Kenny's Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Blog: 2009 IBJJF World Championships

First let me start with our top news! Highlights for Team C-Quence include two World Championship medalists: Johnny Monuz brought home Silver in blue belt juvenile light feather division (only losing by a single advantage point in the gold medal round to a brazilian) and Claudia Martinez Kvenbo brought home Bronze in brown/black belt division female light feather division. Claudia had amazing competition:

Round 1
Kanako Inaba – black belt
ac. Champion JJ

(and)

Round 2
Leticia Ribeiro – black belt
ac. Gracie Humaita

Congratulations to our medalists this year. I know our instructor, John Kvenbo Munoz is proud of his wife and son for their fantastic achievements and for what our team accomplished this year. I know he has high hopes for the coming years as well. Congrats also to Team Lloyd Irvin’s juvenile team for bringing home second place overall this year! Nice work guys and gals. Traveling all the way from MD to compete. That’s pretty cool stuff!

And now on to my results and comments from 2009 World BJJ Championships. This year marks my third world championships (one year as white belt and two as blue belt). To be clear the white belt tournament held at the same time as the world championships is not considered part of the world’s so for the record I have now competed in the world’s twice as a blue belt.

This year I held a simple but realistic goal of winning my first round match up. As a 39 year old competitor in all other tournaments I would normally fight in the Masters or Seniors 1 age brackets (at age 40 Seniors 2 will be my usual age bracket), but lucky me at worlds they host only an adult division (Men 18 years and older, normally capped at age 29). So if you wish to compete in the worlds without traveling to Brazil for the Masters/Seniors Worlds this is your opportunity to fight the best of the best.

My first match is a perfect example of why I think a lot of guys over thirty don’t jump into this particular tournament. I was matched up against a very game Chris Garci. He’s a 19 year old fighter with excellent movement and flow in his game. With a 20 year age difference I figured I had my hands full but I was focused on throwing everything I had at this match to achieve my goal. Here’s how our match was listed June 04, 2009:

Christopher Garci
ac. Brasa USA
(vs.)
Kenneth Knapp
ac. C Quence Jiu-Jitsu

In the end Chris pulled guard and got a sweep. During our exchange I believe he was nearly awarded 4 back points but my defense was strong and held up. Our match up was filled with a lot of him attacking and me defending from turtle. I had an opportunity to level the scoreboard when we ended up standing and I had his back. I dumped him to his right shoulder and rather than rolling into to turtle Chris shot his legs up and out (like a break dancer egg rolls) and he landed in side position (pretty cool move that caught my attention). Chris earned 2 points I believe our entire match. I had a chance or two at take downs but didn’t capitalize. I was bummed but for the first time I made it through my entire first match at the World Championships and kept it close, my game held up. Overall this match allowed me to see many areas where I need to focus on my game so it was very rewarding for me. I enjoyed it and look forward to my next attempt at achieving my ultimate goal of winning gold at the World Championships.

Disappointingly, I didn’t get passed my first match up but I felt that this had been my best performance to date at the Worlds so I felt bad but good at the same time.

As most of my fellow competitors know the one thing on your mind after your tournament day is done is food. So the only solace I was left with was my $6.00 burger/fries and the fact that I was heading home uninjured, accept for my pride perhaps.

The highlight of my day aside from meeting Coach Lloyd Irvin and Ryan Hall face-to-face at this year’s event was the fact I finally got to meet a couple of my heros, Marcelo Garcia & Rafael Lovato Jr.. I think the only thing that can bring you out of a negative funk after losing in the first round of a big tournament is perhaps taking some cool shots with guys you greatly respect in our sport.

So in the end my I showed up, did my thing but was left wanting. Until next year…same time, same place. ;-)

As a final note most people I know do not train or compete in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu so it’s hard for them to understand what we do and why we do it. Today’s event pitted 117 trained competitors in the Adult, Middle Weight, Blue Belt division against each other. In the end four men (1 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medalists) walk away with a little piece of glory around their necks and a title that exemplifies the pinnacle of achievement in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition.

The heart wrenching angst of BJJ competition is no matter what happens in a match one man/woman wins and one man/woman loses. It must needs be there is defeat in every victory.

I’m now looking forward to defending my championship at this year’s US Open, California Classic and American National where I will face competitors in my age, weight and belt level. It will be fun to say the least.

A special thank you to the great competitors who I met this year especially Marcelo Garcia, Rafael Lovato Jr., thanks for the pictures gentlemen. A special shout out to coach Lloyd Irvin and his team for traveling from MD to compete and take home a couple of medals and one title thus far, great work coach! I’d also like to say thank you so much to Ryan Hall for the invite to 50/50. I can’t wait to get to the East Coast to roll with that guy. Love that triangle game. ;-)