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Ismael Santos and his dream of spreading Jiu-Jitsu around the world

Graciemag Newsroom — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 15:00:55 +0000

Ismael and both golds earned at the Chicago International Open 2021. Photo: Reproduction

Currently in first place at the brown belt ranking of the IBJJF, the largest and most respected Jiu-Jitsu organization in the world, Ismael Santos is one of the young prospects in the gentle art’s competitive scene. Under the tutelage of black belt Marcelo Ribeiro, he has joined a select group of athletes in the Xchange project, which supports young talents to participate in championships in the United States, to provide an international level experience for a new generation of competitors.

To tell his story, the 2021 Pan American champion chatted with GRACIEMAG and spoke about his dream of popularizing Jiu-Jitsu in American soil, his experiences on the USA and how these contributed to his maturation inside and outside of the mats. A real gem that, with its knowledge of the sport and the competitive scenario at a professional level, has plenty of baggage to use the sport to further the premises of health and self-confidence to future students. Check the lines below!

GRACIEMAG: How did you get to know Jiu-Jitsu? Already joined thinking about competing?

ISMAEL SANTOS: I was introduced to Jiu-Jitsu through a friend who was already training. I was already aware of the benefits of sport, so I joined him to learn about self-defense and live a healthier life. Also, I could expend excessive energies on the mat and, consequently, become more centered and focused on my studies. I started competing at age 13, still at white belt, and after three months of training, I was champion for the first time. At 15 years old, at blue, I was champion again, this time at the CBJJ Brazilian Team Nationals, by GFTeam. I won state and regional titles until, in 2015, I received the title of best youth blue belt in the state of Ceará.

Ismael, alongside professor Marcelo, boasts gold medal won at the Pan. Photo: Reproduction

At what point did you understand that you would become a professional?

I think the moment Jiu-Jitsu changed for me was at age 14, when I took my first trip to São Paulo. I received a lot of encouragement from my teacher Elinor Batista, who saw my potential early, encouraged me to pursue this future and do my best to be successful. Suddenly, for the first time, I was leaving my state to compete. That was very important for me. From there, I adjusted my mentality and felt in my heart that this would be my mission in life, that my destiny would be on the mats, showing Jiu-Jitsu to the whole world.

How does your family understand your profession in sport? Did you have their support at the beginning?

I am very grateful to my family as I’ve always had their support. In addition to encouraging me to follow my dreams, they always taught me to work hard, never give up and achieve my goals through merit. I learned a lot from seeing my father, who lost one of his legs when I was ten years old and still walks to work every day, and my mother, who never lost her smile despite living a difficult life and without running water in the interior of Ceará. If I got where I am, it’s all thanks to them.

Ismael heads the IBJJF’s brown belt ranking. Photo: Reproduction

And the mission to win the United States? How was the invitation?

I met Professor Marcelo Ribeiro through the project he has in Brazil, to help athletes compete and manage their careers in the United States. I arrived in the US for the first time in 2020, still as a purple belt. Because of the pandemic, I couldn’t compete and went back to Brazil. In 2021 he invited me again to spend a season at his family’s house and visit new places, practice my English and, of course, compete. I came back, worked hard and now I’m number one in the IBJJF brown belt ranking.

What has changed in your Jiu-Jitsu and has it changed in your life by joining the project at RMA?

I feel I evolved in different ways. In my personal life, I have matured because of the experience of getting to know a new culture and being so far away from my family. As a professional, the training routine and traveling to compete helped me to have a more professional point of view towards my career. Above all, I am grateful to Professor Marcelo, who recognized my efforts and allowed me to participate in this project.

With this new experience in the bag, what are your next plans for Jiu-Jitsu?

I intend to keep working hard and giving my best in all training and championships. I want to reach the ranking of the best black belts on the IBJJF and make other people see, as I do, the benefits of Jiu-Jitsu. My goal now is to be very successful and, through my results as an athlete, inspire adults and children to come to the mat and learn that Jiu-Jitsu can change lives.

