Gilbert Burns against Michael Langhi at last Worlds / Photo: Ray Santana
After a great string of wins in 2010, with titles like the No-Gi Worlds and World Pro among others, Gilbert Durinho is getting ready for action this season. The Atos black belt is confirmed for this weekend’s World Pro tryouts in Rio and the European Open in Lisbon, starting on January 27.
Check out the chat he had with GRACIEMAG.com:
How is training for the World Pro and European Open going?
We’re training hard here in Rio Claro. The whole gang’s together and the one leading training is Guto Campos. I’m feeling great, thank God, and we’re all focused, doing four training sessions per day. We do three Jiu-Jitsu sessions and one physical conditioning session with Atos’ physical conditioning coach Thiago Mendes, who uses the Octane method.
Will you still compete at lightweight?
I’m going into both competitions as a lightweight and I can guarantee there’s no lack of desire or fuel in the gas tank! I’ve got an appetite!
There will inevitably be strong matchups in both events. Are you anxious about these challenges?
It’s precisely these challenges that motivate me to compete. I like the mood of rivalry in the lead-up to a match, and I can see my evolution within the division with each championship, which makes me happy. My objective is to continue evolving and putting on better and better appearances with each championship. Becoming champion is a consequence of all these efforts. Last year was incredible for me, I gained a lot of confidence. I have some big wins and beat nearly all the big names in the division. I also fought at middlweight at the end of last year, and I also won major championships. That surely makes me more confident and experienced. But this year will be even better still, I’m working really hard for that to happen.
Durinho celebrates with André Galvão. Photo John Lamonica.
After the Euro Open will you stick around in Europe to teach seminars?
After the European Open I’ll go to Switzerland with my friend Eduardo Ramos, where I’ll stay a week for seminars and classes in Geneva and Zurich. Then I’ll return to Brazil to continue training. I’m planning a training camp in the USA with the whole Atos crew at André Galvão’s academy in San Diego. We’ll likely prepare for the Pan and World Pro there. As always, I’d like to thank my teammates for everything.