Jackson Sousa topping the super-heavyweight podium. 

Switzerland’s second most populous city, Geneva, welcomed fighters and enthusiasts of BJJ at the 2018 Geneva International Open, held October 20–21.

Among black-belt standouts, Jackson Sousa and Claudia do Val stood out some more, each winning quadruple gold.

For Jackson, the blowout started as he took down the classical super-heavyweight division by defeating Uros Domanovic (GFTeam). Then, in the absolute, Jackson closed it out with his Checkmat mate Philippe Pomaski, who was the medium heavy champion. And then it was deja vu on Sunday, with the same results being repeated in the no-gi section.

Claudia do Val (De La Riva) won four gold medals even though she fought only once, beating Claire-France Thevenon (Mako Team Paris) in the gi absolute division.

Click here to learn the weekend’s complete results.

Jacksonn Sousa o alto do pódio super pesado. Foto: Reprodução

Segunda cidade mais populosa da Suíça, depois da capital Zurique, Genebra recebeu craques e entusiastas da arte suave no Geneva Open de Jiu-Jitsu, realizado nos dias 20 e 21 de outubro.

Entre os destaques na faixa-preta, Jackson Sousa e Claudia do Val levaram a melhor, figurando com o topo do pódio tanto na suas divisões de peso quanto no absoluto.

Para Jackson, a festa começou ao faturar a divisão de super pesados, em vitória sobre Uros Domanovic (GFTeam). No absoluto, Jacksonn fechou com o companheiro de Checkmat e campeão no meio-pesado Philippe Pomaski. A façanha se repetiu no domingo sem kimono, com resultados iguais.

No feminino, Claudia do Val (De La Riva) confirmou o favoritismo e ficou com ouro peso e absoluto, com e sem kimono, com apenas uma luta feita, ao superar Claire-France Thevenon (Mako Team Paris) no absoluto de kimono.

Para ver os resultados completos, clique aqui!

It is prime to see how the gentle art continues to connect people from all over the world while more gyms and BJJ events keep open their doors everywhere.

The camaraderie movement is no different in the old continent. Last Saturday, on September 27^th, GMA Icon Jiu-Jitsu team from Genève in Switzerland lead by black belt Anderson Pereira ran a in-house tournament, the Icon JJ Internal European Cup that brought together 90 competitors from various affiliated schools in Europe and its surroundings, which included Switzerland, France, England and Algeria.

The competition standouts were Bienne Paulo de Oliveira and Filipe Maia. Both athletes from Icon JJ Genève closed out the brown and black belt open weight division.

Learn more about Icon JJ team and their victories here.

Tiko won via first-round rear naked choke

Our GMA Anderson Pereira sent in news from Switzerland, where last weekend a landmark installment of the MMA Strength and Honor event took place.

“My student Claudemir “Tiko” de Souza, a Brazilian brown belt, fought well here in Geneva this Saturday, beating France’s Mourad Benseguir with a rear naked choke in the first round,” says the teacher.

In the evening’s main event, Jeff Monson overcame tough Croatian judoka Maro Perak via judges’ decision. Another standout was Tunisia’s Karim Ait Khalifa, a submission specialist from team Alliance. He won by kimura in the first round. Check out the results:

Following his kimura win, The Tunisian celebrated by displaying his academy's gi. Photos: Roland Peter Shaer.

Strength and Honor 4
Geneva, Switzerland
April 30, 2011

Karla Benitez Sanja Sucevic won by doctor’s intervention in R1
Sasa Mitrovic defeated Cesar Augusto by doctor’s intervention in R1
Claudemir Souza subbed Murad Benseghir via rear naked choke at 3:41 min of R1
Karim Ait Khalifa subbed Alen Dolicanin via kimura at 1:19 min of R1
Nelson Carvalho finalizou Paddy Doherty na guilhotina aos 37s do 1R
Ivan Mussardo and Hristomir Hristov fought to a draw
Olavo Belo defeated Greg Loughran via kimura at 2:25 min of R2
Olivier Pastor defeated Leandro Gontijo via unanimous decision
Mats Nilsson subbed Nikos Sokol via triangle at 1:41s of R1
Michelle Verginelli and Norman Paraisy fought to a drawFrancis Kelly subbed Anundson Carmont via
armbar at 2:06 min of R1
Jeff Monson defeated Maro Perak via unanimous decision after R3

“It was ten days of pure training, with Pez￣o and another student of mine, Thomas Oyarzun, a purple belt who has been standing out in competitions around here,” says Tererê.

Tererê (in blue and black gi) in Switzerland. The Gigi Paiva will now spend at least twenty days in Italy. Photo: Publicity.

“We trained a lot and I made the most of the opportunity to teach some private lessons to a group of friends. Pezão is doing great and now he wants to try for a career in the USA,” he remarks.

This Monday Tererê heads for Italy to teach a series of seminars with his friend Luca Anacoreta, a purple belt.

“I’m going to teach private classes to him and some friends to get my beasts even sharper for the big European Open in January,” he states.

Tererê will be in Rome at a four star hotel for twenty days. For the now, his dream of competing at the Euro Open still exists.

“For someone who has been away from Jiu-Jitsu for six years like me, I feel it’s all been great. I’m getting my body moving slowly and improving my base. I still haven’t had time to just train and dedicate myself more, but soon I believe I’ll be invited by friends who want me around to just train and prepare. Then I’ll be stronger and happy to compete,” he explains.

Gui (in white) and Rafael Mendes: seminars in Europe in September. Photo: Publicity.

Guilherme and Rafael Mendes will spend two weeks at some of the most popular tourist sites in Europe.

But they’re going there to work. “We want to let everyone know we’re heading to Europe; we have seminars scheduled in Switzerland, Turkey and Birmingham, England,” wrote Guilherme Mendes to GRACIEMAG.com.

“We invite one and all who can make it to our seminars, to get to know us, our way of training, our game a bit better,” says 2009’s light featherweight world champion.

“Thank God we’re seeing wonderful recognition from people; we receive emails asking for seminars in different places every day. We want to take the opportunity to say thanks for the affection, it just motivates us to train even more. The joy of being an athlete and achieving victories goes beyond winning on the mat, there’s also the gratifying victory outside of tournaments: that of fulfilling dreams and conquering people’s admirations, and being happy with one’s own self,” he says.

“We’re going to compete this year; we’re training a lot and are in top shape, feeling really good!”

If you’re nowhere near Europe or Rio Claro, Brazil, you still have the opportunity to learn from the Mendes brother in GRACIEMAG. In this month’s training program. Subscribe here and secure your copy of GRACIEMAG every month at home.

Zurich, Switzerland – 10 September
Team Nogueira
EMAIL: info@frota-team.ch

Geneva , Switzerland – 11 September

Team Anderson Pereira
Academy Shinbudo 81,Av louis Casai 1216
+41787448972

Istanbul, Turkey – 12 September
Corvos MMA Academy
05335604424
Sehit Tegmen Ali Yilmaz sok. no:16
Besler Plaza Kavacik

Birmingham , UK – 19 September
GB Birmingham
01217068465
steve.fan@btinternet.com
Station Road, Acocks Green

Representatives of luta livre, sambo and Jiu-Jitsu from all around Switzerland, as well as some from France and Germany, participated in the event. There were more than 80 athletes in all, and the show drew a sizeable crowd, too.

The president of Rio de Janeiro’s Luta Livre Submission Federation Daniel D’Dane and king of Pancrase Assuério Silva were present at the event and held a seminar together.

Photo of the action in Geneva

Such was the success of the event that the next stage has already been penned in for October.