education is a "powerful combination of intellectual and physical confidence."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Jiu-jitsu — and this is something that we work on with psychologists and therapists — is one of the key ways to address these common problems that every kid faces," Gui Valente added.
Gui Valente holds baby Arthur, the son of Joaquim Valente and model Gisele Bundchen, in his first kimono. (Valente Brothers)
The brothers also emphasized that jiu-jitsu has helped students of all ages with weight loss due to the physical elements of the sport, as well as nutritional awareness.
"Self-defense is a human necessity."
"You work every single muscle in your body and in different ways," Gui Valente said. "You have to be able to develop great stamina, because when you spar, you have to last for sometimes 20 to 30 minutes, or even longer than that."
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"You have to learn how to use strength efficiently, which is truly important in pretty much any exercise you choose to practice, as well as flexibility and mobility."