2013 Boston Winter Open / Photo by Erin Herle

The 2013 Boston Winter Open was a success on Sunday, Mar 3 at the UMASS Athletics gym. From 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., matches determined winners from white to black.

The crowd grew tremendously throughout the day with dedicated coaches and teammates cheering on their brave team members as they put it all on the line. The weather was near freezing with piles of snow pushed to the side of the parking lots, but inside the gymnasium warmth was welcomed by all.

The team trophies were distributed at the very end of the night with Gracie Barra placing third, Fenix BJJ placing second and Team Lloyd Irvin placing first.

You can see the full results by clicking here.

Blue belts claimed their titles, some for the first time in an IBJJF tournament, and some who have been doing it for some time now like members of Team Lloyd Irvin who were able to add their points to the team first place trophy.

While Keenan Cornelius was always a shoe-in regarding points towards Team Lloyd Irvin, the superstar sported a new gi with no patches as this was his first tournament on his newly announced team of Atos. He leaves tomorrow for San Diego, Calif. to train with Andre Galvao along with JT Torres.

DJ Jackson was also present as he worked his way to double gold after beating names like Rafael Barbosa and Gregor Gracie along the way. Another black belt standout was Danny Alvarez of GMA Alvarez BJJ who left his Jiu-Jitsu haven alone to come to the Boston Winter Open. He said he made it a goal and he wanted to visit a place he’d never been before. Despite being without his team, he achieved his goal of competing and even came out with double gold in the senior 1 feather division and the absolute. Also, he said his purple belt daughter, Danielle Alvarez, who has made her name achieving great results at Pan Ams and Worlds over the years, will be moving closer to home to return to training. Her semester away at school wasn’t fulfilling enough for her to leave Jiu-Jitsu and her dad is glad to have her back.

Gianni Grippo won his brown belt light weight division after moving up from feather so that he could have more fights. In the absolute he defeated three opponents before being defeated by Keenan Cornelius in the final. “I’m headed to Chicago Open next week so I’m hoping to win both my feather weight division and the absolute there,” he said.

Check out this match below of the brown belt absolute division with Keenan Cornelius vs. Gianni Grippo. This is the first time they have encountered each other:

Registration closes Saturday, Feb. 23 at midnight PT! Don’t miss out!

The IBJJF Boston Winter Open has been one of the best tournaments in the New England area for the past couple years. While the year of 2013 sets a different month for the annual tournament, it is sure to bring the most competitive athletes this time.

This year the date set is March 3, a Sunday that will host the one-day event at the UMASS Athletics Building:  100 Morrissey Blvd. Boston, MA 02125. Hurry, registration closes Saturday, Feb. 23 at midnight PT!

Here are some big reasons to not miss this tournament:

1. Compete in your own backyard!

As a target for those in the region, it allows the Northeasterners to capitalize on being local instead of flying to other time zones. Don’t miss the chance to compete in a high-level tournament right in your backyard.

2. Gain the title of Boston Open champion just like some of the best in the sport!

In the past years we’ve seen names such as J.T. Torres, Augusto “Tanquinho” Mendes, Gianni Grippo, Daniel Beleza, Mark Ramos, Wilson Reis, Renan Borges, D.J. Jackson, Bruno Bastos, Francisco “Sinistro” Iturralde, Mackenzie Dern and more! More top competitors will be joining in before the registration closes.

3. Let Boston Open help you prepare for Pan Ams, the biggest tournament in the world. It’s only a month away!

The competition season is now in full swing with the IBJJF Pan American Championships right around the corner. With a month left to prepare for the largest tournament of the year, you can test your skills for maximum preparation.

The city of Boston is ready for another IBJJF tournament to claim its winners. Will you be in attendance? Let us know.

To register, please click here. Hurry because registration closes at midnight PT on Saturday, Feb. 23!

Claudio Franca’s All Star JJ Tournament

Today, Monday, Feb. 11, is the last day to enroll for the All Star Open held in beautiful Santa Cruz, Calif.

Check the list below for tournaments, places, dates and deadlines you want to fulfill:

• All Star Open: Santa Cruz, Calif., Feb 16 and 17. Enroll until TODAY.
• San Francisco Open: San Francisco; Feb 24. Enroll until Feb. 16.
• GB CompNet Season Opener 2013: Irvine, Calif.; March 2. Enroll until Feb. 28.
• Boston Winter Open: Boston, March 3. Enroll until Feb. 23.
• Chicago Winter Gi: Chicago, March 9 and 10. Enroll until March 1.
• Chicago Winter No-Gi: March 9 and 10. Enroll until March 1.
• 8th Az Int’l Open: Phoenix, March 9 and 10. Enroll until March 4.
• Pan Jiu-Jitsu: March 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24. See pre-schedule.