By Samira Bomfim*

Photo publicizing

TATAME.com brings with exclusivity the opening of the International Jiu-Jitsu Association. On November 19 a press conference will announce the foundation of the organization, that’s leaded by the Board of the Great Masters, composed by all the red belts of ninth degree.

Until now, the board has Masters João Alberto Barreto, Francisco Mansur, Flávio Behring and Álvaro Barreto. According with the great masters, all the red belts can be on the board, if they graduated until Great Master Helio Gracie’s death.

“Sport belong to everyone”. The Great Master João Alberto says to define the Board’s motivation, and completes. “We need an international organization to lead e make the sport popular all over the world. No one can own Jiu-Jitsu”.

AIJJ is a non profitable organization in Springfield, Virgínia, to develop the sport so Jiu-Jitsu can be on top of the amateur sports as Wrestling, Judo and others. The organization is on Uncle Sam’s Land, and by the federal revenue laws, all the finances has to be published on internet.

Besides the board of the red belts, the organization will have the World’s Board of Black Belts. Each country that’s on the organization will have two proxies, so all teachers and athletes can have a voice on subjects as chance of rules, championships locations, that will be voted by the Great Masters.

And the Great Masters’ work already began, choosing Sylvio Behring as president of the World’s Board of Black Belts and John “Papa John” Gorman, who already was executive director of Gracie Barra, as executive director of the International Association. Everyone who practice or like the gentle art dreams about Jiu-Jitsu in the Olympics, and this is like Wrestling structure around the world. It brings the credibility to Jiu-Jitsu so this dream of Jiu-Jitsu in Olympics starts to be true.

*TATAME’s international correspondent