Demian beats Leandro Borgo and takes the heavyweight title for Brasa in 2003. Photo: Gustavo Aragão

This September 25 the 15^th Brazilian Team National Championship will take place in the Tijuca Tennis Club. Sign-ups are open (sign up here) and should you need to renew your IBJJF ID cards, they will be valid for the 2011 season, too.

It’s a tradition that the Brazilian Team Nationals includes some of the country’s most prominent teams, going for gold in stages defined by the best of five confrontations. The team to notch three wins first stays in the running. Another of the event’s peculiarities is that the brown belts are thrown into the black belt mix. This peculiarity has brought about emotion-filled victories, like Vitor Dórea’s (brown belt) over the seasoned Roberto “Roleta”, with a traditional foot-on-bicep sweep in the very last minute.

Alexandre Café was a shoo-in for GB in the competition. He dispatched Marcelo Garcia at the tournament in 2002.

At the first installment, in 1996, dominion at the highest rank went to Gracie Barra and Alliance. Beasts like Marcio Feitosa, Alexandre Soca, Rafael Gordinho and Bruno Severiano overcame Nova União, which boasted the likes of Vitor Shaolin, João Roque and André Marola. Among the heavyweights, Fabio Gurgel, Alexandre Paiva and Eduardo Jamelão led the way to their triumph over GB’s Roberto Gordo and Roleta. Another curiosity, GRACIEMAG made it onto the blue belt winners’ stand with editor of photography Gustavo Aragão.

Babalu against Arthur Gogó in 2005

The biggest champions at lightweight brown/black belt of all times are Gracie Barra and Nova União, with four wins apiece. Tied with the same score, the biggest heavyweight brown/black belt winners are Gracie Barra and Alliance.

UFC fighter Rafael dos Anjos faced two-time champion of the event Alexandre Pulga in 2005

Is there a tie-breaker in store for 2010?

Photo: Publicity

Edson Ramalho is now responsible for physical conditioning at Alliance, but he’s also worked with top-flight athletes on other teams like Rafael Mendes, André Galvão, and Bruno Frazatto, among others. The trainer figures in the article “60 tips for a better working body” from GRACIEMAG #162, now in bookstores. On GRACIEMAG.com, Ramalho conveys his view of some physical conditioning issues.

“Ever since I started with André Galvão, in 2007, I noticed that athletes with a high level of technique can achieve more through physical conditioning work. It boosts strength for performing moves, allows one exert force for longer… With physical conditioning work we interfere positively in the technique. Gabi Garcia, for example, already had refined technique and by doing proper prep work she became quicker,” he remarks.

“I believe it is important to work beyond the particularities of the style. Each sport has its own particularity, but each athlete does too. Rafael Mendes, for example, was really explosive, but he needed strength. We carried out training geared towards that and it bore results at the ADCC. The particularity of the sport coupled with that of the athlete is the principle guiding physical preparation work. Of course, one also needs to consult a doctor and do some exams. We reach very high heart rates while training, it’s no joke,” advises the training.

Photo: Publicity

Another precautionary measure is to not go overboard in training, becoming overtrained, the subject of much debate among physical conditioning specialists.

“I seek to keep tabs on each athlete’s heart rate and pace in training. There are also other means of analysis, like checking lactic acid levels and performing saliva exams, for instance. We’re bringing over a physiology specialist from USP (University of São Paulo) who did a very interesting study on the matter, even taking samples during training and championships. During a championship the level of stress increases a lot. That helps to monitor the athletes progress and know if he is improving,” he says in closing.

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Physical activity with breathtaking view

The legacy built by the Gracie family, besides being a sport to practice, provides numerous opportunities. Beyond the many benefits the gentle art has to offer, it has become a means to make a living and a job, a business. Being an athlete and coach are some of the better known activities, but there are many other fields to be explored.

Keen to this, black belt Francis Abramson explores one of the many business variants the gentle art provides. There’s no lack of raw material in Brazil, the Mecca of the style.

Jiu-Jitsu blended with tourism

Between June and August of this year, the sport tourism business led by Francis, of Rio Sports Tour, organized four camps with some of the country’s teams: Alliance (Fabio Gurgel/Alexandre Paiva), Gracie Tijuca (Vini Aieta), ATT (Renato Tavares), and Franco-Behring (Sylvio Behring). The product Francis offers practitioners is an exchange between foreigners and Brazilians as well as the culture and lifestyle of the Marvelous City.

