This master’s student in applied radiation science and technology joins the likes of Tshepo Botipe and Moses Radebe who were crowned national champions and went on to dominate the world jiu-jitsu championships.

 

Acquiring self-defence skills

 

Elvis started martial arts at the age of five, and his interest in jiu-jitsu was sparked by his desire to acquire self-defence skills.

 

“Except for physical benefits, jiu-jitsu boosts your self-confidence and teaches individuals self-defence techniques. It’s a skill that everyone must have,” he says.

 

“The other reason I ventured into jiu-jitsu is that I always wanted to be a complete fighter so I learned about it after I read an article about Moses, one of our own going to Brazil,” says Elvis, a blue belt holder.

 

In jiu-jitsu you constantly learn new techniques, and therefore you always learn new skills needed to protect yourself in threatening situations, he says.

 

He participates in both stand-up and group fighting.

 

Various titles under his belt

 

Elvis has multiple provincial, national and world titles in the sport. In 2019 he earned two gold medals at the world championships in South Africa and an award as the best fighter at the world championships tournament.

 

Before the world championship, Elvis achieved a gold and a silver medal at the South African championships.

 

He and five other students from the Mahikeng Campus were part of the jiu-jitsu national team that represented South Africa at the 26th annual United Nations of Jiu-Jitsu world congress and championships in 2018 in Gibraltar.

 

Paying it forward

 

Elvis says the sport is growing very quickly in South Africa.

 

“We have now introduced a Morganti jiu-jitsu online programme at the university. This will allow anyone to learn jiu-jitsu from anywhere in South Africa and be able to climb the ranks,” adds Elvis.

 

The immediate plan is to host self-defence classes in Morganti jiu-jitsu to assist students and members of the public who might be vulnerable to gender-based violence.

 

Elvis plans to continue to fly the NWU flag by winning more world titles and producing many elite fighters.