The competition calendar has already started and with it dreams can come true. Roney Edler, leader of Sertão BJJ, an academy that started in the northeast of Brazil, now works as a Jiu-Jitsu professor, motivated by the goal of giving opportunities to those who have never had them. After the participation of Brazilian students in the IBJJF Euros, a competition that will take place until next weekend in Lisbon, Portugal, Roney spoke with the VF Comunica team and expressed his satisfaction with the achievements of his students.
One day, you are competing in regional tournaments in your state, without as much visibility as in Brazilian cities, and suddenly, you step onto the blue and yellow mats of the IBJJF, in the first Grand Slam competition of 2025, outside the country. It’s quite an emotion, isn’t it? Yasmin Martins, one of the athletes who received support from Sertão BJJ to travel, made the most of the opportunity. She was the best blue-belt athlete among the competitors in the juvenile 2, heavyweight, and will return to Brazil with the European title.
Read the full interview with Roney Edler below!
VF COMUNICA: How has the experience of accompanying your students to competitions in Europe been? What differences do you notice between the events here and in Brazil?
RONEY EDLER: For them, it’s something out of this world, the three of them. It’s the first time they’ve left Brazil on an international trip. So, I’m super happy to be there and to make this happen. The team is less than a year and a half old and today we’re conquering the world. I don’t think there’s much difference in the United States now, compared to Brazil. In Brazil, we have more obstacles to overcome. It’s the birthplace of our sport. The IBJJF organization is always very good, as always.
VF COMUNICA: What were the biggest challenges you faced when bringing your team to compete outside of Brazil?
RONEY EDLER: Without a doubt, the costs, because we at SBJJ made this happen without support and with our own resources. We won’t stop here. I know how difficult it is for all athletes in Brazil to get abroad, and that’s the purpose of our team: to help our fellow countrymen from the northeast so that they can show that we have some really good Jiu-Jitsu in the northeast.
VF COMUNICA: What do you believe your students are learning by competing on international stages?
RONEY EDLER: That regardless of everything, they can do their best and show that we have a lot of Jiu-Jitsu in the Northeast.
VF COMUNICA: What motivated you to invest so much in the growth of your Jiu-Jitsu school and take it to the international stage?
RONEY EDLER: I didn’t have the support of my former teams, which I always represented. Unfortunately, I didn’t receive the same care that I have given to our Sertão athletes in Brazil. Since they are taking our team and defending our flag to the world, why not help? I know that we can’t embrace the world and take everyone with us right now, but I will work to take as much as I can, helping our athletes go further because this is a life purpose that I have had since I created SBJJ.
VF COMUNICA: Do you have plans to expand your academy to other countries, besides Europe and the United States?
RONEY EDLER: Yes, the door is open to those who believe in the purpose of our team and want to join us.
VF COMUNICA: What is the philosophy behind your work as a Jiu-Jitsu professor and mentor? How do you convey this to your students?
RONEY EDLER: We are a family beyond a team, because we embrace each other on and off the mat and I think that is what makes us connected and moving in the same direction. If it only works for one, I won’t follow that path. We walk so that it works for everyone.
VF COMUNICA: How do you see the role of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on the international scene? Is Europe already close to the Brazilian level?
RONEY EDLER: It is only growing more and more, contrary to what people say and speculate. Here, the highest level is reaching because they are working harder and harder. I was here in 2020 and today I noticed that the level has increased, but it is still not as high as in Brazil.
VF COMUNICA: How important is it to bring young talents to competitions outside of Brazil? What impact does this have on their careers and personal growth?
RONEY EDLER: Showing that if they believe in the work, they can make a living from BJJ and help their families in Brazil. That is our goal, to transform lives. That is SBJJ’s mission.
