Italian promotion Ocean BJJ is entering 2025 with a bold move: a headline sponsorship deal with Kingz Kimonos, the legendary grappling brand founded in 2011 and renowned for premium gear and deep connections with elite competitors and international tournaments.

The Ocean BJJ Pro Championship finals on September 20 will mark the debut of this partnership, with Kingz as the official sponsor. This milestone reinforces Ocean BJJ’s upward trajectory in the world of professional no‐gi grappling.

Since its inception, Ocean BJJ has been making waves: introducing a more advanced rule set, offering prize pools that scale with participation, and consistently attracting top-level talent. Aligning with Kingz adds even more prestige and signals the brand’s ambition to compete on a global stage.

“The fact that Kingz is getting involved with Ocean is massive news!” says Fabrizio Forconi, Event Manager of Ocean BJJ Pro. “This is only our second season, and yet the ruleset, production quality, and overall presentation of Ocean have already attracted not just top European names and several international athletes — from European trials competitors to our invited special guests for the finals — but also major industry brands that are clearly drawn to the way we work. That tells us we’re on the right track. Now that Kingz has partnered with Ocean, we’re only going to level up. Expect some exciting new developments, which will be announced on our social channels starting in August, well ahead of the finals on September 20.”

The Ocean BJJ Pro Championship finals will stream live on FloGrappling, featuring a world-class commentary team: Riccardo Ammendolia, Demian Maia, and Jean Jacques Machado.

San Diego, California – Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Thiago Gaia showcased his prowess over the weekend at the North American Grappling Association (NAGA) event. Gaia emerged victorious in both the gi and no-gi divisions, solidifying his status among the elite in his weight and age category.

Gaia’s remarkable performance earned him two championship belts, as he triumphed in five matches in the absolute gi division and two matches in his respective no-gi category. The Brazilian competitor stood out as the standout athlete of the tournament, which attracts over 700,000 participants worldwide.

The North American Grappling Association (NAGA) is a prestigious mixed grappling tournament, renowned for its fierce competition and high level of skill. Gaia’s exceptional abilities were on full display as he showcased his superior takedowns and submissions.

The accomplished fighter expressed his immense joy, particularly due to the presence of his three daughters cheering him on with chants of “Go, Daddy!” Their unwavering support served as great motivation for Gaia, propelling him to overcome the challenges within the combat arena.

Gaia extends his gratitude to his team at Gracie Humaita, The Compound academy, as well as his sponsors Kingz and Chelsea Investment. With his latest triumph, Gaia has once again demonstrated his extraordinary talents, solidifying his place among the top contenders in the world of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Photo: Milena Maldonado

As a brown-belt, in 2019, Jéssica Caroline had her best moment when she topped off a strong phase with titles in the IBJJF’s Pan and World Championship in Long Beach, California.

The two medals resulted in Jéssica, 27, being promoted black-belt atop the podium of the last Worlds, prior to the pandemic. Since then, the Alessandro Nunes-trained athlete won the South American and the Rio Open, and placed second in the Brazilian Nationals—all three events held by IBJJF/CBJJ in Brazil.

“In 2019 it was an incredible experience; I was really well prepared, I felt really good in all the fights I had, thus winning the title of champion,” she said. “This year I’m feeling great too, focused and training a lot… I’m going to give it my maximum to bring this title home again, now in the black belt.”

Asked about the state of the roosterweight division, the PAX Academy athlete added: “My category is quite interesting! There are some girls I’ve never fought, all at a high level. I’m anxious and excited! I want it to come soon, because it’s going to be a war.

“I’m prepared and confident; my training sessions have been difficult, and that makes me confident. Nothing can be harder than my training.”

A black-belt since September 2019, Jéssica also spoke of what she thinks it takes to win the World Championship, which is set to start on December 9 in Anaheim, California.

