Henrique Carepa celebrates expansion of the federation on the North American scene.
The expansion of the AJP Tour as a Jiu-Jitsu organization has demonstrated increasing development, promoting Jiu-Jitsu championships around the world, valuing athletes by rewarding them with cash prizes. A part of the organization operating in the United States, AJP USA follows the same methods as the parent company, promoting and encouraging Jiu-Jitsu competition in North American territory. In an interview with VF Comunica, Henrique Carepa, head organizer of AJP USA, talked about the organization’s work in the country.
The United States has established itself as a powerhouse in terms of sporting opportunities, no wonder many Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes dream of living legally in the country to train and compete. According to Henrique, AJP USA differentiates itself by offering competitions that value quality, amidst the huge offer of tournaments in the country. Careful refereeing, athletes’ comfort during the competition and adherence to the schedule are evident qualities in AJP events.
“Here in the United States, if you are an active competitor, you can fight every weekend by driving a few hours from home. There are many organizations offering Gi and No Gi championships, with different rules, but many of them are not committed to quality and, consequently, continuity. AJP has been on the market for many years and is certainly the organization with events in most countries in the world. There is no other international Jiu-Jitsu organization as active as AJP in territories such as South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.”, he highlights.
Henrique Carepa is a professor at Gracie Barra Charleston, a black-belt aware of the huge potential that Jiu-Jitsu has in the country where he lives. Active in the competitive environment since the end of the 90s, he is a key player at AJP in defining strategies and developing the fastest growing federation internationally.
“I have been involved in Jiu-Jitsu competitions since 1999, whether competing or helping to organize events. In 2010, organizing championships and promoting Jiu-Jitsu became my profession. I was able to closely follow the improvement of competitive Jiu-Jitsu. It is already known to everyone that AJP is mainly focused on valuing athletes and seeking to enable them to have a professional career”, he states.
The North American edition of the Grand Slam is scheduled for September this year in Dallas, at the Curtis Culwell Center, a modern arena capable of holding an event of the magnitude of a Grand Slam. According to Henrique Carepa, AJP events will be more frequent in the United States throughout the season, given the potential of this territory.
“I would venture to say that there are more people practicing Jiu-Jitsu in the United States than in Brazil, certainly competing. The United States has the largest sports industry and Jiu-Jitsu is very popular around the world, but here is the residence of most of the world’s top Jiu-Jitsu athletes, who seek high-performance training and the main stages to develop their careers. AJP could not ignore this public. Therefore, we will hold events throughout the year in the United States.”, he anticipates, projecting another year of excellence for the federation.