Along with Marcelo Ribeiro and his RMA training partners, Ismael celebrates yet another victory. Photo: IBJJF/Giselle Villasenor Photography
The post Ismael Santos and his dream of spreading Jiu-Jitsu around the world first appeared on Graciemag.

A promising Jorjão wants to shine in BJJ worldwide

Graciemag Newsroom — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 16:00:59 +0000

Photo: Personal archive

Jorge Fernandes, a twelve-year-old, is a jewel currently being shaped at American Top Team Ft. Lauderdale in Florida. Jorjão, as he is known, extended a good phase in competition as he won, for the second time, the Pan Kids, held recently by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) in California.

Despite being so young, Jorjão already knows that in order to conquer big challenges in his personal life, he needs dedication, perseverance and, especially, to forgo moments of leisure. That, in his view, is what enabled him to win the tournament again.

“It’s the result of a lot of discipline and sacrifice to keep up with the diet and training,” he said in a recent interview. “I gave up a lot of fun times with my friends. Really, I like training and competing, so I’m always at the gym training and traveling to the competitions. And I believe this causes me to have more interest in the sport, and gives me rhythm and experience in competition.”

Taught by his dad, Junior Fernandes, who is a black-belt under Ricardo Libório, Jorjão revealed that, in one of his elimination matches, he used a spinning choke that he learned from his father. This move shocked the audience.

“It’s a choke I like to use when I fight playing guard, but I learned some variations from my dad to play on top,” said the young champion. “I just adjusted it to my game. I studied all my possible opponents, and that was a factor that defined my wins. Jiu-jitsu is a sport that requires studying; there are lots of intelligent athletes.”

The results of his studies are seen in practice, through his social media, when Jorjão shares the experiences he’s been having as he trains and competes in judo. “It’s not that I like judo the way I like jiu-jitsu,” he said; “it’s just because it’s the complement to my jiu-jitsu.”

Jorjão added: “I’m in second in the U.S. rankings. I know that judo helps me in my physical preparation as well, so I look at it like I do jiu-jitsu: wherever there’s judo, I try to go to fight and train.”

Jorge has accumulated several gold medals, and it’s worth noting his titles at the American Nationals and US Open Judo Championships.
The post A promising Jorjão wants to shine in BJJ worldwide first appeared on Graciemag.

Champion Kaio César analyzes master 1 division, plans to “win Pan and Worlds” this season

Graciemag Newsroom — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 15:00:12 +0000

Photo: IBJJF/Facebook

Kaio César is starting to reap the fruits of the discipline employed in the course of his journey in Jiu-Jitsu, which began when he was just 13, when he got an invitation from a friend while playing football.

Today, at 29, Kaio is one of the big black-belt names on the IBJJF’s master 1 competitive circuit. He is a 2021 American Nationals no-gi champion.

“I live to train and compete,” he said in a recent interview. “In Brazil, for example, I used to teach class. I notice that there is no difference between training in Brazil and here – it’s really just the language. Here, they often say that if you speak the language of Jiu-Jitsu, everybody’s going to understand you. But you’d better learn to speak English too!”

A representative of Gracie Barra, Kaio has an intense routine to keep up with the biggest BJJ events. By the end of this season, he wants to fight for the gold at the Pan and the World Championship, in and out of the gi. He currently sits atop the IBJJF’s master 1 rankings for no-gi light feather athletes.

“I train four times a week, and within those days, I try to organize the technical side, the specific training and lots of free training, which, in my view, is important,” he said.

Kaio went on to say that these days the master 1 age group is very hard-fought, and added: “Back in the day, even after the age of 30, most athletes would still fight in the adults’ group. But nowadays, I see that it’s pretty evenly split. The athletes from the adult category, when they reach master age, realize there’s plenty of tough fights and opponents in all categories. So it’s worthwhile to fight in the right division and do good matches regardless.”

The black-belt of seven years wrapped up the interview by sharing the greatest lesson he learned in his 17 years of jiu-jitsu: “Have discipline! Never give up on your goals, and be perseverant. Discipline has never failed to produce good fruits.”
The post Champion Kaio César analyzes master 1 division, plans to “win Pan and Worlds” this season first appeared on Graciemag.