Sarah completes a throw at the 2013 Pan. Photo: Erin Herle

A stand-out competitor and instructor at Gustavo Dantas’ GDJJ Academy, Sarah Black sets an example for many. She didn’t start training when she was a kid, nor even a teenager. And despite that, she has risen to the top of the podium on many occasions and now leads the women’s program at GMA GDJJ in Tempe, AZ.

Her professor, Gustavo Dantas, decided to take the ropes and interview this star student for GRACIEMAG:

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In 2006 at the age of 26, Sarah Black took her first judo class and she would end her Judo career in 2010 with the rank of nidan (second degree black belt) from Jason Morris. In 2009 she started shifting her focus to Jiu-Jitsu and joined team Nova Uniao. She was awarded her blue belt from Robson Moura (André Pederneiras) in 2009 and in 2012 she was awarded her purple belt from Gustavo Dantas (André Pederneiras).

Last year in 2013 it was a stand-out year for her. At the age of 34, she won both the adult and masters IBJJF World Championship in the lightweight purple belt division. Other recent results also include 2014 Pan champion and 2013 Abu Dhabi World Pro Trials open weight champion earning her the ticket.

Of her 38 medals competing under Gustavo Dantas, 33 have been gold and 5 of these have been from IBJJF World Championships.

Here’s how she continues to perform at this exceptional high level that is inspiring to people around her:

You started at focusing on Jiu-Jitsu at a relatively late age of 29. Did this impact the way you approached your training?

Yes, it had a huge impact on my approach to the sport. In a positive way it made me more focused. I set myself a long-term goal of becoming a black belt world champion very early on. Everything I do in training and my personal life is based on that goal and how I am going to achieve it. I know I have a few years left to perform at my peak and I do everything I can to be as effective as possible.

Can you give the readers more detail into your mindset when it comes to preparing yourself for competition?

I try to focus on things I have control of. The level of competition is continually increasing as our sport grows, but I have no control over these sorts of external factors. My focus is on my performance and not my results. There is so much I can do to align stars for my self. For example, means holding myself to a predetermined weekly training schedule, focused drilling, clean eating, quality sleep, smart supplemental conditioning and early weight cuts. For my night before, and day of, competitions I have preparation and warm-up routines that help ease anxiety for competition. I also incorporate visualization at all levels from something as small as a grip to standing on top the podium. Will I be on top of the podium? Who knows, but I focus on the things that will help get me there.

Do you have any tips for competitors aspiring to compete at the highest level?

I look at my training as having many different facets and I am a firm believer that you have to address and have a plan for improving all of these. On the physical side it is a lot more than training every day of the week; you have to look at your diet, how you look after your body and surround you with the right training partners and coach etc. Look at the complete picture and improve on all levels. As many of us know, training Jiu-Jitsu is tough on your body. I feel that if I am going to put myself through that, I need to put just as much effort in to the other areas. Gustavo Dantas and my teammates at Nova Uniao provide me the best environment to grow in.

You mention the mental aspect of your preparation; can you give us some tips on how you mentally prepare yourself?

I would not be able to improve my level of Jiu-Jitsu to the levels I need by not having a coach, so for me the same applies to my mental preparation. I have a mental coach that helps me get ready to perform. Under his guidance I have been able to greatly improve my competition results. Gustavo’s program, “Inner discovery for outer success” is in my opinion, a program that everyone should go through. It would be great if we are all performing to our very best, with no mental blocks. Then we could truly see who has the best Jiu-Jitsu.

In order to maintain balance between your professional, personal and training lifestyles, do you have any other support systems?

Yes the key for me is to manage that balance. I have many support systems around me that I am extremely grateful for. They definitely play a huge part in my performance. I look at sponsors from a slightly different viewpoint. I align myself with people that can help me on this great Jiu-Jitsu journey. I use Q5 labs for all my nutritional and supplement needs. Jiu-Jitsu tracker is something that is becoming a big part of my training where I can keep track of my own training as well as my opponents. I need my body fixed continuously and OSS Arizona has been invaluable in that respect, they have a Jiu-Jitsu background so they understand my NEED to be on the mat.  As I mentioned before, my mental coach, Gustavo Dantas (www.thebjjmentalcoach.com) has been a huge catalyst for me to achieve my desired results.

