Jiu-Jitsu World #10 - League of Heroes

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BE Y O N D T H E D U N E S A N D A L L I M A G I N AT I O N y o u d i s c o v e r a n A r a b i a n t r e a s u re with glistening pools, nestled in the golden sands.

This hidden palace invites you t o c o u n t l e s s a d v e n t u re s , e n d l e s s re l a x a t i o n a n d u n f o rg e t t a b l e i n d u l g e n c e .

But what to do first?

I t d o e s n ’ t re a l l y m a t t e r when you have it all a t y o u r f i n g e rt i p s .

Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara #InAbuDhabi

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WHAT’S INSIDE

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Simply the Best Black Belt champions take Jiu-Jitsu to a whole new level at the 10th anniversary celebration of the ADWPJJC

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Jiu-Jitsu Royalty Alexander Trans, Charles Negromonte and Leonardo Saggioro write their names in history as the first ever King of Mats champions

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Experience and Excellence Athletes over 30 years old put on a great show on the mats in Abu Dhabi

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Jiu-Jitsu for the people

Travel & Roll Excellence Six experiences rewarded you need to

Kids, teens, adults and paraathletes celebrate the sport and are rewarded with a visit by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Jiu-Jitsu community gathers at the Emirates Palace to celebrate the best athletes and teams of the season

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Lifestyle Tips Yoga and roll

have while in Abu Dhabi

More...

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Greetings

His Excellency Abdulmunam Al Hashemi

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Editorial

No time to rest

Interview

The Norwegian Menace

Get Social

Gathering of cultures

Know your way to the top

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Travel and Roll Tokyo for beginners

Understanding the UAEJJF athletes ranking

Around the Globe Join the Global Movement

Greater Challenges

Get ready for bigger and better tournaments on the 2018/2019 season

Profile

Isaque Bahiense

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Profile

Amal Amjahid

Did You Know?

The Origin of the Gi

UAE News

Emirati aces shining on the international stage

JJAU/JJIF News

Jiu-Jitsu Community Gets Ready for the 2018 Asian Championship

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Greetings

Looking ahead to achieve greater goals

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The Chairman of the United Arab Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Federation, His Excellency Abdulmunam Al Hashemi shares his views on the groundbreaking work that is being done by the Federation to incentive the sport in the country and around the world.

Following the vision and intelligent leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAEJJF is working tirelessly for a greater future for Jiu-Jitsu.

What a historic event the 10th anniversary edition of the World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship was, this past April. As we reached this important milestone, the UAE, Abu Dhabi and the UAEJJF were proud to host thousands of athletes from all over the world. It was impressive to see all the skills and all the love for the sport from all competitors and fans. 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. For every single Jiu-Jitsu player in UAE, the ultimate honor has always been meeting His Highness after winning a local, intercontinental or international championship. After the 2018 ADWPJJC, once again, His Highness welcomed the champions at the presidential palace to commend them on their excellence.

After such a successful Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, we look ahead for an even better 2018/2019 season. The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour returns with five events throughout the year. The first stop will be on July 29, in Tokyo, Japan. Then the tour continues to Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, Abu Dhabi and London. We once again hope to bring to our competitors and fans the kind of events they are used to with the same high standard of excellence. The season will also include events in the Regional, National Pro, International Pro series and the newly launched King of Mats events. We trust that we will see the best competitors of every nation on the mats giving their best to be crowned champions.

The UAEJJF will continue to work relentlessly to make it possible for our sport to keep growing and changing the lives of people all over the world. In this new season, we wish all Jiu-Jitsu competitors and fans the best of luck on the mats and trust once again that there will be some incredible moments — the likes of which only Jiu-Jitsu can deliver.

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Chairman: H.E. Abdulmunam Al Hashemi CEO: Fahad Al Shamsi Executive Manager: Rodrigo Valerio Editor in Chief: Ivan Trindade Editor: Ane Nunes Designer: 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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Photo by Ane Nunes Artwork by Henrique Diniz

No time to rest

The

10th anniversary edition of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, this past April, in the UAE, was the glorious closing to a thrilling 2017/2018 season that saw Jiu-Jitsu events all over the planet. For 14 days, athletes of all ages competed for their best results in a true celebration of our sport’s strength. Jiu-Jitsu World was honored to be in Abu Dhabi to witness all that and now bring you the definitive document to relive all the thrills and be saved for posterity.

Jiu-Jitsu World #10 is also the first edition of our second year of publishing and we will work even harder to continue to shine a light on the Jiu-Jitsu movement that spreads across the planet. The issue you have in your hands now brings you the complete coverage of the 2018 ADWPJJC filled with never before seen images of the thrilling matches that awed the crowd at the Mubadala Arena and everything else that happened off the mats. From white belts to seasoned black belts, from kids divisions to master 2, including the always inspiring paraathletes, the 2018 ADWPJJC was a historic event from beginning to end. We sincerely hope you’ll enjoy our coverage.

After all the thrills of the 2018 ADWPJJC, there’s not even time to rest. The 2018/2019 season is already underway with events popping up in all five continents. We turn our attention to the new challenges ahead as the international circuit grows even more. For another 12 months, athletes from all nationalities will have the right stage to showcase their talents and Jiu-Jitsu World will be there to report.

This 10th issue also brings a series of new features to our dear readers. We have new columnists like Mr. Mohammed Al Hosani, renowned sports Journalist in the UAE, who has been following the growth of our sport for years.

In the Lifestyle section, we summoned the help of black belt Sebastian Brosche to introduce you the ancient art of yoga and its benefits for JiuJitsu practitioners. There’s a lot more coming.

The issue completes with travel tips for those going to the first leg of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour, this coming July 29, in Tokyo. Find out the best of what Japan’s capital has to offer. We also feature two of our heroes on exclusive profiles and interview one of the standouts from the 2018 ADWPJJC. We hope you’ll enjoy our 10th issue and hope to see you on the mats once again. Have a great reading.

Editorial

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Ivan Trindade

Editor in Chief

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INTERVIEW

The Norwegian Menace Espen Mathiesen reveals some of the secrets that allowed him to reach the top of his division at the 2018 ADWPJJC Words: Ivan Trindade | Images: Ane Nunes

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Mathiesen sets up the triangle to fi nish Jacob Mackenz ie in the division final

ava’s for Sat s e o g n Espe g the 77k l back in a semifin division

with Jacob Face to face the 77kg Mackenzie in division final

In a division with big names like Jaime Canuto, Jonathan Satava, Edwin Najmi, among others, it was Espen Mathiesen that rose above all. The Norwegian black belt came out to the mat like a freight train and took no prisoners on his way to the top of the podium of the 77kg division. In this exclusive interview, Mathiesen talks about how he begun training and who were his biggest influences coming up the belt rankings. There’s a lot to be learned from such a success story and Espen assured us this is just the beginning of his run.

Jiu-Jitsu World: What can you tell us about how you started training Jiu-Jitsu?

Espen Mathiesen: I started at the end of 2010 with a friend of mine. We watched a martial art movie that inspired us to try grappling.

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Who were the biggest influences in your career on the mats until becoming a black belt?

Mission and accomplished n o celebration um di po the

The biggest influencers in my career are my first coach Damoun Nassehi, my professor José Carlos, my Wulfing brothers and Sindre Boge Thu. They have had a huge impact on my Jiu-Jitsu and I’m very grateful for all their help.

If you had to pick three aspects of your life on the mats that were important for your success, what would they be?

That’s a tough one. I guess it the first one would be surrounding myself around people that motivate me.Also, visualizing what is coming my way has been crucial and it is something I use a lot. Finally, I try to think outside the box and find new ways to do things.

You were one of the standouts at the 2018 ADWPJJC, wining the 77kg division while beating some big names in the sport like Edwin Najmi and John Satava. What was the feeling of becoming a ADWPJJC champion?

Winning the gold medal has been a goal of mine for many years and it felt really good when it became a reality. I was able to display more areas of my game, which I’m very happy about.

However this was just the beginning and a step towards the right direction.

What tips can you give athletes that are just starting on how to prepare right and perform well on a tournament?

To not care. You have nothing to prove to anyone. The most important thing is to have a lot of fun.

You have been active in the UAEJJF circuit. How important it is for Jiu-Jitsu to have a professional environment that awards athletes for their dedication and results?

