Emmanuela Oliveira 
Belgian athlete José Steve, a recent reinforcement of Dream Art, is dedicating his best on the mats of Isaque Bahiense’s team. Training at an intensive pace after his arrival from Belgium, the Jiu-Jitsu purple-belt is delighted with the intensity with which Brazilian athletes approach the sport.
“I really like training in Brazil because I really feel that the atmosphere is different. Here the guys train all day, when competition training is over some give private lessons after that there is physical preparation and after that some do drill sessions. Basically, all day my mind is immersed in a performance perspective.”, he commented in an interview with VF Comunica, saying that in Belgium this is a totally different aspect, since in the European country the habit of connecting to Jiu-Jitsu is only partial, restricted to training turns.
Steve’s presence in the main Jiu-Jitsu tournaments around the world is a routine. That’s how contact was established with Isaque Bahiense, who liked what he saw and hired José, runner-up in last year’s Brazilian Nationals, to join the Dream Art team. That same year, he won silver at the Worlds. In the current season, another silver medal joined the collection, earned at the IBJJF Pan. “Gold, Gold and Gold. For me, this is a more than achievable goal. I am used to fighting in finals, so the goal is once again to go to the final but this time to come out with the gold medal.”, he replied when asked about goals.
With the Brazilian Nationals just a few days away, José Steve is aware that this is a competition that brings together the best in the world, as many well-prepared athletes, prevented from fighting outside the country due to denied visas, arrive at the Brasileiros hungry for victory. He mentions the IBJJF Grand Slam as important steps on the path that will take him to the final destination that matters most: the Worlds.
“The objective for this championship is to be able to perform as closely as possible to what I will be able to present at the Worlds. Last year I managed to get to the final which I unfortunately lost by decision. The goal this year is to take this gold medal.”, he said.
Today, José Steve is able to train and learn directly from Isaque Bahiense, an idol
Mentioning Isaque Bahiense as one of the sport’s idols, Steve is a scholar in moments of rest from physical training, who cultivates the habit of watching and analyzing videos. Bahiense’s performances are some of those that stay on repeat. By improving himself on the Dream Art mat, José is taking advantage of the opportunity to get to know the human and professional side of an idol.
“It’s so strange because today I not only have the opportunity to train with this beast but I also have the chance to have discovered an exceptional person and not only in BJJ, Isaque behaves a bit like a big brother to me. In terms of BJJ he brings me a lot from a strategic and technical point of view, he is a bit the piece that my BJJ was missing to be even better.”, he says with admiration.
In this Belgium-Brazil connection, José, who discovered Jiu-Jitsu by chance, when accompanying his nephew in some Jiu-Jitsu classes, is able to point out the main differences in the development of the sport in both countries. For him, the full-time dedication of Brazilians is what draws the most attention here. However, as the development of martial art is a global reality, José mentioned Florian Bayili, Naim Mojahed and Inès Hadi as fellow countrymen with good results in competitions. When he became interested in Gentle Art, still in Belgium, José began to dedicate his life to technical improvement. Departing for Brazil, to breathe the sport, seemed like a natural flow. “Today in BJJ I’m giving it my all but I’m not yet the best and the goal is to become one.”, he concluded, proud of himself.
