BJJ Grandmaster to hold Prestigious Tournament at MMA Expo Toronto
Mixed Martial Arts Expo Toronto is pleased to announce the signing of what promises to be one of the most prestigious Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournaments ever held in Canada. The Grandmaster Barreto International BJJ Open will be held on the show floor of MMA Expo IV, June 7, 2009 at the International Centre. Grandmaster Alvaro Barreto (pron. ba-hetto), a 9th Degree Red Belt, is recognized as one of the top BJJ masters in the world.
The Barreto tournament celebrates both individual and team performance. In addition to winners in adult, teen and junior divisions, The Barreto Cup itself will be awarded to the school achieving the most tournament points. Importantly, according to Professor Franco, “This does not necessarily mean the school with greatest number of first place wins takes home the sought after Cup. In fact, a school with a fair number of second and third place finishes could easily win the top prize.”
Not restricted to Ontarians, the Barreto Cup is expected to draw competitors and referees from across Canada and the USA. “As local organizers, the Franco-Behring Association is thrilled to not only have Grandmaster Barreto and Master Sylvio Behring come to Canada to personally attend this event, but to also have them invest their personal time to deliver an in-depth Referee Clinic.
The clinic offers referees and school owner-operators the unique opportunity to be awarded Certificates of Completion from the highest level of authority in the sport. “This gives participating refs great personal recognition with the elite in BJJ. And moving forward these graduates will be instrumental in raising the level of refereeing for the benefit of the sport right across Canada; a very important undertaking as we work toward taking Jiu Jitsu to the Olympics”, offered Franco.
Another first: MMA Expo and the Barreto International BJJ Open will also be webcast live in HD across the ‘net. Tournament registration can be found online at www.MixedMartialArtsExpo.com.