“It’s impossible for you to have success at the Worlds without having the discipline to train right and eat well,” she said. “That’s the work I’ve been doing in the course of all these years. I have a training routine, and discipline to do what’s right and say no to the distractions. When it’s fight time, I also like to see each fight as final, and, in my mind, the person who dictates the pace of the fight is me. That’s the path I’ll follow to become world champion!”

Check out below one of Jéssica’s fights from the 2019 Worlds in California.

Photo: Personal Archive

At 23 years of age, Jeferson Guaresi is one of the strongest athletes from the new generation of Jiu-Jitsu. The black-belt from Unity Jiu-Jitsu proved he deserves this distinction as he won the IBJJF’s World Championship and No-Gi Pan in the last two months. These are medals at the highest level of the sport, especially in the black belt division.

With just two years of experience as a black-belt — a promotion given to him by Murilo Santana — Jeferson has accumulated 29 wins, nine of which were by submission. At the No-Gi Worlds, for example, he won four matches and scored two submissions against Rodrigo Lopes and Joseph Watson. In the medium heavy final, Jeferson played the strategist to beat Pedro Rocha, a fighter known for his guillotines. Jeferson spoke about his performance in a recent interview.

“The final was an interesting fight, because my opponent only had one move about which I had to worry,” he said. “It was a fight where I had to be very focused on not losing my concentration, but I knew my jiu-jitsu is up to date. It just came down to not messing up, and I’d walk away with the win. That was when I scored two points right away and then managed my advantage.”

Jeferson is an avid competitor who has won more than 100 medals in national and international tournaments — including gold at the IBJJF’s No-Gi Pan, No-Gi Worlds and European Championship — in the past eleven years, the time he has been practicing jiu-jitsu. He shared some thoughts on this journey:

“My goal in jiu-jitsu has never been just to be world champion; that’s a consequence of my training. In the course of this time, my goal is to help all who are parts of the sport. I want to make the sport grow more and more, and I want to help people achieve their goals. I want the practitioners of jiu-jitsu to be good people to society too. I’m greatly inspired by my master, Murilo Santana, who is a big influence on what I’ve become today. Rafael Godoi, my first teacher, is also an important part in my education as an athlete.”

Jeferson is considered by many to be the originator of the “thrown by” guard pass — a move that has earned him multiple gold medals in different competitions, including at the No-Gi Pan. Here’s a pioneer’s perspective on how the guard pass works:

“It’s important that you know how to create space to position yourself when it’s time to move. The guard pass I do is intricate and requires perfect timing and form; the secret is in the positioning of the hip and knee, responsible for preventing the guard player’s returning with the leg to defend. Then, I use one of my hands to control my opponent’s hip and advance my entire body to win the three points.”

To see how it works, check out Jeferson’s step-by-step tutorial in the following images.

Photo: IBJJF/Facebook

Kaio César is starting to reap the fruits of the discipline employed in the course of his journey in Jiu-Jitsu, which began when he was just 13, when he got an invitation from a friend while playing football.

Today, at 29, Kaio is one of the big black-belt names on the IBJJF’s master 1 competitive circuit. He is a 2021 American Nationals no-gi champion.

“I live to train and compete,” he said in a recent interview. “In Brazil, for example, I used to teach class. I notice that there is no difference between training in Brazil and here – it’s really just the language. Here, they often say that if you speak the language of Jiu-Jitsu, everybody’s going to understand you. But you’d better learn to speak English too!”

A representative of Gracie Barra, Kaio has an intense routine to keep up with the biggest BJJ events. By the end of this season, he wants to fight for the gold at the Pan and the World Championship, in and out of the gi. He currently sits atop the IBJJF’s master 1 rankings for no-gi light feather athletes.

“I train four times a week, and within those days, I try to organize the technical side, the specific training and lots of free training, which, in my view, is important,” he said.

Kaio went on to say that these days the master 1 age group is very hard-fought, and added: “Back in the day, even after the age of 30, most athletes would still fight in the adults’ group. But nowadays, I see that it’s pretty evenly split. The athletes from the adult category, when they reach master age, realize there’s plenty of tough fights and opponents in all categories. So it’s worthwhile to fight in the right division and do good matches regardless.”