“Renato Tavares’s group had the opportunity to watch the World Cup on a big screen on Copacabana beach and then on Urca hill; the Alliance crew trained at Gigi’s and competed at the Rio Open; and Sylvio Behring’s guys trained with Grandmaster Álvaro Barreto. Indeed, each group has its own peculiarities and the experiences are always different,” Francis comments

Tough training

In one of the biggest Jiu-Jitsu groups ever put together, seventeen practitioners led by black-and-red belt Sylvio Behring stayed in Rio and Buzios for nearly two weeks, on the fourth year of the exchange promoted by Rio Sports Tourism.

So there are countless possibilities Jiu-Jitsu brings to your life. Use your creativity and explore one yourself.

Chance to meet the stars

Gabi at 2010 Worlds. Photo: Luca Atalla

Gabrielle Garcia made her victorious black belt debut this weekend, at the National Cup in São Paulo.

“I got the submission in two matches on Saturday and fought for the belt on Sunday. I managed to beat Talita “Treta” from Ryan Gracie and now I have the three World League belts, from the SP Cup, National Cup and the World Cup,” the Alliance black belt sums up.

Gabi has had a perfect year in competition Jiu-Jitsu. The athlete tells how she found the path to the gold, but the hardest part is staying at the top.

“Thank God this year I won at weight and absolute at the Pan, Brazilian Nationals and Worlds, as well as the World Pro qualifiers and later in Abu Dhabi. The year has been great, and I feel that’s the fruit of my training. I always try to evolve more and I went on to have different priorities. I picked up the pace in physical conditioning with Edson Ramalho, as well as in training with Fabio Gurgel. I’m really happy,” she comments.

“I’ve made it to the top before and was unable to keep it up. That was the result of my training. I think now I’ve discovered the way to keep it up: through training and focus. Each victory serves as stimulus to keep it up because I know all the girls want my titles and to beat me. But yesterday’s victories are now part of the past. I want to make history in the female division, to be considered one of the best, so I have to keep evolving. If I starting thinking things are fine, then the house comes down. Fabio trains us regardless of the result, and that helps,” she adds.

Gabi at National Cup. Photo: Ivan Trindade

And anyone thinking that the stalwart competitor has reached a stopping point, after so many wins, they are sorely mistaken. There’s much more of Gabi to come in 2010.

“We’re going to take a strong team to the Brazilian Team Nationals. I’ll do some seminars in the United States in October and November with Luanna Alzuguir and then head to Ecuador, so I’ll be at the No-Gi Pan and Worlds in the USA. I’m not going to hide behind these wins. I’m going to stay in the mix, I’m not running from any fight,” she warns.

Rodolfo in his win over Sérgio Moraes. Photo: Ivan Trindade

The National Cup came to a close this Sunday at Magno high school in São Paulo. The event distributed R$ 60,000 among the winners of the various divisions. The biggest standout of the competition was Rodolfo Vieira, winner of the men’s absolute belt.

In the other divisions, Bruno Frazatto (Atos) did well to win the featherweight division, leaving in his wake Mario Reis and Leon Amancio (Check Mat), in the decider. Fighting at light featherweight, instead of his usual roosterweight division, Bruno Malfacine carries on in his winning ways. He defeated Samir Chantre (Carlson Gracie) to become champion. Ivaniel Cavalcanti won the roosterweight division.

Cícero Costha took the lightweight prize, while Claudio Calasans conquered yet another gold medal for Atos, at middleweight. The medium heavyweight division was won by Sérgio Moraes (Alliance); Alexandre de Souza (Gracie Floripa) won at heavyweight; Denis Gomes won at super heavyweight; and Luiz Big Mac took top spot on the winners’ stand in the ultraheavyweight division.

Gabi Garcia at National Cup. Photo: Ivan Trindade

The big standout of the women’s division was Gabrielle Garcia (Alliance). The 2010 world champion at weight and open weight won the two divisions again. Michelle Tavares, winner of her weight group and the lightweight absolute, came up spades, too, having beaten Michelle Nicolini for the absolute belt and submitted two opponents at weight.

Rodolfo through to decider against Farias

The National Cup tournament is going on full steam in São Paulo. The event rewards the winners with belts, as well as a total of R$ 60,000 in prize money. All the finals will take place this Sunday, but the absolute black belt division is already near completion.

Sérgio Moraes (Alliance) and GFTeam prodigy Rodolfo Vieira had their final early. The winner goes on to face current champion Bernardo Faria this Sunday. As Faria represents Alliance, a win from Sergio would have closed out the division for Fabio Gurgel’s team.

