TEAM ALVAREZ BJJ ARLINGTON TX 2012 RIO OPEN RESULTS DAY 1 - July 27, 2012
Team Alvarez BJJ Arlington TX 2012 Rio Open results day 1 were simply phenomenal! Thursday July 26, 2012 was time for Ms. Danielle Alvarez and Ms. Natalia Shepler to put all of their hard work and time on the mat into action and that is exactly what they did!
First up was Danielle Alvarez fighting out of Alvarez BJJ Arlington TX representing Bruno Bastos and Team Nova Uniao in the Blue Belt Feather Weight Division. Ms. Danielle took total control of her first opponent with sweeps, guard passes and the mount position to go up by 18 points then finish with a nice Arm Bar. In her 2nd match she had to fight one of her team mates from Nova Uniao Valqueire which she finished in a few short seconds with a very nice Triangle Choke. Her 3rd match was a very tough opponent from Brazil 021. In the beginning of the match Danielle had a hard time finishing a sweep on her opponent but once she did she was able to pass her guard then take her back to finish with her patented Bow and Arrow Choke. The finals match will be one to remember as Danielle went out looking like a lion in the jungle that just jumped all over her prey. Danielle pulled guard but this time it was Closed Guard where she attacked her opponents right arm with a very slick High Guard to Arm Bar finish. With her raised in victory on the yellow and green puzzle mats in the Tijuca Tenis Clube, Danielle knew that she accomplished something great and made history in a very historic place. Danielle Alvarez is a true example of perserverance, hard work, dedication, heart and the will to never give up! Danielle has had a great 2012 competition thus far by winning IBJJF‘s Houston Open, Chicago Open and double Gold at the San Francisco and Dallas Open but has had her share of huge disappointments. In 2012 alone she missed weight at the Europeans in Lisbon, Portugal, came up short and took 3rd place at the Pan Ams in Irvine, CA, came up short at the Abu Dhabi Pro in Abu Dhabi and didn’t place and couldn’t compete at the World Jiu Jitsu Championships in Long Beach because her 12th grade graduation was on the same day. Already being a Blue Belt for 2 1/2 years, Danielle knew the Rio Open was her last chance to make it all happen and that is exactly what she did by submitting all 4 of her opponents. The smile on her face was priceless as the referee raised her hand in victory and the gold medal around her neck shined like a pot of gold. Ms. Danielle received her well deserved Purple Belt on the medal podium by her father, coach and head instructor, Mr. Danny Alvarez at Alvarez BJJ Arlington TX along with his Professor Mr. Bruno Bastos. Congrats Danielle on never giving up and finishing like a true champion.
Later in the evening around 7:30pm after supporting her team mate Danielle and being tired from sitting on the hard concrete bleachers all day, Ms. Natalia Biasca Shepler stepped on the yellow and green mats in the Tijuca Tenis Clube and did outstanding! Ms. Natalia also representing Team Alvarez, Bruno Bastos and Team Nova Uniao had a great match with an opponent from Gracie Barra Texas that ended up with Natalia passing the guard and finishing her opponent with a very nice Sleeve Choke. In the finals match, Natalia had a war of match that went all 5 minutes with Natalia attacking and her opponent defending. At the end the score was 0-0 and it came down to a referee’s decision with the decision going to Ms. Natalia for her aggressive submission attempts from Closed Guard. With her hand raised in victory the smile her face was also priceless because she was now the 2012 Rio Open White Belt Light Feather Champion and just two weeks ago in Rio de Janiero Ms. Natalia submitted all her opponents at the CBJJO Copa do Mundo to give her a 2012 World Championship title. At 36 years of age and in phenomenal shape, Ms. Natalia came to Brazil and swept both tournaments. Also in 2012 she took gold at the IBJJF New York Open and Dallas Open at the White Belt Light Feather category. Ms. Natalia’s work ethic is second to none. She trains jiu jitsu at Alvarez Jiu Jitsu Arlington TX twice a day along with her strength and conditioning program and eats very healthy nutritious meals. Natalia is a great example of what hard work, discipline, dedication and being a true martial artists is all about. Ms. Natalia received her very well deserved Blue Belt on the medal podium by her instructor Mr. Danny Alvarez and his Professor Mr. Bruno Bastos. It was a perfect day for Team Alvarez Jiu Jitsu Arlington TX for day 1 of the Rio Open. More results to come as Mr. Jordan Shepler fights Friday morning and Mr. Alvarez competing on Sunday.