A revealing conversation with black belt Dario Bacci, president of the Unione Italiana Jiu-Jitsu, the strong arm of the IBJJF in the land of the Coliseum, the man behind the acclaimed Ocean BJJ event.

How was your struggle, as well as the struggle of the Italian BJJ federation, to achieve official recognition of BJJ as a sport by the Italian state?
We have always been following the steps of IBJJF, collaborating and learning from the best and most authentic Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu organization in the world. We represent IBJJF in Italy since 2012. One of the primary requirements, in Italy, for an organization to be recognized is to be referred to an international federation that is acknowledged by the Int. Olympic Committee. IBJJF has a different status, so we have always missed the possibility to apply for a recognition. Lately in Italy things have changed, the political management of the sport has opened new possibilities, also our status has changed since, in 2022, we have been recognized by FIJLKAM, the Judo Wrestling and Karate Official Federation. Therefore, we have managed to break through this resistance and finally got the recognition from the Government and kept our relationship with IBJJF tighter than ever.⁠

Practically speaking, what changes can we expect moving forward? What benefits will BJJ practitioners gain from this recognition?
We can say that now we formally exist. So, from being a movement of a lot of passionate practitioners, we have now the status of an organization with a strong legal structure inserted in a context recognized by the government and the Olympic Committee, with all the consequences that derive from it, including the possibilities of having funding and professional recognition.

You often say that “the fight is just beginning.” What are the next steps? What challenges lie ahead?
So many things have happened and keep happening and if we look back to few years ago, we can see how much has been done. We are working in the best venues in Italy, our referees’ team has improved a lot and now we are working with the assistance of the VAR system in all competition. We have gone up to 16 events per year. We have created the Jiu-Jitsu Expo, a festival of about 30 different stores selling and displaying product and services related to BJJ, along with different Teams booth and an area for free seminars with the best Professors around. This Jiu-Jitsu Expo happens during the Italian BJJ Open, at its 11th edition lasting 3 days with over 2000 athletes attending. We have launched a new exciting submission grappling event called Ocean, which has already been included in the most important streaming platform in the world: FloGrappling. Now the Italian Government recognition. Next steps would be even just consolidating what we have achieved so far. But for sure we will come up with some interesting news soon. Next steps would be even just consolidating what we have achieved so far. But for sure we will come up with some interesting news soon.

In addition to a strong federation, the growth of a sport often relies on the presence of great idols and major competitions. Who are currently the prominent Italian Jiu-Jitsu figures and what are the key competitions?
There’s a bunch of athletes that reported great results in national and international competitions. Luca Anacoreta keeps his reputation always very high everywhere he steps on the mat, Manuel Pilato has recently won the black belt adult division in the IBJJF Euro NOGI, Serena Gabrielli has won nearly everything she competed in, Alessandro Borgonovo is a newly promoted black belt from AOJ that has moved back to Italy, Nicola Castellano a very promising black belt, Fabio Pititto ranked first in the Master 1 and there are so many more ready to prove their ability, Matteo Parolin, Giulia Angiolini, Andrea Da Pozzo, Alessio Salis…

Today, BJJ is experiencing significant growth among children and women. While Italy has many practitioners, they seem to be more concentrated in the male/adult demographic. Is this the current profile of Italian practitioners?
There is a higher number of male practitioners indeed, but it is rapidly changing.
In the last Italian BJJ Open, the Italian official BJJ Championship, with 2000 athletes registered, we had 110 black belt and for the first time also some female black belts adult (the most prestigious division). Also, for the kids we are experiencing a remarkable increase: our last Junior Italia Open, the official Italian Junior Championship, reported about 500 kids!

What about Jiu-Jitsu academies? How robust is the BJJ academy market in Italy right now? Does the federation have an estimate of how many academies are currently operating in the country?
We presently have about 400 organizations registered, considering that many are structured as associations (composed of many branches) this means that we are counting on probably over 600/700. We also have a database of about 5000 athletes, but this number is increasing month after month.

The first ever Ocean BJJ Final is coming on September 21st and the promotion has just finished announcing an incredible lineup for the tournament. They’ve conducted 6 trials events in Italian cities to allow competitors to book their place in the grand finale, along with hand-picking some special guests from among the best grapplers in the world.

There are 20 entrants in the under 80kg division and 17 entrants in the over 80kg division, along with two four-woman tournament brackets at under and over 65kg. All in all, there will be a ton of high-level grappling taking place in Cagliari and all of it will be broadcast live on FloGrappling.

