World Master IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship

By CHAD BONHAM

For the first time in its young history, SportsLife Leadership had a presence at the World Master IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship. The competition took place in Las Vegas, Nevada, from August 28th through the 30th.

For Steven Jude, Director of Field Ministry, the event represented a full circle moment in his journey as a sports ministry leader. Jude attended the event last year while working with another organization.

“I’m always amazed by what God does because you never would’ve thought we would be where we are right now,” Jude said. “God has opened so many doors and he has just continued to bless what we do and what we’re doing through this ministry.”

While official activity didn’t start until Thursday, Jude and his team found that being on the event grounds a day early was enough to spur ministry opportunity.

“We weren’t really expecting anything to happen that first day, but even during setup we had people coming up to us to talk,” Jude recalled. “We prayed with some competitors and met up with some other vendors who appreciated what we were doing there.”

Jude was joined by his two sons along with ministry partner David Said of Alliance Athens Jiu-Jitsu in Greece and his wife Maria, son and two daughters. Collectively, the group participated in the largest event in IBJFF history, which fielded 12,500 competitors.

“We were very happy to serve God as a family and allow the kids to see what we do,” Said commented. “That was one of the highlights. Steven and I had the chance to see our kids sharing the Gospel using ‘The Four’ bracelet to communicate the message of Jesus Christ to everyone that came to the booth.”

Each day, Jude and the team, which also included jiu-jitsu competitor Josh Gibbs, hosted devotionals at 9:30 a.m., and 2 p.m., for any athletes, coaches, family members, or vendors that wanted to attend. On the first morning, no one showed up at the booth for the scheduled meeting. Disappointed but not undaunted, the team welcomed a family that afternoon and then saw the numbers grow significantly throughout the event.

“We had some great times of fellowship and conversation about what it looks like to live this life the best we can with Jesus as our foundation,” Jude said. “It was a phenomenal time to be able to build into the lives of those who stopped by and pray for many competitors and their families.

“Of course, we also had some awesome opportunities to explain the ministry of SportsLife Leadership and our mission of infusing life into sports leaders,” he added. “This took place with believers and non-believers including people from other faith traditions and walks of life from all over the world.”

Positioned alongside the mats where competition was taking place, Jude and the team also used the event to launch a Jiu-Jitsu Instagram account that Said orchestrated. As people signed up to follow the ministry, they also received SportsLife Leadership t-shirt, Bibles, copies of “Wisdom Walks” and “True Competitor,” which was used during devotional times.

“During our Saturday morning devotional, a young competitor and his parents joined the group,” Jude recalled. “This young man had a really tough first day of competition and was struggling with how he had performed. The devotional was about how God doesn’t waste our pain. He works through our trials and our struggles. That message fit perfectly with what he was going through. After the devotional, we laid hands on him and prayed over him.

Later on, as I was heading back home, I got a call from one of our contacts at the tournament telling me that the young man had won his division. It was a cool opportunity to be a part of his story and see that God granted him success that same day.”

Said performed double duty at the event as a competitor in the Masters Three Black Belt Featherweight Division—a category in which most of the athletes are also coaches or gym owners. According to Said, the culture in Brazilian jiu-jitsu dictates that a competitor doesn’t retire until he is physically or mentally unable to handle the pressure.

“I’m a hundred percent sure that you cannot do both ministry and competition perfectly, but if you have a good team you can act in both spheres,” he added. “But for now, I think it’s very important because that’s the best way I can connect with the competitors. I have opportunities to talk to people at a high level of competition that wouldn’t listen to me if I were not in there with them.

“I have built friendships over many years just by being there—competing, winning, losing, talking to them after every fight, praying with them,” Said continued. “It’s something that comes naturally. People have to go to church to be able to have access to the pastor. In this case, being a competitor, you can be where the athletes and coach are and you are reaching out to them. You’re not just waiting for people to come to you for some wise counseling or for training. You are there leading by example.”

Some of the most powerful interactions for Said came when old friends within the jiu-jitsu community see him in a different light—as a minister of the Gospel and not just as a competitor or coach.

“Being a part of SportsLife Leadership allows me to talk to them at a deeper level, a personal level, about family, about life, about God, about faith,” he said. “Those moments were very special for me as we went through the tournament.”

Jude, Said, and Gibbs also met with a competitor who came to the booth in tears.

“He was a huge dude just breaking down and being thankful to God that he had the chance to connect with us,” Said recalled. “It was an encouragement to him to see that other people were serving God through jiu-jitsu. That’s why it was so important for us to be there. Having the booth at these events is creating a culture. It is having an influence on the community.”

As competitive season comes to a close, Jude will continue pouring into leaders within the sport by developing resources and holding training sessions including a monthly online call that in the works. He likens these multiplication and expansion efforts to Jesus’ time with the disciples.

“We want to find our disciples, pour into them, and let them plant their own seeds …” – Steven Jude

“We want to find our disciples, pour into them, and let them plant their own seeds and go through the same process with their people,” Jude said. “We’re just trying to be faithful. We show up and God is always there. He always does above and beyond what we can imagine. As we follow Him, He opens doors and He opens the hearts of the people that we’re around. He has blessed us with the opportunity to impact the jiu-jitsu community for a greater kingdom purpose.”