Mann praises Para jiu-jitsu championship
abu dhabi — The third annual Para Jiu-Jitsu Championship at the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2019 (ADWPJJC), has handed an ‘immeasurable gift’ to the global para jiu-jitsu community, according to American hero Ronald Mann, who claimed the silver medal in this year’s ‘Class A – Lower Limb Amputee’ category.
Mann, an Ambassador of the US Para Jiu-Jitsu Federation — an entity created by the Abu Dhabi-based JiuJitsu International Federation (JJIF) to help grow para jiu-jitsu around the world — praised Abu Dhabi for establishing the Para Jiu-Jitsu Championship and creating a legacy for future generations.
“As the global home of jiu-jitsu, Abu Dhabi’s progressive, inclusive mission to grow the sport led to the formation of the Para Jiu-Jitsu Championship, a competition that has proven to be an immeasurable gift to the world,” said Mann, whose left leg was amputated below the knee following a motorcycle crash in 1995.
Mann, from Michigan, flatlined twice during a helicopter evacuation from the crash site and still recalls his last instructions to paramedics: “I said, ‘if you can’t save the leg, don’t save me’ — how wrong I was.”
With a passion for jiu-jitsu helping to aid Mann’s physical and mental recovery following the near-fatal crash, the champion embarked on a two-decade quest to address the unequal representation of para versus able-bodied athletes within the sport.
The breakthrough came when Mann defeated an able-bodied opponent by arm bar within 23 seconds at the 2017 Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship. That one submission gained Mann’s mission global attention and put his name front and centre in the hearts and mindsof the jiujitsu community.
The participation of para-jiujitsu athletes such as Mann resulted in the formation of the Para Jiu-Jitsu Championship in 2017 — the world’s first major international jiu-jitsu event to cater for athletes with a range of disabilities. With the debut event attracting 35 participants, entries almost doubled to 60 in 2018. This year’s multi-category showpiece welcomed 100 athletes from six continents.
“People recognise that the Para Jiu-Jitsu Championship is not just for us, personally, as athletes. It’s not about money, medals or gold. This competition is a gift for the next generation because every time we fight, we build the sport, and that shows the next generation of para athletes it’s safe for them to come into jiu-jitsu,” said Mann.
As the global home of jiu-jitsu, Abu Dhabi’s progressive, inclusive mission to grow the sport led to the formation of the Para Jiu-Jitsu Championship
Ronald Mann