Victor, a priest trains at Bravo Sport Club in Vinã del Mar, Chile. Photo: Personal Archive

At GMA Bravo Sport Club in Vinã del Mar, Chile, the mats are a place for all types of people to learn Jiu-Jitsu. Second degree black belt Kleber Cruz hosts classes for people in the city and surrounding areas.

A student from a fishing town north of Vinã del Mar in Concon has found Jiu-Jitsu and the same love for the gentle art that we all have. Victor is a priest who enriches the lives of others much like Kleber has been able to do through Jiu-Jitsu.

Soon Victor will even enter the competition circuit and attend the international tournaments along with his Bravo Sport Club team.

All walks of life enjoy Jiu-Jitsu!

Check out more of Bravo Sport Club at www.bravobjj.com

Victor and Kleber Cruz. Photo: Personal Archive

Instead of settling with his diagnosis, he took his health into his own hands by changing his diet and staying on the mat. The 56-year-old took one dose of the recommended drug to treat him and suffered side effects that included a seizure, chemo cough and he was forced to limit his exposure to people because his immune system was compromised.

With his ketogenic diet, supplements, exercise, sunshine and heat therapy, he is able to train Jiu-Jitsu four to five times a week as well as use kettlebells and travel. Check out his story with a local news team:

You can follow Joe’s journey on his facebook page: www.Facebook.com/EvenCancerIsBetterWithBacon

Luciano competing in Brazil. Photo: Flash Sport

One of the beautiful benefits of Jiu-Jitsu is that everyone can gain something from training–even those with disabilities. It’s not uncommon to see people with disabilities in academies and competitions and each time, they serve as a strong message that limitations are imaginary.

For the World Championship this year, one blue belt from Brazil will travel to Long Beach, CA for his chance to compete and take up an opportunity he thought he’d never have. Elena Stowell, who wrote the book Flowing With The Go: A Jiu-Jitsu Journey of the Soul about how Jiu-Jitsu helped her recover from the death of her daughter, found out about this particular blue belt and has decided to share his story.

Learn about Luciano and the disabilities that don’t prevent him from training and competing:

“I was introduced to Luciano by my friend Jean in 2012. At the time, Luciano was a young man who touched Jean’s heart with his story, his pride, and his dedication to the sport they shared, Jiu-Jitsu. I too, would be touched by these attributes.

In 2012 Luciano was training Jiu-Jitsu in a tattered karate gi. Jean made a connection with Hyperfly and they donated a new gi for him to wear. Luciano competed in this gi during the September 2012 Copa BJJ tournament. The Carly Stowell Foundation provided support and sponsorship for this tournament. Over 350 children from the Projetos Social in Rio were able to attend.

When I returned to Rio de Janeiro in August 2013 I was reacquainted with Luciano. We trained together at Top Brother gym in the municipality of Meier. Here is more of his story:

Luciano hails from Japeri, a neighborhood in southeast Rio de Janeiro. He describes his situation there as “poor, small and difficult”. The Japeri favela atmosphere is violent and bears the unfortunate stigma, in Luciano’s words, of being “the most miserable municipality with the most AIDS”.

To train at the gym in Meier, Luciano travels two and a half hours by bus. He has been training for four years and is currently a second degree blue belt. Luciano has one of the most ferocious guards I have encountered. He is a tenacious grappler despite having no arms below the elbow. For years, Luciano’s disability kept him from participating in the common activities that kept his peers engaged throughout the day. Jiu-Jitsu found him when he went to watch a friend train. Master Cezar Guimaraes (Cashquinha) had developed a project in Japeri to keep children and teenagers off of the streets. Luciano, with little else to do, went along to watch his friend, but shied from participation because he was ashamed of his scars and missing limbs. One day his friend dragged him onto the mat and started to play-grapple with him. His friend showed him what it felt like to train. Luciano was hooked. He began training and never looked back.

For a long time, Luciano didn’t look forward. He was disabled at a very young age and he had always known life to be difficult. Luciano was four months old when his mother left him in the care of his alcoholic grandfather. That evening there was a power failure and his grandfather, who had been drinking, lit several candles in the home. Luciano was sleeping on a cot when a candle fell over and started a fire. His grandfather ran from the home and was too drunk to remember that Luciano was in the cot. Luciano had third degree burns on his arms and serious burns on his head. His arms were amputated at the elbow.

Luciano’s family generates a meager income reselling fruit and vegetables in their neighborhood. The Brazilian government provides a small family benefit by way of the social program Bolsa Familia–the equivalence of $35 USD per month. In February 2011, 26% of the Brazilian population received assistance through Bolsa Familia. Brazil has a program for persons with disabilities, The Continuous Cash Benefit Programme (BPC, Beneficio de Prestação Continuada), however Luciano does not receive any funds through this program. Why he does not receive benefits through this program is unknown to me, but dissemination of information about this program is said to be a weak point. The number of steps a recipient must go through to be approved also appears cumbersome.

