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Jiu-Jitsu World #19
WHAT’S INSIDE
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The Battle of Russia Black belt warriors fight to the end to write their names in history as champions of the first ever Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour Moscow
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Sweden’s Martina Gramenius caught the world by surprise with a gold medal performance at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour Moscow
From young blue belts to experienced black belts in the masters division, Jiu-Jitsu was the star of the show in Moscow
Ready for the Big League
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Ageless Talent
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MORE 14 Greetings
Good start of a promising season
H.E. Abdulmunam Al Hashemi
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Crossing new borders to make Jiu-Jitsu greater Ivan Trindade
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First of many celebrations
The Jiu-Jitsu community shared on social media its pride of being part of the first ever Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour Moscow
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AJP Athlete’s Ranking How to build your route to the top Rodrigo Valerio
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The highlights of awesome events in Europe and Brazil
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The Comeback Kid
Used to overcoming life’s toughest challenges, João Gabriel Rocha paved a brilliant way to the Abu Dhabi King of Mats Heavyweight title in Moscow
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86 Opinion
The Rise of the New Talents
Mohammed Al Housani
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Jiu-Jitsu Falcons excel at the Nur Sultan Grand Prix
94 Lifestyle Tips
Eating to Train or Training to Eat? Sophia McDermott
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Greetings
Good start of a promising season
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Jiu-Jitsu World
H.E. Abdulmunam Al Hashemi
Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro (AJP), Chairman of the United Arab Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF)
The 2019/2020 season of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour could not had a better beginning. Moscow welcomed the Jiu-Jitsu community for Russia’s debut ADGS event on June 15-16. With registrations closing way before the final deadline, the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour Moscow was born a success and a great starting point for what is looking to be an outstanding season with events all over the world. The ADGS Moscow also featured the 5th installment of the Abu Dhabi King of Mats. This time with ten of the best heavyweight athletes in the world, once again the ADKOM was a crowd hit with its groundbreaking format that delivers non-stop action in every single match. We look forward to the next chapters in this exciting series. Now we shift our focus to the next stops in our 2019/2020 season, as the ADGS travels to Japan for the 5th event in Tokyo since the creation of the tour. With every new season Jiu-Jitsu gets stronger in Asia and Japan is a beacon of development for the sport. That’s why we sincerely believe this year’s event will be bigger and better than any other. Meanwhile, the series of International Pro and National Pro events keeps expanding around the globe and showing that the growth of the sport continues with events bringing athletes and fans together. We once again would like to express our gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Armed Forces, for his continuous support of Jiu-Jitsu. His Highness has always been a source of inspiration for us and we are fortunate to have him on our side.
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Editorial #19
Chairman: H.E. Abdulmunam Al Hashemi CEO: Fahad Al Shamsi Executive Manager: Rodrigo Valerio Editor in Chief: Ivan Trindade Editor: Ane Nunes Design: Henrique Diniz Editorial Production: Gentle Art Media Advertising Director: Ane Nunes Newsroom: news@jiujitsuworldmag.com Advertise with us: marketing@jiujitsuworldmag.com Customer Care: info@jiujitsuworldmag.com
Jiu-Jitsu World Magazine - Head Office: Capital Tower, 17th Floor 33rd St - Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates PO BOX 110004
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Crossing new borders to make Jiu-Jitsu greater The
Photo by Ane Nunes Artwork by Henrique Diniz
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first time you visit a new place is always special. There is so much to absorb at once. New language, unique sights, exotic tastes, unforgettable smells and intriguing sounds. Someone once said that experiences are literally all you take from life when your moment comes. Fortunately, the Jiu-Jitsu World news team is able to travel all over the world to report on the growth of the sport no matter where it is present. This past June, the setting was the impressive city of Moscow. The Russian
capital has everything you look for in a great destination. It’s beautiful with its architecture that travels from the classic buildings you find in an European city to the imposing Soviet style, not to mention the candy-like colors and onion-shaped domes of its Orthodox churches. From Red Square to Gorky Park and beyond, including the glamorous metro stations, Moscow is certainly one place you should put on your wish list. Our team landed in Russia on the
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afternoon of June 13 for a trip that would have as the main focus to report on the first ever Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour event in the country. As a bonus, the AJP also scheduled the 5th installment of the Abu Dhabi King of Mats, featuring some of the best heavyweight black belts in the world. So, basically, we had our hands full, but we’re more than motivated to be present in a groundbreaking moment for the sport in Russia. The opening event of the 2019/2020 season was a crowd pleaser, with local competitors and international stars treating
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the crowd to exciting matches for the entire weekend of June 15-16. Our reporters and photographers stood their ground mat side to capture the best images and also collect straight from the source the reactions and comments on every single match. The result of all that hard work you have on your hands right now (well, virtually, as most of our readers are online readers). As our readers know already, the work never stops. As you read Jiu-Jitsu World #19, our team is packing again for the second leg of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour, on July 27-28, in
Tokyo. From Japan, we will bring you the latest news on what will most certainly be another off the charts event. Jiu-Jitsu World has one single mission and that is to bring our readers the full report on how Jiu-Jitsu is touching more and more people and changing lives for better one by one. You are our guest in this trip. Have a great read and we will see you on the next one.
