Saulo Ribeiro

The IBJJF also held the 2015 Master International championship this weekend in Rio de Janeiro.

Among thousands of participants, some familiar names made it to the podium.

In the master 1 black belt, Thiago Gaia did great with double gold at the ultra-heavy and open class divisions.

Fabiana Santos also won double gold in the master 1 at the superheavy and open class.

Other double gold black belt champions were Thiago Almeida (master 2), Luana Fiquene (master 2), Charles Correa (master 3), Katia Santos (master 3), Admilson Brites (master 4), Rolando Toro (master 6).

At the master 5, the open class champion was Schumann Carvalho.

The most recognizable name in the event was the IBJJF hall of famer Saulo Ribeiro, who won the master 3 superheavy division.

In the teams competition, Nova União topped the standings with GF Team in 2nd place and Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu in 3rd place.

For the full results, go to ibjjf.com.

Rio Winter Open and Master International, in 2012.

There will be a lot of Jiu-Jitsu in Rio de Janeiro for the next four days.

The 2015 Rio Winter International Open and the 2015 Master International championship take place simultaneously from this Thursday, July 23, until next Sunday, July 26.

We have prepared a quick guide for those competing and/or just watching and cheering for family and friends.

Traditionally held at the famous Tijuca Tenis Club, both events were relocated to the Club Municipal (click for map), in the same neighborhood of Tijuca.

Click here to access the site of Metro Rio, the city’s subway, the easiest and safest way to move about in Rio (if you don’t have a car).

The Rio Open event kicks off this Thursday while the Master International has its first matches on Friday.

Click here for the full schedule.

Click here for the brackets.

The matches will begin at 9AM on each day.

Remember to be at the venue at least two hours prior to your first match to avoid any last minute rush and disqualification.

Also, remember to take a government-issued form ID. A passport is the most common for foreigners.

As the events are in Brazil, remember all weights are shown in kilograms and the day has 24 hours (your match could be scheduled for 15:30, meaning 3:30PM).

The entrance in the venue is free on all five days.

As usual, the black belt division is the main attraction at both events.

At the Rio Winter Open, there are big names such as Isaque Paiva, Luan de Carvalho, Vinicius Marinho, Jaime Canuto, Darragh O’Conaill, Alexandro Ceconi, Erberth Santos, Luiza Monteiro.

At the Master International, you find great competitors such as Denilson Pimenta, Theodoro Canal, Eduardo Santoro, Felipe Costa, Danny Alvarez, Gabriel Willcox, among others.

For more info, go to ibjjf.com.