Featherweight Gabriel Marangoni won four matches in becoming absolute champ in Bucharest, Romania. Publicity photo.

A professor of Jiu-Jitsu in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo, Gabriel Marangoni had never set foot on an airplane, much less left Brazil, for that matter.

Thanks to the gentle art, though, the 21-year-old CheckMat black belt made the news in Romania during the country’s ADCC tryouts.

At his teacher Rodrigo Cavaca’s request, Marangoni embarked for Greece for three months of seminars and academy stop-ins. Realizing there was an opportunity to compete in Romania’s capital, Bucharest, he waded into the mix last Saturday. Seven matches later, he was crowned champion of the under-65 kg division as well as the absolute.

For his also-black belt brother Rafael and his 200+ students in Brazil to behold, here’s Gabriel in action in the tournament final, against Eugen Stanescu.