The black-belt of seven years wrapped up the interview by sharing the greatest lesson he learned in his 17 years of jiu-jitsu: “Have discipline! Never give up on your goals, and be perseverant. Discipline has never failed to produce good fruits.”

Ronny and his young students. Photo: Reproduction

A teacher at GB West Bay Doha, in Qatar, Ronny Carvalho is well acquainted with the challenges of an athlete’s life, always looking for titles in Jiu-Jitsu. With that in mind, the black belt opened his chest of stories to GRACIEMAG and told about his path through the gentle art, his focus on training, and the qualities needed to win the dream gold in competitions. Check the lines below!

GRACIEMAG: What was your first contact with Jiu-Jitsu?

RONNY CARVALHO: I’m from Formiga, a city in Minas Gerais that generated big names in Jiu-Jitsu like Rodrigo Ranieri, Marcelo Garcia and Matheus Diniz. It was through Ranieri that Jiu-Jitsu began to gain strength in Formiga and it was because of him that I got to know the sport. At the time, I was 14 years old and I fell in love quickly. A short time later, I met master Paulão Rezende, who taught Jiu-Jitsu to Ranieri. He lived in Poços de Caldas, which is a neighboring city, and was responsible for polishing this generation of athletes who left Formiga. We left our hometown and went to live there to train with Paulão.

How were your first years in Jiu-Jitsu?

Moving to Poços de Caldas was a big change in my life. The city was already famous in Jiu-Jitsu because Marcelinho Garcia had won the Worlds at blue belt and because of other athletes who left there and left their mark on the sport. When I arrived in the city, I started to have a different view of Jiu-Jitsu and decided that I wanted to make a living from it, but I understood that for that I would need to adapt to Paulão’s training system, which was very tough. Not to mention that the championships were held monthly and everyone competed, encouraged by Paulão. Sometimes we didn’t even have money to travel, but we got together and went in the race to participate in competitions. It was a time full of ups and downs, but it was also a great experience and a very good time in my life. Despite being at Gracie Barra today, together with Bráulio Estima, to whom I am very grateful, I maintain my respect and admiration for Paulão, who taught me everything I know about Jiu-Jitsu.

Eventually you left Minas Gerais and stayed in Brasília, under the tutelage of Professor João Roque. What motivated this change?

Despite living in Poços de Caldas, I often needed to leave the state because of work and, on these occasions, I looked for other gyms to train. When I went to Brasília, I looked for João Roque on the advice of my master and I adapted well to his style. João is an incredible master and I started to consider him and the people there as my second family in Jiu-Jitsu. I kept competing monthly and I was impressed with the athletes there, all very tough. After a year and a few titles won in Brasília, João Roque graduated me to brown belt.

Ronny e the silver medal acquired at the IBJJF European 2008. Photo: Reproduction

What are the most memorable memories of your graduation to black belt?

I was graduated to black belt at the end of 2008, at the hands of Professor Reinaldo Ribeiro. Shortly after receiving the brown, Bernardo Pitel, who was a student of João Roque, asked me to go with him to compete in the European Championship. I was runner-up in the Master 1 category and decided to stay there, training with Reinaldo. I was raised with him in Jiu-Jitsu, we were on the same team. I felt very honored to receive the black from his hands, a guy who demanded a lot and taught me even more about Jiu-Jitsu. I debuted my black belt the following year and reached third place at the 2009 IBJJF European.

Teaching is an aspect of Jiu-Jitsu that is increasingly sought after by practitioners, regardless of age. In your opinion, is it possible to balance the life of an athlete and that of a teacher?

I think it’s important to stay focused on our goals. If the athlete seeks to be a champion, regardless of being state, national, or world, he needs to keep this focus. The path to reach this level is not easy, there are many challenges and difficulties. Preparing a student who lives with a competitive mindset to be a teacher, especially if they’re young, is something I’m not in favor of. I prefer to work on this athlete’s psychology so that he doesn’t miss his objective, always keeping in mind the things he needs to do to reach this goal, such as training a lot, eating well, and sleeping early.