Ivan Trindade
Editor in Chief
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INTERVIEW
Ready for the Big League Sweden’s Martina Gramenius caught the world by surprise with a gold medal performance at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour Moscow. The newest powerhouse in the female brown/black belt division shares her story of hard work and sacrifice to compete in the highest level and fulfill her life goals on and off the mats Words: Ivan Trindade | Images: Ane Nunes
Jiu-Jitsu World: What can you tell us about how you started training Jiu-Jitsu? Martina Gramenius: I started training because one of my best friends at university had a boyfriend who was running a gym. I did other martial arts for a while when I was in my teens and I thought it could be fun to start that type of training again. I fell in love with Jiu-Jitsu straight away as soon as I started training. Who were the biggest influences in your career on the mats until this point? What were the most important lessons they taught you? When I started training there was two twins at my gym, purple belts at the time, that were very big role models for me and everybody else at that gym. They gave me self confidence to do my first tournament and were always leading by example how to act and preform both on and off the mats. Later on in my career I was also lucky enough to get coached by my current trainer, Alan “Finfou” Nascimento. He’s one of
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the greatest athletes within this sport and Ive learned so much competing alongside him. Everyday I get inspired and motivated by his dedication and hard work. In the AJP Tour, you have the opportunity to compete against black belt athletes. How do you face that challenge? Does it change the way you enter the match compared to a fight against a brown belt? I feel very fortunate to get this opportunity. Its amazing to be able to fight at the highest level and something I’ve always been dreaming about doing. I also think it’s a good thing since the divisions get bigger and that gives us more fights. In Europe it’s kind of hard to get fights as a brown belt female. If you had to pick three aspects of your life on and off the mats that are important for a good performance in Jiu-Jitsu, what would they be? I think it’s very important to try to find balance in life, which can be very challenging with this type of lifestyle. For me its
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Anyone can do what they want in life if they just want it bad enough. Set goals, work hard and don’t be afraid to fail
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Martina Gramenius
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Gramenius putting her pressure to work in the ADGS Moscow final
Attention to details and hard word are two ingredients in Martina’s recipe for success
Martina wants the gold medal in Russia to be the first one of many in the 2019/2020 season of the AJP Tour
important to spend time with my friends and family to get that balance and feel good. I also think in general that it’s essential to have a positive mindset for a good performance.
You have been active in the AJP circuit. How important it is for Jiu-Jitsu to have a professional environment that rewards athletes monetarily for their dedication and results?
What tips can you give Jiu-Jitsu practitioners that are just starting and dream of becoming a high performance competitor?
We work as hard as every high level athlete so I really appreciate that the AJP wants to reward us the way we deserve, and I think that they have done a great job developing the professional side of Jiu-Jitsu. It helps the sport grow and also pushes other organizations to better themselves. I wish I could train full time but as for now I need to work besides Jiu-Jitsu, but I’m hoping that in the future the athletes can make a living doing Jiu-Jitsu only. And this is a step in the right direction to make that happen.
I believe that hard work and dedication are the keys to whatever you want to achieve in life. I think that anyone can do what they want in life if they just want it bad enough. So set goals, work hard to achieve those goals and don’t be afraid to fail. There will be setbacks but try to find something positive in that, learn from your mistakes and keep going until you reach your goals.
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Martina and her Professor Alan Finfou after the final win at the ADGS Moscow
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PRIVATE BEACH LIVING
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ACCESS FROM SHEIKH ZAYED ROAD
GATED ISLAND
MARINA LIFESTYLE
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GET SOCIAL
First of many celebrations The Jiu-Jitsu community shared on social media its pride of being part of the first ever Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour Moscow Words: Ivan Trindade | Images: Instagram
They say you never forget the first one. The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour Moscow was the debut event the Russian community wished for. On June 15-16, some of the best athletes in the world landed in the nation’s capital for a full weekend of action. As the matches went on at the Triumph Arena, our heroes took to social media to share their accomplishments and their pride for their victories. In the next few pages, you’ll find some of the posts that hit Instagram during the event. We hope to see you in Japan, on July 27-28, as the 5th edition of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tokyo hits the Ota Gymnasium. Share your stories with the hashtags #adgstokyo and #abudhabigrandslam.
Follow us on the social media /jiujitsuworldmag @jiujitsuworldmag @jitsuworldmag www.jiujitsuworldmag.com
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AJP Athlete’s Ranking
How to build your route to the top
Understanding the AJP athletes ranking Words: Rodrigo ValĂŠrio, | Image: Ane Nunes
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The New AJP World Ranking Format Based on rules of the Olympic Charter, the Qualification System aims to ensure that the principles of universality, performance, country, representation and gender equity, remain the focus for the AJP participation. In addition, a number of other technical principles and rules have been established to provide a basis for the development of the AJP Qualification System. The ranking is the most fair way of awarding the effort and the talent of each athlete that signs up to one of the AJP tournaments throughout the year. It is also a great incentive for more and more athletes to take part in as many events as they can. The next pages will explain how the ranking works and the new changes. Have a good read, put on your gi and go out there to add points right away.
How does the ranking work and what are the main changes?
