José Lucas Costa da Silva peered over towards the warm-up area for the Brazilian jiu-jitsu competition he was about to referee, faintly amused. It was early May 2023, and the 26-year-old martial arts instructor watched as one competitor in the high-school sports auditorium stretched and ran drills. He was wearing a white “gi”, a robe-like uniform, with some unusual accessories: sunglasses, a dark blue baseball cap and a medical mask. The man, whose name was listed as Mark Elliott, was a white belt, the beginner rank.
何塞•卢卡斯•科斯塔•达席尔瓦(José Lucas Costa da Silva)向即将担任裁判的巴西柔术比赛热身区望去,脸上露出一丝笑意。那是2023年5月初,这位26岁的武术教练看到一位选手在高中体育馆的热身区拉伸、做热身动作。他身着白色“道服”(一种类似长袍的制服),还搭配了一些奇特的配饰:墨镜、深蓝色棒球帽和医用口罩。这位名叫马克•埃利奥特(Mark Elliott)的选手是白带级别,也就是初学者。