Marcinho shared the podium with his teammate Luan Carvalho. Mike Calimbas
A Brazilian teacher based in Abu Dhabi, Marcio André nabbed the first gold of the IBJJF’s 2017 circuit as he won at the 2017 European Championship, which concluded last weekend in Odivelas, Portugal.
He won three fights before closing out the division with his Nova União teammate Luan Carvalho.
Following the triumph, Marcio analyzed his campaign and detailed the unexpected triangle used on Andris Brunovskis (Atos) in a semifinal.
I have great confidence when my opponent stacks me, so I just waited for the right moment to get my hand in his collar. After I adjusted my hand, I just closed the triangle and was able to finish. I put the hand in to increase the pressure on my opponent’s neck. It was a very good campaign, but I need to work on my upcoming events. I erred in some things that knocked me out of the absolute. If you err before the fight or during the fight, you pay a big price for it. I’ll soon resume my training normally. I’m hungry for titles.
On his higher submission frequency than usual, he said:
I’ve been setting time aside to practice submissions, and my wife Brenda Heller has been helping me plenty. Now I’m able to let my game loose, and the submissions are coming naturally.
[Based on a press release.]