Many Jiu-Jitsu athletes dedicates their whole life to training and competing. It is good to see that the UAEJJF is bringing in more professionalism to the sport and rewarding those who deserves it.

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Disbelief aft er the final w in in Abu Dhabi

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GET SOCIAL

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Gathering of cultures Words: Ivan Trindade | Images: Instagram

The 2018 Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship was a 14-day celebration of the sport that brought people from all over the world together in Abu Dhabi on April 16-29. As they competed on the mats at the Mubadala Arena, met old friends, met new people and enjoyed the city, they posted their experiences on social media.

We look back to those magical two weeks to relive the thrills of the 2018 ADWPJJC through their posts. As a new season begins, we ask all our readers to continue sharing their experiences using the hashtags #AbuDhabiGrandSlam #adgstokyo #adgsla #adgsrio #adgsabudhabi #adgslondon #uaejjf #adwjjt #jiujitsu #jiujitsulifestyle #Jiujitsuparatodos #jiujitsu4life #abudhabiKingofmats.

Follow us on the social media /jiujitsuworldmag @jiujitsuworldmag @jitsuworldmag www.jiujitsuworldmag.com

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UAEJJF Athlete’s Ranking

Know your way to the top

Understanding the UAEJJF athletes ranking

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Words: Rodrigo Valério, Ivan Trindade | Image: Ane Nunes

The New UAEJJF 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 UAEJJF participation. In addition, a number of other technical principles and rules have been established to provide a basis for the development of the UAEJJF 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 UAEJJF 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 1st May 2018.

The points for each individual tournament will expire as follows: • From May 1st, 2018 to April 30th, 2019 the points will count 100%.

• After May 1st, 2019 the points will be reduced to 50%.

• After May 1st, 2020 the points will be reduced to 0 and not count anymore.

The dividing line is the first week of May 2019.

Example: If tournament is held in first week of May 2018, the points are reduced to half on the first week on May 2019 and expired in the first week of May 2020.

How to add points in the ranking?

You add points in the ranking by at least participating in one of the events of the UAEJJF calendar (the current calendar started on May 1, 2018 and ends on April 30, 2019). There are six kinds of events in terms of how many points you’ll get: 1 - ADWPJJC – 6 stars; 2 - Abu Dhabi Grand Slam – 5 stars; 3 - Continental Pro – 5 stars; 4 - National Pro – 4 stars; 5 - International Pro – 3 stars; 6 - Regional Tournament – 2 stars.

Here are the number of points athletes will earn on each event depending on their performance.

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Here are a few examples of how to count an athlete’s points.

How many rankings are there?

The UAEJJF 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.

For what else is the ranking used for by the UAEJJF? 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 are the prizes for ranking leaders?

After all the effort, it is natural that ranking leaders at the end of the season receive proper rewards. The tables bellow show the main prizes for both the Gi and No-Gi rankings.

The male adult Gi black belt division alone will award US$40,000, while the female Gi brown/black belt division will award US$18,000. That’s the same amount reserved for the male adult brown belt ranking leaders and the master 1 male black belt division.

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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 UAEJJF 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.

Are there any more novelties in the ranking for the 2018-2019 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

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2018 ADWPJJC

Black Belt champions take Jiu-Jitsu to a whole new level at the 10th anniversary celebration of the ADWPJJC 34

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Words: Ivan Trindade | Images: Ane Nunes, Ivan Trindade

Since its first edition in 2009, the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship has been the setting for the biggest Jiu-Jitsu athletes in the world to write their names in history. The 10th anniversary edition was not different. Once again under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, the event took the sport to a whole different level on and off the mats.

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The black belt finals on Saturday, April 28, had the dignified presence of several authorities, including Sheikh Nahyan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Sultan Al Shakhbout Al Nahyan and Sheikh Tariq Bin Faisal Al Qasimi.

Impeccable production and the highest level of technique and devotion for Jiu-Jitsu were the main ingredients that made the 2018 ADWPJJC an historic event. In the next pages you will be able to relive the thrills of those five days in Abu Dhabi. Enjoy.

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Grand Finale

After winning four out of five legs of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour in the 2017/2018 season, José Carlos Lima arrived in Abu Dhabi as the favorite for gold in his weight class. He did not let his fans down. The division had two country qualifiers. In Brazil’s bracket, Rodnei Junior beat Wellington da Silva twice to secure his spot in the main bracket. Among the Japanese, Takahito Yoshioka beat both Massaki Todokoro and Kei Ito to write his name in the run for the gold medal. In a bracket that put each fighter to compete against all of the other opponents, Lima won three of his four matches. After a bad start against João Kuraoka, Lima came back to beat Yoshioka, Rodnei and finally finish Andrea Verdemare with a choke from the back to secure the gold medal.

Podium

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1st – Jose Lima (Brazil)

2nd – Rodnei Junior (Brazil)

3rd – João Carlos Kuraoka (Japan)

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62 kg Back to the Top

João Miyao has a long history in the ADWPJJC. He competed in the event since he was a blue belt and won his first gold medal as a black belt in 2014. Four years later, he was back on the top. After a successful run in the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour, with three titles in five events, João wanted the big prize in Abu Dhabi and he took the long route to get there. First, in the Brazil qualifiers, he beat his two opponents to make it to the main bracket. He caught Wellington Lima with a choke from the back and then also finished Felipe Silva. On day 2, João had two more matches to reach the final. He finished David Younan with a choke from the back and then caught Hiago George with a toe hold. On the other side of the bracket, South Korea’s Wanki Chae finished Jarrah Alhazza to meet Alex Alduncin in the semifinal. A 3-2 lead on advantages was enough to grant Chae a spot in the final.

João Miyao and Wanki Chae put on show for the crowd while battling for the gold medal. From the very get go, Miyao imposed his top game to build a 7-0 lead with a guard pass and a mount. Wanki Chae fought hard to come back in the end and managed a sweep to score two points, but it was too late and Miyao took the gold medal home with a 7-2 lead.

Podium

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1st – João Miyao (Brazil)

2nd – Wanki Chae (South Korea)

3rd – Hiago George (Brazil)

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Fierce Rivalry

Paulo Miyao and Gianni Grippo know each other games very well, as they have faced each other several times. Their matches are always close, as their skill levels are very similar. It was not different in Abu Dhabi. Miyao was after his first gold medal as a black belt in the ADWPJJC. Gianni was after his third. Paulo took the long way to the final. In three matches in the Brazil qualifiers, he first beat João Paulo Gonçalves 3-0 then outscored Isaque Paiva 6-2 in the semifinal. The final match against Victor Otoniel was won via walkover. In the main bracket, Miyao first finished Ali Munfaredi and then beat Thomas Halpin 6-0. Gianni caught Abdullah Nabas with a choke from the back and then also finished Krzysztof Flak in the semifinal. The gold medal match was decided by the smallest of details. The match was fought to the very end and no fighter made any mistake to allow the opponent to score. In the end, Miyao managed to get to Gianni’s half guard to score a 1-0 lead on advantages and secure the title.

Podium

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1st – Paulo Miyao (Brazil)

2nd – Gianni Grippo (USA)

3rd – Ali Munfaredi (Bahrain)

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Nordic Assassin

In a bracket filled with big names, Norway’s Espen Mathiesen took no prisoners on his way to the top of the podium. The bracket had three country qualifiers. Flavio Vianna made his way to the main bracket in three matches in the Brazil qualifiers. He first beat Johnny Crispim by referee decision, then outscored Marcos Paulo Costa 1-0 on advantages to meet Adriano Araujo in the final. Again a 1-0 lead on advantages was enough to grant Vianna the win. Edwin Najmi and Thomas Keenan fought three times in the USA Qualifiers to decide the spot in the main bracket. Najmi first caught Keenan with a bow and arrow choke, then lost 2-0 in the second match. The decision came in the third match with a referee win for Najmi after a 2-2 tie on advantages. Yan Cabral beat Pedro Ramalho 2-1 in a best of three matches for the Portugal Qualifiers to secure his spot in the main bracket.

