Shaolin (center) is returning to IBJJF competition.

The first ever Master & Seniors World Championship reached full capacity way before the scheduled registration deadline.

With around 1,000 athletes, the event is scheduled for this coming Sunday, October 7, and is set to be the stage for some great matches.

It’s your chance to be one of the first ever to hold a medal in the event.

GMA member Vitor Shaolin, a three-time world champion, is one of the BJJ stars who decided next Sunday will mark his competition return.

He says the fact that it’s the first edition is one of the reasons: “It is nice to compete in the first edition of an event. I competed at the first edition of the Worlds, back in 1996, and even before that, I competed at the first ever Pan, in 1995, a championship that’s not even in the official IBJJF records.”

The main reason Shaolin is back, however, is that he rediscovered his motivation:”In the last years I dedicated myself to different things like MMA and the running of my NY academy. Other than that, it is hard to train properly being a husband and a father of three. For this one, however, I found some time and the motivation is back. I will be there with 16 students, and that’s a big reason to go. I will also have great teammates like Robson Moura and Gustavo Dantas competing, so why not?”

Saulo and Xande Ribeiro, Alexandre “Gigi” Paiva, Eduardo Telles, Bruno Bastos, Rodrigo Munduruca, Paulo Guillobel, Cassio Werneck, Regis Lebre and Rodrigo Clark are some of the well known names who will see action next Sunday.

If you’re going to compete, don’t forget to arrive early, as the IBJJF warns of traffic issues due to the LB Marathon on the morning of the event. Find out more here and here.

Keep up with all the action here and at GRACIEMAG’S Facebook, Instagram (@graciemagazine) and Twitter pages.

The famous Long Beach Pyramid will be the stage for the Worlds Master & Senior

The first ever IBJJF World Championship for master & senior athletes has reached full capacity.

Registration closed two days before the deadline.

With a guaranteed full house, the IBJJF has issued a warning regarding some traffic issues on the date of the event.

On the same Sunday, October 7, the Long Beach International Marathon will be taking place, and the course passes right through the Pyramid.

Because of that, the IBJJF is strongly recommending that all competitors, coaches, spectators and staff leave for the competition earlier than planned. Heavy traffic is expected between 6am and 1pm. Please allow yourselves an extra 30+ minutes  to arrive on time between those hours.

Here are the links to the maps and driving directions for the competition parking. The competition is set to start at 10:30am and  estimated to end around 10pm. The doors will be open at 9:30am.

For more info, go to ibjjf.org