Hello Tatiane, can you please introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Tatiane Nunes, and I’m a BJJ black belt. I’ve been practicing Jiu-Jitsu for over 25 years. I am 37 years old so I’m a master (hahaha). I’m a Jiu-Jitsu coach in UAE and I’ve been living in the UAE for 6 years.
Is it your first time participating in Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu Jitsu Championship?
No, I’ve participated before. ADWPJJ is a great event, where there are many exceptional athletes. Seeing the best fighters of today performing on the mats right beside me is a great experience.
How did the sport of Jiu Jitsu impact you on a personal level? Why do you recommend youth to practice the sport?
Jiu Jitsu inexplicably changed my life. Today I have two degrees (nutrition and physical education) and I’m still a Jiu Jitsu black belt and I can work with that. The way BJJ impacted my life is simply because I started in a social project 25 years ago in Campo Grande – Rio de Janiero, where it all started, where I went to GFteam with @juliogfteam my head coach, made great friends, and had the best teachers.
This is where the doors opened for me because of the sport, which kept me away from the bad side of living in a needy community. That’s why I believe that social projects are important and that Jiu Jitsu is a door to take young people off the streets.
How is your training going leading up to the ADWPJJC?
It’s a little less than normal due to some injuries I’ve been having, however, I’m focusing on position corrections and physical preparation for the fight. I always look to observe and study a fight and correct my mistakes during training, and I always ask for help from close friends who will also compete, to drill and help me correct positions.
Also, I’m taking care of my diet to be able to lose weight healthily and without suffering.
I try to train Jiu Jitsu every day for 2 hours and I do weight training every day. I wish I could train more but due to my studies and work here in the Emirates I can’t, but I do my best every day!
How do you see Abu Dhabi hosting global Jiu Jitsu championships and giving the chance for athletes to compete against the best in the world?
Abu Dhabi changed the world of Jiu Jitsu when it started to reward athletes with money. This caused several countries and organizations to start doing the same. Today we have several events that pay their podiums, professionalizing their athletes and making them able to make a living from the sport.
Who influenced you the most in developing your BJJ game?
Many people changed my Jiu Jitsu, but today I say that four people are most important in my new phase of Jiu Jitsu. My work partners @clarissajl @isamaggioni both gave me a lot of support when I wanted to return to the mats. @vinicinhojj who helped me a lot in training when I was returning and today @iurialves who is helping me in drills with his experience and great Jiu Jitsu. Of course, I only train with experienced black belts who are excellent at what they do, and that helps me a lot.
Would you like to give any advice to our readers that would help them either on the mat or in their lives?
My advice to readers who love and practice Jiu Jitsu is that they use sport for good and take the teachings, essence, and concept of the sport off the mats as well and use it in favor of their personal, social, and family growth.
We care about Jiu Jitsu so much that we decided to create this page for all the people like us – that eat, breath and live the Jiu Jitsu Lifestyle! We truly hope our content will make every one of your days better, on the mat and off the mat!