President of SJJIF, João Silva, presents another great Jiu-Jitsu event for you.
The SJJIF’s idea of bringing the Worlds to Brazil this year is really cool, an event that will take place on the 11th and 12th of November, in Rio de Janeiro. How did this idea come about and what benefits does it offer to the Jiu-Jitsu community?
JOÃO SILVA: Our event has athletes from all over the world and has had, in one of its biggest editions, representatives from more than 60 countries. However, several participants have not been able to participate due to a visa to the United States, which for many is unfeasible. For a long time, at the SJJIF assembly, there had been talk about the option of expanding SJJIF events and having the SJJIF World Cup on a traveling basis, giving the entire Jiu-Jitsu community the opportunity to participate in the event and compete for the world title.
I believe that the decision to bring this edition of the event to Brazil is something to be celebrated not only because it is the tenth edition, but because once again we are innovating and promoting the SJJIF values of integration, fair play, respect and Brazilian culture through Jiu-Jitsu.
I believe that all Brazilian competitors should make the most of this unique opportunity to compete for the SJJIF world title in Brazil, especially for competitors thinking about making a living from Jiu-Jitsu abroad in the future, as an SJJIF world title on an immigration card It could be the difference in getting a work visa approved.
In addition to the country that will host the big event, what are the other news about SJJIF Worlds 2023?
This is a huge opportunity to acculturate to where sport Jiu-Jitsu was founded and to get to know everything that Rio de Janeiro has to offer, such as tourism, training, competition and much more. For athletes who have never competed in an SJJIF event, I think this is a unique opportunity to be part of history, being the tenth edition, the first time in Brazil and with cash prizes, a huge medal, belt, ring, trophy and, the most important, the world title. This year we will have belts in different divisions, something unprecedented.
This is the tenth edition of the show, a huge milestone for SJJIF. What are the most memorable moments in this journey? And what are the main lessons you learned from these 10 editions?
From the beginning we have worked hard to bring something better to our community. Being an event that promotes inclusion through “Jiu-Jitsu for all”, having in one event not only athletes from all over the world competing for the traditional divisions but also Parajiu-jitsu, Deaf Jiu-Jitsu and Jiu-Jitsu Special, giving everyone in the Jiu-Jitsu community the opportunity to compete for their world title. Regardless of age or whether they are elite or amateur, the event has several divisions giving everyone the opportunity to participate.
We have gone through several memorable moments, either through exceptional fights by great gentle art athletes or with moments through adapted fights, which are always inspiring for everyone and a magical moment in our events. The biggest lesson I believe is the fact that we can always improve and how in Jiu-Jitsu victory is always rewarding, but it is through defeat that learning is most intense. The important thing is to do your best and do everything with love, passion, respect and not being afraid to try something new.
And the future? What level will the SJJIF Worlds be at in ten editions? What are the main challenges and objectives ahead?
I believe that in the next ten events a lot will change. This tenth edition is already a milestone that will open this new journey where the World Cup will travel every year from country to country, promoting not only the federation but the sport itself. Something that we are very excited to see, as we believe that in the coming years we will see a much greater growth in competitors.
Who are the players who have most impressed you in this long history of the SJJIF Worlds and which players will stand out in this 2023 edition?
In these ten years we have seen many champions and we have seen several fights. Children like the Ruotolo brothers who already won the world championship in all the children’s categories. We saw super exciting black belt fights, such as Tayane Porfírio, Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa, Keenan Cornelios, Kaynan Duarte, Jonnatas Gracie, Luiza Monteiro, Otávio Sousa, Renan Vital, Nathiely De Jesus, Dany Gerard, Kendall Reusing, Ronaldo Júnior, Kennedy Maciel and much more.
Well, to tell you the truth, I’ve never been good at guessing who would win past editions, so I’m not even going to try in 2023, but I’m very excited to see the champions of this tenth edition.
