makoto


At Carpe Diem BJJ, we have what we call an Athlete Program aimed at younger BJJ practitioners. Makoto participates in this program, and under it he pays no monthly membership dues and we cover his tournament participation fees, too. We pay him a little for part-time work as well. As an Athlete Program participant, Makoto cleans the dojo, does the laundry, and helps out with instruction while training as a BJJ competitor. He’s more of a staff member than a general member.

Makoto is currently the only participant we have in this program, and he is attached to the Aoyama dojo.


Date of birth: 14 August 1996
Place of birth: Tokyo, Japan
Sport background: Baseball for around six years as there was nothing else to do. After that, MMA before transitioning to jiu jitsu.

Q&A

Carpe Diem BJJ: What kind of primary school student were you?

Makoto Suzuki: I was an anxious, indoor-type as a kid.

CDBJJ: What were your dreams back then?

MS: I read a lot of manga comic books, so I wanted to be a manga artist.

CDBJJ: Why did you apply for entry into our Athlete Program?

MS: I was training BJJ six days a week and working part time for one, but not being able to train on that one day got to me. Top competitors were training twice a day but I wasn’t, which put me in a constant state of mild panic. Then Ishikawa-sensei spoke to me about my situation, and now here we are.

CDBJ: What’s your life like day to day?

MS: I attend university from morning to evening and train later at night. On Tuesdays I train all day. Travel takes time and on some days I don’t get home until after midnight. At that point it’s just eat, sleep, rise, do it again.

CDBJJ: What’s your BJJ record?

MS: I’ve been in seven tournaments and lost three.

CDBJJ: What are your BJJ goals this year?

MS: Take all the titles I can, but most of all I want to get used to competing.

CDBJJ: What are your go-to moves?

MS: Passing guard at a distance, Estima lock, bow & arrow

CDBJJ: Any staff members catch your attention?

MS: We will have a lot of opportunities to train together at Aoyama, so I’d have to say Koya.

CDBJJ: You want to be world champion?

MS: I know it wouldn’t be easy, but sure.

CDBJJ: Who are your favorite BJJ practitioners?

MS: Dillon Danis, Leandro Lo, Marcio Andre. I like aggressive guys that are good in a scramble. I like Edwin Najmi as well, since we use similar techniques and have similar builds.

CDBJJ: If you’d never discovered BJJ what would you be doing now?

MS: I probably wouldn’t be studying at university. I probably would be in construction like my friends.

CDBJJ: What do you like about Carpe Diem? What don’t you like?

MS: The guys here are just strong, which is great, and despite the large number of people I feel like it’s a small, elite group. The only thing I don’t like is how far away my apartment is!

CDBJJ: Who’s your favorite celebrity?

MS: I don’t really have one.

CDBJJ: What’s your favorite brand of clothing?

MS: RVCA.

CDBJJ: What are your hobbies?

MS: I went bouldering recently. I like stuff you can do solo.

CDBJJ: What are your dreams?

MS: If I can keep doing BJJ and getting stronger I’ll be happy.

CDBJJ: What do you think of the Athlete Program?

MS: As a competitor I think it’s fantastic. I like to see the program known more widely so we can build a bigger stable of strong players taking advantage of it.

CDBJJ: What do you think of Carpe Diem BJJ as a dojo?

MS: It’s a free and open place where you’ll meet a wide variety of people. It’s always a fresh and interesting experience.

CDBJJ: Are you seizing the day?

MS: Always!