WAILUA — Kanani Ragasa of Wailua Houselots became Kaua‘i’s first woman to wear a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu this month, after a hard-fought match at the World Jiu-Jitsu Competition. Since the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation has held their first
WAILUA — Kanani Ragasa of Wailua Houselots became Kaua‘i’s first woman to wear a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu this month, after a hard-fought match at the World Jiu-Jitsu Competition.
Since the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation has held their first world competition in the United States, back in 2007, Ragasa has become the first purple-belt fighter from Hawai‘i to place in two separate age divisions, which has now earned her an IBJJF brown belt.
In early May, Ragasa beat Pan American Champion Gegi Van de Walker in the purple-belt featherweight division, at the Long Beach Jiu-Jitsu Expo in California.
The 2012 IBJJF World Jiu-jitsu Competition was held at the California State University in Long Beach, attended by many top world competitors.
After her win over de Walker at the Expo in California in early May, Ragasa decided to rest for two weeks to nurse an injured ankle, and she gained an extra pound, bumping her from the featherweight to the lightweight division at the weigh in for the IBJJF World Competition last week.
But when Ragasa competed, she had already shed the extra pound and faced an opponent 10 pounds heavier on competition day.
Representing team Ka-mole in Wailua, Ragasa faced an opponent from team Gracie Humaita in the purple-belt lightweight division. She put a good show, and only lost after a tied match came down to the referees’ decision.
Gracie Humaita is run by Royler Gracie, son of Brazilian jiu-jitsu pioneer and legend Helio Gracie, and has one of the largest women classes in the world, now instructed by seven-time world champion Leticia Ribeiro.
Ragasa said the level of jiu-jitsu she experienced at the IBJJF was the highest she has ever seen.
Still, her opponent could not punctuate or even score advantage points, which only count if the fight ends in a tie.
After the fight was over, many spectators thought the referee would give the decision to Ragasa, but the decision went the other way.
Upon returning to Kaua‘i, Ragasa’s husband and trainer, Carl Ragasa, handed her the IBJJF brown belt.
The larger jiu-jitsu schools in the U.S. have some of the top IBJJF competitors in their class, which plays a big role in these events, according to Kanani Ragasa.
“This is why some of the more committed jiu-jitsu fighters from Hawai‘i move to the Mainland to better their game,” she said.
“I am glad to see more of the Kaua‘i jiu-jitsu fighters competing in this event so they can experience what we are up against. I only rely on my husband’s private classes and intense workout plan, which amazingly keeps up with the IBJJF level of competition.”
Earlier this year, in January, Ragasa defeated all three of her opponents in the blue- and purple-belt open division at the first annual Polynesian Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Competition, earning the top spot in Hawai‘i in the women’s purple belt division.
“Our plan now is to rest Kanani’s injured ankle for about a month before starting up into the IBJJF brown belt level of training,” said Carl Ragasa, who now teaches for free in Wailua. Students must be at least 12 years old.
In last week’s event, Gracie Humaita swept the women’s purple belt lightweight division, and also placed first the brown belt feather and lightweight divisions, with Mackenzie Dern and Ana Carolina.
In 2008, Kanani Ragasa lost by one advantage point to Ana Carolina in the purple belt featherweight division. She then took a couple years off during which she gave birth to twins.
Carl and Kanani Ragasa want to thank their family, friends and members of the Ka-mole jiu-jitsu team for their help and support. They said they want to congratulate Bobby Castle, who got promoted to purple belt, and Hunter Ewald for their win in the world event.
“We all must accept losing before we can become champions,” Carl Ragasa said.