Check out more of Gustavo Dantas and his team at www.gdjj.com

Don’t miss out on registration for this Abu Dhabi World Pro Trial in Portugal this weekend! Located in Caiscais, PT, if you are in the area you can compete for a paid trip to the main event in April of 2013.

This is a 5 star event which allows for the maximum number of travel packages to be issued! For exact qualifications see below:

Male – Black/Brown:
• All Categories

Male – Purple:
• Light Open/ Heavy open

Male – Blue:
• Light Open/ Heavy open

Male – White:
• Open Weight

Female -Black:
• Under 63Kg – Over 63Kg

Female -Blue/White:
• Open Weight

Late registration closes on the 28 of November 2012 and the cost is 70 euros.

Go here to register: http://www.strongvon.com/portugal2012/m_tournament_main.jsp?mod=ts&tournament_id=1065

For more information about weigh-ins, location and prizes please go here: http://www.wpjjctrials.com/

The 6 mats saw 386 well-organized participants grind through them and in the end few emerged with gold medals, cash and a ticket to compete in Abu Dhabi.

As for the teams, Lloyd Irvin took first, establishing what is sure to be a strong show across the seas. Alliance came in second while Marcelo Garcia was third.

Full results after the gallery

[flickr set=72157629211660238]

Team Winners
1. Lloyd Irvin
2. Alliance
3. Marcelo Garcia

Full Results
Male Brown and Black Belts over 202
1. Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu (Avengers)
2. Abraham Marte (Yamasaki)
3. William Shannon (Tony Passos BJJ)
3. Josua Owen (ATT CT)

Male Brown and Black Belts 202
1. Roberto “Tussa” Alencar (Gracie Barra)
2. Lee Villanueva (BTT Canada)
3. Robert Torrablas (Lloyd Irvin)
3. Steven Patterson (Brasa)

Male Brown and Black Belts 183
1. Lucas Leite (Check Mate)
2. Rafael “Formiga” Barbosa (Soul Fighter)
3. DeAlonzio “DJ” Jackson (Lloyd Irvin)
3. Abmar Barbosa (Drysdale JJ)

Male Brown and Black Belts 163
1. Lucas Lepri (Alliance)
2. Renan Borges (BTT)
3. AJ Agazarm (Gracie Barra)

Male Brown and Black Belts 143
1. Bruno Malfacine (Alliance)
2. Samir Chantre (Gracie Fighters)
3. Daniel Beleza (Sas Team)
3. Joseph Taliercio (Serra BJJ)

Female Purple, Brown and Black above 140
1. Valerie Worthington (Marcelo Garcia)
2. Rachel Demara (Lloyd Irvin)
3. Cecilia Minshall (Renzo Gracie)
3. Nathalia Azoff (BTT)

Female Purple, Brown and Black below 140
1. Vianca Jager (ECU BJJ)
2. Katie Merrill (Wai Kru)
3. Fiona Watson (Nova União)
3. Tassia Ferreira (Renzo Gracie)

Male Purple Belt Heavy Absolute
1. Timothy Michael (Lloyd Irvin)
2. Kenneth Brown (Lloyd Irvin)
3. Tyler Steppe (Marcelo Garcia)
3. Davia Panicca (CTMMA)

Male Purple Belt Light Absolute
1. Jeff Cummings (Alliance)
2. Michael Lierra (Alto BJJ)
3. Nick Schultz (Lloyd Irvin)
3. Wesclay Sardinah (Kioto BJJ)

Male Blue Belt Heavy Absolute
1. Pete Briggs (Lloyd Irvin)
2. Alsonso Washington (Lloyd Irvin)
3. Ariel Sepulveda (Kioto BJJ)
3. Carl Fargnat (BTT)

Male Blue Belt Light Absolute
1. Mike Perez (Lloyd Irvin)
2. Jim Barret (Brasa)
3. Emilio Carreiro (Gracie Barra)
3. Arthur Walcott (Lloyd Irvin)

Male White Belt Absolute
1. Joseph Kay (Renzo Gracie)
2. Muhammal Cladwell (Renzo Gracie)
3. Jonathan Naranjo (Alliance)
3. Robert Chernow (Alliance)

Top Winners Read Gracie Mag

Rafael Lovato want s to come back to Emirates in 2012. Photo: GRACIEMAG.

