The IBJJF World Master Jiu-Jitsu Championship (better known as Masters Worlds) is the second biggest tournament of the year, with nearly 4,500 competitors. Such a huge event draws grapplers over the age of 30 from around the world, and it's considered the toughest tournament out there for older competitors.

Milton Bastos of Ares Jiu-Jitsu is a regular competitor in the masters divisions and knows just how tough these tournaments can be. That's why he set up a weeklong training camp at his Mountain View, CA, academy in the Bay Area, so people could focus all their efforts into one final run toward Masters Worlds, which takes place Thursday to Saturday in Las Vegas.

​​Watch IBJJF 2017 Masters Worlds LIVE or On Demand ONLY on FloGrappling!

"Our student and competition team is mostly in the masters age group," Bastos says. "We also have many teammates from all over the world that planned to visit during this time as well. We look at competitions as a time for all of us to push each other to our full potential; we do our best to make the most of it, because these kinds of tournaments are once in a lifetime for some."


​​​Photo: Alex Barcelona


​​Photo: Alex Barcelona

Don't be fooled into thinking that Masters Worlds is just for the old guys. Even though it caters for grapplers over the age of 30, the level of competition is notoriously high, and there are many black belt competitors signed up who were seen fighting (and winning) in the adult divisions at the recent World Championships.

"Masters Worlds is a crazy tough tournament, and most of these guys are all still fighting and placing in adult Worlds as well," Bastos says. "The real cream of the crop is in the masters divisions. Our Ares team is wise, with more than 250 years of jiu-jitsu knowledge to offer to all of our students. That's what is important.

We train, we compete, and we bring home medals. We all try to be as well rounded and versatile as possible, so that we can lead the way for those that follow.

The training required to compete in an event like Masters Worlds is a year-round endeavor. Bastos explains the focus of the last-minute camp, which runs up to just three days before the start of the tournament: "This week is really focused on different interval drills and sparring. We alternate the times of specific scenarios and 'worst case' moments. It's really a mental game now."


​​Photo: Alex Barcelona

The participants of the camp are training two, sometimes three times a day -- all the more impressive when you consider they've all got families and full-time jobs.

We already have the results that we are looking for with our students. There are the select few that have that fire in them to compete. Win or lose is just the outcome -- they have been training for this for a long time. Their dedication to each training shows their willingness to sacrifice. We all have a lot on the line, and we only want that first-place finish.

​​Photo: Alex Barcelona

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