Kelli Saunders
Staff Writer
Senior Rapha Diogo is fighting for his spot at the top in Jiu-Jitsu.
Since injuring his arm and having to end his soccer career, Diogo has dedicated his time to training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and is currently a blue belt in the mixed martial art. He has been training at his father’s school Rey Diogo Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, in Venice for 12 years. Both his parents are black belts in the art and started him in martial arts at the age of two.
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“Being around jiu-jitsu as a kid made me want to learn more about it,” Diogo said. “Jiu-jitsu is very entertaining and fun which is why I have kept with it for so long.”
Diogo played soccer for the Galaxy team until he broke his wrist and was cut from the team. He then played soccer for Mira Costa, but decided in 2014 to focus his time on training in solely ju-jitsu.
“I was very upset when I was cut from Galaxy, however it gave me the opportunity opportunity to get right back up and focus on something that I enjoyed more,” Diogo said. “Looking back I am glad I made the decision because I have a better shot at being one of the best in jiu-jitsu.”
Diogo trains 6 days for two hours a week each day. He trains three times a week at the Carlson Gracie South Bay center, and three days at his father’s gym. Diogo also competes in Jiu-Jitsu competitions about 2 to 3 times per month around the south bay.
“I like competing because it gets my name out there,” Diogo said. “It’s a great feeling to win first place and see all my hard work pay off.”
This year, Diogo received a gold medal at the Jiu Jitsu World Championships in San Diego in July. He also won all three of his fights to submission, causing one of his opponents to tap out, at the NAGA tournament in Las Vegas in August.
“The feeling of winning doesn’t compare to any other,” Diogo said. “When I win it shows me that all of the time I put into jiu-jitsu is going to good use.”
Diogo trains with Mira Costa senior Jean Paul Le Bosnoyani, the current world champion. The training partners do private lessons together to improve their skills during their matches. Since Le Bosnoyani is at a higher level than Diogo, Le Bosnoyani prepares Diogo for all of his competitions by challenging him when they train together.
“Jean Paul is a great training partner to have because he always pushes me to my full potential,” Diogo said. “Because he is a level up from me, he is able to teach me new skills to help me defeat my opponents.”
By the age of 22, Diogo hopes to have his black belt and to start teaching jiu-jitsu to kids at his father’s studio. Eventually, he wants to become a world champion and take over his fathers business to build his legacy and provide training for the next generation.
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“I really love fighting and martial arts,” Diogo said. “I want to consistently train hard so I can be the best and if I keep working hard and surround myself with the right people, I know I can make it to the top and achieve my goals.”
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