Saturday is a day of World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship (WPJJ) trials in San Antonio, Texas, the second  U.S. trials to AbuDhabi.

The event has a significant number of high level aces, as reported by our partner Mike Calimbas. The event chooses 13 fighters for the main tournament, held in the capital of the UAE, in April 2012. Saturday’s disputes occur at Coliseu Freeman, and before the fights, there will be na arbitration course by IBJJF.

Among the athletes of the leading academies in the U.S., experts like Rafael Lovato, Pablo Silva, Gustavo Dantas, Wellington Megaton, JJ Holmes, Ricardo Bastos, Samir Chantre, Joshua Lauber and others, are promises of hot dispute.

The girls, with great technique, will be represented by Mackenzie Dern, Michelle Tavares, Kristina Barlaan and Christina Thomas, brown belt by Relson Gracie.

Check out the entries in all categories of major graduations and wait for the results here in GRACIEMAG.com.

 Black/Brown Belt

-143 pounds

Gustavo Dantas / Nova União

Gustavo Carpio / Marra Senki

Pablo Silva / Gracie Barra Tx “Draculino”

Milton Nascimento / Paragon BJJ

Mike Reyna / Champion Jiujitsu

-163

Joshua Lauber / Relson Gracie JiuJistu

Wellington “Megaton” Dias / Gracie Humaitá

Bruno Amaral / Brazilian Top Team

Joe Scovel / Longman Jiu-jitsu

Maajid Abdullah AL-Kush / Jiu jitsu Academy of Health and Fitness

Vitor Henrique Silva Oliveira / GFTeam

Darrin Lillian / Paragon Texas

Jason Soliz / TX 3 Coast MMA

Travis Tooke / Travis Tooke MMA

Travis Serna / Lovato Jiu Jitsu

Albert Hughes / Esportes Luta

Samir Chantre / Gracie Lutador

-183

James Harbison / Team Lloyd Irvin

Alberto Juarez / Ricardo Barros BJJ

-202

Rafael Lovato Jr. / Lovato Jiu-Jitsu

Jon Wagner / Nova União

Ricardo Bastos Cruz / Nova União

JJ Holmes / Aliança

Alexandre Santos / Gracie Barra

+ 202

Luis Rubalcava / Arsenal Jiu-Jitsu

Ricardo Barros / Ricardo Barros BJJ

Female – Purple to Black

– 140

Mackenzie Dern / Gracie Humaitá

Nathalia Azoff / Brazilian Top Team

Kristina Barlaan / Nova União

Ana Michelle Tavares Dantas / Gracie Humaitá

Tessa Simpson / Team Ronny Lis BJJ

Laurah Hallock / Paragon Texas

Ariadne Burkhart / João Crus BJJ

+ 140

Sijara Eubanks / Team Lloyd Irvin

Christina Thomas / Relson Gracie

Kelly Faszholz / Nova União

On March 6^th grapplers from all over North America will have flocked to the Pierre Charoneau gymnasium in Montreal, Quebec, where they will compete for an all-expense-paid trip to Abu Dhabi to test their skills against the world’s very greatest Jiu-Jitsu players, in the Abu Dhabi World Cup Pro. For greater information, click here.

Check out this now-classic featherweight final from the 2009 installment of the event:

Competition is just you versus them.  However, name one Jiu-Jitsu superstar that got where they are without a team.  My dictionary says a team is “two or more people working together toward a common goal.” It’s that simple.

Most of us think that a sports team is limited strictly to the group of players and the coaches. I realize now there are people on my team who have never stepped foot on the mat.

On January 29th, 2010, I was scheduled to fly from my home in Little Rock, Arkansas, to Miami, Florida, for the World Pro BJJ Trials, to start my first full year at brown/black belt competition. That day the entire mid-south was hit by a severe ice storm, with over 100,000 people losing power, multiple deaths, and President Obama signing a disaster declaration.  Okay, so those last three parts were an exaggeration–but it was several inches of ice and no traction.

With my bags packed, ready for my dad to take me to the airport, I watched online as flight after flight was cancelled, steadily losing hope, until finally mine was knocked out at well. I searched frantically for options. Dallas, Texas, was spared from the winter madness.  A single bus route looked promising.  Somehow, it would take an extra 12 hours, hundreds of miles out of my way, but I would arrive in time for weigh-ins.