The raking period will be in general for 24 months. The Seven (7) best results during next season (12 months’ period) will count + one extra (8th) result from the Continental Pro + the result of Abu Dhabi World Professional Championship, starting from May 1st, 2019. The points for each individual tournament will expire as follows: • From May 1, 2019 to April 30th, 2020 the points will count 100%. • After May 1, 2020 the points will be reduced to 50%. • After May 1, 2021 the points will be reduced to 0 and not count anymore. The dividing line is the first week of May 2020. Example: If tournament is held in first week of May 2019, the points are reduced to half on the first week on May 2020 and expired in the first week of May 2021.
How to add points in the ranking?
You add points in the ranking by at least participating in one of the events of the AJP calendar (the current calendar started on May 1, 2019 and ends on April 30, 2020). There are five kinds of events in terms of how many points you’ll get: ADWPJJC; Abu Dhabi Grand Slam; Continental Pro; National Pro; International Pro;
Here are the number of points athletes will earn on each event depending on their performance.
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How many rankings are there?
The AJP has divided the ranking in several categories. You can say that the two most important are male adult black belt and female adult brown/black belt. Each belt has its own ranking starting with white belts. You also have a ranking in the male master division, an academy ranking, continental and country rankings. There are also No-Gi rankings. Here are a few examples of how to count an athlete’s points.
For what else is the ranking used for by the AJP? The Federation will use the ranking to decide your position on the bracket of the ADWPJJC. It will also use the ranking to invite athletes to compete in the ADWPJJC. In addition the ranking will be used to select fighters for the new Abu Dhabi King of Mats through Continental Ranking and Grand Slam Placements. What else do you need to know about the ranking? Yes. There are a few details you need to know about the ranking. If you are alone in a division, you won’t earn points in the ranking. If you change belts during the season, you lose the points from the previous belt. The same happens if you change age divisions during the calendar. Due to the academies ranking, the AJP will not change an athlete’s team during the same season. Another features to be implemented are that athletes will get points for not only placements, but also for each matches won. For example, athletes can get a certain point for a gold medal, but will also earn extra points for each win. So if athletes win a really large bracket that could lead award more points than smaller brackets. On top on that athletes will be awarded even extra points for different type of wins, for example winning by advantage or by submissions.
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Are there any more novelties in the ranking for the 20192020 season? In case of equality of total RANK points, the higher ranking will be decided by:
1. The highest sum of the current points from World Pro. 2. The highest sum of the current points from all Grand Slams. 3. The highest sum of the current points from all Continental Pro, followed by National Pro, International Pro and Regional Championships. 4. The highest current points from one single event, then, if needed, the second highest, and so on. 5. If the competitors are still equal the decision will be taken by the number of matches done by the fighter through the season, followed by the fastest submission(s) or who made more points during the matches in case of World Pro Qualification. Scan here for more info https://ajptour.com/en/rankings/ajp-world-rank-definitions
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ABU DHABI GRAND SLAM MOSCOW
Black belt warriors fight to the end to write their names in history as champions of the first ever Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour Moscow
The Battle of Russia Words: Ivan Trindade | Images: Ane Nunes, Ivan Trindade
The Russian capital is a place that has seen its share of battles throughout history. For centuries, Moscow has been the settings for warriors to test their willingness to put all at risk in search of victory. On June 15-16, 2019, a different kind of battle took place in the city. Heroes in gi came from all over the world to prove their value on the mats at the inaugural event of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour in the 2019/2020 season. It was also the first ever ADGS event in Russia. Here are their stories as they became part of history.
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Adult Male Black Belt
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Never doubt your potential. You can as much as you want and you achieve as much as you fight for. Bebeto Oliveira
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Experience kg Prevails
The division caught the crowd’s attention with Thalison Soares’ first ever competition as a black belt, but Bebeto Oliveira was eager to spoil the newcomer’s debut. As expected, Oliveira and Soares made it to the final after winning their first matches. Bebeto found a choke from the back to beat Frederico Guimarães while Thalison debuted as a black belt with a 15-0 lead on Guimarães. In the final, Bebeto Oliveira used a smart strategy to put a stop on Thalison’s attacks and ended winning with a 2-1 lead on advantages.
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Thalison Soares
Carlos Alberto da Silva
Brazil
Brazil
Frederico Guimarães Brazil
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Happiness is a state of mind! Do what you love and love what you do! Gabriel Sousa
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New Season, Same Goals
After finishing first in the adult male black belt ranking in the 2018/2019 season, Gabriel Sousa is back for more. In one match, he beat Russia’s Isa Karasanov 8-0 to reach the final. Gabriel’s opponent would be Francisco Andrade, who finished Karasanov to make it to the gold medal match. In the final, Gabriel Sousa managed a sweep in the early moments of the match to score a 2-0 lead and then held on to that lead until the end.
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Francisco Andrade
Gabriel Sousa
Isa Karasanov
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil
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Victory is the reward for all the hard work, effort and passion I put in my daily life on the mats
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Diego Batista
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Premiere of Gold Diego “Pato” Oliveira was another black belt debutant in Moscow. He fought twice to reach the final. First he beat Spain’s Alejandro Carreras 13-2 and then had a tough match against Israel Almeida, winning only via referee decision after a 6-6 tie on points. Thiago Macedo qualified to the gold medal match also on two matches. He beat Victor Otoniel 2-0 and then finished Italy’s Alexandre Molinaro in the semifinal. In the final, Diego Pato was able to make his game work and beat Thiago Macedo by a narrow 2-0 lead on advantages.
