The IBJJF Worlds moved to the USA in in 2007, most of the major champions are teaching in the US or abroad and Brazilians are still dominating all the weight classes at least at black belt.
The 2014 European Open class champion and Worlds silver medalist, Alexander Trans told Graciemag‘s Ivan Trinidade about why he think Brazil is still dominating the medal count in Jiu-Jitsu:
“It’s obviously happening because Brazilians are the best, and I think it’s going to take a long time before the other countries catch up. I think it’s just a question of the sport being very new, and Brazilians being way ahead, because the art was invented in Brazil, and it’s not that long ago that the art started spreading out in the World.”
Trans sees a bright light in the future, at least in the USA:
“Maybe this new generation of fighters who are in their early teens now in the US are going to start catching up slowly in like 10 years, as the level of Jiu-Jitsu there is getting higher every year, especially because a lot of the top guys from Brazil who moved there to train and teach. But in Europe it’s going to take longer, maybe if the sport becomes more professional so it makes sense for the countries to invest in the sport, like you see in wrestling and judo. But if the sport keeps growing then I’m sure it will be more balanced at some point for sure, I don’t think the Brazilians are winning because they have better genetics, but simply because they have more and better training partners and instructors.”
