Trained in social projects, young people represent Cidade de Deus-RJ at the European Jiu-Jitsu Championship

Last week, six young people from Cidade de Deus, a community in Rio de Janeiro, landed in Paris, France, to compete in the 2023 European Jiu-Jitsu Championship. Under the command of Professor Márcio de Deus, from Infight/TMD House, the team – which was supported by Seda College – won a total of four medals. One of them was with brown belt Anderson Kauan, 19 years old, bronze at weight after losing in the semifinal.

“I think I had a good performance, but it could have been better. Now it’s time to fix the mistakes and focus on the next event. I want to compete in the biggest events in 2023, mainly the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship (by the IBJJF),” said Kauan, who completed thanking:

“I have a very strong relationship with him (Márcio de Deus), both personally and professionally. I learn every day and without a doubt he is an important figure in my life as an athlete. As for Seda College, he is a fundamental support for anyone who wants to live of the sport, it helps me to focus on training, diet, in short, on preparation as a whole”.

Multi-time champion, black belt Gabi Pessanha won double gold and led the team at the European Jiu-Jitsu Championship, which, in addition to Anderson Kauan, had blue belt Luiz Nathan as another male representative. At 17, he competed in his first championship as an adult and ended up losing in the quarterfinals, after adding three victories.

“I had a good participation, but it wasn’t the result that I worked together with my team for the European Jiu-Jitsu Championship. Being my debut as an adult, I learned that no matter how prepared you feel, it won’t always be enough. keep working. For this season, I want to win all the competitions I can participate and enjoy my potential to the fullest”, said Nathan, who is aiming for the Pan and the IBJJF Worlds, both in the United States.

The creator of Cidade de Deus also mentioned the importance of the support of Seda College – an English school located in Dublin, Ireland – in this journey towards the European Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Paris (FRA) and his inspiration in Gabi Pessanha, the team’s great star and the biggest name in female Jiu-Jitsu today.

“Counting with them and Tiago (Uncle) is priceless, I can only worry about training and sharpening my technique. The financial part usually ends up worrying many athletes, sometimes even jeopardizing their focus, because wanting it or not it creates stress” , commented the blue belt, before finishing:

“Talking about Márcio and Gabi is always very natural, as is my relationship with both of them. Pessanha is an inspiration on and off the mats, she has helped me at various times not only technically, but also psychologically. It’s good to be able to see a person who came from the bottom like me and managed to rise in life through Jiu-Jitsu. Márcio is a surreal person, I think that if it weren’t for him and his work in Cidade de Deus, many lives would be lost… He It’s like a father to me and to my teammates as well.”