“We are delivering a show to the global audience watching live on FloGrappling, with commentary from Riccardo Ammendolia and Demian Maia, as well as to the thousands of fans attending in person at Zebra Globe in Cagliari, Sardinia, thanks to our synergy with BJJ Summer Week. It’s an event we want people to remember for a long time”, says Fabrizio Forconi, one of the brains behind Ocean BJJ.

One of the most interesting things about Ocean BJJ is the unique points system that focuses on rewarding deep submission attempts above all else. Competitors will be awarded one point per deep submission attempt and one point for any traditional point-scoring position or transition (takedown, sweep, mount etc). The intriguing element is that the points scored for positions and transitions will only matter if the points scored from submission attempts is equal. This means that competitors are always incentivised to hunt for the finish instead of relying on scoring points in the traditional manner, and a deep submission attempt is worth more than any amount of positional dominance.

From May 24th to 26th, 2024, the Mandela Forum in Florence will become pulsating heart of Italian Jiu-Jitsu, hosting the highly anticipated 2024 edition of the Italian BJJ Open and the Jiu Jitsu Expo. These events, capturing the essence of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, offer an unrivaled opportunity for athletes, enthusiasts, and brands connected to the sport.

Italian BJJ Open: a stage for excellence

This year’s Italian BJJ Open, managed by the UIJJ – Unione Italian Jiu-Jitsu, promises to be the climactic event of the sport season, marking the culmination of the UIJJ rankings and the awarding of prizes to the most deserving athletes. With over 2000 participants expected, including a growing number of international competitors, the event is confirmed to be one of the top three largest and best-organized tournaments in Europe.

Ten competition areas will be set up to host three days of intense challenges, including a division for children. This year, there’s a 30% increase in registrations, surpassing 400 young athletes. In 2023, the total number of black belts reached 100, a significant figure considering that just a few years ago, the numbers were much lower. Since 2023, this year also featured several matches in the adult women’s black belt category, highlighting the event’s importance and growth.

Jiu-Jitsu Expo: a meeting point for the BJJ community
Born in 2022 alongside the 10th edition of the Italian BJJ Open, the Jiu-Jitsu Expo has quickly established itself as a unique event in Italy. It’s where the BJJ community comes together to network and build relationships, promoting Italian Jiu-Jitsu culture and offering unprecedented commercial opportunities even for international brands.

The organization is under UIJJ, the entity that is behind also OCEAN, the new exciting NOGI pro championship running with Trials all over Italy , with Semi and Finals in Sardinia during the BJJ Summer Week.

The shops in the Expo will showcase services and products related to BJJ and martial arts. Many old and new brands will attend the event, among many: BJJ Summer Week (the biggest BJJ Camp in the world), Half Sumo, Adidas Combat Sports, Keiko, Kingz, Tatami Fightwear, Progress and many more.

The 2023 edition was explosive, with many new stands added compared to the previous year, and free seminars led by prominent figures such as Michelle Nicolini and Italian Olympic judo champion Fabio Basile.

The third edition will take place on 24, 25 and 26 May 2024, at the Mandela Forum in Florence.

We will see Professors such as Alessandro Borgonovo, Matteo Patrone, Melissa Benedini, Alberto Tesi, Fabrizio Screpante, Ilia Pachkowsky, Riccardo Mezzetti, Matteo Menna alternating on the mats set up for the seminars, and brands such as Revive Fightwear, Bud Power, Half Sumo just to name a few.

An opportunity not to be missed
The UIJJ ranking, valid only for registered athletes in Italy, offers cash prizes that this year have increased from €3000 in previous editions to €5000. This ranking also represents financial support for the annual competition-related expenses, and including prizes for other belt levels as a free registrations for the entire annual UIJJ calendar.

Registrations for Italian BJJ Open close on May 17th at midnight, and details for participation can be found on the uijj.org website under the competitions section.

If you are interested in promoting your team or brand inside the Jiu-Jitsu Expo, you can contact the organization at expo@uijj.org.

Do not miss this high-quality Jiu-Jitsu event in Florence, where sport, culture, and passion converge in an event that promises to be unforgettable.

Ivan Rocha competed in London Open 2013. Photo: Personal archive

Black belt Ivan Rocha has built a consolidated work in Europe and has worked both as a competitor and in the training of Jiu-Jitsu athletes. Ivan lived in Italy for seven years and divided his time between teaching and competing. He taught several seminars in Italian cities and traveled to other European countries, such as England and Germany, with the purpose of testing his team, Cabecinha Team Italy, and spreading the values of Jiu-Jitsu.

