Tragic death for a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu legend: 33-year-old Leandro Lo, eight-time world champion in three categories of this martial art, was killed by an off-duty policeman who shot him in the head. It happened during a party in an exclusive club in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where the wrestler was residing.
According to testimonies, Lo was with friends in Clube Sirio when a guest who appeared drunk had a fight with him and grabbed a bottle from the bar to use it as a weapon. The Brazilian wrestler pinned him with one of his holds but as soon as he freed him, the man pulled out his gun and shot Lo, hitting him in the forehead. The Brazilian champion died shortly after in the hospital while his killer managed to escape.
Lo next weekend was due to participate in the Jiu Jitsu championships scheduled in the United States. Brazilian Jiu jJtsu (BJJ) is a martial art characterized by ground fighting, where athletes can face each other for a long time trying to gain a dominant position or a sequence of moves that lead to the submission of the opponent. It should not be confused with its Japanese predecessor Jujutsu but is rather similar to Grappling, a fighting style that takes place standing and on the ground aimed at submitting the opponent without the use of percussion.