LAKE JACKSON — The School of Jiu Jitsu will send one teacher and student to compete at the Pan International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation no-Gi Championship on Friday through Sunday.
Gym owner Fernando Halfeld and student Alia Garcia will represent the Brazilian Top Team in the three-day event at the Fort Worth Convention Center and Arena. Garcia will compete in the female Master 2 brown belt Ultra-Heavy Division, and Halfeld will compete in the male Master 1 black belt Super-Heavy Division.
Halfeld’s division includes 11 fighters, which may result in up to five matches over the weekend, depending on where he’s placed in the bracket. His first fight is Saturday. Garcia is in a smaller division comprising four athletes; her initial fight is Friday.
No-Gi simply means the competitors will not be wearing the traditional jiu jitsu uniform, which consists of a thick cotton jacket, drawstring pants and a belt.
Athletes at the Pan-American Championship will likely wear rash guards and grappling shorts, emphasizing speed, agility, strength and explosiveness. Gi jiu jitsu rules are more restricted, and no-Gi’s popularity has recently increased.
The event will be Halfeld’s second since returning from injury. He had a hip replacement earlier in the year that sidelined him for many months.
“I had a hip replacement that I had been dealing with the last few years and finally got it replaced,” he said.
The injury had bothered him for around a decade, but the pain increased around four years ago when Halfeld received knee surgery. However, he continued to put off the hip procedure until this year. The decision came with a series of projects going on involving the gym.
“I felt I could take a little break and take care of myself and get myself back into it,” Halfeld said.
Projects included welcoming Muay Thai teacher Fabiano Silva and starting construction on a new building where the gym will move in the future.
“All of those things are happening right now,” Halfeld said. “I was really focused on the team, students and expansion.”
After a life in jiu jitsu, Halfeld is used to the recovery process, but likely to the surprise of many, he felt the hip replacement recovery was one of the easier he’s endured.
“From all my injuries, it was the easiest recovery because the whole time I had the issues with my hip, I was training, and I was in physical therapy, so I was in a really good spot before surgery,” he said. “It was a real quick recovery.”
The patience required to recover was the hardest part in Halfeld’s mind. He traveled to Brazil for his first competition back at the Rio De Janeiro State Championship. Halfeld won the Sept. 14 competition convincingly.
“I was really excited to be back, and I felt really confident about being back,” Halfeld said. “It was kind of surprising to me since it was my first competition back, but I was able to prepare myself well. I was really secure about winning the last competition because I was really precise and controlled the fight the whole time and won without any mistakes.”
Garcia is a known commodity at the Pan-American competition, having won it twice and being a two-time world champion in her division. She is also a big inspiration to the School of Jiu Jitsu.
She is a single mother of three, who also takes care of her mother and a few years back received an early-stage breast cancer diagnosis. The moment altered Garcia’s outlook on life, and she’s inspired those around her.
“It’s an inspiration not just for those that want to compete, but for those that are facing something outside the mat,” Halfeld said.
Garcia’s busy schedule makes it difficult for her to train frequently at the gym, but Halfeld still encourages her to attend competitions.
“She does the best she can with the time she has, even if it’s not a lot,” he said. “She always goes and always has a really good result.”
Garcia won the no-Gi division last year at the Pan-American Championship. She’ll return looking to make it a victory in the division for back-to-back seasons.
“It inspires the students not mainly on the mats but in life,” Halfeld said.
Logan Farlow is a sports reporter for The Facts. Contact him at 979-237-0160.