Project completed / Photo: personal archive
Marcos Souza is a fixture at IBJJF events in Asia, he’s the 2010 Asian Open absolute champion, for example. The brother of stalwart competitor Roberto Satoshi, he is now in mourning following the death of his father, Master Adilson Souza, three months back. Now Marcos has set to work to create a tribute honoring his father.
“I went through a really rough phase and sat out the last few competitions. Our main academy is very basic, in the back of my grandparents’ house, and it was through it that my father supported my mother and four brothers. We decided to open a bigger one as an homage to our father and hero, and as we didn’t have much money, my older brother and I had to do the work ourselves,” says Marcos.
Under construction / Photo: personal archive
The new São Paulo branch of Bonsai academy was inaugurated on Fathers Day. There’s a weightlifting room, functional training room, and a 150-square-meter dojo, not to mention an amply-sized dressing room and parking lot.
“It was my father’s dream. Unfortunately we were unable to do it before. My brother Maurício Souza and I zealously worked on refurbishing the place every day. We got the building on June 1 and did everything and more to be sure we’d open on Fathers Day. We have faith the old man saw his present!” he says in closing.
Hard at work / Photo: personal archive