In a sport that is particularly dominated by men, women are starting to push the boundaries and make their presence known on the mat. One Kaua‘i girl, Alexis Carvalho, a Relson Gracie Kaua‘i Technical Institute Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt, is
In a sport that is particularly dominated by men, women are starting to push the boundaries and make their presence known on the mat. One Kaua‘i girl, Alexis Carvalho, a Relson Gracie Kaua‘i Technical Institute Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt, is doing just that. In September, Carvalho won two medals at the International Brazilian jiu-jitsu Federations Masters and Seniors World Championships, and just recently won another two gold medals at the NAGA Championships on O‘ahu.
In a competition where people from all over the world come to compete, Carvalho won the gold medal for her Senior 1 division at the IBJJF Masters and Seniors World Championships. Although there was no one else in her weight category, she went on to fight in the absolute weight division, which included winners from the various weight divisions in her age category. Carvalho earned a silver medal, having three matches where she won 9-0, 7-0, and then lost in the finals 0-0 by referees’ decision.
Just one month later, she was back on the mats competing again at the NAGA Championships held annually on O‘ahu. She won both her no-gi match (6-0) and gi match (2-0), earning another two gold medals to add to her team’s collection of hardware at their academy.
Carvalho, a student under Pono Pananganan at KTI in Lihu‘e, said that KTI (and jiu-jitsu) saved her life. She has been training for almost four years and is one of KTI’s first females to be promoted to blue belt. Through jiu-jitsu, Carvalho says she has gained a healthier lifestyle, more self-esteem, focus and perseverance, but most of all she has been blessed to train with an amazing group of people who she has come to know as her own family.
When she suffered the recent loss of her father in July, she turned to her KTI family and jiu-jitsu jitsu. In an interview with her, she says, “No matter what you’re stressed or worried about, it ceases to exist when you step through that door. We are more than a team, we are a family. KTI helped me discover who I want to become, things I need to work on. When I lost my dad, they gave me strength and courage when I needed it most. Without them I wouldn’t have gotten through these past few months.”
Her instructor, Relson Gracie brown belt Pono Pananganan, describes Alexis as always laying it on the line and leaving everything out on the mat. He says that anyone who meets Alexis out on the street or in the grocery store would never guess that she is such a fierce competitor, given her shy and humble nature. She always jumps at the chance to compete and represent her fellow KTI teammates and he is amazed and proud of her continued courage and dedication.
Alexis is a true testament of the jiu-jitsu athlete. Her attitude, along with her love for the sport and her team, shows that she is a true role model for other women who may be too intimidated to train in a martial art. Not only did she bring multiple World championship medals home to Kaua‘i, she continues to proudly represent Kaua‘i in women’s jiu-jitsu.
