Coach Bradley Wiedenhofer received his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt in 2017 and is active both locally and internationally on the competition scene. He is a Pan Pacific gold medalist with a heart to match, read on to find out more about Brad!
How did you first get involved with Absolute MMA?
I was training in South Australia, once I moved to Melbourne I asked my coach where I should train and he said “You should train at Absolute MMA”. He knew about their reputation and the quality of the coaches and teachers.
Tell us about your life growing up!
Played a fair few sports, but was never really good at any of them. I wasn’t as excited about any of them, and none of them pushed me as much as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. When I found BJJ I wanted to push myself and try to learn as much as I could, I’ve never looked back.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I would like to medal at the ADCC qualifiers, but I also hope to have my black belt in the next five years.
If you were going to be an animal, what would you be and why?
A wolf, because they are a pack animal and work together.
Besides martial arts, what else are you passionate about and why?
Music. I go see bands and live performances a lot and am passionate about music and how it can pick you up or push you forward. I like the way your mood changes according to what you are listening to.
Who are the kind of people that you look up to and why?
I like humble people and those who are happy to share their knowledge and wisdom with you to help you grow and become better.
When was the last time you did something new for the first time and what was it?
After damaging my knee, I did a couple boxing classes to mix things up and keep myself active. I wasn’t very good but was a great experience.
Have you done other sports besides martial art?
I played soccer, baseball, basketball and volleyball when I was growing up. I also played cricket for a very short time, but I was terrible at it. I think spent more time on the bench with cricket than being on the pitch.
Have you ever worked a job not in the fitness/martial arts industry? What were the highlights and lessons you learned?
I work a full time job as well as teaching at Absolute MMA. I have worked in factories and in retail and have learnt to treat people how you would like to be treated. It doesn’t always turn out that way, but I find it is a good rule to live by.
What movie have you seen over 5 times?
I am a big fan of movies and have watched many over five times! I would have to say two of the best would be “Warrior” with Tom Hardy and Joel Edgartown and also “The Raid 2” with Iko Uwais. Amazing movies.
If you could go back in time to your first martial art class, what would be the advice you give to your past self?
Take your time, it’s not a race and you only have your belt once. Travel and train every where you can. Meet people from the sport and make as many friends as you can. And take care of your body and injuries.
During a Absolute MMA staff retreat a zombie apocalypse breaks out. You get separated with 3 AMMA team members. Who would be part your dream team and why?
Hahaha! I couldn’t say three! I have such an amazing team at Absolute MMA so there would be way more then three in my dream team. We have so many amazing people across all of our gyms. I don’t think it would be a dream team, more like a dream squad full of absolute warriors and savages!
“Bradley is hands down one of the nicest people I have ever met in my entire life. I would really just like to grow up to be as good a human as he is. I often ask Brad if he could sit on my shoulder all day and be my personal motivator, as his positive outlook on life and his approach to BJJ and training is really something to be admired. I feel like I would achieve a lot more in my day, if he just whispered sweet motivating nothings into my ear every 5 minutes. He is a massive asset to the club, an amazing coach and a great friend.
Brad’s only downfall is that he sometimes calls me SIR. Instead of MA’AM. Which he deserves to be choked for, really!” – Livia Gluchowska
“Brad is the nicest person you will ever meet, you would never guess how lethal his jiu-jitsu is.” – Lachlan Giles
“Brad will slap hands and say “good training sir”, then proceed to give you an absolute beat down, and after shake hands and say “that was a pleasure sir, you are an absolute beast.”” – James Walters