Despite the daily challenges Luciano faces he maintains a positive attitude. Where he once would not run shirtless in the street or go without a hat and show his scarring, he now does many things “like a normal person”, such as play soccer and ride a bike. He expressed his attitude this way: “Every day I have respect for everyone, no matter who, especially for children. I want to show that people with disabilities, there is no difficulty they cannot do.”

During my visit in August 2013, Jean and I presented Luciano with a small backpack of clothes: Jordan basketball shorts my sons had outgrown, a pair of Nikes and some t-shirts. He was stunned and appreciative, thanking us over and over again. The look on his face after he asked, “I can keep the bag?” and we smiled and said, “Yes, of course”, is one of my fondest memories of the trip. To help someone who is genuinely grateful and who finds joy in the community of Jiu-Jitsu was an honor for us.

Luciano’s goals are not unlike those of any Jiu-Jitsu competitor, “to be a champion”. He has already placed second and third in tournaments. The barriers people place upon him are motivation to succeed. “Many people think that I am not able to give all my best, but I can show in the way I train that one day I can achieve my goal to be a champion.”

According to the International Disability Rights Monitor’s 2004 Regional Report of the Americas, 30% of persons with disabilities receive less than the minimum wage in Brazil. About 80-90% of persons with disabilities are unemployed or outside the work force. Most of those who have jobs receive little or no monetary remuneration as recorded in “Disability and inclusive development: Latin America and the Carribean” by World Bank.

Rafael Lovato Jr. pays tribute to his father who competed at the 2013 Masters and Seniors Worlds. Photo: Instagram @Lovatojrbjj

This past weekend on Oct. 5 and 6 at the 2013 IBJJF Masters and Seniors World Championship, the father of Rafael Lovato Jr., was present. He competed in the black belt senior 4 category and took home the bronze at his first black belt competition. As Lovato Jr. explains on his instagram, the American black belt world champion pays tribute to the man who helped him become who he is today. Even though the roles were reversed as he took on the role of leading his father’s training for the tournament, he still looks up to him as a role model.

He says:

“In April 2009, my family & I, & all the @lovatobjjmma students were hit with a huge shock when my father suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital where his heart actually stopped and he was revived. My father stayed strong, recovered, and came back a new man. He got himself back into great shape and set out to accomplish two missions. The first was to walk the Camino de Santiago across Spain. This is a 6wk journey that you do with nothing but a backpack and he accomplished this goal last year. The picture on top is from the day he left.

The 2nd mission was to finally compete as a Black Belt and he was able to achieve that goal today! He trained for over 6 weeks to get ready for the competition and I had the pleasure to help him get ready and be the trainer for my father, when it was the other way around for most of my life. He hadn’t competed since he was a purple belt, over 13 years ago. Despite that and having to go down an age category, he still fought great and only lost by a takedown, giving his all the whole time. If you want to know where my heart, dedication, work ethic, and passion come from, it his from him.”

Congrats to Rafael Lovato Sr. and Jr. for their continuous inspiration in the community.

Stephen ‘Pesadelo’ Hall withi his gold medal and tribute patch to Aubri. Photo: Erin Herle

The stories you’d hear if you sat down for even an hour with Stephen “Pesadelo” Hall are endless. They aren’t war stories or long jokes, or gossip but very personal triumphs that the Jiu-Jitsu black belt has had to endure. The 42-year-old is able to pass on lessons from personal experiences that only make him a perfect role model for those he encounters along the way of his Jiu-Jitsu journey.

On Saturday, Sept. 7 at the American Nationals, the GMA member from Dallas, TX won his division and immediately kissed the patch of a little girl’s face directly under his right shoulder after his hand was raised. The picture was that of a four-year-old girl named Aubri Guinyard-Coverson who became a role model for him in a very unlikely way. The four-year-old passed away from cancer in June but it was her courage that remains with Stephen as he faces his own cancer treatments.

Stephen wins his match. Photo: Erin Herle

In February, Pesadelo BJJ was torn apart by a fire and he has since worked on recovering his academy. Prior and even as of late, he enders surgeries to keep his body well and able to continue training and competing all over the world. From his hand to his head, back to his neck and knees, the multiple incision marks each tell of triumphs that he overcame with his faith and the importance of courage as little Aubri showed him.

Here is the story as told by Stephen of a brave little girl to which he dedicated his most recent win:

“Her name was Aubri Guinyard-Coverson. She was the daughter of one of my students named Catherine. Catherine came in to try a class and said she would be back, but I didn’t hear from her for a long while. When she came in next she brought Aubri with her. Aubri was really interested in training but her illness prevented her from being able to fully. That said, when she would come in, she would play as if she had no end to her energy and really showed everyone in the gym what real strength was. If not for her cute little bald head and her tube in her nose you would never know she was suffering from the battle as she was.

Stephen kissing Aubri’s patch. Photo: Erin Herle

When I had a relapse and needed to take treatments, she told me everything would be ok, and told me, “All you have to do, is think about the next time we will play, and it will be over quick, and then we can play again because everything will be ok!” (Wisdom of how to face struggle from a three year old!) She may not have gotten to go through the belt of the gentle art, but she was a black belt at life when she died June 29, 2013. I was lucky enough to see her the day she went home to God. It hurt to see how it took her beautiful smile away. I left to go to get her a kimono and have everyone sign it to give to her, but only a couple hours after leaving, I got the call that she passed.