I live on top of a mountain that, for whatever pointless reason, is only approachable by a steep, two-mile, one-lane road. Getting down it in the ice without sliding off the mountain was a 45-minute endeavor. The trip to the bus station too was treacherous, and upon arrival, all routes had been cancelled. The train to Dallas had left the station and wouldn’t come through again for the weekend. Finally we slid to the airport to check for early morning flights. I was initially guaranteed a flight at six AM, only to be told that there was “no chance” of me making it to Florida before Sunday afternoon.

I was starting to break down.

My dad leaned on the airline ticket counter, sighed heavily, and said, “Well, we’re driving to Dallas then.”  I looked at him in disbelief. “Dad, you’re gonna hate me for this.” “Oh, I already do.  Just now I’m going to let you know about it” he explained. And we were off.

Assuming there is no traffic and you’re maintaining a steady 70 miles per hour, Little Rock to Dallas takes around five hours. When you’re skiing a slalom of S’s across an ice-covered freeway at a max of 35 miles per hour, it takes all night.

As I sat in the passenger seat watching my dad sip bottom-of-the-pot gas station coffee to stay awake, I realized that he’s my oldest and most dedicated teammate. Across 21 years and eight different sports, he’s been my coach, my sponsor, my cheering section, my critic, my personal trainer, and my inspiration.  He taught me how to swing a golf club, throw a softball, and even hit a low single leg.  He taught me that the best remedy for any sports injury is a hefty application of duct tape and icy hot.  He cheered for me when I deserved it and told me to get my act together when I needed to hear it.  He didn’t always reward my accomplishments, but rather treated them as obligations, and pushed me past all predictions of my capability. He gave me the opportunity he never had growing up, and taught me how to create opportunity on my own.

Late into the night we cleared the worst of the weather, and stopped to fill up on gas somewhere in the emptiness of Texas. He asked me if he could eat something, knowing that I had stopped eating and drinking for the final day of my weight cut. I smiled and nodded. Wandering through the aisles past wolf statues and salivating over chocolate bars, I came across a gift card display.  One caught my eye. It read “Anyone can be a father.  It takes a special person to be a dad.”

After sleeping in an airport lobby wrapped in my kimono top, I made my flight, made weight, and won three matches to bring home the gold.   I walked off the mat after my final match, grabbed my cell phone, and I could hear the smile on my dad’s face.  It was all worth it.

Dad, I’ll keep the plane ticket to Abu Dhabi, but the medal is yours.

Now check out who else qualified for April’s World Pro Jiu-Jitsu event:

Lightweight blue belt
Chris Cruz

Heavyweight blue belt
Leonard White

Male Purple/Brown/Black
Pedro Torres (purple belt)
Jim Alers (purple)
Ailton Barbosa (black)
San Mc Coy (brown)
Ricardo Ribeiro (purple)

Female lightweight white-black
Hillary Williams

Female heavyweight white-black
Tammy Griego

Tammy Griego, in a photo from her personal archives

Although the tournament to take place January 24 in Santa Cruz, California is a qualifier tournament to determine the nine “professional” athletes in the adult division to compete for cash prizes at the main World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Cup event in Abu Dhabi later this year, the competition also features Juvenile, Masters and Seniors divisions.

Hurry to guarantee your place by registering at AbuDhabiBJJ.com.

Read more about our GMA members at the GMA Blog.

Current champion Tarsis Humphreys against Zumbi Lara. Photo: Ivan Trindade

Three months from the World Pro 2010, in Abu Dhabi, the organizers released the news prize money has been bolstered. The absolute champion of the main division (purple, brown and black belts), for example, will take home 12 thousand dollars.

And anyone planning to compete in California to get an all-paid trip to the Emirates had better hurry. The discount for West Coast USA qualifiers ends this Thursday at noon, local time.

Sign-ups without discount end on the 18^th. Find out more by clicking here.

On the eve of the tryouts on the 24^th, in Santa Cruz, a rules seminar will be held by Alvaro Mansor, from 4pm to 7pm on the 23^rd.

