Emmanuela Oliveira 
The gold medal at the Pan Kids was a very special achievement for Sienna Ocean, a gray-belt from AOJ who has a recent but very deep connection with Jiu-Jitsu. In one of the most challenging competitions on the IBJJF calendar, Sienna fought three matches and applied three submissions with no points scored on her. For this season, Sienna told VF Comunica that all of her goals were successfully achieved.
“Since I’m fairly new at jiu jitsu, I only found out last year how important Pan Kids is. Since that moment, I’ve set my goal to work hard towards preparing for Pans Kids. Winning Pan Kids means that I have finally accomplished all of my goals for this year.”.
Sienna already dreams of earning her black-belt in Jiu-Jitsu
Even at the beginning of her journey, with many possibilities ahead of her, Sienna already has the dream of becoming a black-belt in the sport, a world champion, as something very concrete. Today this is a dream, but it is certainly also a goal that she will work towards until it becomes a reality in the coming years. In February 2022, the girl, who discovered martial arts through taekwondo, became interested in Jiu-Jitsu and practicing it in the first few months was just a hobby. It didn’t take long for her presence on the mat to become a more serious commitment.
“I started training Jiu-Jitsu in February 2022. I joined the competition team of Gracie Barra Costa Mesa in June and did my first tournament on July 31st. I moved to AOJ in November 2023 and have been training under Professor Pablo Lavaselli and Fran Papasidero ever since.”.
“Progression takes time,” emphasizes the champion who wants to be an inspiration for girls
Sienna, who has been working constantly on improving her Jiu-Jitsu technique, is an expert in crazy dog passing and kimuras from north-south. The environment of a Jiu-Jitsu academy can be a bit daunting for girls her age; however, being surrounded by the right people and persisting in progress are conditions that always keep her motivated.
Progression in Jiu-Jitsu takes time and practice. Don’t be discouraged by the challenges and ups and downs. Focus on learning, not winning. Enjoy the journey of mastering new techniques and skills. Don’t hesitate to ask instructors or more experienced students if you have questions. I really enjoy the process of training and when I see my hard work paying off it motivates me to continue learning more to get the results I want at competition. During competitions, I stay motivated by thinking about how hard I have trained and wanting to display what I have worked on to everyone.”, Sienna advised, a girl who has her own training partners at Art of Jiu-Jitsu as her source of inspiration.
