October 16, 2023
Another weekend, another batch of stellar competitions to give athletes a chance to sharpen their skills on the battlefield and earn points to climb their respective rankings while doing so. Whether you were in Africa, South America, or Europe, there was an AJP tournament ready to welcome you in its mats to fight for gold and glory. With all said and done, let’s check out the highlights of each championship!
AJP Tour South Africa National Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023: Chris Steenkamp submits all opponents and takes the double gold in Cape Town
On October 14th and 15th, athletes of all ages and graduations made their way to St. Cyprians High School, where they fought tooth and nail for the title in their categories. But for the local Chris Steenkamp, a 32-year-old brown belt who is not afraid to fight in the upper echelons of the sport, the weight division was not enough. His journey began at the 77kg bracket, where fellow countryman Sean Roberts awaited to fight for the gold. The duel, however, was dominated by Chris, who managed to land a 16-0 score before submitting to climb the podium.
Later on, Chris returned to the mats and went straight for the Professional Black Belt Open Heavyweight category. Showcasing his technique yet again, Chris first submitted Angola’s Gustavo Fernandes in the semis and then went on to the final, where Edusano Silva, another Angolan athlete, was unable to withstand his attacks. At the end of it all, Chris seized his second gold via submission and showed his talent to all the fight fans in the arena.
Check out the full results here!
AJP Tour Araguaína International Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023: Higor Lima and Paloma Dias conquer the double gold in Tocantins
Throughout the weekend, the Ginásio Pedro Quaresma was the stage that shined a light on many Brazilian talents. Among the many warriors that stepped up to the AJP mats, two Professional black belts highlighted the tournament with flawless performances that landed them the coveted double gold. Higor Lima (Hunters Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) started in the 77kg bracket, where he beat Erick Chaves (Squadron) twice - first by 3-2 and then by scoring last in a 6-6 tie - to reach the top of the podium for the first time. Higor eventually found his way back to the battlefield and, fighting in the Open Lightweight division, submitted fellow teammate Natanael Moreira to land his second title.
On the women’s side, Paloma Dias (Blec) was unstoppable in the tournament. In the 95kg division, she fought a very balanced match against Silvana Portilho (Equipe Rickson JJ), narrowly taking the victory by a 1-0 score. Paloma later returned to the mats gunning for the Open Heavyweight and overcame Eliane Rezende (Rodrigo Aleixo Jiu Jitsu) in the semis by a 3-0 score. In the final, the 62kg division champion Hanna Ribeiro (Hunters Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) gave Paloma a run for her money but was ultimately unable to avoid being submitted. With this win, Paloma once again rose to the podium and seized her second gold medal.
Check out the full results here!
AJP Tour Black Sea Regional Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023: Double gold for Danielo Rahim in Ukraine
On Sunday, October 15th, colored belts of all ages were welcomed at the Sportyvnyy Kompleks Mizhnarodnoho Humanitarnoho Universytetu for another round of high-level competition. Representing Kurdistan, blue belt Danielo Rahim (FAJR - Team) went above and beyond to conquer the 120kg division gold not once but twice in the same tournament. First, in the gi, Danielo went toe-to-toe against the local Nikita Honcharenko (Southside Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Europe) in a single match to decide who would be the champion. The duel lasted the entirety of the regulated time and ended in Danielo’s victory, by a 11-1 score.
However, Danielo would run into Nikita once more, this time in the No-Gi 120kg division. But while the match-up was the same as before, a more comfortable Danielo stepped up to the mats and managed to impose his game upon his opponent, landing a 9-1 score before closing his participation in the tournament with a winning submission, landing Danielo atop the podium for the second time on that day.
Check out the full results here!
