Emmanuela Oliveira 
Two-time IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Con champion Raphael Pesce is one of the most talented kids athletes on Bruno Frazatto’s team at Atos Atlanta. The 13-year-old yellow-belt already has a very aggressive style, constantly seeking submissions as soon as he enters the mat. In the most recent competition, which took place in Las Vegas, Pesce defeated two opponents with a submission in one of the matches. As for the performance, Raphael gives all the credit to the team.
“I think I realized as competitors we have more in common than not. We all train hard and come out to win. The biggest difference between us is our academies. I might be a little biased but I feel so lucky to be taught by the best professors and roll with the best training partners.”.
Raphael Pesce trusts 100% in the strategies taught by professor Frazatto
Referring to Bruno Frazatto, his professor, as the Yoda of Jiu-Jitsu, in reference to the Star Wars film franchise, Pesce highlights the effectiveness of the strategies created by Frazatto to help him succeed in his fights. Raphael lives in South Carolina, far from Atlanta, and the journey to attend training at Atos requires hours of travel. A sacrifice that is worth it.
Roberto Traven, 7th degree coral belt, and Bruno himself are cited by the boy as his greatest inspirations in the sport. According to the athlete’s current dedication, a well-known quality, it is quite certain that Jiu-Jitsu will be part of Raphael Pesce’s adult life and the black-belt will be a natural consequence. However, for him, it is better to live one day at a time to make the most of each phase.
“I’d love to achieve that rank but I don’t really think of myself as a black-belt. I’m just trying to get a little better every day.”.
