Toronto BJJ helped Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu earn two team trophies at the 2013 IBJJF Toronto Open. Photo: Toronto BJJ

This last Saturday, August 3, GMA Toronto BJJ competed at the 2013 IBJJF Toronto International Open.

Pirâmide de Long Beach, palco do clássico Mundial de Jiu-Jitsu. Foto: Arquivo GRACIEMAG

Fim da temporada 2012, é hora de olhar para onde interessa, o futuro. Quem serão os craques do Jiu-Jitsu que vão aparecer no GRACIEMAG.com em 2013? Destemida e sem medo de pedras, nossa equipe aponta 10 lutadores de Jiu-Jitsu que prometem fazer barulho.

Esquecemos de alguém? Comente a seguir, na seção de comentários dos leitores.

1. Tanner Rice (Alliance)

Tanner Rice, 19 anos, foi promovido a faixa-preta em 2012, por seu professor Rubens “Cobrinha”. Ele também treina e ensina na academia de sua família, em Redding, Califórnia, sem preguiça de encarar as centenas de quilômetros que separam sua casa e a academia de Cobrinha, em Los Angeles. Na atual temporada, Tanner Rice fechou o peso leve no Mundial, como marrom. Mas Rice fez barulho mesmo em dezembro, ao ganhar o IBJJF Long Beach Fall Open, já com a graduação máxima na cintura. A conquista o levou ao IBJJ Pro League, onde derrotou Augusto “Tanquinho”. Nasce mais um monstrinho nos leves? Veremos ao longo de 2013.

2. Victor Genovesi (Alliance)

Faixa-marrom e filho do professor Alexandre “Gigi” Paiva, o carioca Victinho Genovesi vem brilhando faz tempo nas faixas coloridas. Companheiro de treinos de Fernando Tererê no Rio, ele fatalmente será figurinha fácil nos pódios mais uma vez em 2013 – a começar pelo Europeu em Lisboa, em janeiro. Olho nele, e em sua técnica clássica, com menos berimbolo e muita passagem de guarda.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geZQf0r7IlU

3. Edwin Najmi (Gracie Barra)

Menino prodígio da escola de Romulo Barral, o peso-pluma Edwin Najmi vem se mostrando um exímio finalizador. A maioria de suas vitórias da faixa-branca até a roxa foi obtida por meio de arrochados triângulos e chaves de pé. Em 2012, ele venceu o Pan, a seletiva do WPJJC no peso e no absoluto e outros diversos torneios. Olho no faixa-roxa, e se for lutar com ele, proteja-se.

4. Diego Ramalho (Gracie Barra)

Aluno de José Olimpio, o Zé Radiola, Diego Ramalho foi graduado a faixa-roxa recentemente. Na azul, deu alguns sacodes – foi campeão europeu de Jiu-Jitsu peso médio e absoluto, venceu o brasileiro e o sul-americano. Agora, como meio-pesado roxa, vai dar trabalho aqui e lá fora. Quem pode pará-lo?

5. Dante Leon (Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu)

Faixa azul juvenil, Dante tem dois títulos mundiais em sua categoria de idade, três títulos do Pan e outras inúmeras conquistas. As suas vitórias mais notáveis são na categoria adulto; aos 15 anos, Dante já vencia alguns campeonatos entre os homens feitos, por vezes superando oponentes 70kg mais pesados. O atleta peso médio de Saulo Ribeiro completa 18 anos em 2013, e promete brilhar na categoria adulto no Pan e Mundial.

6. Paulo Henrique (Nova União)

Foto: Arquivo Pessoal

O garotão carioca é mais uma das crias do projeto liderado pelo paizão Fábio Andrade, da Nova União de Bangu.

O faixa-azul Paulo Henrique, o popular Paulinho, foi capaz, em seu primeiro ano como adulto, de derrotar a maioria de seus adversários em grandes torneios, como exemplo o Europeu de Jiu-Jitsu e o Brasileiro, em que foi campeão absoluto, e ainda no Mundial e Brasileiro de Equipes.

