In the age of 57, being over 45 dedicated to the soft art, Romero Jacaré went through an emotion season this week. Leader of the Alliance in the United States, Jacaré received the seventh degree black belt. "They want to make me feel old (laughs)," joked Romero in a conversation with TATAME. In an exclusive chat, Jacaré spoke about the growth of the soft art since his first contact with the Jiu-Jitsu and showed confidence for the next World CBJJ. "Everything indicates that we will win again ... If they chill out a bit, we'll get a hundred points ahead," said the teacher, dedicating the victory to his father, Hermano Cavalcanti, who died a month ago. "He was my man," says touched.

How did you feel when you received the seventh degree black belt?

For me it doesn’t change anything... I’m flattered. Here in the US there’s only Francisco Mansor who is ninth degree for the Federation’s rules, which I respect, and there are Carlinhos (Gracie) and Sérgio Penha. To be equated to these masters is a great honor for me.

What do you think the changes and the growth of Jiu-Jitsu since you started practicing?

I see it as a sport which has evolved a lot since I started practicing it. I fought at Melo Tênis Clube, on Montanha, didn’t get too fought on Tijuca and the championships were too small and nowadays it’s an explosion. The last Pan Am on California had three thousand athletes in a spectacular gym, with a very reasonable audience. I see it as a sport that has already evolved a lot and is continuously evolving.

How do you see the future of the soft art?

I predict a wonderful future, with a more Professional Jiu-Jitsu, as it’s already happening in Aby Dhabi. There’s a big evolution, but there’s a lot to evolve yet. The Worlds and Pan Ams will grow a lot more and the organizations has been great. I hope they keep on giving awards to the Jiu-Jitsu athlete so that stay only in it and give up on the MMA.

What do you think about the current results of Alliance?

Alliance is in a great moment. After a few years we managed to put things on their respective places, Fábio (Gurgel) is doing an amazing work back in Brazil and I’m doing a very good work here on the US. I brought (Rubens) Cobrinha here so that he would help me and we have a very strong team.  On the last Pan Am we did, just with the Atlanta’s athlete, 55 points, without counting Cobrinha. With him it’d be 64... That’s more than all of Barra Gracie that, with all of their organization, scored 44 points and Gracie Humaitá 21. Alliance did 146. We’re in a great moment, we’re working very hard to be this good. Right now this weekend I will give a seminar on a new association that I founded here. We are restructuring. Fabio has just given a course of teachers in Brazil, we'll shoot the second module of the DVD for the teacher’s course when he comes here for the World ... The work does not stop.

What is Alliance’s secret?

The Alliance’s secret is hard work, in our team there are no stars. We’re always thinking of helping each other.

What’s the expectation for this year’s World to grab the team title once again?

The expectations are high as they can get, the two main camps, of São Paulo and Atlanta, are already working really hard. Fábio will take thirty from Brazil and from California I’ll bring about thirty well prepared athletes as well. Everything indicates that we will win again ... If they chill out a bit, we'll get a hundred points ahead.