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Thiago Macedo
Diego “Pato” Batista
Israel Almeida
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil
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Don’t be afraid of the sacrifices! They are the path to achieve your goals.
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Diego Ramalho
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Steadily kg towards Glory
Diego Ramalho fought once to make it to the final. He beat Natan Chueng 2-0 on points in the semifinals. Andre Luis Cantanhede fought twice to reach the final. He beat Spain’s Rodrigo Barbosa 2-0 and then Michael Douglas by referee decision in the semifinal. In the final, Diego Ramalho and Andre Cantanhede waged a sweep battle that ended with a 6-4 lead for Diego.
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Andre Cantanhede
Diego Ramalho
Antônio Silva
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil
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After competing fiercely in the Abu Dhabi King of Mats one day before, Rudson Mateus came back for more. In quick fashion, Rudson caught Igor Sousa with an armbar from the 50/50 guard to qualify for the final. His opponent would be Switzerland’s Philippe Pomanski, who beat Russia’s Abdulari Guseinov 1-0 on advantages in the second semifinal. In the final, Rudson beat Philippe by split referees decision after a 0-0 tie on points in a close match.
Not matter what, I control my destiny. Dream big, work hard and always be in control of your destiny.
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Rudson Mateus
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Philippe Pomanski
Rudson Mateus
Igor Sousa
Switzerland
Brazil
Brazil
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Keep showing up, be humble and push through it. You’II realize that it’s not about what you get, but who you’re becoming.
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Jackson Sousa
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Safeway kg to the Top
Jackson Sousa fought once to reach the final. He beat Russia’s Georgii Emelianov 7-0 in the semifinal. Jackson would meet Helton Junior in the gold medal match after Helton won the spot via WO against Kaynan Duarte. In the final, Jackson Sousa and Helton Silva did not take risks and in the end Jackson won via unanimous referees decision after a 0-0 tie on points.
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Helton Junior
Jackson Sousa
Georgii Emelianov
Brazil
Brazil
Russia
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The bigger is the challenge, the greatest is the triumph. Victor Hugo Martins
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New Champion on the Block
In his debut as a black belt, Victor Hugo Martins fought twice to reach the final. He first caught Russia’s Stanislav Varshavskiy with an armbar and then beat Ricardo Evangelista 2-0 in the semifinal. On the other side of the bracket, Rodrigo Ribeiro first outscored Belgium’s Paulo Brasil 17-0 and then beat Angola’s Walter dos Santos 2-0 on advantages in the semifinal. In the final, Victor Hugo and Rodrigo Ribeiro had a very close match that ended with Victor winning by a narrow 2-1 lead on advantages.
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Rodrigo Ribeiro
Victor Hugo Martins
Ricardo Evangelista
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil
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FEMALE BROWN / BLACK BELT
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Mayssa Bastos
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Each one of us will have the view from the top of mountain that we decide to climb.
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Sweet Routine
With each new event in the AJP Tour, it becomes clear that Mayssa Bastos is one (or more) step ahead of the pack. Mayssa caught Helen Farias with a choke from the back to make it to the final. Tatiane Nunes made it to the final with a 6-0 win over Helen. In the final, Mayssa proved to be irresistible as she quickly found her way to Tatiane’s back to finish the match with a choke.
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Tatiane Nunes
Mayssa Bastos
Brazil
Brazil
Helen Faria Brazil
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Back to the Top Larissa Paes made it to the gold medal match with a 2-0 lead over Alexa Yanes. Meanwhile, Amal Amjahid caught Sayuri Toledo with a foot lock to make it to the final. In the gold medal match, Larissa Paes swept first to score two points and that was the lead she took to the end of the match to claim the title.
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You can never quit. Winners never quit, and quitters never win. Larissa Paes
Amal Amjahid
Larissa Paes
Belgium
Brazil
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Alexa Yanes USA
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One match for each finalist. Sweden’s Martina Gramenius finished Ecuador’s Isabel Alfaro for her spot in the gold medal match. Caroline da Silva beat Russia’s Oksana Bench 6-0 in the other semifinal. In the gold medal match, Martina imposed her game on Carol to build a 12-0 lead and take the title to Sweden.
There will be setbacks but try to find something positive in that, learn from your mistakes and keep going until you reach your goals.
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Youth of Gold
Martina Gramenius
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Caroline da Silva
Martina Gramenius
Isabel Alfaro
Brazil
Sweden
Ecuador
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ABU DHABI GRAND SLAM MOSCOW – MASTERS/COLOR BELTS
Ageless Talent From young blue belts to experienced black belts in the masters division, Jiu-Jitsu was the star of the show in Moscow Words: Ivan Trindade | Images: Ane Nunes, Ivan Trindade
With the start of every new season, hope is renewed in the hearts of each and every one of our competitors. Hope of a successful season. Hope of an injury-free year. Hope of learning from victories and defeats. The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tour kicked off on June 15-16, in Moscow, and it brought together competitors from all over the world at every different stages of their Jiu-Jitsu journeys. In the next pages, you’ll relive the thrills of two full days of matches in Russia.