What training is always a part of one of your classes?

I always use one of the training techniques I learned from Paulão Rezende, in my early days back in Poços de Caldas. I have the students do three minutes of guarding and then, still in the same pair, another three minutes of guard passing. I divide this training into four rounds, with the first two allowing submission, and in the last ones, we only keep the pass. As the goal is for the student to be able to pass the guard quickly, we have a margin of thirty seconds to complete a sweep. This greatly increases the athlete’s level in competitions.

What are the key elements for an athlete to become a champion?

In the physical part, I believe that a champion needs to have at least six hours of Jiu-Jitsu training a day. These hours can be spread over several sessions in the day, but the athlete needs to formulate a strategy and practice a lot. The champion’s game must consist of, at most, four positions that he will use in fights, that is, keep the training focus on what he already knows how to do. A takedown that he can do well or a sweep that he is used to, are movements that should be part of this athlete’s game and should be the priority in training.

On the psychological side, in my view, it is a joint effort between the teacher and the athlete. On the one hand, the athlete needs to have the discipline and dedication to reach the high level necessary to become a champion. Drinking alcoholic beverages, or even soft sugary drinks, and sleeping late is not part of the life of a professional athlete. On the other hand, the teacher needs to know how to manage the psychology of this student, without going overboard. In addition to physical fitness, a champion needs to be mentally shielded to put aside the difficulties of life on and off the mat and successfully execute his strategy in the competition.

In addition to the world championships, Bárbara has nine South American and six national titles. Photo: Personal archive

Brown belt by Checkmat and two-time Jiu-Jitsu world champion, Bárbara Pires is no stranger to the challenges of Jiu-Jitsu and overcome, at the beginning of her career, the rupture of four ligaments in her knee, an injury that resulted in two surgeries and an uncertain window of return to the mats.

Despite the setbacks, she believes that the greater the difficulty, the greater the victory. With this mindset, Barbara gives six tips to help female athletes to adapt better to Jiu-Jitsu and overcome the obstacles of starting in the gentle art. Check it out below!

1. Have your goals defined: “Don’t allow yourself to be unmotivated. When I arrived at the academy saying that I wanted to be a world champion, many people laughed and doubted me. Today I have a solid career as an athlete, became a two-time world champion, and was able to visit places I never imagined, all thanks to Jiu-Jitsu. Determine your goals and fight for them, whether it’s a competition or any other aspect of Jiu-Jitsu.”

2. Enhance your uniform: “The uniform for women goes a little beyond normal. Wear shorts or high-waisted pants under the kimono. It is also important to use a tight top without plastic or metal parts so that it does not hurt you during training. Finally, separate a shirt without a neckline, preferably lycra, to take to the mat. It may sound silly, but you will train more comfortably and protected, allowing you to keep your focus on Jiu-Jitsu.”

3. Haircare: “Hold your hair tight, as it can break a lot depending on how you train. I like to make a high ponytail and then a braid so that the hair is not sticking to the skin, causing it to break less. Avoid clamps or metal fasteners, as they can hurt you and your training colleagues.”

Barbara in action without a gi. Photo: Reproduction

4. Nails and makeup: “Cut your nails so they don’t go past your fingertips. Long nails can hinder your training progress and pose a risk to your colleagues. It is also important to take off your makeup before training, as it will smudge and may end up dirtying the mat and the gi of other students. You can put it back after training.”

5. Choose your team and your teacher wisely: “You must be in a place that makes you comfortable, otherwise it won’t last long. Look for options that are nearby, watch and participate in an experimental class and, mainly, research about your teacher. You must know as much as possible about your future academy so that you can gain confidence to start your journey in Jiu-Jitsu.”

