June 6, 2010
The 2010 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship held by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation is the most prestigious Jiu-Jitsu tournament in the world. Jiu-Jitsu practitioners travel from all over the world for a chance to be crowned the best.
As you approach the Pyramid, you hear the raucous sound of chanting and stomping. From the Tijuca Tennis Club in Rio de Janiero to the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, CA, Jiu-Jitsu has grown to an international sensation.
As you enter the venue, you see an entire section of the arena wearing the same-colored team shirt and proudly waving their banner. They chant in Portuguese and stomp their feet, directing their taunts at a rival school. The other school responds on cue, and comes back at the other team in a playful call-and-response game accompanied by coordinated arm-waving and things that you might expect to see at a World Cup soccer match.
The crowd responds to the action on the mat. It has been a technical war up to this point where the slightest margin of error could mean the difference between victory and defeat. The clock is running out of time. The referee raises his hand to count the 2 points awarded for a successful sweep and the arena is brought to its feet. Time expires and the table signals the end of the match as the newly-crowned champion throws up his arms in victory, jumps over the barricade, and leaps into the arms of his teammates in celebration.
This is Jiu-Jitsu at the highest level. Over the past four days, eager young competitors have fought alongside seasoned veterans and living legends on these same mats. Win or lose, this is the ultimate proving ground to put your skills to the test.
Andrew Ferebee
http://www.onthemat.com/video/world-jiu-jitsu-championship-2010-highlights