A joia de Bangu é nome forte para se tornar referência no peso pesadíssimo da equipe Nova União.

7. Nicholas Schultz (Lloyd Irvin)

Medalhista em quase todos os grandes torneios, Nicholas Schultz foi parado somente pelos irmãos Miyao nos últimso dois Mundiais, quando foi medalhista de bronze. Campeão do Pan em 2011, Schultz vem com tudo para ser um dos magrinhos mais respeitados do Jiu-Jitsu em 2013.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58OhsEIkL0Y

8. Brenda Heller (Gracie Humaitá)

Aluna de Alessandro Nunes, a atleta de Itaboraí, no Rio de Janeiro, venceu quase tudo o que disputou em 2012. Depois de garantir o ouro no Brasileiro no juvenil, repetiu o feito no Mundial, vencendo a categoria médio e o absoluto, além do Rio Open.

Brenda Heller, apesar de juvenil, também luta entre as adultas, no peso-pena. Não bastasse todos os títulos, Brenda tem ainda outro ponto positivo: seu irmão, faixa-azul, é jornalista casca-grossa do site GRACIEMAG.com. Não mexa com eles!

9. Janni Larsson (CheckMat)

A dinamarquesa Janni Larsson, promovida a faixa-marrom recentemente, deixou sua marca registrada esse ano após ganhar o Europeu de Jiu-Jitsu no peso e no absoluto e o Mundial.

Ela mora, estuda e treina na Dinamarca, na equipe CheckMat, que revelou Alexander Trans e outros, e passa metade do seu tempo estudando medicina. Janni decidiu passar agora uma temporada treinando no Brasil, e pretende participar de torneios importantes em 2013 – se a medicina deixar.

10. Jacqueline Amorim (Gracie Barra)

A menina é mais um dos talentos que surgem no estado de Manaus, no Amazonas.

Aluna do professor Henrique Machado, que formou Ronaldo Jacaré, Jacqueline conquistou o WPJJC em Abu Dhabi lutando entre as adultas.

Após papar os títulos de campeã brasileira no peso e no absoluto, Rio Open no peso e no absoluto, a atleta peso médio foi merecidamente graduada a faixa-roxa.

Fique de olho nela em Abu Dhabi, e olho no GRACIEMAG.com.

Dante and Saulo Ribeiro (left) / Photos: Deb Blyth

In his featherweight division, Dante had four matches. He won the first three by submission and then lost in the final to Matthew Fox of BJJ Revolution. Having come in second in his division, Dante was none too pleased. “I got armbarred,” he says stoically, explaining how he lost to Matthew, “I made a small mistake and he was good enough to capitalize on it. I will be going back to the gym to make sure I don’t do that again.”

The serious and mature 16-year-old, who would appear many years older than he is if it weren’t for his bright blue eyes and baby face, then signed up for the open class, determined to turn his day around. He had another three matches in the absolute, winning the first on points and submitting his second opponent with a footlock.

Dante (David) and Mike Quintero (Goliath)

In his third and final match, Dante came up against Mike Quintero, an ultra heavyweight from BJJ Revolution. Dante, who is a 5’ 8,” 150-pound juvenile – about 6 inches shorter than his stalwart opponent and somewhere in the range of 70 pounds lighter –, took on his adult opponent with gusto, completely unaffected by Mike’s looming presence.

Dante pulled guard and tried to play his game with the big man. “I looked for an attack,” Dante says, “But he was really strong and really good. I felt like I controlled the pace the whole fight. I feel that way in every fight.” Dante scored some advantages on Mike and won the final, taking home that gold he was so bent on winning on Sunday.

As Dante confidently walked to the podium to receive his gold medal, teammates and fans alike approached the juvenile who appeared like a David slaying Goliath, giving him high fives, knuckle bumps and congratulations on his remarkable feat.

