Nova União USA team leader Gustavo Dantas and his gold medal from the American Nationals 2012 senior 1 featherweight division / Publicity photo

One of our most active GMAs when it comes to promoting tournaments and heading competition teams, Nova União USA’s Gustavo Dantas is gearing up to participate in the inaugural World Master and Senior Jiu-Jitsu Championship this October 7 in Long Beach, California. Excited about getting back into the mix as a competitor since his gold-medal winning return at the US Nationals last weekend, his exhuberantly equipped new school, as well as the upward trend in his Nova União competition team’s results, the Senior 1 featherweight spoke to GRACIEMAG about what he has up his sleeve for the near future. Here’s what he had to say:

GRACIEMAG – How did Nova Uniao do at the Nationals?

I’m very happy with the results, 17 medals from 23 competitors. We were only a few points behind the third place. We took almost fifty people from Arizona to compete at the Vegas Open, so our team ended up being smaller for the Nationals.

You are one of our busiest GMA members. How did your preparation for this tournament go, with so much on your plate?

In between Nova União USA, seminars, GD Jiu-Jitsu Events, my NPO Live Jiu-Jitsu (http://us.livejiu-jitsu.org/) and running my school, when I prepare myself for a tournament, I try to train twice a day five days a week, including strength and conditioning and swimming. I don’t care if I am competing for one single match at senior 1 or a tournament at adult division; I am going to train as hard for both. I believe confidence comes from hard work. When I am not able to prepare myself the way I need to due to my other duties or to injuries, I just choose not to compete. I am dealing with some injuries right now, but I will push one month more until the Worlds, and then I will take a break.

You opened your new Jiu-Jitsu Academy six months ago. How is the school doing?

Doing great! I was happy to compete at the Nationals, I was like: “Man, I’m living my teenage dream of having my own 100% Jiu-Jitsu academy, teaching, and competing at almost 38 years old. I am happy to be here competing and coaching”.

We have just hit 200 students, with a little over 40 kids. I put everything that I had in my life into my academy, and it’s paying off. We have a lot of good competitors, but we do have a lot of families who train together. The kids’ program is taught by my black belt Steve Rosenberg, and the women’s program is with my fiancée Kristina Barlaan.

Check out Gustavo’s signature overhead sweep, again used to good effect at the American Nationals:

What is your teaching philosophy?

When I was a younger, I always wanted to have my own team, train my students for competitions, and build champions. As I got older, I started to realize that Jiu-Jitsu goes way beyond that. Jiu-Jitsu taught me how to challenge myself, face my fears and anxieties through competitions, and helped me in the process to become a champion in life. My passion for training competitors is still intact, but with a new version: build champions on the mat and in life. That is what I want my legacy to be. An ordinary person who believed in his dreams, overcame a lot adversity, achieved his goal, and helped people to achieve theirs, which led me to start to discover another passion: studying about self-improvement, sports psychology and getting certified in mental coaching.

I want to make my family and friends proud that they knew me, that when I die, I will be remembered for my passion for Jiu-Jitsu, what I did for the Arizona Jiu-Jitsu community, and my interest in helping people to achieve their goals. Since I was a kid, I always craved for achieving things and me being able to help someone to achieve something meaningful for them makes me happy, and hopefully they can carry on, and help other people to go after their dreams. There is a reason why my students get good results: I give all my heart into coaching.

Any special thanks?

For sure to my sponsors AGGRO Brand; Living Canvas Tattoo in Tempe, Arizona; Origin Gi; FightertTech; Preferred Rehab; and of course all my training partners.

Competitors gathered on the mat for the commencement ceremony. Photos by Mannie Romero.

The year 2012 has been a historical one thus far for women’s Jiu-Jitsu. With the addition of a masters division and one all for the brown and black belts, it’s clear to see that the women’s movement in Jiu-Jitsu is growing faster and stronger with every event. Leading a strong campaign for Jiu-Jitsu among the fairer sex, purple belt Kristina Barlaan, along with GD Jiu-Jitsu Events and the AZSBJJF, promoted the maiden Copa Bela: All Female Jiu-Jitsu Tournament on April 21. Arizona’s inaugural girls-only competition proved to be an inspiring and empowering event for the many ladies in attendance.

The first-ever Copa Bela begins.

“Today we gathered 36 women on the mat to compete. There may be some people out there who think that this number is small, but this is only the beginning of something beautiful and much bigger. When the IBJJF promoted the first Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship, they didn’t even have 200 competitors and now there are close to 3,300. I’m focused on the future, and I beleive in steady progress. I want to give these women a well-organized event that follows the standards of the IBJJF. I’m not looking for 100 competitors right now. I’m looking to build the community over time, and when that happens, Copa Bela can gather hundreds of women,” stated the determined Barlaan.

Dias received Special Recognition for being the pioneer for women's Jiu-Jitsu in Arizona and being a role model for all women in the sport.

To commemorate the occasion, the 1st Copa Bela started with a Commencement Ceremony in which all the competitors gathered on the mat area to be addressed for their dedication and love of the gentle art. For many, it was an emotional moment, especially for Luciana Dias, who was given a Special Recognition Award for pioneering women’s Jiu-Jitsu in Arizona. Taken by surprise by the award, Luciana, affectionally called Luka, gave a motivational speech, all the while fighting back the tears of joy that come from being validated and honored by your peers, friends, family, students, and aspiring champions:

“You don’t have to be just the stay-at-home Mom that cooks, cleans, and watches the children. You can be more, and Jiu-Jitsu let’s you do that.”

