AJP Stories: Ingridd Alves and the door that almost kept her from the World Professional title

January 28, 2024

The 2023 World Pro champion and number #1 female athlete from the past season, Ingridd Alves had to overcome one unexpected challenge to conquer the top of the Jiu-Jitsu. Check out the lines below her saga to not lose her points in the AJP Ranking.

I like to plan my entire year of competitions, and last year the goal was to make the Africa Continental my last tournament before the ADWPJJC. The Continental took place in September, giving me enough time to return to Brazil, for training but also to just be back home, as I had been traveling a lot to climb the ranking. At the time, I was running for both the top of the AJP general ranking and also for a spot in the ADWPJJC main bracket, so I traveled to Egypt after the ADGS Miami and rented a place for me to stay until the tournament.

On the day of the Continental, I had everything ready to go. My stuff was packed, I had already taken a shower and brushed my teeth, all that was left to do was take my gi from the hanger outside the house and put it in my backpack. I left the door ajar when I went out to get my gi, but a gust suddenly hit and the door slammed shut, leaving me stuck outside with no passport, cellphone, internet, or money. The venue was 30 to 35 minutes away, and I had nothing but the gi and my flip-flops. With the landlady nowhere to be found, one of the employees agreed to help me, but the door was made from a sturdy wood and we weren't able to get it open. The windows were also a no-go as they were too small and there was a risk of getting stuck while trying to get in.

The clock was ticking and I was getting more desperate by the second. If I didn't show up to fight, I would lose my placement in the ranking and could even have my guaranteed spot removed from the ADWPJJC main bracket. I had followed my schedule, traveled to another continent, and was ready to fight, but had no actual way to reach the competition. Getting a taxi was out of the question, as I had neither money nor the internet to request one, and you can't just grab a taxi from the street there.

Eventually, the landlady arrived and I explained what happened to her. To make things even more complicated, she didn't speak English, so we used Google Translate on her phone to be able to communicate. She said that she didn't have a spare key, but gave me some money and I managed to make my way to the tournament.

When I finally reached the venue, they were already calling my name and I was probably seconds away from not being able to compete. I quickly took off my flip-flops, borrowed a belt, and went in to fight. I was so nervous that I didn't even feel like myself, but the fight was never harder than all I went through to get there on time. I fought twice, submitted both of my opponents, and things started looking up. The owners of the house I was staying in arrived, and I was able to go inside to gather my belongings. I even made it to a seminar that I planned to teach after the tournament. Fast forward to November and I not only got my spot in the ADWPJJC main bracket but also became a two-time champion and ended the season as the lead in both AJP rankings.

It was a rough couple of hours, I was incredibly nervous, especially because I didn't have my passport. No one knew who I was or where I was from, I don't speak the local language, and to make matters even worse, the signs there are all in Arabic instead of English. My efforts to climb the ranking definitely paid off and I would do it all over again, but I'll be a lot more careful with doors from now on.