Before the decisive match Sergio beat beasts like Ricardo Evangelista, Tiago Alves and Alexandro Ceconi. Rodolfo had to overcome fighters of the caliber of Léo Nogueira and Alexandre de Souza.

In the dispute that defined the finalist, Rodolfo came out on top. He scored four points by mounting Sergio’s back early on, securing his place against Bernardo Faria. Expectations are high for Sunday’s showdown.

“It was a good match. Now we’ll wait for tomorrow’s final,” Sergio’s teammate Michael Langhi told GRACIEMAG.com.

GRACIEMAG.com will be back soon with more news.

Roger and Jacaré go at it for the first time, in 2002, in a riveting absolute brown belt final. Photo: Gustavo Aragão.

The idea of a no-time limit sport Jiu-Jitsu match born (or reborn) in the USA last June fired up GRACIEMAG.com readers and fans of the sport all around the world. Then it went cold, though.

Unable to come to terms on the purse (10 thousand dollars to the winner in the initial proposal), the first matchup put together by the promoters, between Alliance ace Rubens Cobrinha and Rafael Mendes, didn’t make it off drawing board, the latter unpleased by the sum.

So what would be a fair price for such a bout? To answer the question left hanging, GRACIEMAG.com invited a former fighter and hotshot promoter with first-hand knowledge on the subject, Wallid Ismail.

We asked: How much, for example, would a match between two monsters and archrivals like Roger Gracie and Ronaldo Jacaré be worth – the former a Jiu-Jitsu-title record holder, three-time absolute champion and undefeated MMA fighter; and Jacaré a star at Strikeforce becoming ever-more popular in the sport thanks to American television, and a postulant for the title at this weekend’s event?

A big-time promoter who knows his way around the market, Wallid gave his straight opinion as one who has already participated in such a match, against Royce Gracie in 1998, before a packed arena on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach.

“The fair price for such a match? I’m going to tell you something and you can put it in what you’re writing there. The fair price for any match is what is on the table. It’s how much the interested promoter is able to put together. Then the fighter evaluates whether he does or doesn’t want to fight. If there’s a desire to make the fight happen, the interested parties will reach an agreement,” Wallid philosophizes.

“When I fought Royce with no time limit over ten years ago the purse was practically double that, but you have to take into account who Royce was. He was the man, the UFC superstar. And with the appeal of all our rivalry, for me having beaten two members of his family, it was thus a fair price.”

There it is, would 20 thousand be a fair price these day?

Check out the classic between Jaca and Roger at the 2004 Worlds and leave your opinion: How much would you pay for a ticket to a no-time limit match between those two?

Besides the upcoming matchup, Cobrinha’s agenda has a full agenda.

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“I’m heading to England on August 28, and will stay there till the 31^st,” the teacher living in Atlanta, Georgia, tells GRACIEMAG.com. “After that I’ll return home to Atlanta. On September 18 I have the match with Shane Rice, and then I have some seminars in Toronto and Montreal. In early October I’ll stay in Spain for a week and at the end of October I’ll go to Texas.”

Roger and Gurgel spar

Anyone who’s kept up with GRACIEMAG.com is on top of the training session Roger Gracie and Fabio Gurgel shared (see here). In the exclusive report the Alliance general commented on his visit with the Gracie in London. Now the one reporting on the meeting of champions is Roger.

“It was an excellent experience and opportunity. Fabio is a generation ahead of me, so ever since I was a kid, when I was a blue belt, I watched him compete. He was always a top athlete, one of the best. He was an inspiration to me.”

But the encounter wasn’t merely a training session between mat sharks: Gurgel was invited to teach some techniques, and together they promoted a student they had in common.

“Ricardo (Lewandowski) is a student of mine who also trained with Fabio for a while. I didn’t feel it would be right to promote him to black belt alone. Fabio is a phenomenal fighter and teacher. He taught some positions to the students and everyone thought it was great. I always heard he was tough, and I had the opportunity to feel that up close,” he says.

Gurgel, Lewandowski and Roger break paradigms and unite teams on one mat

According to Roger, the experience with Gurgel, besides being enriching, broke some paradigms.

“The coolest part of it all was the exchange. I come from Gracie Barra and he’s one of the leaders of Alliance. Rarely does an encounter like this one take place. There’s no need for the escalated rivalry between one academy and another, for people not to be able to have such exchanges. It was a friendly sparring session without any rivalry. Simply put, it was like we’d always trained together,” he finishes.