Jerrod traçou uma estratégia que deu certo, raspou Tinoco e jogou por cima, na pressão. O adversário virou de quatro apoios e ficou em maus lençóis: Jerrod conseguiu pegar as costas e estrangular.

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Alexander Trans works to open Lagarto’s closed guard at 2013 IBJJF European Open / Photo by Ivan Trindade

Black belt Alexander Trans has always been a force at the IBJJF European Open in Lisbon, Portugal. Since 2010 he has accumulated six gold medals, at least one each year and at three different belts.

From Copenhagen, Denmark, he travels the world competing and accomplishing titles in the ultra heavyweight division for his Checkmat team. At the 2013 European Open last month he won his division and placed third in the absolute. In the process he conquered names like Lucio “Lagarto” Leonardo Nogueira and Rodrigo “Cavaca.”

We asked him questions regarding his specific matches with Leonardo Nogueira, Cavaca and his future plans:

You had two fights against Leo Nogueira in Lisbon. First he choked you from the back but in the second match you swept and passed his guard to win. Why do you think the two outcomes were so different from each other?

I think they were so different because when I fought him on Saturday I was completely exhausted. I didn’t eat well during the day, my matches started a lot later than I had expected, and then after my fight with Lagarto, that was extremely hard. I didn’t have any energy left and was feeling really dizzy. But that’s my own fault, and my own responsibility, so it’s not an excuse just my thoughts about what happened. I could tell that he felt I was weak too and so he went after me from the start. But he was on his day, and he felt really strong. I just would have liked to have made a better performance, because that wasn’t me in there.

I just would have liked to have made a better performance, because that wasn’t me in there.

Leo Nogueira told GRACIEMAG that he controlled the whole match on Sunday and that you fought for only 30 seconds to win. Do you agree with that? Why?

I don’t know if I agree that lying on bottom in closed guard necessarily is the same as controlling the fight. I felt like I was trying actively to open his guard, and I actually got swept because I was taking a risk trying to open it. But when he swept he was obviously in control of the fight. I think I swept with a minute left, so I guess I controlled the last minute of the fight and he controlled the part from where he swept, until I swept. But I do agree that I only swept him and passed his guard because he made a mistake trying to pass my guard, and another mistake when he landed on bottom. I think the same goes the other way around, too. He swept me because I made a mistake trying to open his guard, but that’s kind of how it is you know? If I just sat in his closed guard with both hands on his collars, I think he would have had a hard time sweeping me too, but then we would be sitting there for 10 minutes. But it was a tough match, he’s very strong, and he’s in a really good phase. I was happy to get the chance to fight him.

You had some amazing results as a brown belt but struggled a bit when you came to the black belt division. Could the title in Lisbon mean that Trans is now a serious contender in the category?

For me, nothing’s changed. I’ll just keep concentrating on training hard everyday, and doing my best everytime I fight. I don’t have any expectations, I’ll just do my best as always.

The ultra-heavyweight final was against one of CheckMat’s leaders, Rodrigo Cavaca. Was it strange for you to compete against him since you are on the same team?

No it was normal. We’ve never trained together. It would have been strange for us not to fight. I would never fight a good friend and training partner, but for the sake of the sport, I think people should fight when its possible. I prefer fighting people from other teams, but on the other side, its good for the team that its two CheckMat guys doing the final.

In the final against Cavaca you also got the pass in the last seconds. Is that something you planned or it just happened?

No not at all, I was trying to open his guard but he controlled my posture really well. He’s really strong, especially in his legs, and very flexible. He had a good strategy, trying to keep me in the closed guard and getting advantages without opening the legs. I think sometimes the judges should give stalling calls for the guy on bottom in closed guard too, if he doesn’t open his legs, and not just for the guy on top  if he can’t open the guard. I got two minus-points that I didn’t really understand. I was told after that one was for tying my belt when my gi was pulled off, and then I took a risk trying to open his guard and it worked out. Then I spent about a minute trying to put pressure to get to half guard, and from there I managed to pass.

Where will you compete next and what else is currently on your agenda besides training?

