At Jiu-Jitsu CON, an event that gathers thousands of practitioners under one roof, the World Master has become the centerpiece. Among the many champions of this event is Alexandre "Soca" Freitas, a seasoned competitor who has etched his name into the history books with his incredible performances throughout the history of the tournament. With eight World Masters titles already under his belt, Soca embarks on a journey to clinch a ninth at this year's World Masters Championship, a feat that would further solidify his legacy as one of the sport's true legends.

For Soca, the World Masters Championship is more than competition; it is an annual challenge that he and his wife undertake with joy and anticipation. “It’s the greatest time of the year for me and my wife, who also competes and she has been winning many World titles with me,” explained Soca.

The titles encapsulate not just victories, but serve as a testament to his enduring commitment to the art that has been his life's calling.

One of the most remarkable aspects of Soca's career is his consistent high level of technique that he puts on display each and every time he steps on the mats. Over the years, his training methods have evolved, adapting to the changing landscape of the sport. Regardless of his accomplishments, Soca maintains an unwavering belief in the need for improvement. “I feel that it doesn’t matter how good we are in jiu-jitsu, we always need to improve in some aspects and this is what makes me go and compete to achieve a better jiu-jitsu level. I do a lot of specific training for the five minute competition and when I am off the competition season I like to train ten minutes or no time limit, exactly the way I learned jiu-jitsu when I was a kid. This way I can see and study any particular movement in jiu-jitsu and always look to improve my submission game.”

As he prepares for yet another World Masters Championship, Soca aims to achieve an incredible milestone: becoming a 10-time World Master Champion. For a practitioner who has stood on the podium for more than three decades, the idea of continuing to push his limits exemplifies his insatiable appetite for the sport. “I like the idea of becoming a 10X World Master Champion. I’ve thought about stopping competing for a long time. I’m 50 years old and I’ve been competing since I was 15 years old and I have a lot of injuries. I feel that to be ready for this tournament is a big challenge and also I teach a lot and take care of my family and these challenges motivate me to keep going. And also the fact my wife is competing too and I’m still enjoying training a lot!”

Though he’s excited to compete himself, Soca also recognizes the vast amount of talent at the event and is excited to watch his fellow black belts compete. “First of all my wife Sam Freitas. She is one of the reasons that I still compete and she usually competes pretty much at the same time I go. I also love to see my teammates from R1NG BJJ like Regis Calixto, Fábio Leopoldo, Pé de Chumbo and many others from my team. I also like to watch Megaton, Godoi, and many others from my generation and the new generation of masters.” This convergence of skill and experience highlights the event's role as a celebration of the power of the jiu-jitsu lifestyle.

Jiu-jitsu has evolved dramatically since Soca first entered the arena. He reminisces about the days when the community was smaller, tournaments were organized informally, and the prospect of the current sprawling landscape seemed distant. “It’s been unbelievable! When I first started to compete we didn’t have many people training and competing and we didn’t have an organization like IBJJF and also the publicity as we can see today. I watched my Professor Carlos Gracie Jr. creating it since day one with competitors making the tournaments registrations at his house and he always told us that one day it would be like today and we couldn’t believe it at that time.”

The 2023 edition of Jiu-Jitsu CON stands as the world's largest congregation of jiu-jitsu enthusiasts and is slated to host over 10,000 competitors, each converging upon a shared passion for jiu-jitsu. You can watch Soca and the rest of the World Masters event live in Las Vegas or you can stream the event exclusively on FloGrappling.