Profile of a Powerful Female: Nathiely De Jesus

Third Coast Grappling Kumite 7 is the last event of the series that spans four months during a worldwide pandemic. The bracket is comprised of eight female black belts vying for the $10,000 prize. That is a powerful statement for equality in the sport. Eight world-class elite competitors showcasing the best of women’s Jiu-Jitsu. This is part four of an eight-part series featuring each of the athletes in the bracket. This is Nathiely De Jesus.

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Translation: “How long will we live in a world of ingratitude, among ungrateful people? Sometimes we don’t realize how ungrateful we are, and it’s in simple things like complaining about the food of the day instead of thanking us for the food, clothes or shoes we wear, if we stop to analyze we complain more than we thank, we complain when we train more instead of thanking for health, we complain about our boss instead of thanking for the work, we complain when we are upset instead of thanking for the friend who tells the truth when we need it, how many people in the world would like to be in their place, to have their opportunities , and the most shocking is that most of them are not complaining but thanking, what an unfair world right? When we stop to observe so much tragedy that happens every day we realize how blessed we are so we start to be more grateful instead of complaining about things so small, that you come to look more at the pain of others instead of complaining about things so simple and insignificant that you complain, stop to analyze what is happening in the world and maybe you change your concepts”

Nathiely De Jesus is a five-time International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) black belt World champion (three times in the Gi and two at No Gi). She has also earned gold medals at the Pan Ams, American Nationals, Euros and two UAEJJF Grand Slams — all at black belt. She has many more titles at the lower belts.

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Translation: “In the 1 photo a girl starting a journey that would give her nothing, plump, clumsy, beaten up by all the girls in the gym and lost almost all the championships she competed in, funny that nobody believed her, nobody expected her to become the woman of the 2 photos, the best in the world in its category and in the open weight, the number 1 in its division and the number 2 in the world ranking. It is really surprising people, so never doubt anyone or yourself, remember that God enables us to be better every day.”

Finding Jiu-Jitsu And Her Rightful Place

Born on Feb. 10, 1996, De Jesus started taking Jiu Jitsu classes for medical and weight loss reasons at the age of 13. Her first professor was Claudio Felix, who promoted her to blue and purple belts. Her interest in competing only started when she visited the academy where her boyfriend (now husband, Manuel Ribamar) attended. Projeto Social Lutando Pelo Bem (“Social Project Fighting for Good “) was Cicero Costha‘s social project and academy, where high-level competitors were aplenty. Leandro Lo and Paulo and João Miyao among the most notable.

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Getting her purple belt from her first professor Claudio Felix at Lotus Clube
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She switched to the academy where her boyfriend trained

Champion

The switch paid off. She had a stellar run at brown belt, medaling at the highest levels of competition. Before that, she started placing on the podium at purple belt including winning both the Pan Ams (“Pans”and the Worlds in 2015.

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Her collection of gold medals at purple and brown belts include, but are not limited to: Worlds (2015, purple; 2016 brown – double-gold), World No-Gi (2015, brown – double-gold), UAEJJF Abu Dhabi World Pro (2016, brown), Pan Ams (2015, purple), CBJJ Brazilian Nationals (2014 and 2015, purple; 2016, brown).

Black Belt

De Jesus was promoted to black belt at the podium of the Worlds in 2016, where she earned double-gold.

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Marital” Art

De Jesus got married to her long-time boyfriend Ribamar in August of 2017. Together, they teach at Rodrigo Pinheiro BJJ in Boerne, Texas.

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Watch Third Coast Grappling: Kumite 7 on September 26 to see who will reign as the “Queen of the Kumite.” Check back here for the other profiles as well as the preview, results and reviews.

Third Coast Grappling Kumite VII: Queen of the Kumite
https://bit.ly/32jkqeYThird Coast Grappling Kumite VII: Queen of the Kumite

Jeff Liwag

Jeff Liwag is an educator of 20 years with specializations in Special Education and Instructional Technology. "Submission fighting" lessons in 1999 was his first exposure to grappling martial arts, eventually taking up Jiu-Jitsu classes in 2004 and 2005, only to start training regularly at Gracie Barra Texas in 2011, where he still trains to this day, earning every belt rank up to his current brown belt from Vinicius "Draculino" Magalhaes.

Jeff Liwag has 32 posts and counting. See all posts by Jeff Liwag