Brown belt is the breeding grounds for future Jiu-Jitsu stars, like Gianni Grippo. Photo: Mike Calimbas.
Team Gracie Elite brown belt Gianni Grippo put in a stellar showing at the IBJJF Houston Open this past weekend. The Renzo Gracie student put in a major effort in the competition area at the Jerabeck Activity and Athletic Center, and when the dust settled he took his due reward, winning both the featherweight division and the absolute.
“I’ve got to say I’m really pleased with the results in Houston. I fought a truly difficult bunch of guys, including some world champions, so it was a good way to start the year,” he told GRACIEMAG.com.
Check out what Grippo has to teach from this latest winning venture:
DO WHAT YOU PRACTICE IN THE ACADEMY
“I’m not just happy with the wins, but with the techniques I used to get the wins. Going into 2012 I planned to train every day and focus on a specific position each month. In Houston I managed to put everything I trained to practice, and I feel it was my greatest performance so far.”
IDENTIFY YOUR MISTAKES AND LEARN TO CORRECT THEM
“What I learned with this tournament is that, even in victory, there are still a lot of mistakes needing fixing. I studied the videos and can see part of my game needs fixing. I also showed my mistakes to my teacher John Danaher back in New York, and we’re going to work on not making the same ones I did this last championship. There’s always room for improvement; it doesn’t matter what the end result is.”
Watch the feisty featherweight tangling with superheavyweight Luis Rubacava (Arsenal JJ) and learn to get out from bottom position and finish with a choke from back control—all that in one absolute brown belt final.
