Five-foot Champ: Meggie Ochoa Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champion

Meggie Ochoa is known as the 100-pound Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion. But she is so much more than her incredible martial arts skills and petite frame.

In this inspiring and honest exchange, she opens up to Speed and shares how she has achieved her victories in sports, her goals, what drives her, and what she has learned so far. Regardless of your passion in life, and even if you are still searching for it, this wise 26-year-old has words to open your eyes and encourage you to take action with a purpose.

What got you into Brazilian jiu-jitsu?

I used to do MMA (mixed martial arts), and I really wanted to compete but there were barely any women my weight competing in the Philippines, so my coaches told me to try out jiu-jitsu instead as there are regular competitions and a good number of females closer to my size competing. So, I tried it, and competed as much as I possibly could. I haven’t stopped training and competing since then.   

What do you love the most about your sport?

There are countless things that I love about jiu-jitsu but I think what got me stuck to it are mainly two things:

One is that it’s such an inclusive sport. Any kind of body type can excel in jiu-jitsu. It’s such a versatile art and sport that you can execute techniques that will maximize your body type, whatever it is. If you’re small, you can usually do techniques that require speed and going into small spaces. If you’re heavy, you can do techniques that put a lot of pressure. If you’re tall, you can use the length of your limbs to control your opponents. You can really use your creativity to fit how you can utilize what you have. It makes you accept yourself more and see how you can maximize your potential as a person.