ADGS Miami: Organizer unveils great plans for AJP in the US

August 6, 2023

Days go by and anxiety grows in Jiu-Jitsu's American community, with the ever-closer Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour Miami 2023. Scheduled for September 16th and 17th, the tournament features state-of-the-art technology and the famous AJP organization, recognized worldwide for its care for athletes and coaches alike.

And of course, the Florida edition couldn't be different. In addition to the AJP board of directors in the UAE, the ADGS Miami is also overseen by black belt Henrique Carepa, an experienced event coordinator that has joined hands with AJP to further improve its growth in the USA.

While talking with Zahi Phram, host on the AJP's Zoom-In program, Henrique revealed some of the plans for the organization in the US, the changes already in place for this season, and what fans and athletes can expect going forward regarding content and quality-of-life improvements.

"I was talking with AJP's operation manager Rodrigo Valeiro and he shared his plans for the United States'', recalled Henrique. "I gave him my input and we started drawing a vision for the AJP’s future here. They invited me to the ADGS in London and I was amazed by how organized the event was. It got me excited to get involved with the project."

After signing off on his participation, Henrique brought his confidence and the expertise acquired after organizing many events to aid AJP's efforts in the US. While the organization has had events in America for years now, it needed to take things one step further to consolidate itself in the country, and Henrique is the man with the plan.

"AJP is already super active in Europe and in countries where any other organization is, but I think there is a lack of tournaments here in the United States. We are probably the biggest market in the world, and we've only had the Grand Slams every year, some smaller tournaments, and then Valerio told me he wanted to organize one or two more here. I told him that if AJP wants to be in the US, it needs to go big. We need to have at least 20 tournaments a year to kick things off properly."

In addition to increasing the number of events and cities with AJP tournaments, which will provide more points and opportunities for local athletes and teams, Henrique highlighted the benefits AJP brings to its competitors and how important details like punctuality can make a difference in the life of an athlete.

"In order to be successful here in the US we need to have two main things: A good schedule and good referees. I always say that waiting is the worst enemy of the warrior. If you're fighting a tournament as a beginner or you want your kid to fight while the family watches, it's important to know what time the competition will take place. In some organizations, your family and friends go to watch you fight at two o'clock and the match only begins at six o'clock."

The care that AJP has for its affiliates is one of the reasons that brought Henrique to the organization, and this aspect is a key asset of his plans to take the organization even further in the US.

"AJP is very good with its athletes, they do everything they can to provide you with a fight or, if possible, an entire bracket. If for some reason you don't make the weight the day before or the next, they'll place you in another bracket. If you're alone in your bracket, they'll merge brackets to make sure you'll have someone to fight. They do all they can to make things less stressful for the athletes.”