If you’re reading this, you probably heard the term “Porrada” in BJJ, or “Porra” somewhere and thought something along the lines of, “I’ve never heard this word before. Is it English? What does it mean?”. Today I’m going to go over the meaning of “Porrada” in BJJ and in day-to-day life, its origin, its connection to Brazilian culture, and also the term it sometimes gets confused with, which is “Porra”.

What does Porrada mean?

"Porrada", pronounced Poh-ha-da, is a Brazilian slang term that means to "brawl" or "fight hard".

The term is very commonly used as an adjective for a tough match or fight in BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu). It is also typically used as a compliment for another BJJ grappler who embodies the spirit of the word, which is someone who fights relentlessly.

What is the Porrada's origin?

The origin of the word Porrada is not well documented, but it very clearly comes from Brazilian culture. Brazil has a deep history with combat sports, from vale tudo fights to capoeira to the development of BJJ itself, and Porrada exists within that tradition.

It is used to describe the determined spirit of the Brazilian to overcome challenges in life.

How Porrada is used in BJJ culture

Now more commonly, it’s used in the sport of jiu jitsu to similarly describe someone who overcomes a hard fight or match, or someone who is relentless. You can probably think of someone at your gym who emulates Porrada right away. Those athletes always stand out.

According to BJJ athlete Romulo Barral:

What does Everyday Porrada mean?

"Everyday Porrada" means committing to persistent effort in all areas of life, not just on the mats .It's a phrase most notably associated with Renzo Gracie and his team. The idea is pretty simple, show up and train hard every single day.

But it's not about going 100% every single round. If you do that, you can bet an injury is around the corner. The people who misinterpret Everyday Porrada as "go as hard as possible every session" are usually the ones who burn out or get hurt within a few months.

Everyday Porrada is more of a commitment than just simply going hard. It means disciplined practices, doing things you might not want to like drilling or conditioning, or keeping your nutrition dialed in. All of which are Porrada. It is attacking every aspect of your life with that vigor.

For me personally, Everyday Porrada is applied very simply, I just give my best effort in everything, all the time. And that’s the intended application.

The true meaning of Porrada in BJJ and in life

The true meaning of Porrada isn’t just to brawl or fight as the definition suggests. It’s a way of life, in which you attack all aspects of your life with the same tenacity and discipline. To conquer all challenges in front of you regardless of circumstance, and to never give up.

That is the essence of Porrada.

Why we named our brand Porrada

I personally have been training BJJ for several years, as well as years of wrestling. During all of which, the spirit of Porrada is everywhere, even if nobody is talking about it. Hard weight cuts, tough practices, barn burner tournaments, and everything in between.

I loved that mindset. It is how I personally went about BJJ as well as everything else in life like nutrition, education, work, etc. But even after years of wrestling and BJJ I had never heard the term.

Then one day while scrolling around forums and articles about a technique I was learning, I saw the term highlighted. I curiously clicked and read the accompanying article. And what I read perfectly embodied the spirit I had been trying to personally emulate for years, and one that I had seen others emulate as well. It felt like the perfect fit.

Then a little less than a year after I learned the term, I began building the brand to help other BJJ and wrestling athletes. The first step was the name, which ended up being the easy part. It had to be Porrada.

A brand positioned to help BJJ athletes and wrestlers, with a name that embodies their spirit.

Porrada vs Porra

Many people get confused with these terms and think they’re related just because they’re phonetically similar. But it’s sort of opposite.

While Porrada means to fight or brawl, Porra is a Portuguese curse word, with a similar meaning to “damn” or “fuck” in English. It’s typically used as an exclamation, sometimes after a very tough match.

You’ve probably heard Alex Pereira say it before in fact. He’s yelled it after ceremonial weigh ins as well as walk outs. It’s always pretty intimidating, but it might just be him.

Conclusion / TL;DR

"Porrada" is a Portuguese slang term meaning fight or brawl. It’s used as an overarching term to describe the spirit of someone who is determined and crushes challenges in front of them.

The idea of Porrada is extremely common in BJJ, but it’s used all over Brazilian culture to signify the general determination and resilience of its people. Whether it's showing up to train when you don't want to, pushing through a hard tournament, or grinding through tough seasons of life, the Porrada mindset is about never giving in and pushing forward.

It's a word that doesn't have a perfect English translation because it's more of a feeling than a definition. If you've ever been in a war on the mats and kept going when everything in you wanted to quit, you already know what Porrada means, though you may not have known the definition yet.

Porrada!