6. Don’t give up: “The start in Jiu-Jitsu can be difficult and even a little frustrating, but persist and you will start to see results. In addition to allowing you to blow off some steam from day-to-day pressures, Jiu-Jitsu stimulates the production of endorphins, gives you the self-confidence of knowing how to defend yourself and, like all physical activity, increases your self-esteem.”

Michael Remigio Liera from Atos taking the win over Felipe Cesar Silva from Unity.

It feels like Winter in NY as this whole side of the US got hit with a major snowstorm which left some folks doing more shoveling than Jiu-Jitsu. The heat got turned up at the basements of City College, where the NY Fall Open takes place. The great winner of the day was Michael Liera, from Atos, who won the absolute and the gold in the middleweight division.

The folks from master 1 didn’t want to be outshone and put out some great visual and exciting matches with Leonardo de Oliveira taking the big win in the open class.

Leonardo de Oliveira from Soul Fighters takes the win over Juan Iturralde from BJJ Globetrotters.

On the overall academies results, Lloyd Irvin got the top post with 12 points over second place, Alliance.

Overall Team Results

Black Open Class Results

Full results here.

This time the winner came from Marcelo Garcia’s camp – Matheus Lutes, who had an epic battle in the semifinals with Alex Oliveira from Renzo Gracie NY. In the end he quoted Marcelo Garcia’s motto of always being ready to fight, whether gi or no gi. Well, he was ready. We will be seeing more of him at the Pro event for sure.

Matheus Lutes (Marcelo Garcia) def. Alex Oliveira (Renzo Gracie NY)

The end of the Advanced No-Gi Bracket was:

1. Matheus Lutes (Alliance Marcelo Garcia)
2. Jason Rau (Serra Bjj)
3. Enrique Galarza (Renzo Gracie NY)
3. Alex Luis De Oliveira (Renzo Gracie NY)

(Full results here.)

On the teams front, the overall winner was Renzo Gracie NY, followed by Renzo Gracie Jersey City and Unity.

Banner do BJJ Nacional Gi e Nogi. Foto: Divulgação

Esta é para você, ávido competidor do Jiu-Jitsu, que quer lutar por belos prêmios em dinheiro e se testar contra os mais cascas-grossas competidores do Brasil.

Organizado pela CBJJE, o BJJ Nacional Gi e Nogi, em sua primeira edição, chega com tudo no ginásio do Ibirapuera neste domingo, dia 10 de junho, com ótimas recompensas nos absolutos da faixa-azul à faixa-preta, do juvenil ao master.

As inscrições se encerram nesta terça-feira, dia 5 de junho, às 17h, então não perca tempo e acesse o Soucompetidor.com (clicando aqui) para não ficar de fora.

Confira na lista abaixo as premiações completas da competição e não perca esta chance!

COM KIMONO:

R$ 500,00 => Masculino/Juvenil/Azul/Absoluto

R$ 600,00 => Masculino/Adulto/Azul/Absoluto
R$ 700,00 => Masculino/Adulto/Roxa/Absoluto
R$ 1.000,00 => Masculino/Adulto/Marrom/Absoluto
R$ 1.500,00 => Masculino/Adulto/Preta/Absoluto

R$ 600,00 => Masculino/Master 1+2+3 Azul/Absoluto
R$ 700,00 => Masculino/Master 1+2+3 Roxa/Absoluto
R$ 1.000,00 => Masculino/Master 1+2+3 Marrom/Absoluto
R$ 1.500,00 => Masculino/Master 1+2+3 Preta/Absoluto

R$ 600,00 => Masculino/Master 4+5+6 Azul/Absoluto
R$ 700,00 => Masculino/Master 4+5+6 Roxa/Absoluto
R$ 1.000,00 => Masculino/Master 4+5+6 Marrom/Absoluto
R$ 1.500,00 => Masculino/Master 4+5+6 Preta/Absoluto

R$ 500,00 => Feminino/Juvenil/Azul/Absoluto

R$ 600,00 => Feminino/Adulto/Azul/Absoluto
R$ 700,00 => Feminino/Adulto/Roxa/Absoluto
R$ 1.000,00 => Feminino/Adulto/Marrom/Absoluto
R$ 1.500,00 => Feminino/Adulto/Preta/Absoluto

