If you don’t know Alexander Trans from CheckMat in Denmark, you’re about to. This ultra heavy competitor has dominated the Jiu-Jitsu scene since he got his brown belt after the Rio Open last August. He has not lost a tournament since.
Double gold winner Alexander Trans / Photo: Deb Blyth
To date, and as a brown belt, he has won his weight class at the 2010 Worlds No-Gi (he didn’t do the open) and both his weight class and the open at the No-Gi Pan, the Brazilian Nationals, the Europeans, the Pan (Gi), and as of last Sunday, the 22-year-old is now the double gold 2011 Gi Worlds winner as well.
What’s even more impressive is that Trans had five matches in his weight division and four in the open at the 2011 Worlds, and not a single opponent scored any points on him. Before you may think he has a weight advantage on his opponents or some other secret weapon up his sleeve, Trans, who stands at 6’4” and weighs in at 235 pounds, says he is actually lighter than his competitors in the ultra heavy division.
Add to that he hurt his knee six weeks ago and hasn’t been able to train properly. A visibly exhausted Trans says, “My matches were really tough. I was so tired at the end. I usually train three times a day, but I’ve had so much pain from my knee, I haven’t been able to do that.” Trans says he’s going to take a break now for a week or two to heal it.
After all of these accomplishments one may think he’d be a little overconfident or cocky, but on the contrary, Trans is an extremely humble, understated, and modest man who shies away from the spotlight as much as he can. “In the big picture I haven’t accomplished anything yet because I’m not a black belt,” he says, looking down, “but my record is important to me because I put my heart into it.”
Trans started training in Jiu-Jitsu at the age of 15, but only started training and competing at this level a couple of years ago. He says, “Every time I beat a Brazilian they say I’m strong with no technique, so I don’t know… maybe it’s true, but I train in Jiu-Jitsu three times a day!”
By the looks of it, he’s accomplished everything in the brown belt, but he doesn’t like to think about that. “I just want to be as good as I can be,” he says, “I’m so thankful to be on the Checkmat team and I trust my professors.”
Trans would like to thank Leo Vieira, Ricardo Vieira, Chico Mendes, Helder Medeiros, all his training partners who helped him, the guys from his academy in Denmark, and his sponsors Koral and Knockout Sports.
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