Hannette sinks flying armbar at 2011 Worlds. GRACIEMAG archive photo
First some bad news and then some good, to compensate.
The bad: Jiu-Jitsu fans won’t get to learn from Hannette Staack at the 2012 World Championship this weekend at the Long Beach Pyramid.
The good is that the injury isn’t too serious; plus, anyone interested will still get to learn from our GMA, just right after the championship.
But we’ll leave it to the seven-time world champ from Brazil 021 team to tell.
“I’m really going to have to sit out this Jiu-Jitsu World Championship, the sport’s biggest event of all. I got injured the week after the Pan when warming up in class, but even so I thought I’d be able to make it to the Worlds.
“I started doing physiotherapy immediately, worked on strengthening the muscle, and I kept doing light training, but even though I was feeling strong and no pain, I decided not to take part in the event.
“These days the Worlds has become more than just fun to me. I love competing, but nowadays Jiu-Jitsu is my job, and I have to be at 100% to do my job. To me competing is much more than work, to tell you the truth; it’s my lifestyle. Knowing how everyone at the competition is going to be in tip-top shape, I can’t risk going in there at 80%.
“I have to play it smart to continue competing and winning in the adult division like I’ve been doing at 33 years of age. I want to be able to practice Jiu-Jitsu forever.
That’s why I won’t be doing this Worlds, to be able to come back even stronger and more determined for the next ones. I’ll be at the Worlds as a coach, egging on my students and watching the competition.
“I beg forgiveness of my fans and the people who like what I do, for having to pull out of the event. However, anyone who wants to learn and add something to their Jiu-Jitsu can come to the seminar I’ll be teaching at Caio Terra’s academy the weekend following the Worlds. I’ll share my competition experience and some of the techniques that won me seven Jiu-Jitsu world titles as a black belt,” said Hannette in closing.
To find out more about the seminar shoot an email to contact@brazil021.com.
