Emmanuela Oliveira 
A Jiu-Jitsu black-belt, Patrick Possamai, also known as ‘Cenoura’, discovered that the sport not only offered him a professional career opportunity, but also helped him build his self-confidence. Today, at 27 years old and with a collection of medals won in competitions, Patrick is a respected athlete who is aware that his skills can take him further. However, it wasn’t always like this.
“The day that Jiu-Jitsu defined me, that showed me what I wanted for my life, was when I managed to overcome an emotional block that I had since I was a child due to a rare immunological disease called alopecia areata. Everything I did before Jiu-Jitsu was with a cap or hat, whether it was playing sports, going to school, working or anywhere. I had a blockage because I imagined what people would say about the disease, because when I was a child I already suffered from this. When Jiu-Jitsu came into my life, in that environment or in some competition, I forgot about that and just focused on the moment of the fight. Day after day I overcame and gained more confidence and self-esteem.”.
Patrick ‘Cenoura’ took his first Jiu-Jitsu class convinced by his father
Born in Joinville, Santa Catarina, Patrick recalled the exact time when he discovered Jiu-Jitsu. He got into the sport because of his father, who was a passionate practitioner.
“I have always been a person who loved sports, a bit ambitious and competitive. When I was 17 or 18 years old, my father, who was training and passionate about Jiu-Jitsu, invited me to go with him to a class. He was going to borrow a kimono from someone so I could train at Estevão dos Santos’ academy, better known as Jack, my professor who lives in Joinville. As soon as I took the class, I became another Gentle Art enthusiast.”.
His taste for competition came quickly, after just one month of training. Patrick’s first tournament was a championship only for the team members. At the time, he fought two matches against much more experienced athletes and reached the top of the podium. Two weeks later, he accepted another challenge. This time, he fought four matches and won another gold medal. “From then on, I never stopped competing.”.
Invited by Marcos Cunha, the black-belt from Santa Catarina joins the TCM competition team
Patrick Possamai currently trains with Marcos Cunha at The Match Champ Academy in the United States. He has dedicated 10 years to Jiu-Jitsu and next month he will earn his first degree as a Jiu-Jitsu black-belt.
Throughout his career as a competitor, from white to black belt, Patrick has amassed a vast collection of over 200 medals. He has won the IBJJF Brazilian Nationals twice as an adult, which is one of the most competitive tournaments in the world. As a black-belt, he has won more medals competing in IBJJF Opens. The CBJJ Sul-Brasileiro and the AJP regional championships, including the Sul-Americano of the same United Arab Emirates federation, are other competitions with successful participation.
“I have already had my visa approved for a year and today I am now trying to grow even more professionally. I arrived in America through an invite from Master Marcos Cunha, our leader and founder of The Match Champ, to be able to compete in the main tournaments in the world. It was through this invite that I was able to get to know the city of Celina, in Ohio, and I chose to train at the TMC Brazuca USA academy, to prepare myself and show my Jiu-Jitsu in this region, which has a lot of room for growth. I have the same ambition as when I started in the martial art, focused on giving the best of myself so that everyone can see how much Jiu-Jitsu can be transformative.”.