In the most crowded main bracket, Canada’s Jacob Mackenzie and Norway’s Espen Mathiesen made their way to the final. Jacob fought four times, beating Lachlan Giles by referee decision, outscoring Rene Karamanites 1-0 on penalties, beating Max Lindblad 1-0 on advantages to meet Jaime Canuto in the semifinal. A sneaky lapel choke when Canuto was on the deep half guard earned Mackenzie the win and the spot in the final.

On the other side of the bracket, Mathiesen finished Mathias Asencio, then beat Edwin Najmi 2-0 on advantages and Yan Cabral 3-1 on advantages.

The semifinal would be against Marcelo Garcia’s pupil Jonathan Satava. A beautiful bow and arrow choke put Espen in the final with authority.

Mathiesen continued his winning streak and made quick work of Mackenzie in the final. After pulling guard, he was able to lock a triangle choke from where Mackenzie could not escape, The three taps came soon and the match was over with Espen celebrating his first title in Abu Dhabi as a black belt.

Podium 2nd – Jacob Mackenzie (Canada)

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1st – Espen Mathiesen (Norway) 3rd – Jaime Canuto (Brazil)

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85kg

Isaque’s Turn With a solid campaign during the 2017/2018 season, Isaque Bahiense secured his spot in the main bracket. In the Brazil Qualifiers, Gustavo Batista had a long way to secure his spot in the main bracket. In four matches, he first beat Caio Pires 9-0, then outscored Patrick Gaudio 2-0 and beat Renato Canuto by referee decision in the semifinal. The opponent in the final would be last year’s champion Claudio Calasans Jr. In a close match, a 2-0 lead for a sweep gave Batista the right to be in the main bracket.

The main bracket was no easy ride for any of the competitors. Isaque made it to his first ADWPJJC black belt final with a 7-0 win over Clark Gracie followed by a tough match against Gustavo Batista that ended with a 4-2 lead for Isaque. Local idol Faisal Al Kitbe also made to the final.

Faisal fought twice on Friday, beating Clifford Edwards 2-0 and then edging Bruno Reale by referees decision.

Once in the Final, Isaque knew he could not allow the opportunity to pass. It was an intense and fast paced match with Bahiense having the initiative and Faisal making clever use of his qualities to put the breaks on his opponent. One sweep midway into the match earned Isaque the narrow 2-0 lead that granted his first gold medal as a black belt at the ADWPJJC. Podium 2nd – Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE)

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1st – Isaque Bahiense (Brazil) 3rd – Gustavo Batista (Brazil)

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94kg

Four Times Pena

Since 2015, Felipe Pena has collected four gold medals at the ADWPJJC. In 2018, he once again made his way to the top in the 94kg division. He had no shortcuts to make it there. Pena fought three times in the Brazil Qualifiers and finished two out of three opponents. He beat João Pedro Resende 6-0 with two guard passes, then caught Matheus Godoy with a choke from the back and finally locked an inverted triangle to beat Eduardo Machado in the final. In the USA Qualifiers, Tanner Rice and DJ Jackson fought three times to decide the spot.

DJ won the first one, then Tanner won the second and the third matches to secure the spot.

In the main bracket, Pena fought three more times on his way to the final. He first beat Zaid Sami 11-2, then finished Donghwa Choi to meet fellow Brazilian Helton Junior in the semifinal. A sweep and a back take built the 6-0 lead that granted Felipe the chance to defend his title. Poland’s Adam Wardzinski fought twice in the main bracket. He beat Tanner Rice by referee decision and then outscored Matthew Leighton 7-0 to reach the gold medal match and challenge Pena for the second year in a row.

If in 2017 Felipe Pena was able to win via submission, this time things were much tougher. Adam Wardzinski had his defenses ready for Pena’s pressure and pass game and all the Brazilian was able to get was a 4-0 lead with two sweeps. Pena did not complain and celebrated accordingly his fourth straight gold medal at the ADWPJJC. Podium

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1st – Felipe Pena (Brazil)

2nd – Adam Wardzinski (Poland)

3rd – Helton Junior (Brazil)

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110kg

Showman Santos

It’s always all or nothing with Erberth Santos. His performances tend to be brilliant or terrible, with nothing in between. In Abu Dhabi, he was definitely brilliant on his way to win his second gold medal in three years. First, in the Brazil Qualifiers, Santos beat Raphael Souza 4-2 and caught Mauricio Lima with a choke from the back. The final was against Ricardo Evangelista and it was decided with another choke from the back after a sensational takedown.

In the main bracket, Erberth kept the pressure on his opponents.

He fought twice to reach the final. First he finished Eldar Rafigaev with a foot lock and then repeated the spell against Igor Silva in the semifinal. Also a former ADWPJJC champion, Lucio Rodrigues, fought only once to reach the gold medal match. With one sweep, Rodrigues beat Antonio Junior 2-0 in the semifinal.

Erberth Santos likes to end his matches quickly. Explosive since the very beginning, the Brazilian fighter went after UK’s Lucio Rodrigues with all he had. A takedown, a back take and a choke from the back was the sequence that gave Erberth his second gold medal as a black belt in Abu Dhabi. It took him only one minute and two seconds to win.

Podium

1st – Erberth Santos (Brazil)

2nd – Lucio Rodrigues (UK)

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3rd – Igor Silva (Brazil)

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49kg

The recipe

Mayssa Caldas has a recipe to win Jiu-Jitsu matches and it’s working. On the main bracket, she caught both of her opponents with chokes from the back. First Arantzazu Perez and after that Sofia Amarante fell victims of Caldas’ technique. Australia’s Livia Gluchowska beat Serena Gabrielli 2-0 to reach the gold medal match against Mayssa.

In the final, Mayssa followed the script against Livia Gluchowska. Despite some brave resistance from the Australian opponent, Mayssa soon found her way to Livia’s back to finish the match with her well known bow and arrow choke. It was Mayssa’s second title in a row at the ADWPJJC. Podium 2nd – Livia Gluchowska (Australia)

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1st – Mayssa Caldas (Brazil) 3rd – Serena Gabrielli (Italy)

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Adult Female Brown/Black Belt

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55kg Amazing Amal

Not many people know Amal Amjahid. The Belgium brown belt has been doing a lot of damage in the UAEJJF circuit, but she still arrived in Abu Dhabi as a underdog. It didn’t matter, as she had all the tools she needed to reach the top. In the Brazil Qualifiers, defending champion Talita Alencar won all her three matches on her way to the main bracket. A 2-0 lead against Ariadne Oliveira in the first match was the edge Talita needed to secure her spot.

In the main bracket, Amal had a perfect run to the final. She finished Georgina Cantel first and then caught Maiko Kurogi with a choke from the back to reach the final. Amanda Nogueira also made to the final. She finished Katjusa Horman first to meet reigning champion Talita Alencar in the semifinal. A 2-1 lead on advantages put Amanda in the final.

The gold medal match was the spotlight Amal needed. The brown belt had no regard for her black belt opponents and cruised through the division. In the final, she fought her way to the Brazilian’s back to sink a choke and celebrate a well deserved gold medal.

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1st – Amal Amjahid (Belgium)

2nd – Amanda Nogueira (Brazil)

3rd – Talita Alencar (Brazil)

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62kg

Bianca’s finest hour She was not the favorite. In a bracket with former champions Luiza Monteiro and Beatriz Mesquita, Bianca Basílio was the dark horse in the Brazilian Qualifiers, but made it through. The most thrilling of all qualifiers was decided only in the final match. Luiza first beat Beatriz by one advantage. Mesquita then beat Basílio via armbar. Bianca then went on to finish Luiza with a foot lock. All three ended the bracket with two wins and one loss. Basílio secured the spot in the main bracket for having superior scores overall.

In the main bracket, Basílio continued her run towards the final. She finished Myrian Zitouni with an Ezekiel choke, then beat Julia Maele 2-0 and finally outscored Larissa Paes 15-8 in the semifinal. On the other side of the bracket, Ffion Davies finished Pamela Boveda and outscored Charlotte Von Baumgarten 5-0 to reach the final.

In the final, Davies was an opponent that would not budge. Bianca fought hard to the very end and convinced the judges to award her effort via unanimous decision after a 2-2 tie on advantages.

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Podium

1st – Bianca Basílio (Brazil)

2nd – Ffion Davies (UK)

3rd – Larissa Paes (Brazil)

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70kg

Back to Back Carol

Ana Carolina Vieira continued her dominance over the weight class.

