The IBJJF San Diego Spring Open 2023 took place across the weekend of May 20th and 21st, with several elite grapplers making the trip to compete at the event. Ares BJJ in particular had a great weekend, as several of the team’s competitors won their respective divisions. Osvaldo ‘Queixinho’ Moizinho won gold at featherweight, while both Josh Cisneros and Danilo Moreira made it to the final of the lightweight division, with Cisneros taking home the gold medal from it. Art of Jiu-Jitsu did well too, with Reon Niwa winning gold at light-featherweight and his teammate Jordan Vaisman taking the silver medal.
Fellipe Andrew had the most impressive performance of the first day in the gi, as he won a pair of gold medals in the heavyweight and the absolute division. He beat Marcelo Fausto in the final of the absolute division, shortly after Fausto won gold at middleweight. The women’s divisions weren’t as busy as the men’s but Nathalie Ribeiro made an appearance and won the featherweight division. Melissa Stricker Cueto also competed and although she was given a gold medal at super-heavyweight by default, she had to beat some stiff opposition to win her second gold medal of the day in the absolute.
Breylor Grout in particular stood out as he put in a series of great performances spread across both days, impressing just a few months after being promoted to BJJ black belt by Keenan Cornelius. Grout won the ultra-heavyweight division in the gi on the first day, and in no gi on the second day. There weren’t as many big names competing in the no gi edition of the tournament on the second day, although Ty Freeman did manage to win gold in the heavyweight division. There was plenty of action at the IBJJF San Diego Spring Open 2023 though, and some high-level grappling on display everywhere.
