Adriano in action. Photo: Carlos Ozório
Barbosa Jiu-Jitsu representative Adriano Silva is another of the stalwart competitors signed up to compete at the Tijuca Tennis Club this coming weekend, when the International Masters and Seniors takes place. The winner of the last two installments of the event, Adriano, who still fights on even terms in the adult division, says he doesn’t notice much difference in the level of the matches between the two.
“To tell you the truth, the masters division is as tough as the adult one. I’ve competed at the International Masters for two years now and won it twice. Both times I had to do five matches to become champion, and all of them were tough,” he tells GRACIEMAG.com.
“The thing that gets you is the difference in duration, which is nearly half as long. But the quality is similar. All the matches are tough. These days the group over 30 is in tip-top shape and everyone fights on even terms. I’m not the only one competing as a master and an adult, there’s a bunch of guys who do it and who will be at the International. To put it otherwise, the championship is just as tough as the rest of them,” he adds.
Adriano at 2009 International next to this year's absentee Tiago Alves. Photo: Carlos Ozório
The big letdown for the team is the absence of Tiago Alves, who would accompany Adriano in the middleweight division.
“Last year I closed out the division with Tiaguinho, but, unfortunately, this year he won’t be able to make it because he’s finishing a tattoo. I’m going to represent the academy by myself in the division.”
Even so, the fighter guarantees Barbosa Jiu-Jitsu is going to be hard to contend with.
“We’re going into the International strong. Our academy has a lot of guys in the masters and seniors, a tough group, so we’ll have a lot of athletes in there,” he says in closing.