No opponent seemed able to put a stop on her reign. In Abu Dhabi, she fought three times to reach the final. Carol finished all three opponents, in Yanelisa Reyes, Florencia Diez and Thamara Silva.

The last obstacle would be Jessica Swanson, who finished Samantha Cook and beat Martina Gramenius by referee decision.

The gold medal match was a very tough challenge for Carol. Jessica Swanson fought very hard to hold her ground against Ana. Little by little, Vieira was able to build her lead up to a 9-0 score. The clock ran out and once again Ana Carol could celebrate her title.

Podium

1st – Ana Carolina Vieira (Brazil)

2nd – Jessica Swanson (USA)

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3rd – Thamara Silva (Brazil)

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90kg

Family Business Angélica Galvão was there for her husband André Galvão during his two matches at the King of Mats. Then, André stood on the sidelines to help his wife on her run to her first gold medal at the ADWPJJC. Angélica fought twice to reach the final, beating Jessica de Andrade 2-0 and then Laura Barker 2-0 on advantages.

Poland’s Marta Szarecka also fought twice to reach the gold medal match, beating Jonna Konivuori 7-0 and then finishing Shantelle Thomas. In the final, Angélica imposed her top game since the very beginning. With a lot of pressure and high level technique, she was able to control the action during the final against Szarecka and build a 8-2 lead that earned her the gold medal.

Podium 2nd – Marta Szarecka (Poland)

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1st – Angélica Galvão (USA) 3rd – Jessica Andrade (Brazil)

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Collective Power Jiu-Jitsu is an individual sport based on a collective experience. Each athlete that steps on the mat is carrying his team with them. In Abu Dhabi, they all gave their best to represent their flag. With that, at the end, after all the points were counted the final results for the teams competition were: 1st – GF Team – 8272pts

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2nd – Commando Group – 6712pts

3rd – A.F.N.T. – 6632pts

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Teams

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KING OF MATS

Jiu-Jitsu Royalty Alexander Trans, Charles Negromonte and Leonardo Saggioro write their names in history as the first ever King of Mats champions Words: Ivan Trindade | Images: Ane Nunes

The 10th anniversary edition of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship featured the first ever edition of the King of Mats event. Former ADWPJJC champions lined up on April 24 to compete for unprecedented money prizes and the bragging rights of becoming the first ever King of Mats champions.

After a full day of matches, here are the results.

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Lightweight

Against all odds With 10 athletes fighting for the belt, the road for the top of the podium in the lightweight division was the longest of the three weight classes. On Group A, Leonardo Saggioro left no opponent standing on his way to the semifinals. He came out a winner of all four of his matches. He first beat Samuel Canquerino by points, then overcame Hiago George by referees decision in a close match. Saggioro’s third match was another narrow victory over Isaque Paiva before closing the group stage with a fourth win over Jose Lima. Isaque Paiva, with three wins in four matches, also qualified for the semifinals.

On Group B, Gianni Grippo, Celso Venícius and Thiago Marques finished the group stage with three wins and one loss. The point count after all the matches put Grippo and Marques in the semifinals as first and second in the bracket.

In a sweep battle, Gianni Grippo made it to the final in a hard-fought semifinal against Isaque Paiva that ended with a 8-6 lead for the American. On the other semifinal, Saggioro was able to make it to the gold medal match with a narrow 1-0 lead on advantages.

The King of Mats lightweight belt knew its first owner following a strategic match between Grippo and Saggioro.

Both grapplers were very respectful of each other’s games and the match ended in a 0-0 tie. The referees saw Saggioro as more active and granted him the win.

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Middleweight

The Favorite killer Group A had three competitors and each one won one match and lost another. The point count put Charles Negromonte in first place followed by Jaime Canuto, leaving Andre GalvĂŁo out of the semifinals.

On Group B, Renato Canuto won all his three matches, beating Roberto Satoshi 2-0; finishing Clark Gracie and finally beating Tarsis Humphreys by WO. The second place finisher was Roberto Satoshi, who finished Tarsis Humphreys with a triangle and beat Clark Gracie 2-0.

The semifinals put Jaime Canuto to face Satoshi and Charles Negromonte to face Renato Canuto. Jaime built a 6-0 lead over Satoshi with two guard passes to reach the final. Negromonte held on to a 0-0 tie to beat Renato by referees decision.

The gold medal match was decided in the very last seconds, when a near guard pass by Negromonte earned him a 1-0 lead over Jaime Canuto and the right to wear the King of Mats middleweight belt.

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Heavyweight

The Viking ruler With seven athletes competing for the belt, the division featured a series of thrilling matches. On group A, Alexander Trans won his two matches to reach the semifinals. He beat Tanner Rice 2-0 with a sweep and then Helton Junior with a 2-0 lead on advantages.

American Tanner Rice joined Trans in the semifinals with a 1-0 win over Junior on advantages. On Group B, Roberto “Cyborg” sailed through the bracket with three wins in three matches. He beat Andre Campos by referees decision, then outscored Lucio Rodrigues before finishing Alexandre Souza from the mount.

With two wins in three matches, Alexandre Souza also made it to the semifinals.

The first semifinal put Trans against Souza and a rib injury early in the match during a takedown defense put Alexandre out of commission and granted Trans a spot in the final. Cyborg made it to the gold medal match with a referees decision win over Tanner Rice following a 0-0 tie.

The heavyweight belt found its way to Alexander Trans hands when the Danish caught Cyborg’s back to sink a bow and arrow choke and get the tap. The first heavyweight King of Mat was crowned.

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MASTERS

Experience and Excellence Athletes over 30 years old put on a great show on the mats in Abu Dhabi

Words: Ivan Trindade | Images: Ane Nunes

The masters division at the 2018 ADWPJJC was everything the crowd expected and much more. Athletes 30 years of age and older from all over the world competed for the honor of becoming champions in the prestigious mat of the Mubadala

Master 1 Black Belt 56kg 1st - Jorge dos Santos 2nd – Alessandro Taveira 62kg 1st – Pablo Silva 2nd – Jose Barros 3rd – Rene Lopez 69kg 1st – Thiago Marques 2nd – Talib Saleh 3rd – Bruno Amorin

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77kg 1st – Caio Silva 2nd – Nuno Martins 3rd – Bruno Alves 85kg 1st – Alan do Nascimento 2nd – Claudio Cardoso 3rd – Pedro Guaracy 94kg 1st – Arsen Shapiev 2nd – Celso Junior 3rd – Mauricio Antunes 110kg 1st – Paulo Pinto 2nd – Fabio Galeb 3rd – Wagner Ribeiro

Arena. As usual, the black belt division was the highlight of the program, with some vey well known names displaying great technique on the mats. Here are the results in the master 1 and master 2 divisions.

Master 2 Black Belt 62kg 1st – Felipe Costa 2nd – Jae Lee 3rd – Marcio Medeiros

85kg 1st – Alexandre Moreno 2nd – Maximiliano Carvalho 3rd – Pablo Deziro

69kg 1st – Denilson Pimenta 2nd – Alvaro Bobadilha 3rd – Andre Pinheiro

94kg 1st – Bruno Marques 2nd – Iuri Ribeiro 3rd – Alexandre Dantas

77kg 1st – Mathias Ribeiro 2nd – Vitor Ribeiro 3rd – Peterson Souza

110kg 1st – Alexandre Odebrecht 2nd – Fabio Martins 3rd – Alexandre Rotundo

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JIU-JITSU FESTIVAL

Jiu-Jitsu for the people Kids, teens, adults and para-athletes celebrate the sport and are rewarded with a visit by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Words: Ivan Trindade | Images: UAEJJF

The world of Jiu-Jitsu gathered in Abu Dhabi on April 16-23 for the World Jiu-Jitsu Festival, the first part of the 2018 Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship. Kids, teenagers, adults and masters of hundreds of different countries came together to test their skills and share their passion for the sport. The event also feature the second ever Para-Jiu-Jitsu world championship, on April 20-21, when athletes inspired the crowd on the stands and watching at home with their example of how to overcome life’s hurdles in search of their dreams.

The World Jiu-Jitsu Festival received the highest of honors on April 21, when His 76

Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, paid a visit to the Mubadala Arena to show his support for the athletes.

