Xande Ribeiro, Otavio Sousa, Paulo Miyao, Luiz Panza added to the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour Los Angeles, on September 3-4

August 29, 2016

_MG_2719 — Cred Photos: Ivan Trindade/Gentle Art Media

Final deadline to register is August 30 for an event set to award over US$ 100,000 in prizes

The list of big names registered to compete at the 2016 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour keeps growing. Jiu-Jitsu legend Alexandre Ribeiro has confirmed that he’ll be present in the 94kg division. Another big name to compete next weekend at the Los Angeles Convention Center is Gracie Barra’s Otavio Sousa, registered in the 85kg division. Paulo Miyao has also joined the list of important names. He’ll be in the 69kg division while his brother João will compete in the 62kg division. Luiz Panza has also confirmed his presence at the Grand Slam Los Angeles. He’ll be competing in the 110kg division.

The list of names already confirmed to compete also includes black belts Erberth Santos, Michael Musumeci, Mahamed Aly, Igor Silva, Jose Junior, Kim Terra, Brian Mahecha, Ricardo Evangelista, Tarsis Humphreys, Lucas Barbosa, among others.

The event will award a total of US$ 104,800 in prizes for medalists from blue belt to black belt; juvenile, adult and master; men and women. The adult black belt division alone will award US$ 30,000 in prizes. This year, the Grand Slam LA will feature no-gi divisions for the first time. Results at the Grand Slam LA will count points on the UAEJJF world rankings.

The registration period to compete in the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour Los Angeles closes on August 30, 11:59PM Abu Dhabi time (12:59PM LA Time). All athletes need to be current members of the UAEJJF to be able to register. In an effort to bring Jiu-Jitsu to a broader audience, the UAEJJF confirmed that the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour Los Angeles will be broadcast to more than 80 countries all over the world. You will also be able to watch a live stream over the internet at FloGrappling.com (subscription required).

Organized by the United Arab Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF), the Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour will also make stops in Tokyo (Oct. 23), Rio de Janeiro (Nov. 12-13), Abu Dhabi (Jan. 13-14) and London (March 18).

Rules Course

The United Arab Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF) will hold a rules course on September 1-2, at the Los Angeles Convention Center, prior to the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour LA, scheduled September 3-4. The course is free to all participants, but only persons with a blue belt ranking or higher can take part in it.

Brown belts and black belts who wish to receive an UAE Referee Diploma will be able to take written and video tests. The cost for the test is $50 (UAEJJF Gold Members will have the fee waived). UAEJJF international referees could be invited to work at the 2017 World Professional Championship, in Abi Dhabi, with all expenses covered by the UAEJJF.

The course will take place in room 304, on the south hall of the LA Convention Center. Day 1 (Sept. 1), from 2:00PM to 8:00PM, will be devoted to theoretical and practical course. Day 2 (September 2), from 2:00PM to 4:30PM, will be reserved for testing. All participants will receive an UAEJJF Rules Course Certificate.

Those interested in taking part in the free rules course, should send an email message to RULES.COMMITTEE@UAEJJF.COM, with full name and a copy of an ID.

About the UAEJJF

With the support and guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation was established in November 2012 as the official authority for Jiu-Jitsu in the UAE.

The Federation plays a leading role in supporting jiu-jitsu and contributing to building a strong generation of UAE athletes to excel at the local and international levels. The Federation’s role is to implement policies that develop the sport in collaboration with various government entities, educational institutions, and other partners in order to advance the sport locally, regionally and globally.