With a sweep and a back take, Alan Nascimento built a 6-0 lead on Adriano Lima to claim the 85kg division gold medal
MASTER 1 MASTER 2
BLACK BELT MAle
Razmadze 62kg Giorgi Russia Marques 69kg Thiago Brazil Rios 77kg Sergio Brazil do Nascimento 85kg Alan Sweden Aragão 94kg Pablo Brazil
Silva 120kg Igor Brazil
BLACK BELT MAle
Monteiro 69kg Andre Portugal Lima 77kg Breno Brazil
Graalfs 85kg Robert Germany Monsalves 94kg Alexander Brazil
With a 4-2 lead on advantages, Sergio Rios beat Yan Almeida for the 77kg division title
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With two sweeps, Pablo AragĂŁo beat Saulo Ribeiro 4-0 to win the 94kg division title
Igor Silva imposed his game on Bruno Matias to build a 16-0 lead and take the title home in the 120kg division
Giorgi Razmadze beat fellow Russian Zainutdin Zainukov 2-0 to take the 62kg division gold medal home
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Thiago Barreto is the 69kg division champion after a 4-2 lead on advantages over Magno Machado
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NATIONS
Brazil
Russia
UAE
11860pts
27940pts
10860pts
TEAMS
Strela Team
Ludus Team
5136pts
5440pts
Checkmat 4816pts
Adult Blue, Purple e Brown PURPLE BELT BLUE BELT MAle
Albreki 62kg Mana UAE
Froede 62kg Marcos Russia
Ali Alsuwaidi 69kg Mohamed UAE
Kastornov 69kg Evgeny Russia
Slamin 85kg Nikolay Russia
Yuldashbaev 85kg Amir Russia
BROWN BELT
94kg Bilal Kurbabagamaev
MAle Gonรงalves 56kg Breno Brazil
Kasumov 77kg Rizvan Ukraine Kulikov 94kg Nikolay Russia
Huseyno 120kg Kamran Azerbaijan
feMAle
Abdulla 49kg Reem UAE
Kruglov 77kg Valeriy Russia
Russia
Dmitrakov 120kg Anton Russia
feMAle Krupskaia 49kg Polina Russia Moldir Mekenbayeva
55kg
Alena Moskaleva
55kg
62kg
Antonia Kanew
Guimarรฃes 62kg Eliamar Italy
Russia
Germany
Kalliojarvi 70kg Salla Finland
Korenyugina 95kg Veronika Russia
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MAle Khuzaev 56kg Ismail Russia
Kazakhstan
Colub 70kg Bogdana Ukraine
Poznyakova 95kg Yulia Russia
Ulziitogtokh 62kg Erdenebaatar Mongolia dos Santos 69kg Gustavo Brazil Ferreira 77kg Matheus Brazil Meyer 85kg Mateus Brazil Seleznev 94kg Anton Russia Lanzillotti 120kg Paulo Brazil
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Fierce battle all around in the adult male blue belt division
The brown belt division is still the place to look for upcoming talents on the mats
Talents from all over the world filled the venue when the purple belt division took the mats
The adult purple belt female division is one step away from the main stage in the ADGS tour
Every inch of the mat was hard fought for in the female blue belt division
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ABU DHABI KING OF MATS – HEAVYWEIGHT
The proud champion of the Abu Dhabi King of Mats Heavyweight bracket
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I was born to be a winner. I will never accept the circumstances that life puts in front of me. I will always fight for what I believe, no matter what
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JOÃO GABRIEL ROCHA
The Comeback Kid Used to overcoming life’s toughest challenges, João Gabriel Rocha paved a brilliant way to the Abu Dhabi King of Mats Heavyweight title in Moscow Words: Ivan Trindade | Images: Ane Nunes, Ivan Trindade
João Gabriel Rocha is a survivor. At only 27 years of age, the Brazilian black belt has already gone through a lot. A few years ago, as his career was starting to bloom, he received a cancer diagnosis that led to an year-long treatment followed by an even longer recovery process that allowed him to compete in high level once again. A competitor since being a young child, the mat is his natural habitat. João loves to be in there facing the best in the world. In Moscow, on June 15, he was all smiles as he entered the mat to compete in his first ever Abu Dhabi King of Mats event. After a win in his first match against Gerard Labinski, João had to face upcoming talent Kaynan Duarte and that’s when life threw another curve ball at João. Winning 6-2 and with the clock running down, João saw himself caught in a guillotine after a double leg takedown entry. The only way out was the tap, forfeiting the match to Kaynan. As the bracket went on, João found his bearings back and was able to make it to the semifinals and eventually to the final. Guess who also made it to the final? Kaynan Duarte, exactly. In a very tough and cautious match, João was able to put a stop on Kaynan and complete his comeback with a narrow 1-0 lead on advantages after a beautiful wrestling takedown. With the title secured, João smiled again and is now getting ready to compete against Erberth Santos to decide who’s the new owner of the ADKOM heavyweight belt.
