Benji Silva doesn’t speak like someone who’s done twelve matches in a day. But he has. And he won eight of them by submission — all while sleeping in the rafters of a gym, chasing a world title.
These days, Silva runs True Movement in Palo Alto — deep in the heart of Silicon Valley, where his students range from software engineers to surgeons to start-up founders. It’s the kind of room where a guy with a Tesla in the lot might get heel hooked by a blue belt — and no one bats an eye.
It’s a strange kind of harmony: a former MMA fighter with ADHD teaching high-performance routines to some of the most system-driven minds in the country. And somehow, it works.
We caught up with the 2x No-Gi World Champ to talk ADHD, coaching, and what it means to truly earn your place on the mat.
