Gabriel Almada 
Júlia Alves is a promise of female Jiu-Jitsu and has stood out for her flashy and finishing style. The black belt trained by Julio Cesar Pereira has been part of the sport’s elite since last year, when she won the World Pro in black belt.
The GFTeam athlete is a regular competitor at AJP events. She will be in action at the Grand Slam Miami, an Abu Dhabi Federation event that will be held on September 16 and 17. Julia relies on her positive record in the organization to come out with the gold.
“I have been having a great time, I won all the Grand Slams I fought in 2022 and I was champion of the biggest AJP rankings,” said Julia.
In a chat with the VF Comunica team, Júlia Alves analyzed the areas that evolved the most after the Worlds 2023 and reflected what has changed in her mentality since she was graduated black belt
VF COMUNICA: What is the biggest difference in your game compared to your opponents?
JÚLIA ALVES: Throughout my career, I have developed a very aggressive and finishing guard game. I believe that my physical drive and my explosion also make me stand out in most fights.
How do you analyze your moment in AJP competitions?
I have been dedicated to the AJP competitive circuit since the end of 2020 and have excelled. Being active in tournaments has allowed me to evolve a lot because, since I was a brown belt, I had the opportunity to fight with several black belts and some of them were already very experienced in the sport. I have been having a great time, I won all the Grand Slams I fought in 2022 and I was champion of the biggest rankings of this Federation.
What has changed in your mindset since you graduated black belt?
I was already looking to have black belt attitudes and mentality since the colored belts. When I finally reached the elite, I began to see that, as much as I had achieved great results in the colored belts, I still had a lot of room for evolution. I have focused more on technical improvement.
Which areas did you realize you needed to improve after the Worlds?
Even before the Worlds, I had already realized that I needed to improve technically. I traveled a lot last year and that broke my training schedule a lot. At the beginning of 2023, many things happened that made it impossible for me to fight the World Cup the way I would have liked. After that competition, I have been looking to evolve technically to get more fighting experience at CBJJ.
What is the importance of professor Julio Cesar in your training on and off the mats?
Julio Cesar is like a father to me. He is a guy of few words, but his attitudes speak for themselves. He makes me improve as a human being, because I see the way he treats people and how he behaves even though he is the leader of the GFTeam. I feel honored to have received the black belt from his hands and to be a representative of the GFTeam legacy.
Do you have any opponent in mind for a superfight?
I don’t have anyone in mind at the moment, but I am always ready for any challenge.