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Jackson Sousa debuted on group A with a 4-2 win over Gerard Labisnki after managing a last second sweep
Jonnatas Gracie made his first ever official black belt match a display of why he is so highly regarded. A choke from the half guard on Donghwa Choi put an end to the match on group B
On group B, two sweeps were enough for Jonnatas Gracie to outscore Ricardo Evangelista 4-2
JoĂŁo Gabriel Rocha debuted on group A with a comfortable 5-0 lead on Gerard Labinski
Jackson Sousa was back on the mat to score his second win on group A with a 4-2 lead over Igor Silva
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Group B closed round 1 with a 2-0 lead win by Rudson Mateus over Adam Wardzinski
Closing the round on group B, Adam Wardzinski imposed his game to finish Donghwa Choi with an Ezekiel choke Jiu-Jitsu World
After being late for his first match, Kaynan Duarte showed up for his second match on group A. Behind 2-6 on the scoreboard, Kaynan found a guillotine choke to finish JoĂŁo Gabriel Rocha
Also on group A, Gerard Labisnki beat Igor Silva 2-0 with a sweep
Also on group B, Jonnatas Gracie found a 2-0 lead over Adam Wardzinski
On group B, Ricardo Evangelista found a toehold to finish Rudson Mateus
Kaynan returned to kick off group A with a narrow 1-0 lead on advantages over Jackson Sousa to win his second match in the bracket
On group B, Rudson Mateus finished Donghwa Choi with an armbar
Group A closed the round with a 1-0 lead on advantages for JoĂŁo Gabriel Rocha over Igor Silva
Also on group B, Adam Wardzinski was able to reverse a 6-2 lead and beat Ricardo Evangelista 9-6 with a last second guard pass and mount to score 7 points at once
JoĂŁo Gabriel made it to the semifinals in group A with a toehold finish on Jackson Sousa, while Kaynan Duarte secured his spot in the semifinals with a WO win over Gerard Labinski
Ricardo Evangelista closed the group stage with an armbar finish on Donghwa Choi
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Rudson Mateus secured his spot in the semifinals with a foot lock on Jonnatas Gracie to win his final match on group B
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KAYNAN DUARTE VS. RUDSON MATEUS
Kaynan Duarte and Rudson Mateus showed a lot of respect to each other’s games
Kaynan waited until the final minute to be able to sweep Rudson Mateus and make his way to the final with a 4-2 lead on points
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JOÃO GABRIEL ROCHA vs. JONNATAS GRACIE
Jonnatas Gracie awed the crowd with a beautiful armbar on João Gabriel Rocha
João Gabriel survived Jonnatas’ armbar attack to pass the guard and build a winning 3-0 lead
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RUDSON MATEUS vs. JONNATAS GRACIE
Rudson Mateus and Jonnatas Gracie met once again to decide the third place in the bracket
Rudson once again made good use of his guard game to find an armbar and finish Jonnatas
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JOÃO GABRIEL ROCHA vs. KAYNAN DUARTE
Kaynan Duarte used all his guard skills to put a stop on João’s pressure
In the final minute, Rocha found a near takedown to score the advantage that put him ahead 1-0 on the scoreboard and gave him the win
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With the result, João Gabriel Rocha qualified to face Erberth Santos in a super match that will decide who’s the new heavyweight King of Mats. Jiu-Jitsu World
The two finalists took their time to make a move in the match
JoĂŁo kept looking for an opening to allow his game to work
The final podium featured three of the best heavyweights in the world
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World Tour Words: Ivan Trindade | Images: AJP
Galati
Romania June 22, 2019
Abu Dhabi national Pro The AJP Tour touched down on Romania on June 22 for a successful debut event in the country. The Abu Dhabi International Pro – Galati gathered competitors of all ages in a clear display of Jiu-Jitsu growth in the region. In the black belt division, results were: MALE – 77kg – Muscalu Andrei; Open – Claudiu Bordei. In the teams competition, results were: 1st – Absoluto BJJ Romania 3750pts; 2nd – Icon Romania 2220pts; 3rd – Federatia de Jiu-Jitsu Moldova 1230pts.
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Scan here for the complete results. https://ajptour.com/en/event/198/results
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Kastav Croatia June 22, 2019
Abu Dhabi International Pro The Jiu-Jitsu Community in Croatia got together on June 22 for a full day of matches. The Abu Dhabi International Pro - Kastav was a hit with athletes of all ages. In the black belt division, champions were: Female 70kg - Emma Kamaric. In the teams competition, results were: 1st - Lotus JJ 550pts; 2nd - Checkmat 530pts; 3rd - Mlsdost Bd 415pts.
Scan here for the complete results. https://ajptour.com/en/event/197/results.
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Goiania
Brazil June 23, 2019
Abu Dhabi International Pro Jiu-Jitsu is a passion in the Brazilian heartland. The Abu Dhabi International Pro - Goiânia brought together hundreds of competitors on June 23 for a full day of thrills. In the adult black belt division, champions were: MALE - 69kg – Bernardo Dib; 77kg - Vinicius Cruz; 85kg - Filipe Grilli; 94kg – Cauê Rodrigues; 120kg Hugo Silva; FEMALE - 70kg - Mayra Cantuaria.
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Scan here for the complete results. https://ajptour.com/en/event/203/results.
