This past weekend, I traveled with Michelle, Robert and some of their students, to experience the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Championships in Rio. It was an exciting adventure, and one which I will remember forever, because it was the first time I have been a spectator for world-class BJJ. I took over a hundred photos between two days of competition, and met some wonderful people, including my long-time hero, Leo Vieira. Nothing has taken my breath away quite like this weekend, with the beauty of Rio, the excitement of the fights, and all the adventures along the way.
We left late Friday night and drove into the early morning; it took nearly 6 hours to get to Rio and our little rented apartment in Copacabana. Mauricio and Christian were set to weigh-in by 10:00am on Saturday in their respective Brown Belt categories. Michelle and Juninho would compete on Sunday in their Black Belt divisions. Just the previous weekend, another car-full of students competed in the Blue and Purple Belt divisions.
Christian was put behind the wheel for most of the drive to Rio, and with good (or desperate) reason, as I soon learned. We only had a short time to drive, sleep and drive again to the gymnasium for the competition in the morning. Along a long stretch of road down a mountain range from São Paulo, Christian hugged the tight turns and wove between plodding trucks, ignoring the lane markings and pitching Michelle and I in the back seat from window to window. Robert was silent in the passenger seat, his long legs pressed against the dashboard and his hands resting on his knees. We were all pretty silent, except for Christian with the occasional `Filho de Puta!´ as he rode the bumpers of the trucks. When we were finally down, I said to Robert that it had felt like we were in a video game. He laughed and said that I hadn´t seen anything yet. Later on, when we reached Rio and got lost, Christian sped through the empty, open streets and crossed medians to change directions. Robert looked back at me and said, `Have you ever played Grand Theft Auto?´ I nodded, grinning. I think the only thing that saved our little car from damage was that it belonged to Michelle´s mother. I think I have yet to see Christian really drive.
We crashed in the apartment Michelle had reserved for competitions like this. It was furnished with beds, blankets, cutlery and pots -- everything we needed for the weekend. In the morning we were on the highway again with Christian behind the wheel, speeding toward the gym. From the window, I got my first real look at Rio. It is a big city, but is not congested as many big cities are. The streets are wide and open, and the long, wide beach stretches for miles alongside them. The downtown is busy and healthy, with many shops and restaurants. We ate at little side-diners with homestyle food, including rice, beans, and chicken like Mira makes, and plate-fulls of fresh fruit like strawberries, mangoes, kiwis and papaya. Walls are covered in beautiful graffitti, depicting people in cartoon or portraits. The famous statue of Jesus holds his arms apart over the city on one of the many tall moutain peaks. I am amazed by the blending of city life with breath-taking nature as these peaks sit nestled between apartment buildings and banks. The beach glistens as runners and sunbathers enjoy the heat of the early morning.
That is Rio so far. I need to take a break, and then will write about the competition and post pictures later on.