One of the most special achievements of Ivan’s career came at the London Open 2013, organized by IBJJF. Ivan overcame the English cold and the opponents to be consecrated champion in the categories with and without kimono. “Winning is always gratifying, it’s too good. Besides my titles, my team had a positive balance. In total, we came home with ten medals, four of them gold”, recalled the black belt.

In a chat with the GRACIEMAG.com team, Ivan Rocha recalled some of the highlights of the London Open and listed the most important lessons learned during the period he lived in Italy.

GRACIEMAG: What did the London Open title represent for you?

IVAN ROCHA: Winning this title has a special meaning, because it is difficult to train hard and work on both my technical evolution and that of my students at the same time. The teachers who also compete know this. Winning is always gratifying, it is too good. Besides my titles in the categories with and without kimono, my team had a positive balance. In total, we came home with ten medals, four of them gold.

Do you have any outstanding memory from this championship?

Yes, besides my golds gi and nogi, the weight loss also marked me because it was not easy at all. Sacrifice sums up the fighter’s life. Besides losing weight, I ventured into the absolute afterwards. And, at the time, I weighed 64kg. What I remember from that day was the fact that it was very cold. I ran the whole gym and couldn’t sweat at all. It was a pleasure to accompany my students in an international competition and to see each of them winning and giving it their all. The team unity gives me an inexplicable feeling. What motivates me the most is to see my work going the right way. Besides these moments, Jiu-Jitsu provides incredible experiences, such as getting to know new places and different cultures around the world.

Ivan Rocha became gi and nogi champion at the London Open 2013. Photo: Personal Archive

What are the biggest challenges of competing abroad?

The rewards outweigh the challenges. However, it is not easy, there are numerous barriers, such as the cultural impact and the difference in food. But, in my opinion, the biggest obstacle is the cold. It is complicated to struggle in such low temperatures, something that is recurrent in Europe.

What were your favorite techniques in your competitive days?

I am a guard passer. I used to wait for the opponent to pull me to guard or I would try the fall to get on top. I feel good when I get to half-guard, I like to bull-fight to get to the side control. When I’m on the bottom, I like to do the De la Riva with the intention of scraping the opponent.

What were the biggest learnings during the time you lived in Europe?

Above all, I evolved personally and professionally. It is important to travel, to get to know other countries and experience cultures different from the one we are used to. Leaving our roots makes us go further, broadens our horizons, and is something enriching. No one ever takes that experience away from you. During the seven years I lived for Jiu-Jitsu in Europe I understood even more the value of the martial art and how the sport opens unimagined doors. One of my wishes is that people have the opportunity to see how Jiu-Jitsu can be transformative and provide more quality of life.

International chef and TV show host Andrew Zimern has five tips for things you must do while in Rome, Italy.

You can watch the video and follow his instructions for a fun time in the Eternal City after you compete at the 2016 Rome Open and the 2016 European No-Gi championship. on April 1-3.

Before all that, you need to register to compete and the deadline is March 24.

Click here and register now.

Bruno at the 2014 European No-Gi Championship. Photo: Alcianna Photo

Text by Oliver Geddes:

It would be unfair to describe his clean sweep of the brown belt weight and absolute at the Rome International Open and the European No-Gi Championship as a coming-out party for Italy’s Bruno Ivan Tomasetti. He has been a mainstay on the European and World competition scene for over two years now, having already taken a world title at blue as well as the brown belt absolute at this year’s European Championship in Lisbon in addition to the FILA Gi and No-Gi World Championships. No matter what your previous accomplishments are though, winning 13 fights over one weekend, the majority by submission, is a feat that is worthy of note.

The first thing to be aware of about Bruno’s grappling skills is his judo background. He began training judo when he was seven years old, winning his first national title in the under-16 class at the age of 15, before taking bronze in the adult division the year after aged only 16. He also has a number of other competition successes, including a bronze at the under-20 European Championship and two silvers in the under-23 European Championship, as well as a bronze medal in the Military World Championship. To add to that list of achievements, he was also a member of the Italian national judo squad from 2000 until 2011, as well as part of the professional military police judo squad from 2003 until 2011.

