ROTTERDAMMERS
In the schoolyard of the secondary school, little Daniel de Groot (28) was still in a frenzy. Now, on the Jiu Jitsu mat, he fights for gold medals. “The sport saved my life.”
,,They call me 'Bunda Branca', the white buttocks. But in Rio de Janeiro I did win the national title. In the final I defeated a Brazilian fighter with a d'arce choke around the neck. In doing so, you cut off the opponent's blood supply. He has to tap, otherwise he will be knocked out.
The gold medal I won in Brazil, where the Jiu Jitsu martial art is immensely popular, now hangs proudly in my new gym at the Weena, alongside countless other gold, silver and bronze medals. When I started the sport, I never imagined that I would become so successful in the sport.”
Daniel de Groot's story is part of the Rotterdammers series, in which reporter Marcel Wijnstekers records the life story of a Rotterdammer every week.
Read the rest of the article here Marcel Wijnstekers:
https://www.ad.nl/rotterdam/daniel-28-werd-als-laatste-gekozen-bij-gym-later-won-hij-gouden-medailles-jiu-jitsu-was-mijn-redding~a9e572b26/