Daniel Beleza atop the podium at the 2012 Boston Open / Personal archive photo
The inaugural Master & Senior World Championship is set to go down October 7 at California’s Long Beach Pyramid, and Jiu-Jitsu’s toughest veterans are already gearing up to see action at the IBJJF-promoted tournament.
Names like Carlos Holanda, Alexandre “Gigi” Paiva, Rodrigo Munduruca, Bernardo Pitel, Daniel Beleza and Cassio Werneck are all set to take to the mats in combat.
“I haven’t done anything special, just plain old training. Competing over there won’t be some grueling ordeal; it’ll be a pleasure,” says Carlos “Esquisito” Holanda. “Of course, I know I’m going to run into old rivals. But I’ve tested myself in the division on two occasions, and I won. To make the most of the two months I’ll be in the States, in November I’ll compete at the No-Gi Worlds, an event I’ll be taking part in for the fourth time in a row.”
Now Daniel Beleza, who recently won the Boston Open light featherweight adult division for the second time, is doing his final preparations for both competitions. “I’ll likely compete at the Master Worlds and then head to New York for the Abu Dhabi WPJJC Trials. My training’s been going off; I’ve been really honing my bottom game,” said the Francisco “Sazinho” Sá student.
To prove just how slick his guard has gotten, Daniel Beleza sent GRACIEMAG.com the following exclusive video of a triangle from closed guard.
The black belt shows just how much of a chess game Jiu-Jitsu is. Should the opponent posture out of the triangle, Daniel goes for the omoplata, a move covered in extensive detail in GRACIEMAG #186, now at a bookstore near you.
To secure your spot among the toughest “old guard” on the planet, click here. The sign-up deadline is September 29, so register while you can.
