On October 29th, a young fighter named Emanoel Santos Freitas from Rio de Janeiro has been invited to compete at the European Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship 2025 in Italy - one of the biggest opportunities of his life. Emanoel also known as 'Monstrinho' is a 17 years old athlete who’s chasing a dream that began on the steep hills of the Morro dos Prazeres favela.

I discovered Emanuel through an Instagram story from a mutual friend in Rio. I was immediately intrigued, so I clicked through.. It was packed with Jiu-Jitsu competitions and he seemed to be winning just about all of them.

I reached out to him and shared a bit about my time in Morro dos Prazeres last year, mentioning that I knew some of his friends. We started talking and he told me his dream, simple, yet so inspiring: to become a Jiu-Jitsu World Champion and give his mother a better life.

Inspired by his story, I returned to Prazeres to collaborate with him on a short documentary about his life, his training sessions and his daily struggles to raise funds for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

A few months later, the film is complete and will be released later this year, but now Emanoel needs our support to make his dream a reality.

About Emanoel

From a favela in Rio, Emanoel faces daily challenges but dedicates himself fully to his Jiu Jitsu dream.

“I was in a position to barely be able to pay for my championships. So I wake up before sunrise twice a week. I take a 40-minute bus drive to sell paçoca, a peanut candy at the traffic lights.'' he explained.

Emanoel always wears his blue kimono along with some of the medals he'd won in previous tournaments.‘’Without a kimono people will think you are going to rob them. So I wear my kimono and medals to show people that I am a Jiu Jitsu athlete’’ he explained.

Emanoel has to go to school while training three times a day (morning Jiu Jitsu, afternoon wrestling, evening no-gi) and has to take care of his mother. Yet, despite all these responsibilities he remains determined to chase his dream: to create a better life for him and his mother.

Why we’re raising money


Emanoel has been invited to compete at the European Jiu Jitsu Championship in Italy. A tournament that could change the course of his life and Jiu Jitsu career.

But the costs are far beyond what he can earn selling candy..

Why it matters

In a place where opportunities are rare and resources limited, Emanoel’s story shows that hard work and dedication can rise above circumstance.

Supporting him isn’t just about funding a trip; it’s about showing a young athlete that the world believes in his fight. Every donation, big or small, brings Emanoel closer to stepping onto the mat in Italy to chase his dreams.

Thank you for believing in him!

With gratitude,

Jermain Cikic

For more information about the European Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF Championship visit:

https://ibjjf.com/events/european-ibjjf-jiu-jitsu-no-gi-championship-2025