Record 560 competitors! Photo: AZSBJJF website

This in from the AZSBJJF website:

At 9:37pm on March 10, 2010, registration for the 5th AZ Int’l Open of BJJ reached its maximum number of competitors before the originally-stipulated deadline of 11:59pm. With 180 in the Kids Division and 380 in the Adult Division, the 5th AZ Int’l Open is the largest BJJ tournament in Arizona history with a total of 560 competitors. Both the brackets and updated tournament schedule are available now at the tournament website. Surprisingly, the sold out competition is not the only attraction the 5th AZ Int’l Open has in store. Further attractions include:

-(7-0) UFC Middleweight Fighter, Aaron Simpson, Picture and Autograph-Signing for the GD Jiu-Jitsu Events Food Drive on Saturday, March 13th from 10am-12pm

-2009 AZSBJJF Overall School Rankings and MVP Competitors of the Year Award Ceremony on Saturday, March 13th

-International Black Belt Super Fights featuring Robson Moura (Nova Uniao) vs Nobuhiko Kitahara (Axis JJ) and Kron Gracie (Rickson Gracie) vs Philipe Della Monica (Gracie Barra) on Sunday, March 14th

Although the tournament is sold out to competitors, spectators can come and catch all the action for only a $5 entrance fee (children 12 and younger are FREE) and everyone who donates at least 5 items to the Food Drive will receive a raffle ticket to win prizes.

If you like to see videos showing the Behind the Scene of the 5th AZ Open, Check out the AZSBJJF Fan page on Facebook.

Gustavo Dantas, AZSBJJF Vice-President and event promoter. Photo: AZSBJJF

Anyone wishing to compete this coming March 13 and 14 at the 5th Arizona Open Jiu-Jitsu tournament and pay less had better act quickly: the $40 for kids and $50 for adults rates end at midnight tonight, March 5, after which the full $50 and $60 prices for kids and adults, respectively, apply till the final sign-up deadline of March 10. All kids signed up by the pre-registration deadline of 11:59 Pacific Time on March 5 will get a free T-shirt.

Click here to sign up.

The tournament organized by GMA Gustavo Dantas features all gender, belt and weight divisions for both adults and children. As is custom at Dantas-produced events, the competition will double as a food drive to aid the needy in the Arizona community. For every 5 food items spectators and participants donate, a raffle ticket will be issued.

Furthermore, there is the special added attraction of two supermatches between world class athletes, with Team Nova Uniao’s 7x world champion Robson Moura meeting Axis JJ’s Nokuhiko Kitahara in a Jiu-Jitsu showdown, and Rickson Gracie’s son Kron facing GRACIEMAG #2 Fighter to Watch in 2010, and Gracie Barra stand-out, Philipe Della Monica (Gracie Barra), in a middleweight match-up.

Spectators and competitors alike can check out the tournament schedule by clicking here on March 12, one day before the event.

Check out the promo video for the event.

Dantas says GD Jiu-Jitsu Events plans to continue working with the United Food Bank to bring in even more food in 2010. The next opportunity to donate food will be at the 5th Arizona International Open of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Westwood High School in Mesa, AZ on March 13-14, 2010.