But to call Bruno just a converted judoka would do him a disservice, particularly in recent months where he has shown a strong affinity for leg and specifically ankle locks, far from an area of expertise for a typical judoka. The judo competition ruleset tends to create fighters with excellent takedowns, chokes and armlocks, but given all leglocks are illegal in judo competition, it is rarely something they put much effort into learning since there is little practical benefit for them within their sport. If you have literally a few seconds to spare you can see Bruno proving that not all judoka are cut from the same cloth:

Bruno’s interest in leg attacks came about from watching sambo and no-gi grappling earlier in his training, but since he was competing professionally in judo he wasn’t permitted to take part in other sports under different rulesets. After calling time on his judo career, he jumped into training leg locks alongside the Italian national sambo team with the aim of turning a typical weakness of converted judoka into his strength. As can be seen from the clips above, this is something he has been more than successful in doing.

After taking silver in last weekend’s World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championships in Abu Dhabi, defeating Team Lloyd Irvin’s Tim Spriggs in the semi-final before losing on points to Braulio Estima student Nelton Pontes in the final, he has now set his sights on the World Championships in California. He plans to capture yet another world title to add to his resume. Look for him as a face to be challenging for titles in both his weight and the absolute when the end of May rolls around.

Here is his final of the open weight:

Ricardo Evangelista atop the podium in Rome

The IBJJF will be in Rome, Italy for the Rome Open and the European No-Gi Championship on April 4 and 5. The capacity is almost full and whats more, the deadline is in a few hours at 11:59 p.m. PST!

The event will be held at Palazzetto dello Sport: Piazza Apollodoro 10 Rome, Italy 00196.

Check out this highlight from 2013:

Go to www.ibjjf.org to register for the two events.

In the final match, Igor beat Jason Tan (SBGI) with a beautiful sweep.

See how he did:

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Photographer Jesper Aggergaard has sent us 27 images of the best that took place last weekend in Rome, Italy.

Browse through the photo gallery and relieve the thrills of Gi and No-Gi action in the Eternal City.

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Ricardo Evangelista. Photo: Gustavo Aragão.

The first ever absolute champion of the IBJJF Rome Open, Ricardo Evangelista (GFTeam) also won the ultra-heavyweight last Saturday in the Italian capital. In that weight division he sealed the deal by catching John Michael (Malicia) in an armbar.

In the open class final, Ricardo beat Alan Finfou of CheckMat in advantages. On Sunday, Evangelista returned to the Palazzetto dello Sport for the No-Gi European Championship and again stretched John Michael’s arm to walk out as the absolute champion.

He preferred to spare himself by not fighting the absolute as his foot was hurt.

In a talk with GRACIEMAG, Ricardo Evangelista spoke about his success over the previous weekend and broke down the absolute final versus Finfou.

GRACIEMAG: How do you evaluate your performance at the Rome Open and the No-Gi European?

RICARDO EVANGELISTA: It could not have gone better, I’m very happy about it. In total I had five matches and came out undefeated with four submissions. Because I mostly train in the gi, I had the most difficulty in making grips without it. But I played on bottom and waited for the right chance to spring and seize the win. It was pretty enjoyable. During the No-Gi European I felt something wrong in my foot and decided against competing in the open.

How did your division finals play out, both against John Michael?

I had never fought John and didn’t know his game. I pulled him into guard and started trying to sweep; I compromised his balance but was unable to come up to score the points. In my second attempt he propped his arm on the mat, which was when I got the armbar. In the No-Gi European, I tried to study him a bit more standing, but then pulled him into butterfly guard. The moment I thought of spinning to take his back I felt his arm was placed just right for another armbar. I shot for it and won.

In the absolute at the Rome Open you clashed with Alan Finfou of CheckMat. What’s your take on that match?

Alan is very experienced and dangerous. The fight began pretty even, I knew I couldn’t afford to make a mistake. In the final minutes I managed to get an omoplata and tried to sweep, but he defended really well. I went back to the starting position and kept trying to sweep, but couldn’t. The match ended tied in advantages since he had almost gotten me with a takedown, but the decision went my way. I found it cool to fight him. One funny fact is that I rooted for him when he was fighting in his division. I shouted to support him and it worked [laughs]. He became the medium heavyweight champion. And then there we were facing each other in the open.

What’s the conclusion after getting three gold medals over two days at two IBJJF events?

I’ll keep training the right way, my feet on the ground, for nothing’s impossible – you just have to believe in yourself. I’m hoping to get an ADCC invite, I’ve even dreamed of it. I’m checking my email all the time now, and hope these titles will nudge things my way and get me to China in October.