SEPTEMBER 9, 2018, Tokyo Japan saw the return of the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) Asian Open Championship, a tournament that has gained plenty of momentum over the last 3 years by captivating the interest of our sport’s biggest international stars.
In the team standings, Carpe Diem proved why they are regarded as the best team in Japan today by overtaking the former reigning adult male champion team, Atos Jiu Jitsu. Atos had won the last 3 tournaments but was finally caught by the rising Tokyo based academy. Much of the team’s success came down to its strong brown belt squad, a group led by Quintet 2 tournament star Rida Haisam, and well backed by brown belt champs Mebtouche Reda and Shoya Ishiguro.
Atos showed plenty of strength by holding on to the overall 2nd place, a rank accomplished greatly due to San Diego’s big boys: Keenan Cornelius, Lucas Barbosa, and Vitor Toledo, who won their respective divisions. Barbosa and Cornelius going on to close out in the absolute bracket.
Other big winners of the 2018 IBJJF Asian Open were veteran Koji Shibamoto, who returned to the rooster-weight in great form, American rising sensation Cole Franson of Tinguinha JJ, Chinese black belt Viking Wong as well as Japanse Yuta Simada and Luan Carvalho. Yuta is gaining greater respect with each passing year in the black belt division. The soon-to-be 26-year-old completely dominated his division (light-feather) by submitting 2 of his opponents and winning the semi finals by an 18 point margin. Outstanding work.
27-year-old Luan Carvalho also controlled with ease the middleweight division, 1 weight class above his natural division, going on to also medal in the absolute division. Carvalho’s winning streak was only stopped by worm guard magician Keenan Cornelius.
The female black belt division showed low numbers of competitors, with Claudia Doval controlling the open weight with ease. The De La Riva black belt is coming off an incredible winning streak, gathered while traveling the world through the IBJJF circuit.
Black / Adult / Male / Rooster
1 – Koji Shibamoto – Tri-Force Jiu-Jitsu Academy
2 – Shohei Watanabe – Imanari Jiu-Jitsu
3 – Nobuhiro Sawada – Tri-Force Jiu-Jitsu Academy
Black / Adult / Male / Light-Feather
1 – Yuta Shimada – Nexusense
2 – Shimon Kagiyama – DeLariva Japan
3 – Hideyuki Yamada – Tri-Force Jiu-Jitsu Academy
3 – Yuto Hirao – X-Treme Jiu-Jitsu Academy
Black / Adult / Male / Feather
1 – Cole Thomas Franson – Tinguinha BJJ Academy
2 – Hiroaki Otsuka – PSBJJ Ogikubo
3 – Yu Yamaki – X-Treme Ebina
Black / Adult / Male / Light
1 – Alexandre Faria Molinaro – Carlson Gracie Team
2 – Shinji Morito – Fujita Jiu-Jitsu
3 – Moribe Shinsuke – Purebred Kawaguchi Redips
3 – Naofumi Geki – Itadaki Jiu-Jitsu
Black / Adult / Male / Middle
1 – Luan de Carvalho Alves – Nova União
2 – Thomas Mietz – Carpe Diem
3 – Jonghyeon Park – MU Jiu-Jitsu
3 – Kenji Benjamin Sette – GF Team France
Black / Adult / Male / Medium-Heavy
1 – Viking Wai Chun Wong – Inglorious Grapplers
2 – Kyle Skiba – de Been 100% Jiu-Jitsu
3 – Du Yunlai – Gracie Barra
3 – Michael Joseph Zaniewski – Toronto BJJ
Black / Adult / Male / Heavy
1 – Lucas Daniel Silva Barbosa – Atos Jiu-Jitsu
2 – Nicolas E. Penzer – Stallion Gym
Black / Adult / Male / Super-Heavy
1 – Vitor Fabio Martins Toledo – Atos Jiu-Jitsu
2 – Henrique Russi Felix de Lima – CheckMat
3 – Walter de Lima Franco Sobrinho – Over Limit BJJ International
Black / Adult / Male / Ultra-Heavy
1 – Keenan Kai-James Cornelius – Atos Jiu-Jitsu
2 – Hideki Sekine – Bull-Terrier Bonsai
3 – Eric James A. Sian – Purebred Jiu Jitsu Guam
3 – Guilherme de Lima – Brasa/99
Black / Adult / Male / Absolute
1 – Lucas Daniel Silva Barbosa – Atos Jiu-Jitsu
2 – Keenan Kai-James Cornelius – Atos Jiu-Jitsu
3 – Henrique Russi Felix de Lima – CheckMat
3 – Luan de Carvalho Alves – Nova União
Black / Adult / Female / Light-Feather
1 – Mayssa Caldas Pereira Bastos – GF Team
2 – Saori Shibamoto – Tri-Force Jiu-Jitsu Academy
Black / Adult / Female / Feather
1 – Kristina Sofia Puruganan Barlaan – Caio Terra Association
2 – Miki Nakao – Hiro BJJ Academy Yokohama
Black / Adult / Female / Light
1 – Kristin Mikkelson – Brazil 021 International
2 – Yuki Kaneko – Carpe Diem
Black / Adult / Female / Middle
1 – Erin Elizabeth Herle – Alliance
2 – Isabelle de Souza – Impacto Japan B.J.J.
Black / Adult / Female / Super-Heavy
1 – Claudia Fernanda Onofre Valim Doval – De La Riva JJ
Black / Adult / Female / Absolute
1 – Claudia Fernanda Onofre Valim Doval – De La Riva JJ
2 – Kristina Sofia Puruganan Barlaan – Caio Terra Association
3 – Isabelle de Souza – Impacto Japan B.J.J.
3 – Mayssa Caldas Pereira Bastos – GF Team
