I’ve got big expectations for 2011, both for myself, Nathan Mendelsohn, and my team, Clube Barra and I’d like to give everyone here a short introduction!
This is the first year our team, under instructor Claudio Franca, will be uniting under the name "Clube Barra" and we are coming for the podium in the team division.
Our team includes many champions in all belt levels including black belt Carlos Melo, who was brown belt world and pan am champion 2009. I, Nathan Mendelsohn, was purple belt IBJJF National Champion, Copa Do Mundo Champion, American Cup Champion, Rio Open silver medalist, and Pan Am bronze medalist and last year at Brown Belt I took Gold at the American Cup in my weight and silver in the Absolute, was Absolute Honolulu Open Champion, Absolute US Open silver medalist and bronze medalist at the Copa Do Mundo. Also, keep an eye on purple belt champions Sawato Kawamura and Marcus Sosa.
My first tournament of 2011was the Abu Dhabi Pro Las Vegas Trials where I won the first fight 9-0 then finished black belt Steven Rosenberg in the second round by armbar from the mount and then lost a competitive match to the eventual champion Zak Maxwell in the semi-final.
My performance at this tournament has only fueled my confidence. I’ve been training and competing jiu-jitsu since I was ten years old and my time has come. My sights are set on weight and absolute at pan ams, then worlds and I expect my team to perform just as well.
Keep an eye on Clube Barra this year!!!