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Barcelona
Spain
June 29, 2019
Abu Dhabi International Pro The 2019/2020 season of the AJP Tour keeps expanding with top notch events all over the world. On June 29, the Abu Dhabi International Pro - Barcelona brought the Jiu-Jitsu community together for a full day of matches. In the black belt division, champions were: MALE 77kg – Alexc Cabanes; 85kg - Sebastian Szyszka; 94kg - Wilson Martins; Master 1 - 94kg - Nico Panda; Master 2 - 69kg - Paulo Oliveira; 77kg - Waldir Junior; 85kg - Reinaldo Fuzil; 94kg - Wellington Silva. In the teams competition, results were: 1st- Association Aranha - 1320pts; 2nd – Gracie Barra Vila Seca 860pts; 3rd - Haubert Team 825pts
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Scan here for the complete results. https://ajptour.com/en/event/215/results
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OPINION
The Rise of the New Talents Arrival of a fresh batch of black belts changes the landscape of the 2019/2020 season in the AJP Tour Throughout 10-plus years, the Abu Dhabi-sponsored events have given us a glimpse of the future through its colored belt divisions (Blue-Brown), and this season is a prime example as we saw the most star-studded lineup of newly promoted Black Belts vying for the top prize on April 2020. In any sport we watch, we always look for the best. In football, we tune in to the English Premier League or Spain’s La Liga or Italy’s Serie A. In basketball, it’s the NBA and its colorful and marketable teams. In car racing, it’s either NASCAR or Formula 1. The point is, we always look towards the professional organizations and more established teams. It’s the same in any individual sport. In tennis, when casual fans are watching, they’re probably watching a Roger Federer or a Serena Williams game for example. In Athletics, the whole world, regardless of whether they are die-hard fans or not, want to watch Usain Bolt and whether he will win again or break another record. In Jiu-Jitsu, it is no different. The whole Jiu-Jitsu community awaits the ultimate match in the black belt category, especially when you’re a casual viewer who wants to just see the big names compete. The names that might eventually transition to MMA like the Kron Gracies or the Mackenzie Derns of the Jiu-Jitsu world. What if I told you though, that the future of the sport lies in the colored belts? It’s pretty obvious. Just like any other sport, you will have to check out the developmental divisions to scout future champions and superstars. This is nothing new and one of the benefits of going back to past events is you can see firsthand where these talents came from and how they developed throughout the years. In the inaugural Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship (ADWPJJC) in 2009, the biggest example of a rising star overcoming an established star was Rodolfo Vieira’s win over Braulio Estima while he was still a brown belt. The win was so significant that Vieira received his black belt as soon as he touched down in Rio de Janeiro’s Airport, courtesy of GFTeam Master, Julio Cesar. In 2010, there was a match with a result that wasn’t significant at the time, but going over today would seem significant to the local fans in the UAE, where Yahya Al Hammadi defeated future ADCC Champion and grappling powerhouse, Orlando Sanchez, when they were both still blue belts. It is hidden gems like these that make it fun to binge-watch some old footage of the UAEJJF events. Speaking of gems, it was in 2011 and 2012 where the local
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Mohammed Al Housani Jiu-Jitsu Analyst/Commentator
sports community in the UAE got a glimpse of the Miyao brothers as they contested several finals at blue belt and purple belt in back-to-back events. Those two would go on to become two of the best lightweight competitors of all time, winning every title you can think of in the world of Jiu-Jitsu, including the new King of Mats title last March. We also saw future stars gain their first titles in Abu Dhabi like Marcio Andre (Blue), Patrick Gaudio (Blue) and Rudson Mateus (Blue) to name a few. For the local crowd, it was Faisal Al Ketbi beating Keenan Cornelius in the Purple Belt Open Weight Division that garnered much attention, a match that most people do not remember happened. This season witnessed the rise of the new generation of black belt competitors, some of which were on full display at the Heavyweight King of Mats event in Moscow. Jonnatas Gracie, a competitor we all saw do so well at the last ADWPJJC as a brown belt, was the competitor that impressed me the most with a tremendous debut performance that saw him beat established black belts like Ricardo Evangelista and Adam Wardzinski and finishing 4th in his first big competition as a black belt. Last season’s champion, Gabrieli Pessanha also debuted with a gold medal in her weight class and it looks like she will contest the season title again with the added goal of becoming the only two-time and back-to-back season champion in the history of the AJP Rankings. In staying with the spirit of this article, I would also like to mention that all female champions since the rankings’ inception have conquered it as brown belts! Other notable debuts in the black belt division were Diego Batista and Thalison Soares, who we saw dominating at purple and brown belt throughout the years and recently won the top competitor prize at brown belt last season. In closing, I would also like to voice my support to the decision of the AJP to eliminate the white belt division from the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam events, and I would support further actions to eliminate the blue and possibly purple belt divisions in the future in order to hold the Grand Slam events as exclusive to highlevel competition. There are events that should be reserved for the highest level of combat and others that can accommodate everyone else. As a TV product, it makes a lot of sense to limit the number of matches in the lower belt divisions and put much more focus on the high-level divisions. Moscow was the beginning of a new era for the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, and we look forward to the best in the new season.
