E. Training Center is pleased to be a founding team of the association Sertão Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Professor Roney Edler founded Sertão Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in fall of 2023, with the vision of providing more opportunities to teams and competitors, particularly those in the Sertão of Northeast Brazil. As of this post, he has affiliates in Sobral, Cariré, and Santa Quiteiria, all in Ceará, as well as Topeka, KS.
Sertão, which directly translates as “hinterlands” or “backcountry”, is a desert like region of Northeast Brazil. This region is dotted with small mountain ranges; the Sertão is the plain that stretches between and along these small mountains. The vegetation is scrubby, and the air is hot and dry. This is one of the harshest parts of Brazil to live in. It is economically poor, very hot, and, while there are modern roads, it is not easy for the people of the Sertão to travel.
Because life in the Sertão is so difficult, the people are known for their toughness and resilience. This region of Brazil is noted for having great Jiu Jitsu and MMA athletes. However, despite the depth in talent of the Northeast, most of the high-level tournaments in Brazil take place near Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo. Additionally, many of the associations are based in the south, or only pull athletes from cities like Fortaleza. In an as difficult to traverse as the Sertão, traveling 6 hours is not feasible for many athletes, and they are unable to access their associations seminars, cross training opportunities, and tournaments.
Professor Roney Edler is looking to change that. His vision of Sertão is to provide more tournament opportunities, so athletes in the smaller communities can practice their competition skills. He is working to provide access to transportation to larger cities, so the academies in nearby schools can bus together to tournaments in larger cities. He is also working to bring English Classes, cross training, and seminars to the academies and social projects that are Sertão affiliates. His goal is to bring the world’s attention to the vast talent and determination within the athletes and teams of the Sertão, and to help bring economic and educational opportunities to the communities there.
His plan for his school in Topeka is similar. By opening an exchange with his affiliates in Brazil, his athletes in Topeka will benefit from training with and getting to know young athletes from another part of the world. Additionally, he has seen that the people of Topeka are tough, driven, and some are talented athletes. He’d like to bring more seminars, more competitions, and the Jiu Jitsu world’s attention to this “back country” part of Kansas.
While Sertão is just beginning, the teams under Professor Roney Edler’s guidance are already showing results in local tournaments. In a recent FUJI Kansas City tournament, the 6 athletes in adult brackets took home 4 golds, a silver, and a bronze. In Brazil in late 2023, they had great results in the BadBoy Classic. With more tournaments on the calendar, it is certain that Sertão will be recognized and respected by the Jiu Jitsu Community.