Abdulmonem Al Hashemi, Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation expressed his gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for gracing the Championship with his presence and on behalf of the UAEJJF thanked His Highness for his constant support towards Jiu-Jitsu. He further complemented His Highness for being a role model for participating players from the UAE and aboard. The UAEJJF is celebrating 10 years of achievement which would not have been possible without His Highness’s

utmost attention towards the sport.

He said, “The visit of His Highness is an invitation for athletes to excel during the Championship, as well as a line of motivation to be the best version of themselves. It is an honor for us to have His Highness be present among us today, and is a further responsibility for us in the UAE, for this country deserves to achieve continuous successes in this sport as it does in other fields. With each passing year Jiu-Jitsu continues to grow as a sport in our in community. It continues to receive positive engagement from families and schools in the UAE. We thank His Highness as he continues to inspire us with ideas, initiatives and programs.”

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Kids proud for being part of the festival

Technique on point in every match

Jiu-Jitsu makes everyone happier

Kids fought to the last second in each contest

The referees took really good care of all athletes

Talent was abundant on the mats in Abu Dhabi

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Kenzo Karakawa was a fan favorite in the Para-Jiu-Jitsu tournament

The high point of every Emirati athlete Every athlete has a champion within themselves

Life’s obstacles are just one more reason to go all in

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No rest until the final effort for every athlete

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Before the battles, the para-athletes paid a visit to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

The crowd followed each match with eyes focused

The podium was the final goal of all competitors

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His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan praised the athletes for their effort

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2018 ABU DHABI JIU-JITSU AWARD

Excellence rewarded Jiu-Jitsu community gathers at the Emirates Palace to celebrate the best athletes and teams of the season

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Words: Ivan Trindade | Images: Ane Nunes

Suits and ties for men and long dresses for women were the attire of choice for Jiu-Jitsu heroes on the evening of April 29. The luxurious Emirates Palace once again welcomed the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Award for an evening of celebration for the best athletes, schools and teams of the season. His Highness Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, welcomed the Jiu-Jitsu community for a evening of accolades.

A number of high-profile dignitaries attended the prestigious award ceremony, including H.E. Suhail Al Mazourei, Minister of Energy and Industry; Mohamed Al Hamadi, CEO of the

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Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation; Ali Al Yafei, CEO of Abu Dhabi Autonomous Systems Investments; and H.E. Abdulmunem Al Hashemi, Chairman of the UAEJJF. Brazil’s Igor Silva and Larissa Paes received the most important awards of the evening, as they finished the season as ranking leaders in the adult black belt division for men and brown/black belt division for women. Igor also won the award for the best athlete in South America.

Among the teams and schools, GF Team took the award for best international academy, while Al Wahda Club Jiu-Jitsu Academy was named the best Emirati club of the year. Al Maqam School was recognized for being the best Emirati boys school of the year, and Al Reef school was named best Emirati girls school of the year.

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The complete list of winners.

Emirati Ranking Awards Emirati Black Belt

Faisal Al Kitbe

Emirati Team

Al Wahda Club Jiu-Jitsu Academy

Emirati Brown Belt

Zayed Obaid Al Kaabi Hamdan Ahmed Al Blooshi

Emirati Male Purple Belt

Maha Al Hinaai

Emirati Female Purple Belt

Mohammed Al Amri

Emirati Male Blue Belt

Ashwaq Al Khoori

Emirati Female Blue Belt

Khalifa Humaid Al Kaabi

Emirati Youth Male Blue Belt

Mahra Al Hinaai

Emirati Youth Female Blue Belt

World Ranking Awards Adult Male - Black Belt

Igor Silva (Brazil) Larissa Paes (Brazil)

Adult Female Brown/Black Belt Europe Athlete of the Year

Adam Wardzinski (Poland)

Central and North America Athlete of the Year

Igor Silva (Brazil)

South America Athlete of the Year

JoĂŁo Carlos Kuraoka (Japan)

Asia Athlete of the Year

Adolfo Correia (Angola)

Africa Athlete of the Year Oceania Athlete of the Year

Lachlan Gilles (Australia)

Master 1 Male Black Belt

Mauricio Antunes (Brazil)

Rookie Player of the Year

Matheus Xavier (Brazil)

Referee of the Year International Academy

Alexandre Nascimento (Brazil) GF Team

Most Promising Asian Federation

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Matthew Leighton (USA)

Indonesian Jiu-Jitsu Federation

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AROUND THE GLOBE

Russia

Moscow May 13, 2018

Scan here for the complete results.

Moscow International Pro The Jiu-Jitsu community in Russia gave another show of force on May 13.

Hundreds of athletes and fans gathered at the Ulitsa Sushchevskiy Val to compete for the ultimate glory of becoming an International Pro champion while picking up valuable points in the UAEJJF ranking. The event featured both gi and nogi divisions with athletes putting out great effort on the mats.

In the black belt division, champions were: Adult Male NoGi 92kg - 1st – Marat Kurbanov; Master 2 Gi 94kg - 1st – Fabricio Moraes. In the teams competitions, results were: 1st – Ludus Team International 2333pts; 2nd – Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu 1630pts; 3rd – Checkmat International 1250pts.

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Croatia

Zagreb May 5, 2018

Scan here for the complete results.

Zagreb International Pro The Jiu-Jitsu community in Croatia gathered on May 5 to compete both in gi and nogi divisions. Athletes of all ages gave their best on the mats for the pleasure of crowd on the stands. In the gi division, Sweden’s Erik Friberg won the adult Gi black belt lightweight open class division.

In the heavyweight open class division, the champion was Croatia’s Kresimir Jurkovic.

In the teams competition, results were: 1st – Mladost – Alliance BD 1295pts; 2nd – Gracie Barra Ljubljana 470pts; 3rd – Pound for Pound Team – 390pts.

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2018/2019 Season

Greater Challenges Get ready for bigger and better tournaments on the 2018/2019 season Words: Rodrigo Valerio | Images: Ivan Trindade

During each one-year cycle (May 1st to April 30th) the UAEJJF organizes more than 80 top events worldwide. The Abu Dhabi World Pro, Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, King of Mats, World Legends, Continental Pro, National Pro, International Pro and Regional Championships - which serve as the core for all our media and TV partners, generating more than US$3 million for our athletes in prize money awards.

The UAEJJF World Ranking for Adults, Masters and Youth was created in 2015 and featured a series of high-level open tournaments around the world. The World Tour has been in operation successfully for the past three seasons and the ranking events are already staged in all five continents.

Currently we have over 15,000 athletes in the adult world ranking, 10,000 athletes in the masters world ranking and also around 5,000 young athletes in the youth world ranking. These numbers show the continued development of Jiu-Jitsu around the world.

The number of participant countries is growing really fast in some regions of the world, but there’s still work to be done in some regions. With the desire to develop the sport globally and to contribute to a fair development and international understanding, the Abu Dhabi World Pro Qualification Series period will introduce an important modification in accordance with the UAEJJF requirements regarding the Country Quota format.

At the same time Jiu-Jitsu managed to set two new records: - Number of countries participating in the UAEJJF World Tour: 168 - Number of countries wining gold medals: Amal Amjahid (Belgium), Espen Mathiesen 94

(Norway), Angelica Galvão (USA), Gianni Grippo (USA), Michael Musumeci (USA).

The best women and men from the UAEJJF World Ranking will be directly qualified via Country Ranking Quota and the fans can expect similar figures especially in terms of universality at the 2019 Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

Immediately after the 2018 ADWPJJC, all the Federations were invited to submit any proposals or comments regarding the current World Tour, competition systems or other issues aimed at improving our sport.

Each year the UAEJJF organizes meetings with all federations creating a good synergy between them in order to inform and revise the regulations and needs of each one. The following factors were found to impact the Jiu-Jitsu fighter’s motivation: risk, destination, price, economic value, social, safety, skill mastery, relaxation, workshops, seminars initiatives and local culture. But behind the number of competitors, we start to feel a real jiu-jitsu community. At the events now the players come with their family, spend holidays together and follow training, seminars or workshops sessions for additional days.

Nowadays Jiu-Jitsu fighters are traveling around the world to participate in multiple championships. Their Jiu-Jitsu knowledge is a gold value for many communities because champions move from a country to another and share their experience to new generations through seminars or just a holiday weekend.

