GRACIEMAG #156 among MMA magazines at Books-A-Million in a shopping center in Florida. Photo: Nalty Jr.

As Renzo’s B-Day party went deep into the rainy New Jersey night last night, I received a message from Nalty Jr., a GRACIEMAG correspondent based in Florida:

“I’m here at a mall, at the Books-A-Million bookstore, and they are selling issue #156 of GRACIEMAG in the same section as the MMA magazines. Congratulations,” he texted me, sending this picture (taken with his cell phone):

Although GRACIEMAG’s business model will be kept largely in place, that is, to target directly at the Jiu-Jitsu practitioner in the academy, we are kind of balancing it with a massive regular distribution, thus reaching fans and practitioners at academies that do not carry the magazine as well. Besides our loyal subscribers, of course.

The result of this strategy, we hope and are working hard on it, is to make GRACIEMAG one of the most widespread magazines in the world, in its niche.

By the way, I humbly think it is remarkable for a small publishing company founded in Brazil back in 1994 without any external funds to have, some 15 years later, an independent magazine distributed all over the world.

I should thank the supporters, praise our great staff, and let’s roll the bones and look for the next milestone.

By the way, I guess our image featuring a kid wearing a gi is outstandingly calling the potential reader’s attention among the other cover subjects. Hats off to (Editor-in-Chief) Raphael Nogueira, (Art Director) Victor Gruzman and (Photographer) Regis Chen for the cover.

* Article taken from GRACIEMAG cofounder Luca Atalla’s personal blog.

This month GRACIEMAG gathered more than 30 teachers in an attempt to answer the question countless parents and competitors are asking: what’s the formula that makes a Jiu-Jitsu champion?

Skeptical teachers may scoff saying there’s no mystery to it, just eat, work out and specialize in two or three positions. Well they’re wrong: To forge a winning mentality in the sport, there’s much more to do. Secure your copy and check it out.

In Training Program, a different sort of question was proposed: what can you, Reader with a capital R, learn from female Jiu-Jitsu? To answer that one, we called on huberchampion Hannette Quadros to demonstrate positions where strength is completely overwhelmed by technique. Macho men will love it, and the ladies will, too.

The European Jiu-Jitsu Championship panned out with some eye-pleasing images and major lessons – and further queries. What did Guto Campos, a lifelong middleweight, do to submit the technical and meaty Rodrigo Cavaca in the open weight final? What did Fabio Gurgel do to become heavyweight champion in his adult division return? Only GRACIEMAG has the answers.

The GMA section features the athletes and academies that dazzled at the European Championship (from Gracie Barra Alaska to Jordan Team), Jiu-Jitsu taught in a Canadian school and the hard work of Mauricio Zingano, Joshua Lauber, Gustavo Dantas and many others.

What’s more: Marcelo Garcia vs Ricco Rodriguez, a tribute to Helio Gracie, an article on how to escape Jiu-Jitsu’s greatest enemy, the feared comfort zone, not to mention an investigation into Renzo’s training for his showdown with Matt Hughes.

There’s also Natural Gymnastics, a new training routine from Martin Rooney and Gracie Diet, vital ingredients for those whose dreams including medal winning.

As you’ll find out with the issue in hand, it all comes down to the pursuit of inner peace – regardless of whether you’re an impassioned practitioner or a future champion.

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