Jiu Jitsu Style - Issue 38 2017

ABU DHABI WORLD PRO 2017

The 2017 rendition of the Abu Dhabi World

Professional Jiu Jitsu Championships was

another tremendous success; once again

showing a glimpse of what the future could

hold for the gentle art.

The competitor list read like a ‘who’s who’

of our sport, with the only notable omis-

sions being Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida

and Mackenzie Dern (the latter an omission

at the eleventh hour). As always, the level

of jiu jitsu on display was exemplary; every

belt level was well represented and contrib-

uted to this celebration of jiu jitsu.

The 2017 event included one notable

change: only two athletes from the same

country could compete in the same

weight category at brown and black belt.

Consequently, the athlete with the high-

est UAEJJF ranking qualified automat-

ically, while other entrants of the same

nationality had to compete for the final

World Pro slot via a mini-qualifying tour-

nament. Two athletes of the same nation-

ality would also be drawn on the same

side of the bracket for the main tourna-

ment, ensuring that no final would be car-

ried out between athletes representing

the same country.

This huge change in the structure of the

World Pro is, in our eyes, a big step in the

right direction when addressing the main

goals of the UAEJJF: to increase levels of

participation and do everything that can

be done to make jiu jitsu a viable sport for

Olympic consideration.

It may sound like a broken record, but the

UAEJJF continue to amaze us with their in-

novations and dedication to developing the

sport of jiu jitsu. The most exciting thing?

They’re only just getting started, and show

no signs of slowing down until they reach

their long-term goals.

TOURNAMENT FOCUS

The UAE Jiu Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF) continues to

push the boundaries of our sport, elevating the sta-

tus of professionalism within the world of jiu jitsu.

PICTURES: CALLUM MEDCRAFT