Considering that is an important motivator of tourism, and figure prominently in the development of most nations and host cities.

All the world federations together with the

UAEJJF Committee are working to create the best possible conditions for the highest level of performance and spectacular presentation of our sport as well as maintaining the reputation of fairness in terms of refereeing and universal respect for all, without distinction of any kind such as race, color, gender, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, age, birth or other status.

Thinking about those elite champions and to keep their legacy, the UAEJJF created the Abu Dhabi King of Mats connected to the World Tour, introduced for the first time at the 2018 World Pro, the 2nd edition tournament will bring together many of the greatest fighters in history for nostalgic, competitive and entertaining fights in Los Angeles on September 23, 2018. Competitors will fight in a single division on a single mat until the champion is crowned.

In addition to the new World Tour, the UAEJJF Chairman Mr Abdulmunen Al Hashemi sent to the Technical Department the official request for a 2018 team event consisting of seven men in categories fighting for one gold medal, the UAEJJF will have a test event during the next UAEJJF President’s Cup. The Abu Dhabi Club World Cup will be added to the calendar, an exciting project which the UAEJJF has been working on for over 12 months now, with the last few details still to be finalized.

The new season looks great. The UAEJJF Champions return to the mats and the community is growing with fathers or grandfathers and mothers of the new Jiu-Jitsu generations and the UAEJJF understand the fact that this World Tour is dedicated for friendships and love for Jiu-Jitsu.

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PROFILE

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ISAQUE BAHIENSE

“Work hard and feed your confidence everyday and when the moment comes, make it happen.

Everything is possible.”

ISAQUE BAHIENSE Words: Ivan Trindade | Images: Ane Nunes, Personal Archives

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ISAQUE BY ISAQUE..

I started training when... my first Professor, Fabio Andrade, invited me to his social project in Brazil. I remember I had no money to buy the gi, so he gifted me one and I joined the classes. Jiu-Jitsu was the thing kids my age were doing at that time.

Lifestyle for me is… having

people of good character around me and learning a lot from them.

To compete I set my game..

to no matter who the opponent is I have to impose my way of fighting and believe in my Jiu-Jitsu.

I learned from my Master…

to believe in myself.

If I had to give beginners one advice, it would be... to

work hard and feed your confidence everyday and when the moment comes, make it happen. Everything is possible.

ISAQUE BAHIENSE

BY THE NUMBERS UAEJJF WORLD RANK From a boy that had no means to even buy a gi to train to a black belt champion. Isaque Bahiense’s Jiu-Jitsu career started like many others for kids in his home country of Brazil.

The beginnings had no shortage of difficulties to keep the dream alive. He fought through all the hardships to join the sport’s elite in the international stage. Still in his early twenties, Isaque already won a lot, but he wants to keep his trajectory to a even more glorious future on the mats.

Lineage Mitsuyo Maeda - Carlos Gracie - Helio Gracie - Rolls Gracie - Romero Cavalcanti Fábio Gurgel - Isaque Bahiense

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2017-2018

Updated on March 2018

In the WOLRD: #5 In South America: #4 In Brazil: #4

RECORD

18 WINS

12 by points 6 by submission

MEDALS

1 LOSS

1 by decision

Gold: 5 Silver: 1 Bronze: 0

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PROFILE

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AMAL AMJAHID

“My sporting career is essential but it does matter to me if it’s not useful to others young people.”

AMAL AMJAHID Words: Ane Nunes | Images: Ivan Trindade, Personal Archives

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AMAL AMJAHID BY NUMBERS:

AMAL BY AMAL… UAEJJF WORLD RANK 2017-2018

Lifestyle for me is… A healthy body in a healthy mind. I find it important to help people who need it. Try with the little we have to make the world better. I assume that I have received knowledge and that I must return it. Since I lead life under this philosophy, I don’t fight for me anymore but I also fight for all the people that I will be able to help. All those young people of my neighborhood which I can give hope and that I will be able to inspire.

Updated on March 2018

In the WOLRD: #7 In EUROPE: #1 In Belgium: #1

MEDALS

RECORD

Gold: 2 Silver: 0 Bronze: 1

8 WINS

6 by submission 1 by decision 1 by walkover 1 LOSS

1 by decision

About my diet… I don’t have a particular diet, but I avoid as much as I can industrial foods. My dishes are nutritionally balanced by a lot of vegetables. Half of my plate is covered by vegetables, a quarter by starch and the last quarter by meat or fish.

To compete I set my game... for having a good Dela Riva guard and for having a good guard pass. One of my specialties is the balloon sweep from the Dela Riva.

An event that I loved to compete with was... without hesitation, the biggest event I participated in was the 2018 Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship. This is the championship that brings together the best fighters from around the world. It’s an impressive event because of its organization and its size. I also intend to participate in all major slams for the coming season. I like to fight.

It is always very good when I have to fight with… for me it’s not the adversary who counts, but the way she expresses herself in the fight forcing me to have to surpass myself and creating a new challenge. The higher is the level of my opponent the more I enjoy the fight..

Amal Amjahid, 22 years old, is a Belgian athlete who had great performance on the 2017-2018 season, reaching 720 points in the Female Brown/ Black Adult 55kg division. Champion of the 55kg division at the 2018 ADWPJJC, the young Amal has a long time history of competitions, an environment she knows since she was 7 years old.

“Two months after my first Jiu-Jitsu class I was competing. I had fought in the female and male categories and I liked the challenge. That’s why I always try to fight in Open Class divisions.”

Amal’s history is an inspiration for other kids.

Nobody doubts that little girl at school has become a champion in life. “I was the smallest in my class at school and my classmates laughed at me. I had to defend myself all the time and I’ve fought a lot during the breaks. So teachers advised my mother to register me in a martial art school. I tried Karate, Judo, Tae Kwon Do and Boxing, but there were only boys bigger and stronger than me. When I tried Jiu-Jitsu I immediately liked it. It was exactly what I was looking for: a martial art in which I’m able to face the strongest despite my small size.”

Lineage Mitsuyo Maeda – Carlos Gracie – Helio Gracie – Flavio Behring – Patrick Chaput – Derebey Sebahatin – Khalid Houry – Amal Amhahid

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I don’t have a specific opponent I want to fight… for me it’s not the adversary who counts, but the way she expresses herself in the fight forcing me to have to surpass myself and creating a new challenge. The higher is the level of my opponent the more I enjoy the fight.

I would love to fight with… Bruno Malfacine. I like his way of fighting, his fluidity, his agility and his lightness in the fight. He has great technique and fights well with instinct.

I learned from my Master… I only had one Professor, Khalid Houry. He helped me to be the person that I’m as well on the sporting level, intellectual as in my social engagement. My coach always says before I fight: “We’re on earth in order to accomplish great things. Give the best you have inside you, the stronger and don’t keep anything for yourself.”

When I’m not rolling… outside of training, I study a Bachelor in Education.

I’m also responsible for an association that does education sport (CENS Academy). I like helping young people and sharing my knowledge. We organize not only Jiu-Jitsu classes but also different activities such as Scouting, School Remediation, Psychometric and English classes.

Off the mat my great partner is... my family and a team that helps me and contributes to my evolution. My stepfather and coach Khalid Houry, who trains and follows me all over the world. I also have classmates who support me and help me in my studies.

In 10 years I want… to continue to be a top athlete in the hope that Jiu-Jitsu will be recognized at the Olympic sport and be able to participate in the Games.

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DID YOU KNOW?

The Origin of the Gi

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Words: Ivan Trindade | Images: Ane Nunes

Much of the common look of the modern martial art uniform was introduced by the founder of judo Jigoro Kano. A well-regarded teacher and polymath in his home country of Japan, Jigoro created judo from his study of Jiu-Jitsu in the late 1800s and he is credited with coming up with the original design for the GI around the turn of the 20th century. It is recognized as the first modern martial arts training uniform. Over the years, the sleeves and pants have been lengthened, the material and fit have changed, the traditional unbleached cotton is now a bleached white, and gis in many different colors have become available. Nevertheless, the uniform is still very close to what was used 100 years ago.