Dante has been training Jiu-Jitsu since he was 12 years old. It’s not easy for him to get to Jiu-Jitsu class. He trains in Detroit, Michigan, so he has to cross the border from Canada to the US every day to get back and forth to and from class. But he  doesn’t care and no one pushes him to do it. Jiu-Jitsu is his passion and he loves it. He’s completely dedicated to the gentle art. “It’s my life,” he says, “I do it because I love it more than anything. I can’t explain it. It’s my complete passion.”

One of the main things he loves about Jiu-Jitsu is the fact that it’s just about him and the sport. “Getting your hand raised or not,” he says, “It’s all on you. I want to do Jiu-Jitsu for my whole life. I want to compete and win as much as I can.”

For being so young, Dante definitely has a handle on his maturity and his philosophical knowledge of the gentle art. “I have a lot of moves that I really like in Jiu-Jitsu,” he says, “But my favorite move is the one that my opponent gives me.” Spoken like a true veteran of the sport.

Dante tops podium, doing splendid as an adult at just 16.

Dante won gold at both the 2011 Pan and the 2011 Worlds as a juvenile. He has now officially decided that he will only compete at the adult level, regardless of his age. “I compete at the adult level because it’s more challenging,” he says, “From now on I will not compete as a juvenile. I will only compete at the adult level.”

Dante would like to thank his coaches Chris Blanke, Danny Agemy and John Walus, his training partners, and his family for their support. “I couldn’t do this without them.”

Double gold medal winner Matheus Guilherme Da Costa with Muzio De Angelis / Photos: Deb Blyth

Middle heavy juvenile blue belt Matheus Guilherme Da Costa of Gracie Humaita really turned up the heat at the 2011 Worlds to win gold in both his weight class and in the absolute. This double gold winner was overwhelmed with his good fortune. “I’m a double gold world champion!” the-17-year-old grinned.

Da Costa had three matches in his weight class and he closed all of them out with submissions. At the time he won in his division, he was already so happy that he said, “I have no words to describe how I feel.” This was Da Costa’s second time winning the Worlds in his weight. He also won it in 2010, but he did not participate in the absolute. This year he did.

In the open class, Da Costa had five matches. Two he won by submission and three he won by points. In his final match he faced Igor Schneider of Godoi JJ Club. Da Costa was familiar with Schneider as he had recently fought him at the Brazilian Nationals and lost to him. “This was a rematch,” he said, “When I lost to him before, I didn’t like it. The loss felt like it was up in my throat. It was a bad day.” Da Costa was able to put all those old feelings aside for the fight and he ended up beating Schneider 8-0 to secure the absolute Worlds win.

Da Costa, who enters the big tournaments as a juvenile but fights all the others as an adult, says his dream is to one day become a black belt. Until then he says, “If my professor feels I’m ready, then I am ready for purple belt!”

Angelo Guerrero Barden (on the left) and gold medal winner Dante Leon (right)

In the Juvenile 1 division, 15-year-old Dante Leon of Ribeiro JJ Detroit won his middleweight division in a final match against his teammate, 14-year-old Angelo Guerrero Barden of Ribeiro JJ San Diego. “We don’t close out brackets,” Leon said, “We fight.”

Leon had three matches in his division. He won two by submission and the final by armbar. Leon is making his mark as a juvenile blue belt. He won the 2011 Pan in the lightweight division and has now captured gold at the 2011 Worlds. “Winning the Worlds is a level up,” the assured teenager said, “There’s no better feeling than this. I trained six days a week, three times a day and I lifted weights. I trained as hard as I could.” This was Leon’s first Worlds and he says his experience was awesome. “Watching all the top guys compete then competing yourself is really something.”

Barden also had three matches. He won two of them on points, losing the third and final match to Leon by armbar. As the two wrapped up their interviews, Barden showed some nice sportsmanship by turning to Leon and saying, “That was a really nice armbar you got on me.”