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clayton heights cloverdale langley
Thursday, January 22, 2015
B01
A weekly section that connects Cloverdale, Clayton Heights and Langley. Email story ideas to edit@thenownewspaper.com
Martial arts
Langley’s world champion devotes his life to jiu-jitsu, family Discipline and self control are key to being an effective practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Bibiano Fernandes would know; he’s a virtuoso of the popular martial art. Troy Landreville
Langley Advance Twitter @LangleyAdvance
LANGLEY — Bundled in a black toque and jacket, Bibiano Fernandes sat crosslegged on a couch inside a chilly Marcus Soares BJJ Academy on a biting cold Sunday afternoon. The 34-year-old Langley resident and five-time world Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) champion waxed about his young family, which includes wife Amanda and children Eljah, nine, Gabriel, four, and two-year-old Lucas, and his sport, which has given as much to him as he’s given to it. When Fernandes landed on Canadian soil a decade ago, he couldn’t speak a word of English. “I was born in Brazil, I have my friends there, but I live in Canada, and feel very connected to the people who live here,” said Fernandes, whose native tongue is Portuguese. “I feel that maybe in another life, I was born here.” Fernandes has developed close bonds in Canada, including one with mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and personal trainer Tyler Jackson, who considers his friend to be a world class athlete, calling him “very likely one of the three best martial artists in the world at his weight class.” “His work ethic is amazing,” Jackson said, regarding Fernandes. “When I first met him, he was already a five-time world champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but had little to no experience in wrestling or kickboxing.” Jackson added that instead of relying on BJJ, which he was already adept at, Fernandes “worked his tail off to become as good as he could in the other aspects of MMA, and is now recognized as an extremely well-rounded see FERNANDES › page B3
ONE FC bantamweight belt holder Bibiano Fernandes, a Langley resident, is a five-time world jiu-jitsu champion. (Photo: TROY LANDREVILLE)