Walter Cascão vs Luciano Oliveira. Photo: Ivan Trindade
After suffering a serious injury, Walter “Cascao” of GMA Cascao Jiu-Jitsu entered the competition mats of the 2014 IBJJF Las Vegas Spring Open and took home gold. The third degree black belt fought in the black belt master 2 super-heavyweight division and defeated two opponents for gold.
We asked Cascao how it felt to get onto the mats after such an injury and what it means to take gold on his home turf:
GRACIEMAG: What obstacles did you have to overcome in order to compete at the Vegas Open?
WALTER CASCAO: At the end of January I suffered a bad injury on my spleen that caused a lot of pain and I had to pull out of Pans. For three months I couldn’t train. I was only teaching and trying to recover as fast as possible so I would be able to compete at Vegas Open. Two weeks before the tournament I got back to train what made me feel alive again and gave me all motivation to compete and pursue the top of the podium.
Which was your toughest match?
My first match against Tyler Scott was the hardest one. He came with a solid game and good defense techniques.
How rewarding is it to get back to competition and be on the top of the podium?
Las Vegas is my home. It is where I live and teach Jiu-Jitsu every day. Being able to win gold here is very rewarding and an inspiration to my students. Seeing how proud they are of their professor makes me want to go further always.
Follow more of Walter Cascao and the Cascao Jiu-Jitsu Academy of Las Vegas, NV here: www.facebook.com/cascaojiujitsu
Check out this video of his matches:
