Right after earning his black belt two years ago, Brasa athlete Ivan Sasquatch went through a serious ordeal. The student at Demian Maia’s academy suffered a serious eye problem that left his right eye completely blind and his left eye with only 40% vision.
If you think that would get him to give up, you’d be wrong. Ivan stayed out of training for a year and was advised to stop competing, but his love for Jiu-Jitsu inspired a miracle.
Ivan returned to training, and in September 2010 he took bronze at at the São Paulo Open tournament, competing in the ultraheavyweight division. This year, he was back even better, winning the event.
Before the ocular problem, Ivan Sasquatch, who now has an eight-month-old daughter, won numerous titles at São Paulo tournaments. Now, Ivan is seeking exposure for his achievements, so he can carry on competing and, mainly, to be able to help people who have been through similar trials and want to overcome them. Count on us, Ivan!