I’m going to fight the Pan, and after that I’ll travel to Brazil to train, and do the Brasileiro and the Mundial. I would like to thank my sponsors, Keiko, Knockoutsports.dk, and Workout Copacabana, and to my team and my family for supporting me.

A foto de Preston Smith, acima, mostra a euforia pura de um campeão absoluto. Não foi de fato uma vitória qualquer para De’ Alonzio Jackson. No Atlanta Open da IBJJF, o faixa-preta de Lloyd Irvin fez sua estreia na nova graduação com duas medalhas de ouro: no meio-pesado e no absoluto, com direito a superar Lucas Lepri na final do aberto.

O triunfo se deu nesse sábado, após uma final acirrada. O popularmente conhecido como “DJ” Jackson fez com Lucas Lepri nos primeiros seis minutos uma luta em pé, onde Lepri foi capaz de abrir 2 a 0. Na sequência, DJ empatou com uma queda e passou a trabalhar a passagem de guarda.

Lepri defendeu-se bem, e o empate foi mantido. Na decisão dos juízes, assim, dois optaram por DJ e um por Lucas. Alegria total do novo campeão absoluto faixa-preta e de sua equipe, comandada por Lloyd.

Na divisão de peso, Lepri ficou com o ouro no peso leve, Jackson com a medalha dourada no meio-pesado e Wesley Davi com o título do peso-pena. No peso pesado, o campeão foi Daniel Ray O’Brien. Guybson Sá (superpesado) e Jonathan Tooker (pesadíssimo) pegaram suas medalhas sem precisar lutar, já que não tiveram oponentes.

O time Lloyd Irvin brilhou ainda nos absolutos. Na azul, o campeão foi Devon Delbrugge. Na roxa, a revelação no aberto foi Timothy-Michael Spriggs. Na marrom, o imparável Keenan Cornelius mostrou que continua no topo, após um ano de luxo na roxa. Ele ganhou o aberto ao finalizar Francisco “Sinistro” Iturralde, outra joia da Alliance, vice de Keenan também no meio-pesado.

Entre equipes, a Alliance e o time de Roberto Traven disputaram palmo a palmo.  O time de Romero “Jacaré” Cavalcanti venceu com 552 pontos, enquantro Traven fez 533 pontos. O Team Lloyd Irvin chegou em terceiro com 153.

Veja os resultados completos, fotos e mais detalhes no site oficial da IBJJF.

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Rafael Rosendo (Alliance Greenville) and Luis “Sucuri” Togno (Alliance Charlotte) will welcome Alliance’s founder Romero “Jacaré” Cavalcanti for a seminar.

The class is to take place at Alliance Greenville, in South Carolina.

They have prepared a video about Jacaré’s class.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGk6zcAkj-U

For more info, go to alliancegreenville.com, sucuribjj.com

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Jacaré comemora, ao lado de Fábio Gurgel. Foto: Alicia Anthony

O mestre Romero Jacaré está contente com os últimos resultados. Seus alunos na Alliance Atlanta conquistaram 11 medalhas no Pan de Jiu-Jitsu, na Califórnia. Foram oito de ouro, uma de prata e duas de bronze.

Agora o time está em alta velocidade para o Campeonato Mundial, que acontece na Califórnia, do dia 3 a 6 de junho. Para repetir o desempenho do Pan, a preparação já começou. Todos estão prontos em Long Beach, onde ocorre o camp para a competição.

Jacaré e Cobrinha apostam que o time está pronto. Fotos: Alliance Atlanta/Divulgação.

Nos últimos cinco anos, a categoria adulto tem sido dominada pela Gracie Barra, que venceu em 2006, 2007 e 2009. Mas a campeã de 2008, a Alliance, aposta numa retomada do troféu.

“O exército da Alliance está pronto para invadir a Califórnia”, esquenta o clima o mestrão Romero “Jacaré” Cavalcanti, em e-mail enviado do QG da equipe em Atlanta, Geórgia. Trocando a farda pelo kimono, Jacaré tem ajudado a traçar a tática da equipe de dentro do tatame, onde tem treinado com o time.