R$ 600,00 => Feminino/Master 1+2+3 Azul/Absoluto
R$ 700,00 => Feminino/Master 1+2+3 Roxa/Absoluto
R$ 1.000,00 => Feminino/Master 1+2+3 Marrom/Absoluto
R$ 1.500,00 => Feminino/Master 1+2+3 Preta/Absoluto

R$ 600,00 => Feminino/Master 4+5+6 Azul/Absoluto
R$ 700,00 => Feminino/Master 4+5+6 Roxa/Absoluto
R$ 1.000,00 => Feminino/Master 4+5+6 Marrom/Absoluto
R$ 1.500,00 => Feminino/Master 4+5+6 Preta/Absoluto

SEM KIMONO

R$ 500,00 => Masculino/Juvenil/Azul/Absoluto NOGI

R$ 600,00 => Masculino/Adulto/Azul/Absoluto NOGI
R$ 700,00 => Masculino/Adulto/Roxa/Absoluto NOGI
R$ 1.000,00 => Masculino/Adulto/Marrom/Absoluto NOGI
R$ 1.500,00 => Masculino/Adulto/Preta/Absoluto NOGI

R$ 600,00 => Masculino/Master 1/Azul/Absoluto NOGI
R$ 700,00 => Masculino/Master 1/Roxa/Absoluto NOGI
R$ 1.000,00 => Masculino/Master 1/Marrom/Absoluto NOGI
R$ 1.500,00 => Masculino/Master 1/Preta/Absoluto NOGI

R$ 500,00 => Feminino/Juvenil/Azul/Absoluto NOGI

R$ 600,00 => Feminino/Adulto/Azul/Absoluto NOGI
R$ 700,00 => Feminino/Adulto/Roxa/Absoluto NOGI
R$ 1.000,00 => Feminino/Adulto/Marrom/Absoluto NOGI
R$ 1.500,00 => Feminino/Adulto/Preta/Absoluto NOGI

R$ 600,00 => Feminino/Master 1/Azul/Absoluto NOGI
R$ 700,00 => Feminino/Master 1/Roxa/Absoluto NOGI
R$ 1.000,00 => Feminino/Master 1/Marrom/Absoluto NOGI
R$ 1.500,00 => Feminino/Master 1/Preta/Absoluto NOGI

Mínimo de 10 inscritos para valer a premiação, tanto no COM KIMONO, quanto no SEM KIMONO.

Xande Ribeiro and Roberto Cyborg at the 2006 World Championship. GRACIEMAG

Adapted from an article by Willian von Söhsten, a black-belt under Cícero Costha and BJJ teacher

Lawyers wear suits, doctors wear white coats, and fighters mostly wear gis. But do you know all there is to know about your fighting outfit?

There are many ways to refer to our combat clothes: jiujitsu-gi (‘jiu-jitsu clothes’), keiko-gi (‘combat clothes’), do-gi (‘clothes for the way’) or just gi (‘clothes’).

Enthusiasts of the gentle art practice it for many reasons, but there are many who view it as a profession, whether as a teacher or an athlete. Therefore, it is important to understand some aspects about the gi, mainly to avoid buying one that doesn’t comply with IBJJF rules.

The gi must be made of cotton or a similar fabric, and must be weaved. These days we see many gis with pants and lapels made of ripstop, a material containing nylon threads arranged in squares, and these are also accepted in official competitions.

The gi must be either white, black or royal blue, and some events may demand that fights between black-belts be conducted only with blue or white gis. The collar must be no thicker than 13mm and no wider than 5cm, and the sleeve must be loose by at least 7cm throughout. The jacket must extend to the athlete’s thighs, and the sleeves must be no farther than 5cm from their wrists when their arms are stretched out to the front.

The pants must be no farther than 5cm from the ankle, so no Bermuda shorts allowed. Armed with this information, you are prepared to avoid making a purchase you may regret, like one that can get you disqualified.

