Just over fifty athletes made up the Irish Brazilian jiu jitsu contingent at the IBJJF’s London Open last weekend, and they subsequently went on to take a haul of 60 medals—a testament to the growth of the sport on the Emerald Isle.

With seven medals being obtained in the black belt divisions, as well as eight from the brown belt bracket, the high standard of the Irish in such a young sport in contrast to other nations is quite an achievement.

Due to the amateur status of the sport however, it is quite difficult to guarantee the future of Brazilian jiu jitsu in the country with the lack of financial support that exists for the athletes. John Sheridan, one of the most decorated proponents of the Irish scene, was flicking through a magazine a couple of months ago when he stumbled across something that could help change that.

“I always thought Ireland would get one of the big events, either an IBJJF event or another known date on the competition calendar,” Sheridan explained. “I was just reading a magazine one day and saw an article that said the people who run the competitions in Abu Dhabi, the WPJJC, were looking for expansion.

“It must’ve been August or early September when I saw the advertisement so I just got onto them straight away and got the wheels in motion.”

Given that Sheridan is one of only two Irishmen to have previously qualified from the Abu Dhabi Pro Trials—the other being Gracie Barra’s Chris Bowe—he knows how important a victory can be at the qualifying events.

Successful competitors are given a package that allows them to travel to one of the biggest events on the year, the Abu Dhabi Pro Jiu Jitsu Championships, which in turn can provide athletes with their biggest learning curve according to the Irish purple belt.



John (purple) poses with his brother Patrick (blue)

“The Irish who are traveling abroad to compete are helping to lift the national standard. If it weren’t for guys like that, the sport could’ve never grown the way it has. The problem with that is—there is no funding to support the athletes who compete abroad.

“People are doing this out of their own pockets, so unless they have money they’re unable to pursue their competitive goals.

“If Ireland had an event that was sure to bring in some top European talent, the Irish competitors would have a chance to test themselves on a level that they wouldn’t be able to otherwise.

“So not only would they be getting a competitive environment that they would usually have to travel abroad for, if they win they get a paid trip to compete at the finals in Abu Dhabi. Not many people get to travel to world stage events like that so it would be huge.

“We have so many top-class jiu jitsu players that I think an event like this could just get that extra few per cent out of them to push them into world title form.

“If we get to a host a Pro Trials event here there could potentially be 15 packages to the big final in Abu Dhabi up for grabs, so it would be a massive opportunity for the Irish athletes if it was to happen.”

One of the stipulations for putting on an Abu Dhabi Pro Trials event is that the hosts must be a federation or an organization. Sheridan described how some people have taken the opportunity to financially gain from the sport by creating a federation only to keep the profits from the event they put on in past. However, if his bid is successful, Sheridan outlined how he would create a federation with the Irish BJJ athletes’ interests at the forefront of their plans.

“There is a stipulation that only a federation or an organization can host these events. Previously people who have put on these events in different countries have done it for profit but I want to create a federation that will support the community by putting the majority of the profits straight back into the athletes.

“The event could be used as a qualifier for an international team. Whoever wins their respective divisions would be deemed a member of the team and the most transparent way of supporting them is to provide flights, accommodation and competition registration to international events.

“It would be like a multiplier effect on the sport in the country. Not only would they win a shot at travelling to Abu Dhabi, they could win themselves a free trip to another international tournament. I think that would be one of the biggest advantages of running an event like this in the country.

“We’ve got to find a way to ensure the future of BJJ in Ireland and I think this is one of the best ways to do it,” he said.

If Ireland’s bid for the event is a success Sheridan is confident that it would take place in the National Basketball Arena on February 15. Given that it would be toward the end of the qualification window which shuts in March, the Dubliner is hoping that it could attract large numbers.

“You could expect some top competitors coming over for a tournament like this and that would be huge for the growth of the sport. The top talents that would make the journey would be expecting to do quite well and gain their qualification.

“There are quite a few qualifiers around Europe so there are a few to choose from, but Ireland is a pretty cheap destination to fly to so I hope we would attract a lot of numbers from around Europe.

“The fact that our potential date would be toward the end of the window would benefit the event too. For a lot of people who didn’t manage to qualify at different events, this event could be their last chance. So it should make for some very exciting matches too.”

Having travelled around the globe to compete, Sheridan has proven he has what it takes to host a big event with the Dublin International Open which he organizes annually. Now waiting to hear whether his Pro Trials bid has been granted, he is sure he can provide a well-run tournament if he is given the go-ahead.

“There are a lot of good events already on in Ireland,” he said. “I already host the Dublin International Open every year, Liam Beechinor runs a fantastic tournament in the south of the country—honestly, those events are better laid out than the majority of international tournaments I’ve been at.

“They’re a lot better than some of the other qualifiers I’ve been at in different countries. That doesn’t mean that I don’t feel like I have to step up to the plate this time if we get the event, but the fact that we already have such a high standard makes me more confident in the organization of this one.”

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