Watching her, made my own battle insignificant. She was infinitely more strong than I, and no matter what happens on the mat, I know she is watching. So until I get to see her one day again, any time I have trouble to face on the mats or off, I will be thinking of the next time we will play and soon it will be ok! This American Nationals medal is for Aubri. I am certain that I would not have made it without her. Thoughts of her and her strength have pulled me through injury, pain, bouts of sickness, the loss of my gym, and I know that her example is one I still have yet to live up to. Today I just won a medal. She is the champion!”

Thiago Leopoldo. Photo: Disclosed/Youtube

Thiago Leopoldo, 11, was supposed to be another sad victim of car accidents that kill or injure many Brazilians. But the young boy from Blumenau didn’t want to be bound by this destiny.

Even after losing movement in one of his arms and some movements of one of his legs, Thiago went for it.

“His doctor would not allow him to train Jiu-Jitsu, fearing that he would get hurt, but our instructor Luciano a Rosa talked to the doctor and convinced him to allow Thiago, who has been training for almost a year and never misses training,” explained Jean Feijo, from Gracie Floripa gym.

When learning new positions, Thiago never complains about his limitations.

“I never heard him say he can’t perform a move. He always finds a way to adapt the positions and Jiu-Jitsu to his reality. Training with this boy is always a learning experience for us all,” explains the professor.

Watch Thiago in action and be inspired. Is there a young athlete like him at your gym? Tell us how it motivates you.

The post No limitations for 11-year-old training Jiu-Jitsu after debilitating car accident first appeared on Graciemag.]]> https://www.graciemag.com/are-you-over-30-jiu-jitsus-the-right-place-for-you/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=are-you-over-30-jiu-jitsus-the-right-place-for-you Thu, 10 Jan 2013 13:27:02 +0000 https://www.graciemag.com/?p=67300 A Jiu-Jitsu practitioner’s routine is no walk in the park, and that’s precisely why we’re stronger and more confident even outside the academy walls. When a practitioner is over 30 years of age, though, things get even tougher: there’s work, family life, overall responsibilities. But if you haven’t got an hour of your day to…

Eduardo Telles and Saulo Ribeiro at 2012 International Masters (Photo by Gustavo Aragão/GRACIEMAG)

A Jiu-Jitsu practitioner’s routine is no walk in the park, and that’s precisely why we’re stronger and more confident even outside the academy walls.

When a practitioner is over 30 years of age, though, things get even tougher: there’s work, family life, overall responsibilities. But if you haven’t got an hour of your day to take care of your health and mind, you’re not making the most of the 24 hours per day at your disposal.

In a recent issue of GRACIEMAG, we featured two stories to serve as inspiration to those who have been away from the academy or are thinking to take up the practice once they’re already “getting up there”.

One of them is the decorated 33-year-old Vitor Shaolin. Not having competed in 11 years, he decided to try his hand in competition again last year at the inaugural Master & Senior Worlds, and he rediscovered the taste of victory.

“My wife was on my case. She said I was a nuisance at home, with no competition to go to… Besides that, some of my great friends were going to fight, like Robson Moura, Gustavo Dantas and Ricardo Bastos. That really going me going, and I decided to compete. Once signed up, I came up with reasonable enough time to train, which is no easy task when you have class to teach and kids to take care of,” the Jiu-Jitsu teacher living in New York told reporter Ivan Trindade.

Another role model from our pages is the black belt Itaborá Ferreira, 53. Itaborá had every reason in the world to stay at home—among them, prostate cancer.

But he too hit the mats at the Master & Senior Worlds and won: “I go to the hospital every day. I’m doing radiation therapy and chemotherapy but I wouldn’t let the chance to be here in Long Beach pass. This is my therapy, my fun park. Here I feel alive,” he said.

What about you? Still need inspiration to get out there and start training Jiu-Jitsu?

Refresh your memory of the tough old war horses of the 2011 Pan with the video above, and get your gi ready for the big 2013 season.

The post Are You Over 30? Jiu-Jitsu’s the Right Place for You first appeared on Graciemag.]]>

Photo: Agência Brasil

The first female president of Brazil, Dilma Vana Roussef, 63, took office at 4:48 pm on January 1.

At the ceremony – an historic one for the nation – Dilma fit a quote from one of the country’s greatest writers, João Guimarães Rosa, into her acceptance speech. Words that inspire her and that may perhaps motivate our dear readers.

“The flow of life envelopes everything. Life is like this: it heats up and cools down, it squeezes and then loosens, it becomes calm and then restless. What it wants from us is courage,” said President Dilma, quoting the author of “Grande Sertão: Veredas” (“Great Hinterlands: Swampy Valleys”).

What about you, noble Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, what phrase serves as inspiration to you? Put your favorite motivational quote in the commentary field below, and share it with other readers.