Congratulations to our very own Professor Mike Aviado for winning the 2023 IBJJF Worlds Masters in Las Vegas last Friday! 🥇
Your hard work and dedication to the art of jiu-jitsu have paid off, and we are all so proud of you!
Your incredible skills and passion for Jiu-Jitsu serves as an inspiration to us all, and we wish you continued success in your future competitions. Oss! 🥋👊
* This is his 7th World Title! Sept. 1, 2023.
* Taken from his Instagram page @mouse_bjj
Last year, competing in the 2022 IBJJF Worlds Master Championships, I suffered a bitter defeat - my first disqualification in my entire history of competing in jiu-jitsu. Losing is never easy, but getting disqualified made it even worse. However, that loss only motivated me more to come back stronger and better-prepared.
Over the past year, I dedicated myself to training smarter, eating better, and staying focused with discipline. I knew that if I wanted to win again, I needed to put in the effort. And that's exactly what I did.
I entered the 2022 IBJJF Toronto Open, competed and just finished the year working on teaching and growing Vaughan Jiu-Jitsu Academy. 🥇 Nogi Absolute
2023 started with me driving to Pennsylvania to compete in the NAGA Philadelphia Championships. 🥇 Nogi Expert
I then flew to Japan to compete in the 2023 Kansai International Open. 🥇 Gi Black Belt.
These tournaments gave me an idea to implement new strategies for the upcoming 2023 IBJJF World Masters Championships!
Fast forward to this summer where I was more determined than ever to win the 2023 IBJJF World Masters Championships. We added The Morning Executive Classes and added the Competitor S&C classes which helped in conditioning and business productivity.
A special thanks to Coach Joseph for running the S&C classes and also to Eric and Zev for volunteering their bodies and limbs for cause. To Matt and Izzy for holding down the fort. To Chris, my brother, for the best underground physio!
Last Friday, I stepped onto the world mats with focus and determination. I was ready to leave it all on the mats.
Throughout the competition, I managed to secure an armbar💪☠ , a win by points against a legendary world champion2️⃣-0️⃣, and a kneebar finish🦵☠ in the finals in 30 seconds!
It was an awesome experience to see, believe and execute a plan over the year and how badly I wanted to come back and get the victories.
But I didn't do this alone. I had the support of Yuki and Ariel, who always believed in me. My school, Vaughan Jiu-Jitsu Academy, provided the space for me to train, beat up my students and hone my skills. Prof. Marco and @yorkdale.martial.arts for the guidance and support!
A special thanks for the support of some of my students, Ayelet and Aryeh, who came to Vegas cheer me on and kept me company throughout. The best cheerleaders for moral support!
Most importantly, I thank God for giving me this opportunity to compete and win. It's an incredible feeling to see all the hard work, prayers and sacrifice come to fruition. And, I hope that my victories can inspire my students and others to keep pushing and never give up on their goals and dreams.
So, to anyone who suffered a loss or defeat, remember that it's never the end. Brush your shoulders off... with reflection, hard work, discipline, determination and prayer, you too can come back stronger and achieve what your heart desires.
From a small man with a big heart, Thank you all and Thank you for reading my rant.
Nuff said.