Luka shares a tearful but happy embrace with step-daughter Mackenzie Dern.

It seeems that besides competing against an opponent, Copa Bela provided a number of women the opportunity to compete against and overcome the obstacles in their lives. For some, it would be their first time competing. For others, it would be their first time winning a match and becoming a champion:

“This tournament has been a dream come true. I had five matches today, and this is my first time ever winning a match, winning my weight division, and being in the finals of the absolute. To make it even more perfect is the fact that I also get to share the podium with my daughter!” exclaims blue belt and mother of five Seta Reupenny (Relson Gracie).

Mackenzie Dern and Sophia Drysdale before the toe-hold exchange, from which Mackenzie left the victor

The highlight of Copa Bela was the world class competition in the brown/black absolute division for a $1000 payout. In the first semifinal match-up, black belt Sophia Drysdale (Drysdale BJJ) faced young Brown belt Mackenzie Dern (Gracie Humaita), with Mackenzie securing her spot in the finals via toe hold. On the other side of the bracket, newly promoted black belt Tammy Griego (Gracie Barra NM) matched up against the smaller Tracey Goodell (Atos). Although the underdog in the face-off, Tracey earned her victory with an advantage over the heavyweight. The final match, between Mackenzie and Tracey, proved to be a technical battle, with each fighting for grips and dominant position. With an exchange of positions and submissions, Mackenzie was crowned the champion by racking up four advantage points.

Tammy Griego battling the aggressive guard of Tracey Goodell

Standouts:

Alicia Sandoval and Nana Hosokawa both won their weight (medium heavy and light feather) and the absolute in the purple and blue belt divisions, respectively. Their wins helped secure BJJ Revolution top spot on the podium.

Mackenzie takes home the gold, the big bucks and the goodie bag sponsored by FighterTech supplements.

Team Results:
1st BJJ Revolution
2nd Relson Gracie
3rd Nova Uniao

President of GD Jiu-Jitsu Events Gustavo Dantas and Kristina Barlaan, head of Inspire: All Femal Open Mats, spearhead the female Jiu-Jitsu movement in Arizona. Photo: John Cooper.

Arizona Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Kids Cup is set to take place this April 21, 2012, at Mesa, Arizona’s Westwood High School in Mesa, with only divisions for kids aged four to 15 on offer. Last year the event was sold out, so the promoters urge anyone interested to make haste, as registration will be closed after the first 300 competitors have signed up.
Now GD Jiu-Jitsu Events and the Arizona State Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (AZSBJJF) are proud to announce the inaugural Copa Bela: All Female Jiu-Jitsu Tournament, Arizona’s very first women-only Jiu-Jitsu competition! The maiden event will take place immediately following the Kids Cup on April 21, 2012 at the same Mesa, Arizona venue. On offer: female juvenile (16-17) and adult (18+) divisions only.
One major draw for the Copa Bela premiere is the $1,000 up for grabs to the winner of the brown/black open weight division.
Bolstered by Inspire: All Female Open Mats, open-mat meetings for girls organized by Gustavo Dantas purple belt Kristina Barlaan, the female Jiu-Jitsu community in Arizona has seen major growth over the past year. The 1st Copa Bela is meant to be more than simply a competition, but also a celebration of female Jiu-Jitsu around the nation.
For further information about the 4th AZ Kids Cup and 1st Copa Bela or to register, please visit www.gdjjevents.com.

Gustavo Dantas and Pan bronze-medalist Kristina Barlaan / Photo: John Cooper

How was Nova Uniao’s performance at the 2011 Pan?

We are pretty happy with the results, we got 26 medals. We took second in the novice division just one point behind first place. We did a good job organizing the team, which is another step to get towards our main goal: to win the adult division at Worlds again. I know that we are not there yet, but hopefully we can hope to see some of the competitors from Brazil compete in the US in the future. There are some really tough and hungry representatives there that unfortunately don’t have the means of making it to the US. Regardless of that, there is a lot of new talent being produced from the NU Instructors in North America and if we organize right, I believe we can do it in a few years.

Who were the team’s standouts?

At black belt, Bruno Bastos did a great job as usual and took second in the super heavy division. Also, Bruno’s student Danny Alvarez did awesome taking second place at master/light feather. Danny’s daughter, Danielle Alvarez, took third in the blue belt/feather. Bruno is a great example of what Nova União is about, very passionate about the team and a great leader in Texas, and in a few years his team will be huge.

And from Arizona, Christian Broadnax took second in the tough purple/feather, and Kristina Barlaan took third in the purple/feather/female division. In the blue belt division, John Van Buren took third in light feather/adult – he is one of our new upcoming competitors. We expect big things from them this year.

What is next for Nova União?

We have the Phoenix and Dallas International Open coming up, and we are going for first place in both of them. And of course with the Worlds coming up, we know that it will be hard, but we will be doing our best to be on the podium. Also, we’re really working on building a strong female team this year and I really believe that they can shine this year.

For further information regarding Dantas’s team Nova União USA, visit www.novauniao.com.