Interview with Dante Leon, No-Gi Middleweight World champion 2019

The “New Generation” of Jiu Jitsu athletes is rising. One of the best new talents is Dante Leon, 25 years old Canadian black belt who is achieving some great results: he won the No-Gi Worlds 2019 in the Middleweight division and has defeated some great names of the sport such as Lucas Lepri, Renato Canuto, Isaque Bahiense and Tye Ruotolo.

On the mat, Dante has an exciting style which is making him a fan-favorite in the BJJ community. Grappling-Italia has reached him for an interview!

(Thanks to Dante for the availability and kindness)

1- I can’t start the interview without asking how are you living this Coronavirus pandemic. Are you able to train properly?

Life and training is about adapting. As athletes we must adapt and make the nosy of this time. I am always training.

2- You had a great performance at the last No-Gi Worlds, winning your first IBJJF world title as a black belt. What does it mean for you and what do you think about your own performance?

I thought I had an amazing performance. It feels amazing to have a black belt adult world title now! That was always something that was the goal for me even just starting out in Jiu Jitsu.

3- How do you feel before stepping on the mat? I know that athletes have different feelings and vibes. What’s your mindset before a fight?

I try to keep my mind as clear and clean as possible. I do not overthink or hang on anything. As I am training my conditioning, strength, wrestling, Jiu Jitsu etc, I also train my mind so that I can use it just like I use everything else, on auto pilot.

4- What’s your favorite rule-set?

There are a lot of rule sets I like. It depends on the time of year to see which one I like most but I really do have a liking for Kasai rules and submission only rule sets.

5- You’re known for the use of Reverse De La Riva: why should a BJJ practitioner starting to use this guard? What are the strenghts of this guard, in your opinion?

This guard is a great option as it allows you many options. It is a strong guard that if used effectively can take you from defense to offense faster than any other guard IMO

6- Last question: what are your future plans and goals after the pandemic?

After the pandemic has cleared my goals are the same. I want to continue to improve and perform to my greatest potential. I am never not working to make this all become reality.

You can buy Dante’s DVD about Reverse De La Riva here: https://www.budovideos.com/products/reverse-de-la-riva-formula-made-easy-4-dvd-set-by-dante-leon

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