“Nossas tropas estão prontas para a batalha de Irvine”, continua o mestre. “Os treinos tanto em São Paulo quanto em Atlanta estão na fase final, e a todo vapor.  A confiança é total nos nossos alunos. No último Mundial, o pessoal da academia aqui de Atlanta fizeram sozinhos quase 40 pontos, de um total de 132 pontos que a Alliance marcou”.

“Acredito que poucas academias atingiram essa marca (de 40 pontos), então as expectativas são as melhores. Os treinos estão pegando fogo aqui e está sobrando até pra mim”, brinca.

“Esta semana chegam Lucas Lepri, Rafael Rosendo e alunos de todas as associações da equipe para o nosso camp. Todos estamos em busca do mesmo objetivo, que é o de ajudar a equipe a ser campeã no Pan, e depois buscar o Grand Slam com o Mundial”, explica o comandante-em-chefe.

“Do Brasil, chegam Bruno Malfacine, Michael e Michel Langhi, Sergio Moraes e outras grandes estrelas da equipe. De Atlanta, vamos  com Cobrinha, Ian, Alec, Darren, Jamanta, Jeff e outros que já tem experiência e bons resultados nas principais competições da IBJJF. Após ganharmos o Europeu e o Mundial (por dois anos seguidos) sei que somos a equipe a ser batida, mas com todo respeito às outras equipes, vamos entrar sempre para ganhar. São quase 30 anos de tradição que carregamos, e não podia ser diferente. Com a reformulação da equipe e renovação através dos anos estamos mais fortes e unidos do que nunca”, despede-se Jacaré.

Jacaré training with Cobrinha (on bottom). Photo: Publicity Alliance Atlanta

Through an in-house tournament held this Saturday, Alliance US Headquarters, in Atlanta, Georgia, managed to raise 2,500 dollars for victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

“We’re sending the money now,” Master Romero “Jacare” Cavalcanti told GRACIEMAG.com. “It was a really cool gi tournament, perfectly organized with everything running on schedule. At the end of the day, with 160 competitors signed up and a leather jacket raffled off, we collected 2,500 dollars. It was a great party.”

The donation will be sent to the Red Cross, which is working on rebuilding the Caribbean nation.

Romero Cavalcanti, o Jacaré, dando um treininho. Foto: Divulgação.

Tão logo viu as imagens do terremoto no Haiti, mestre Romero Jacaré decidiu fazer algo pelas vítimas da tragédia no país da América Central.

A solução pensada foi um torneio interno da Alliance Atlanta, na Geórgia, que será realizado amanhã, com toda renda voltada para a Cruz Vermelha que age no Haiti. Além do dinheiro das inscrições, doações podem ser feitas no dia.

Após a convocação do mestre, 106 praticantes já se inscreveram no torneio. Além de Jacaré, a estrela Rubens Cobrinha vai atuar no campeonato, como árbitro e organizador.

“Para incrementar a premiação, Jacaré criou uma rifa cujo prêmio é uma jaqueta de couro da equipe, lançada em série limitada”, conta o aluno Bart Stevens. “Os proprietários da empresa Lutador Grappling ofereceram o pódio e as tabelas. O retorno tem sido grande, vai ser um dia realmente especial para a Alliance”.

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Romero “Jacare” Cavalcant training. Photo: Publicity.

As soon as he saw the images of the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, Master Romero Jacaré decided to do something for the victims in the Caribbean nation.

The solution they came up with was an internal tournament at Alliance Atlanta, in the state of Georgia, to be held tomorrow, with all revenue dedicated to the Red Cross acting in Haiti. Besides the money from sign-ups, donations may be made on the day.

Since the call-up from the master, 106 practitioners have registered for the tournament. Besides Jacare, star featherweight Rubens Charles will perform as referee and organizer for the event.

“To make the rewards more interesting,  Jacare put together a raffle whose prize is a limited-issue leather jacket with the team emblem,” says student Bart Stevens. “The owners of the company Lutador Grappling offered the winners’ podium and tables. The response has been so great, it will be a truly special day for Alliance.

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