The three parts of a Gi are a very heavy jacket

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(uwagi), lighter canvas pants (shitabaki), and a cotton belt (obi). Though similar to the shorter styles of kimono, an uwagi will invariably be made from heavyweight cotton or cotton blend. All but the cheapest and lightest uwagi are cut from woven cotton, similar to, but much more tightly woven than, terrycloth. More expensive competition and hand-made gis will often weigh several kilograms when finished. The material needs to be breathable and very resistant to withstand the hardship of the activity.

The Jiu-Jitsu gi is similar to the judogi with a few slight differences. Jiu-Jitsu regulations allow for tighter cuffs on the pants and jacket, and the skirt (section of the gi beneath the belt) is shorter. This allows the practitioner to benefit from a closer fit, providing less material for an opponent to manipulate. Team, sponsor, and manufacturer’s patches are often more prominently displayed on a Jiu-Jitsu gi than would be allowed in judo.

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UAE NEWS & OPINION

The Final Countdown TO THE ASIAN GAMES BEGINS As we reflect back on a historic 2018 ADWPJJC, we look forward to another history-making event as Jiu-Jitsu makes its way to the 2nd Biggest Multi-Sport Event after the Olympics, the Asian Games As we end the UAEJJF 2017-2018 season with a historic and newsworthy event, the 10th annual Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, we focus our attention on the goal that was set in motion 4 years ago: The Olympic Council of Asia’s monumental Asian Games, which will be held in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia, this August.

The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a continental multisport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and described as the second largest multisport event after the Olympic Games.

Come to think of it, Jiu-Jitsu practitioners all over the UAE, especially Emirati players in contention for a place on the National Team that will represent the UAE at the Games, won’t feel very much that the season has really ended! Instead, it will seem more like a continuation of a season that saw many historic achievements when it came to the UAEJJF – mainly at the International and Continental level.

Before we start talking about what’s in store in the next couple of months, let me share my thoughts on the historic 10th installment of the ADWPJJC. I am proud to say that I have been a part of this event since the beginning, and I get goosebumps reflecting on how it started and what it has become today. Without question, the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship has become a marketable event while transforming into an elite brand both in the UAE and the world.

What stood out for me the most in this edition were the nonBrazilian winners in both the male and female black belt divisions, Norway’s Espen Mathiesen and Belgium’s Amal Amjahid. This is a big moment in the UAEJJF’s history, which started in 2015 when American Gianni Grippo broke the Brazilian streak with the 1st non-Brazilian gold medal in the Adult Black Belt Division, followed by 2 more non-Brazilian golds in 2017 courtesy of another 1st-place finish by Gianni Grippo and fellow American Mikey Musumeci. It is a pivotal moment in Global Jiu-Jitsu and its appeal to people all over the world, especially people critical of its level

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Mohammed Al Hosani Jiu-Jitsu Analyst/Commentator

playing field at the top level of the sport. If anything, this was a proud moment for European Jiu-Jitsu, which is rapidly rising as a force to be reckoned with in the Jiu-Jitsu world as seen throughout the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu circuit. Of course, I have nothing against Brazilian players - who are still the best in the sport today; yet, more work will need to be done to dethrone the top champions of Brazil in the years to come.

I would also like to give credit to the UAEJJF’s brave initiative when it comes to revolutionizing the format with the qualifying system.

In the opinion of experts, the UAE format is comparable to a true “World Cup.” With time, it is inevitable that the UAE’s version of the World Championship will evolve and grow.

Now, looking forward to the Asian Games and who will be part of the UAE National Team in a couple of months, it seems that Faisal Al Ketbi is the only guarantee. All places are up for grabs; and to be honest, the competition between the local players is very tight. I’m sure the training sessions at the Mubadala Arena are on fire as we speak!

There will be a few sacrifices made on behalf of the players when it comes to altering their weights for the event to make way for a stronger bet at a particular weight class and Head Coach Ramon Lemos and his team must also sacrifice when it comes to the final selection for the squad that will represent the UAE in arguably the most important tournament in the history of Jiu-Jitsu as a whole.

Jiu-Jitsu is easily one of the most popular sports in the UAE, with the nation also becoming pioneers across the globe in both promoting the sport and hosting prestigious tournaments. UAEJJF CEO, Fahad Al Shamsi, has previously announced that 26 countries are expected to be competing at the Asian Games in Jiu-Jitsu: a figure that is impressive for a discipline making its debut at the Games.

The UAEJJF’s 2018-2019 season will begin shortly as the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Tour takes its annual stop in Tokyo, Japan, for the 1st of its Abu Dhabi Grand Slam events. The work to professionalize our sport does not take breaks, and the months ahead will be critical to the growth of Jiu-Jitsu both in Asia and the rest of the World. Let the Games begin!!

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Words: Ivan Trindade | Images: UAEJJF

2018 ADWPJJC champions welcomeD by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, welcomed the 2018 ADWPJJC champions. The event had the presence of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Nahyan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh

Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Khalid Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed praised the achievements of UAE nationals and congratulated them on the excellence on the mats.

“With your will and firm determination, you will achieve excellence, which leads you to the podium and establish a glorious history of UAE sport on the global competitive track.”

UAE talent highlighted at the 2018 Abu Dhabi Award The 2018 ADWPJJC ended with the prestigious Abu Dhabi Award ceremony at the Emirates Palace, on April 29. Awards were handed out to best Emirati competitors across different belt divisions, with Faisal Al Ketbi being recognized as best Emirati black belt adult of the year and Zayed Obaid Al Kaabi taking the award for best Emirati brown belt player of the year. In the purple belt categories, Hamdan Ahmed Al Blooshi took best Emirati male player of the year and Maha Al Hinaai was named best Emirati female player of the year. For blue belts, Mohammed Al Amri was named best Emirati blue belt male player of the year and Ashwaq Al Khoori took best Emirati blue belt female player of the year. Khalifa Humaid Al Kaabi took the award for best Emirati blue belt youth male player, and Mahra Al Hinaai secured her place as best Emirati blue belt youth female player.

Zayed Sports Tournament Dubai, UAE May 25-26, 2018

In celebration of both the Year of Zayed and the Holy Month of Ramadan, the Zayed Sports Tournament was held in Dubai from May 17th to June 3rd. The event feature competitions in many sports including Jiu-Jitsu. On May 25-26, hundreds of athletes came together to compete in two days of thrilling matches. In the black belt division, champions were: 75kg Adult – Adriano Araujo; 108kg Adult – Matheus Romero; 75kg Master 1 – Leandro da Silva; 83kg Master 1 – William Nozari; 92kg Master 1 – Flavio Serafin; 108kg Master 1 – Judu Lemos.

In the teams competition, results were: 1st – Al Nasr Jiu-Jitsu Academy 225pts; 2nd – Team Nogueira Dubai 186pts; 3rd – Al Wahda Jiu-Jitsu Academy 181pts. Scan here for the complete results.

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JJAU/JJIF NEWS

Jiu-Jitsu Community Gets Ready for the 2018 Asian Championship The Ju-Jitsu Asian Union and the Ju-Jitsu International Federation are getting ready to welcome athletes from all over the continent for the 2018 Asian Championship. The event is scheduled July 11-16, in Aktau, Kazakhstan. The 2018 Asian Championship will feature competitions in five different styles of Jiu-Jitsu: Ne Waza, Duo, Fighting, Show and Contact Jiu-Jitsu. The JJAU and the JJIF hope for the 2018 Asian Championship to be the perfect warmup event for the Jiu-Jitsu competitions at the historic 2018 Asian Games, scheduled August 18 to September 2, in Jakarta and Palembang.

Beach Jiu-Jitsu on the move Iran held the first national Beach Jiu-Jitsu competition in the discipline of Jiu-Jitsu with the participation of more than 100 athletes. This contest was held in two consecutive days. Physical education officials and military and civil authorities were presented in this event. The medalists were invited to the second edition of the competition, to be held in Kish island in 6 months.

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1st Budapest Open a success in Hungary On April 7, the 1st Budapest Open was organized by the Hungarian JuJitsu Federation with the Ju-Jitsu International Federation. The event gathered 561 participants of 12 countries. The fights where distributed in 6 mats. There where fights in fighting system, Ne Waza, Duo traditional and NoGi. The European JuJitsu community should be proud with this new Jiu-Jitsu event. The event board would like to thank all volunteers, referees and of course the coaches and athletes for their dedication and participation.