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UAE NEWS Words: Ivan Trindade | Images: UAEJJF
Jiu-Jitsu Falcons excel at the Nur Sultan Grand Prix The UAE National Jiu-Jitsu Team travelled to Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan, to compete at the Nur Sultan Jiu-Jitsu Grand Prix. From June 21 to June 23, the best competitors in the region clashed for the ultimate glory in the JJIF organized event. With 18 athletes in the competition, the UAE had an outstanding performance, taking home no less than 14 medals (6 gold, 5 silver, 3 bronze). Jiu-Jitsu stars Faisal Al Kitbe, Yahya Al Hammad, Omar Al Fadhli, Reem Abdulla and Maha Alhinnai were among the medalists in Kazakhstan.
UAE National Team ready for battle in Mongolia The UAE National Jiu-Jitsu Team travelled to Ulaanbaatar at the beginning of July to compete in the 4th JJIF Asian Championship, scheduled July 19-21. Traveling with a full delegation, the UAE Team is expected to have an outstanding performance. More info at jjif.info
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LIFESTYLE TIPS
Eating to Train or Training to Eat? 94
When and how much you eat are as important as what you eat
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Words: Sophia McDermott*
Training as an excuse to overeat
In my time of working as a trainer, coach and nutritionist I have seen it all. Athletes who don’t eat enough and athletes who use training as an excuse to gorge themselves. It is really important for you to fuel your body properly and that importance is often under emphasized. Basically if you want to operate like a Ferrari, you must fuel yourself on the highest octane fuel. For athletes, that means what you eat is as important as when and how much you eat. If you owned a Ferrari I doubt you would put low grade gas into it, or have it running on empty all the time, so why do athletes do this to themselves?
Conversely, I see athletes who train two to three times a day and think it’s ok to eat enormous bowls of pastas, pizzas, ice-cream and drink sodas. Training on a diet like this is just as bad, but for different reasons. Performance is low because of the excess calories the body is working hard to process. Heavy dense foods loaded with refined carbohydrates also wreak havoc on your blood sugar levels, creating a high and then a hard core crash. Training while feeling heavy, bloated and lethargic is also not fun, but probably my biggest issue with eating high calorie processed foods are all the chemicals. It’s like fueling your Ferrari with gas that is contaminated and still expecting it to run like a race car. Most processed foods contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and saturated fats that literally clog up your cell walls and arteries and promote inflammation. High fructose corn syrup messes with blood sugar levels and chemicals used as preservatives and additives should stay in the science lab and not be eaten, as far as I am concerned. Basically all of this means your body is working hard to process these foods and eliminate the bad stuff which takes away from optimal health and as an athlete, that means performance will be compromised.
Running on empty and expecting a good training session I see time after time athletes who don’t eat for hours and then get on the mat and complain of low energy and poor performance. It’s no fun training on an empty stomach feeling and light headed. Training this way affects concentration levels which reduces mental clarity. Not to mention to get through session after session, your body eats away at all its hard earned muscles since a starved body is more inclined to preserve its fat stores and use the muscle reserves to carry out the training. Basically, training running on empty will make you tired, weak and fat. And since there is not enough fuel, the immune system is most likely to be compromised so the risk of getting sick is much higher.
The bottom line is that neither scenario is acceptable if you are an athlete. Food is your fuel but it is also essential to your overall health and if the machine (your body) is not running right, then it won’t perform its best either.
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• Enhancing concentration and therefore your learning ability
Benefits of a healthy Diet for Athletes
Guidelines for Proper Nutrition for Athletes
Drink mainly water and plenty of it throughout the day.
Drink more than you think you need. Athletes lose a lot of water when they train so replenishing water levels is essential. Drink a liter during training and aim to drink about 3 liters throughout out the day.
If you want more healthy meals and snack recipes check out my nutrition e-book here.
• Increasing the rate of healing from injury. • Minimizing joint pain, muscle soreness and overall inflammation • Increasing the rate of recovery between sessions. • A more restful sleep
Eat breakfast within an hour of waking up.
Eat every few hours even if it’s just a small snack.
You need to fuel your body after the fast of sleeping. This will get your metabolism going and ensure that you are utilizing your fuel for energy.
Eat foods that are as natural and as whole as possible.
Also the more whole the food is, the better it is for our bodies to process it and the less chemicals it will most likely contain.
Eat a couple of hours before you to train. Don’t train on an empty stomach or after going for half a day without food.
Listen to your body and stop eating when you are feeling full.
Exercise can make you want to overeat and eat more than we need. Even if you have had a really vigorous training session, your body can only process a certain amount of food at one time. Eat again an hour or two later as a top up if necessary.
Also check out my my 7-day meal plan.
Sophia McDermott (Drysdale) is a Jiu-Jitsu black belt and coach, personal trainer and mother of two. Sophia is certified with National Academy of Sports Medicine, NASM CPT (USA) and specializes in functional training for athletes as well as nutrition. She runs seminars and camps about BJJ, nutrition and healthy lifestyle. Sophia is the first Australian female BJJ black belt. World Champion, 2X no Gi World Champion, 4X Pan Am Champion. Sophia also competes in Figure shows and holds the distinction of being the Overall Unlimited Figure winner for 2015 for NPC.
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