Kostia Zhyvanov | Athlete spotlight

Hey Kostia!

First of all, thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions today. I also want to welcome you to the team. It’s great to have representing Progress as an athlete, and we can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for you. Everyone is super excited to have you as part of what we are doing and is looking forward to getting to know you better.

Getting to Know Kostia

Tell us a bit about yourself, how did you get started in BJJ?  
Originally, I was supposed to start boxing the next day. But a decision was made for me to do wrestling instead, so they put me into grappling. My grandmother is a hairdresser, and one day the coach came to get a haircut. She spoke with him, made an arrangement, and that’s how I ended up in Jiu-Jitsu. 

You came 2nd at ADCC European trials at 16. Talk us through your run, how you found it, and what you learnt from it.
Honestly, I expected it to be much harder than it was, but it turned out to be much simpler. I just went out there and showed everything I was capable of—everything my amazing coach taught me and everything my team helped me prepare for.

Rapid Fire Questions

Describe your style of BJJ
Explosive and highly focused on submissions, chokes, and leg locks. I don't like pulling guard or working from the bottom. I either throw my opponent immediately or jump straight into a submission from the feet.

Best moment in competition so far?
Definitely the ADCC Trials. All the competitions I did as a kid don't really count for me—real competing starts when you step up to the adult divisions. So the Trials are my best moment so far.

If you could face one BJJ athlete from any generation, who would it be and why?
Most likely Marcelo Garcia. I really love his style—it's explosive and heavy. He also uses a lot of chokes and leg locks, so I’d choose him.

What does your training schedule look like at the moment?
I do strength and conditioning (S&C) in the morning, and in the evening, I have mat time where I drill and spar.

Looking Ahead

What competitions have you got coming up, and what are you aiming for over the next year?
The next competition I want to enter will most likely be the Trials again. I want to perform much better this time and take 1st place. I believe I can do it, considering I took 2nd place when I was only 16. Over the next year, I’m going to do everything I can to get that gold. But honestly, more than anything, I compete to put on a great performance and to truly enjoy the fight.

Just for fun

What's your go-to cheat meal?
My absolute favorite cheat meal is a really delicious shawarma made by our friend Rav. I love his food, but I usually don't allow myself to have it. Whenever I'm not on a strict fight camp diet, grabbing one of his shawarmas is my top choice!

Favorite sport outside of BJJ? 
American football. I love how explosive it is, that there's a bit of hand-to-hand wrestling for the ball, and how physically conditioned the athletes are.

Any pre-competition rituals or superstitions?
No specific superstitions, I just listen to my music and get locked in/focused.

The last movie you watched? Favorite movie?
The last movie I watched was Spider-Man earlier this week. My all-time favorite movie is Real Steel—I don't know why, but I just love it.

Thank you again, Kostia, for answering our questions. Excited to see you back in action. Until next time, take care and speak soon!