The IBJJF Euros is the competition that opens the calendar of major tournaments of the international Jiu-Jitsu federation. Sertão BJJ, a team led by Roney Edler, is still based in the Northeast of Brazil, where it was born, but is now undergoing an expansion process, with a headquarters in the United States and plans to open another academy in Portugal, the country where the European will be held next year.
In Brazil, the team has been winning titles in regional tournaments that have been well-received by athletes and teams from the Northeast of the country. The difference in winning medals was made by the performance of athletes of all ages, from kids to adults, in both Gi and No Gi. Roney says that tireless work and respect for the methodology have resulted in positive results.
“We work little by little, with all academies training under the same teaching methodology. We also always try to set goals with a focus on competitions.”.
Ranking monitored by Sertão indicates which athletes will benefit
Two athletes well-positioned in the ranking monitored by Sertão BJJ were selected to compete in the European next season. In an interview with VF Comunica, Roney spoke more about this, from issuing the athletes’ passports to raising funds to relocate them from Brazil.
“I use a ranking to see which athlete on our team will benefit. The entire process is funded with the team’s own resources, since I allocate a percentage of my gym here in the US. Some already have passports, and in other cases we help with the issuance. I promised to pay for the flight ticket when I came abroad. I said that I would pay for the ticket for whoever stood out to compete, whether in Brazil or abroad.”.
Goal for next season is more visibility
For 2025, plans are still moving towards expansion and support for athletes who remain in Brazil dedicating themselves to Jiu-Jitsu. The idea is to make Sertão BJJ more present in the IBJJF Grand Slam.
“We have many ambitions and we will work to bring more athletes to other IBJJF Grand Slam competitions. Consequently, we will form new partnerships. I am from the Northeast of Brazil, a place of hard-working people with a lot of faith. We are used to going after things and not waiting for them to happen. That is why we are doing good.”.