Seminar in Turkey to strengthen Jiu-Jitsu in the country A strong international participation at a Jiu-Jitsu seminar in Turkey were the results of the efforts of a new leadership in Turkey to bring Jiu-Jitsu up to among the top sports in the nation. The seminar was held in Antalya’s Alanya district dated on March 30 and April 1st. The program included training and competition rules with new changes and basics for the coaches. Turkey Chairman Yasar Yurdakul said that “The aim of the seminar was the preparation for the international referee exam in the future and the possibility of hosting a Beach World Tournament. Brazilian black belt Lucas Figueiredo conducted the technical part of the seminar which was attended by 75 coaches, referees and athletes.

Holland hosts the Dutch Open and Europa Cup on March 24-25 On March 24-25, in Amersfoort, the Netherlands hosted the first Europa Cup under 15 in combination with the Dutch Open for U18, U21 and Seniors. More then 400 participants out of 13 countries had a great weekend with a lot of Jiu-Jitsu fun. During these two events JJEU board and Referee committee started a trial with Care System. Athletes, coaches, audience and of course the referees where very pleased by the system and the setup of one referee on the mat and two behind a video laptop.

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LIFESTYLE TIPS

Yoga and roll The benefits of this ancient physical activity for Jiu-Jitsu practitioners What is the ultimate goal in Jiu-Jitsu? For a majority of us, it is to do Jiu-Jitsu for as long as possible. Jiu-Jitsu might not be as taxing on the body as some other martial arts, but training hard for long periods of time will take an expensive toll on your body. This is where yoga

can help the most. It will both help you recover faster from the effects hard training has on your body and prevent injuries by keeping you mobile and flexible. To experience the benefits yourself, here are five poses you can start doing after your next training.

Triangle stretch to the wall (sleeping pigeon) You can do this one against a wall for some additional support or without the wall as seen in the image. Get close to the wall, and place your ankle above your knee. Let the weight of the butt stretch the outside of your hips. The foot on the wall makes this very relaxing for the back and arms. If you have bad knees, move the foot even further out to the side to avoid tension in the outer meniscus.

This is the best outer hip stretch you can do, you’ll see why when you do it after training (especially if you’ve been hitting many triangles).

Hamstring stretch with a belt Lay flat on your back and bend one knee (foot on the floor). Loop your belt over the top of the other foot. Keep your arms completely straight, and let the weight of the arms and shoulders pull on your hamstrings. Stay on one leg for a minimum of 2 minutes. Poses like this one will stretch your hamstring muscles. Good hamstrings flexibility is essential for your guard defense, inverting, spider guard to name just a few.

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Happy baby pose Start by lying flat on your back and grabbing the outside of your feet or your thighs - if this is too intense, grab your pants. Stay here for 5-15 breaths and look to avoid any pain or discomfort!

If your back hurts here, use a bolster or pillow under your lower back, and then grab your inner thighs. The pose will open and stretch your inner thighs and groin area - which will in effect help you improve your open guard game.

Side stretch Most martial artists, and especially Jiu-Jitsu practitioners get their back pain from explosive moves or heavy pressure. This is good news, because then we can avoid symptomatic pain when we side stretch! When you stretch the lats, obliques and intercostals (spareribs), you release tension in your whole upper body. This makes it easier to breathe and move. When you then stretch in backbends and forward folds, there is less resistance in the muscles and fascia around your torso.

Child’s pose Start by kneeling (you can place a pillow under your knees if this is too intense) and keep your knees at least hip width apart. Bring your chest down to the floor, straighten your arms in front of you, spread your fingers and get your butt as close to your heels as you can. You stretch your lower back when you inhale deeply, and you relax when you breathe out. This will give your lower back a much needed release after training.

Sebastian Brosche is a Jiu-Jitsu black belt with appearances in all of the sport’s most important events, always achieving relevant results. He started doing yoga in 2000, as a way to heal chronic pain and mobility problems in his lower back. He has developed series of exercises directed specially for Jiu-Jitsu practitioners, named Yoga for BJJ. Know more about Sebastian at yogaforbjj.net.

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Travel and Roll

Tokyo for beginners

Enjoy the best of the Japanese capital city as you compete at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Words: Ivan Trindade | Images: Ane Nunes

What to Eat Japanese cuisine has taken over the world, mainly through sushi restaurants that offer its clients dishes more or less inspired in what you’ll find in the mainland.

Once in Tokyo, you’ll have the opportunity to sample what the locals are actually eating. Here are three great options that carry the Japanese seal of authenticity.

Ramen Noodles Sushi Again, Sushi in Japan is very different from what you’ll find in restaurants all over the world. Forget about the rolls with tons of different ingredients piled on top of each other. Sushi in Japan usually consists of vinegar rice, fish and (maybe) one kind of vegetable. The tradition states that the main ingredient is the rice and not the fish. Find one of the cities sushi houses and take your time for a culinary experience you’ll never forget.

Nothing could be farther from those 3-minute noodles you find in your local grocery store than the ramen you’ll find in Tokyo. Imagine a very rich broth made from vegetables, pork, chicken and much more. That’s the base for handmade noodles and pork belly with several other ingredients, including eggs, fish cakes and others. Tokyo Station, in the heart of the city is one great destination for those looking for Ramen houses. Just follow the smell of delicious food.

Tempura The Japanese is known for turning simple things into forms of art.

Tempura is a great example of that. The Portuguese introduced deep frying to Japan in the 16th century and since then Tempura became one of the country’s trademark cooking methods. Almost anything can be dip into the batter and flakes and fried. Find a good Tendon House to taste the tempura over a bowl of rice. You’ll not regret it.

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Where to Go

Tokyo is one of the largest, most populated cities in the world. It embodies both Japan’s centuries old traditions and also the country’s hunger for experience future today. There are so many options of places to visit that you don’t even have to worry about seeing everything in one sitting. Take your time and enjoy the trip.

Tsukiji Fish Market

If you want to understand Japan’s relationship with the ocean, you need to wake up really early and pay a visit to Tokyo’s most famous market, the largest in the world. The highlight of the visit is the tuna auction, daily at 5AM. Even if you cannot be there this early, you’ll be able to experience and sample the immense variety of things the Japanese extract from the sea. It also has some crazy good restaurants at the outer market. You should spend at least half a day there.

Kodokan Judo Institute

No Jiu-Jitsu practitioner can go to Tokyo and not pay a visit to this holy grounds of martial arts. Founded in 1882 by Jigoro Kano, the world famous judo school is now a eight-story building in Tokyo. Mitsuo Maeda, considered to be the founding father of our sport, was once a student at Kodokan. It’s possible to visit the school and even attend classes as a visiting student.

Meiji Shrine Senso-Ji shrine is more crowded as it is much easier to get to, but Meiji Shrine is well worth the extra effort. Located in the heart of Yoyogi Park, a true oasis in the middle of the city, the Shinto shrine is one of Japan’s most beautiful locations. If you go during the weekend, there is a great chance you’ll witness a traditional Japanese wedding ceremony. Take a stroll and immerse yourself in tradition and spirituality.

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What to do

You could spend an entire year in Tokyo and you still wouldn’t touch the surface of the amount of activities offered by this immense metropolis. So, don’t worry about doing everything and just focus on what you can do while you are there. Enjoy!

Mario Kart Tours How about dressing up as your favorite video game character and driving around town in a go-kart?

In Tokyo, you can absolutely do that. There are several companies offering the service for tourists. It’s certainly a very different way to experience the city. Try the night time tour, as Tokyo really lights up when the sun goes down.

Sumo Training Session You can’t fully understand the intensity of this sport unless you are up close and personal at a sumo wrestling practice to witness the panting, grunting and dripping sweat. The practices are not attractions created for tourists, they are serious and you need to show respect while you are there.

Though there are several other stables to visit, at Hakkaku Sumo Stable you can spend the morning watching an intense Sumo wrestlers practice.

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Karaoke The Japanese are crazy for a singing machine.

There are literally thousands of places all throughout the city that offer karaoke to its patrons. Join the fun and test your skills with a microphone. Karaoke Kan was made famous

by Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansonn on Lost in Translation, but there are many others. Just get in and sing out loud.

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