Check out the prize-money values for the main tournament, in the UAE:

World Jiu-Jitsu Pro
Abu Dhabi, EAU
April 15 to 17

A- Purple to black
Divisions 65KG, 74KG, 83KG, 92KG, +92KG, Open
1) Absolute = 12 thousand dollars
Weight
1) 8 thousand dollars
2) 3 thousand dollars
3) 1.5 thousand dollars

B- Branca a azul
Divisions 63KG, 68KG, 73KG, 78KG, 83KG, 88KG, 93KG, 98KG, +98KG, Lightweight open (-73KG), Heavyweight open (+73KG)
1) 3 thousand dollars
2) 1.5 thousand dollars

C- Feminino
Lightweight (-63KG) and heavyweight (+63KG)
1) 3.5 thousand dollars
2) 2 thousand dollars

For greater information: www.worldpro2010.com

With a cauldron of surnames of all origins among the champions, the tryouts on the 12^th of this month rewarded the main Jiu-Jitsu academies on the old continent, who now have four months to be ready to put on a show in the capital of the Arab Emirates in April, and fight for the 144 dollars in prize money up for grabs.

Check out the photos of what went on at the tryouts and the complete results: www.abudhabi-pro.co.uk.

In the area surrounding London, a purple belt snags an arm at the World Pro tryouts. Publicity photo shot by James Oluoch-Oluny

Around the world, the other tryouts continue. If the World Cup Pro already has its qualified athletes from Australia, New Zealand, England and South Africa, the one responsible for the qualifiers in the United States is Renato Tavares, our GMA and leader of ATT in Vero Beach.

“Two qualifiers will be held this year. One on the East Coast, with the help of Professor Helio Soneca, and on the West Cuast, where we have the experienced Cláudio França, who is responsible for the US Open and American Cup, in the organizing committee,” says Renato.

The East Coast event will take place in Boca Raton, Florida, at the FAU gymnasium, on January 31. And the one in California will be held at the Santa Cruz Civic Center on January 24.

The six champions of the adult purple/brown/black belt weight divisions will join the female champions and light and heavyweight white/blue belt absolute champions. The athletes will receive an all-expense-paid trip to compete in Abu Dhabi in April.

Anyone interested can sign up on the websites:

East Coast: www.nafafighters.com

West Coast: www.abudhabibjj.com

“We would like to remind everyone that in the main event, to compete for places in the Arab Emirates, only athletes from the United States, Canada or who have green cards will be allowed to participate. In the amateur, juvenile, master & senior divisions, however, the event is open to everybody,” explains Renato.

1st Abu Dhabi JJ Pro. Photo: Luca Atalla

Organizer Fernando Paradeda sent us the results of the Abu Dhabi Pro tryouts for the African continent, held December 5^th in South Africa, gathering 102 athletes.

The African qualifiers brought together fighters from Angola, Madagascar, Congo, Swaziland and the main cities in South Africa, like Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London, Durban, Pretoria and Johannesburg. The five champion with a all-inclusive paid trip to Abu Dhabi are:

Purple/Brown/Black: Wiekus Swart (RGC Tapout/Johannesburg)

Female: Jessica Hill (RGC Quantum Tribe/Johannesburg)

Blue/White

-73kg: Jared Halliday (Cape Town)

-88kg: Wesley George (Renzo Gracie/Cape Town)

+88 kgs: Derrick Van Kelsen (Carlson Gracie/ Port Elizabeth)

First Abu Dhabi Pro. Photo by Luca Atalla

In a festive mood for the Soccer World Cup draw, the party in South Africa raged on, as this Saturday the country hosts the African qualifiers for the 2^nd Abu Dhabi Pro Jiu-Jitsu Cup, in Johannesburg. (Click here for more information).

One week from now, on December 12, it will be Europe’s first time to hold tryouts for the tournament, in England. Around 300 athletes will participate, with an estimated 800 spectators, and is organized by black belts Ze Marcello Rodrigues, Adu Dhabi Pro representative in Europe, and Jude Samuel, one of the most active organizers and encouragers of the sport in the United Kingdon.

“We would like to invite all Jiu-Jitsu lovers and the general public to show up for the event and take part in the great trajectory of our sport, supporting Jiu-Jitsu so it may one day become and Olympic event,” says Fernando Paradeda, one of the Abu Dhabi Pro’s directors.

Set up in the Dartford Judo Club, training center for the British judo team in the county of Kent, the tryouts are sponsored by Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed and Atama Kimonos.

Check out the timetable for the event, starting on the 9^th: www.abudhabi-pro.co.uk.