A World Championship is the sum of thousands of images and sounds. Over four days of the dispute in the California State University Long Beach Pyramid, GRACIE Magazine's cameras and the eyes and ears of the team reporting targeted countless characters, each of them making up a second in the story of the greatest Jiu-Jitsu championship of all times.
Over 50 thousand photos were taken, the notes for the report took up more than 40 notebook pages - with results, quotes, detail, interviews, names of athletes and everything imaginable to readers.
If to many the Worlds ends Sunday night, right after the awards for the absolute black belt category are presented, for GRACIEMAG this moment represents merely the half-way mark. From there on come days of redaction, editing of photos and texts, writing up subtitles, diagramming, revision, printing and distribution. The magazine to reach news stands is the result of the collective effort of the team over approximately one month of work. It is, as well, the most important issue of the year.
In GRACIEMAG 136 you will encounter all the euphoria surrounding two-time absolute champion Xande Ribeiro and the frustration of Roger Gracie.You will see the deciding match between two monsters nearly frame by frame, in an impeccable piece of photographic work by Alicia Anthony and Luca Atalla. You will also discover how the absolute was not just between Xande and Roger. Andre Galvao was a hard nut to crack. And Gabriel Vella, did he tap or not in the semifinal against Xande? And there was even Cobrinha giving Rafael Lovato a hard time - a fighter 30 kilos his heavier.
Following the trail of emotions, GRACIEMAG brings you the tears of joy of Braga Neto, now black belt world champion; Roger's fifth; Xande's fourth; Cobrinha's third. There is even Mario Reis and Hannette Quadros's outrage at the refereeing. The return of Celsinho, now three-time lightweight champion. And the surprise Serginho Moraes, who submitted Kron on Rickson's son's black belt debut and carried on strong on his way to the middleweight final. At medium heavyweight, Galvao was perfect in submitting everyone on his way to the gold. And he even made the promise that he will keep fighting till he takes the absolute. Can anyone doubt him?
Among the girls, Kyra shone, Ana Laura consolidated her position, Hannette won her fifth world championship and Bianca, Gabrielle and Miriam took gold as well. GRACIEMAG's eyes and ears were also turned to the brown, purple and blue belts. Jiu-Jitsu's stars of the future had moments of greatness. Rodolfo Vieira, for example, won the absolute brown belt division with only one month at his new belt. Brothers Guilherme and Rafael Mendes kept up their routine of shutting out the featherweight category and promise to give Cobrinha a hard time next year. Kayron Gracie breathed a sigh of relief upon winning the world title he's been chasing for so long.
In short, the aim of GRACIEMAG 136 is to take readers to every scenario of the four days in June that made Jiu-Jitsu history. In all modesty, we consider ourselves to have hit the mark.
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