News

From November 11^th to November 15^th the president of the SJJIF, Mr. João Silva attended the 25^th TAFISA Convention in Seoul, Korea.

TAFISA (The Association For International Sport For All) is the leading sport for all organization aiming to create a better world through sport for all. With over 300 members in 160 countries in all continents, TAFISA is today, the main international organization that promotes social inclusion through sport.  Officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Health Organization (WHO), among many others.

The SJJIF mission is to take Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to the Olympic Games while preserving its unique history, culture, lineage, and life style. The SJJIF aims to continue to develop the sport, continuing to utilize it as a tool for social inclusion, peace & friendship, and its health benefits.

Today, the BJJ community has spread worldwide and in many countries the misinformation and lack of organization has led to other sport organizations trying to claim BJJ as a part of their own sport.  These circumstances are a result of several factors, including the fact that there are many organizations whose primary focus is their financial gain from the sport and not the overall development and growth of BJJ.  Nonetheless, organizations trying to falsely claim BJJ as part of their sport pose a significant threat to the future of BJJ, athletes, and professions deriving from our sport

Today the SJJIF is the only BJJ federation registered as a non-profit organization with the mission of taking our sport to the Olympic Games. It was founded by Jiujiteiros for Jiujiteiros and since its inception the main mission has been to organize the sport by having one set of rules that emphasize fair play and uniting with likeminded individuals and federations committed to the preservation and continue growth of our sport.

The SJJIF is a proud promoter of Jiu-Jitsu for everyone with federations in 6 continents and representatives in 42 countries.  The SJJIF has implemented many social programs as well as developed the Adapted BJJ divisions to provide all BJJ athletes with a form of disability or impairment with the opportunity to take part in BJJ competitions. The SJJIF promotes social inclusion through Adapted BJJ divisions and utilizes BJJ as a tool to support empowering all athletes and enriching the BJJ community with greater diversity, compassion, and respect.

Mr. João Silva, president of the SJJIF, had the following comments on his attendance and participation at the 25^th TAFISA Convention, “First and foremost, it was a huge honor to represent the SJJIF at the 25^th TAFISA Convention. I believe that TAFISA is a true representative of the Sport for All movement and being part of this event brought many new ideas and goals for the development of our sport and community. BJJ is a great tool for the development of the human race, in today’s world where there is such madness with wars, terrors, environment disasters, and lack of appreciation for sports, BJJ has brought unity and peace to many. I believe that with the continued development of the SJJIF mission and its globalization we will be able to further utilize BJJ as a positive tool for change and betterment. I was able to learn and share much of what we believe and have accomplished since the founding of our federation. We discussed the current situation of other organizations not only trying to claim our sport, but also trying to impede the development of BJJ in many countries by blocking the legal founding of BJJ federations, blocking the organization of competitive events, and much more.  Surrounded by likeminded individuals who believe in sports for all, I ended the convention feeling empowered and uplifted. The convention was very well run and I believe that it will lead to many positive results that will soon be shared with everyone. For those not yet familiar with the SJJIF mission please visit www.sjjif.org,”