It’s also important to know that, ideally, you should wash your gi each time you finish a training session. If you train twice a day, make an effort to keep two gis or more, so that hygiene doesn’t become an issue. After some time, it’s normal to want to acquire more gis, like a collector. Yours truly has a few rare ones and is always looking at what’s new. So here are some tips for keeping your gis clean, with lively colors, and with no damage to fabric resistance.

Obviously, often there isn’t time to wash them by hand, so they end up in the washing machine. What ensures a good machine wash is how much the gi moves in there, so a full machine is not ideal. Tip: when you put your jiujitsu-gi in the machine, always use cold water.

As well as the cold water, always use quality soap and wash the gi inside out. You’ve certainly noticed that the inside of your gi looks less worn out, and that’s not only due to it not rubbing against the mat. Washing the gi inside in will make the color fade in time.

An ancient tradition in BJJ is to wash the gi with some white vinegar as a way to kill the bacteria that produce smell, while not weakening the fabric. Indeed, a solution of 5% vinegar in water is a great, natural, non-toxic antiseptic that helps kill 99% of germs. Pour a half-cup to a cup of this solution in the machine, depending on the number of gis. Vinegar is an acetic acid, and is also recommended for removing residual soap from the fabric, which can harden the gi.

If the smell doesn’t get eliminated, a good option is to add soda to the solution. There are many heavy-duty products on the market today that can clean a gi properly, but the truth is a lot of them are expensive and can damage the fabric. Meaning vinegar and soda remain as perennial favorites of BJJ practitioners.

Finally, a tip for drying your gi. Don’t leave it under direct sunlight. If on one hand the light can exterminate bacteria and dry the fabric faster, on another it can cause discoloration and weaken it. Try to stretch your gi in a dry, airy place, but shielded from the Sun.

More than meets the eye. Gustavo Aragão

What does the belt mean to you? A band used to tie your gi and whose color indicates how far you’ve come? A piece of cloth sewn eight to 12 times, up to 320cm long and 5 to 7cm wide? A gift earned through blood and honor, and passed on from father to son? Or is it like the samurai’s sword, which must always be revered and never washed? To many masters, it is all of that — and more, as you can learn from the following paragraphs.

Summer of 1998. Future three-time BJJ world champion Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro decided to take his car and go with a group of friends to the Lakes Region of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Shaolin, who always brought his black belt and gi in his trunk, noticed something weird with the car and pulled over.

“A truck driver offered to tow us to a gas station,” Shaolin said. “But no one had a rope or chain. So the belt was our salvation. We folded it to make it stronger, and it worked. The problem with the car was quickly fixed, and the vacation was great.” Now that is some high-tension BJJ.

Someone who also treats his belt as an amulet is UFC star Ronaldo “Jacaré” Souza. This Amazonas native was promoted black-belt on the world championship podium after he won the 2003 brown-belt absolute title. As a present, he got the black belt of his friend Fernando Tererê, who had also just won a world title in style, against his rival Marcelo Garcia.

“That belt is lucky,” Jacaré told us, “because it was with it that I won my two absolute golds, in 2004 and 2005. After that, I started not wearing it anymore, so as not to wear it out too much. It became a museum item, framed on my wall. It’s my special belt.”

Roger Gracie also has a good story. “My dad, Maurição, bought in Japan a beautiful belt — a black one from Mizuno — when I was still a blue-belt,” he said. “It went five years put away — that expectation. When I was finally promoted, Filipe Jerry took the belt and started wearing it. Summing up: after a long five-year wait, the belt is around a friend’s waist.”

He went on to point to even greater versatility: “The belt is part of the gi. In the 2006 Pan’s final, I used my opponent’s belt to sink a triangle. It’s always useful.”

Ronaldo Jacaré is similarly dangerous in this regard. “There are times when I’m passing guard and I keep an eye on the belt,” he said. “If the guy lets me put my hand on his belt, he’s done — I pass.”