Rafael Lovato Jr. Heading to Europe!!

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Rafael Lovato Jr. - Monday, January 23, 2012

photo from the 2007 European Open

I'm getting ready to go to the airport to head to Europe for some seminars and to compete at the 2012 IBJJF European Open! I am so excited that I am going to compete right away this year and stay in my rhythm to be at my best by the time the 2012 Mundials arrive. I have a tough division, with some very experienced opponents, some I have faced before, like Ricardo Bastos and a familiar opponent, Tussa Alencar. I also plan to compete in the absolute division, which should be super stacked! I have trained very hard and already feel very strong and technically sharp despite it being early in the year and the holidays just passing. I plan to show some beautiful technical Jiu-Jitsu to my European fans and win my 2nd Black Belt European title! Europe here I come!

First, I want to thank my wonderful wife for all of her support, she gives me so much strength. Also, I want to thank my great conditioning coach, Luke Tirey, of Oklahoma Strength and all of my students at Lovato's School of BJJ & MMA in Oklahoma City who helped me prepare for this tournament and always motivate me to do my best!

Check out this video clip of the last conditioning work out I did at Oklahoma Strength:

I would also like to thank my sponsors for this event:

1914 BJJ Kimonos

OTM

Martial Arts Recovery

You can check out an interview I did with the popular Brazilian BJJ site MeiaGuarda about my participation in this year's Europeans.

Here is a video of the last time I faced Tussa in the gi. It was at the 2008 Pan-Ams and it was considered one of the greatest matches of that year!

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I AM RAFAEL LOVATO JR.

Rafael was born in June of 1983 and following the influence of his father, began studying martial arts when he first started walking. At the early of age of thirteen, Rafael found his passion when his father introduced him to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In August of 2004, shortly after turning 21, Rafael became the youngest American to receive a black belt in BJJ at that time.

Rafael has continued to make history in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, becoming the most decorated American BJJ competitor today. Rafael became the first person ever to win the European Open Championships, Pan-American Championships, Brazilian National Championships (Brasileiro), and World Championships (Mundials) at the Black Belt level and earned the prestigious BJJ competitor of the year award. He is also part of an elite group to ever win Black Belt World Championships with and without the gi. Rafael, as an instructor, also became the first American to produce a Black Belt No-Gi World Champion.

Now, Rafael is the full time owner, operator, and head instructor of Lovato's School of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts which is one of the top schools in the country, producing BJJ World Champion medalists and UFC fighters. He praises his excellent coach, the legendary Saulo Ribeiro and his incredible training partner, Saulo’s brother, Xande Ribeiro. Rafael is still an active competitor, but now some of his greatest joys come from the success of his students.

Read the complete history of Rafael Lovato Jr.