Check below how Bia pulled to the guard and made a fast transition to the finish:

Jackson Sousa in action at 2012 Brazilian No-Gi Nationals / Photo by Gustavo Aragão/GRACIEMAG

In winning the absolute division at the 2012 Brazilian No-Gi Nationals, CheckMat ace Jackson Sousa had to get past the guard of Cicero Costha Academy’s rising star Paulo Miyao in the semifinals.

In the final, Jackson would have to overcome Alliance’s Rodrigo Aquiles. In the following video, check out how absolute and heavyweight champ Jackson put the brakes on Miyao’s guard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKaaPG0RyEs

Raul Gomes Marcello at the top of the 2012 Brazilian No-Gi Natinoals podium / Personal archive photo 

A native of the Brazilian capital, Brasilia, won the roosterweight division at last weekend’s Brazilian No-Gi Nationals, and now the Gracie Humaitá black belt dreams of repeating the feat at the World No-Gi Championship that kicks off this Saturday in California.

Raul had the following chat with GRACIEMAG.com:

GRACIEMAG: What’s your assessment of your gold medal-winning showdown with Tiago Marques?

RAUL MARCELLO: It was a good performance but could have been better. First I managed to pass his guard and then mount. He did manage to replace half-guard but left an opening. From there I worked away until sinking the fight-winning rear-naked choke.

What opening was that?

He tried replacing guard by turning sideways. It’s just that he ended up conceding his back a bit, which was just the room I needed. I slid my knee in and sunk the choke.

All top athletes prescribe repetitions for gaining confidence and proficiency with the moves. How does that work in practice?

Through repetitions you assimilate the move to use when under pressure. It really helps me when at training with my coach, Admilson “Juquinha” Brites, and thus works all the time in competition. I have a diversified game, but my favorite positions I’m always repeating in training.

Now you’re raring to go for the Worlds, aren’t you? Who’s backing you for this next battle?

I owe a lot to my family, my girlfriend, my training partners and the crew in Florianopolis from Carlos Dorado’s team and Gracie Floripa.

Jackson Santos passes guard: the heavyweight broke into tears upon winning the absolute, showing how friendship is one of the pillars of Jiu-Jitsu. Photo by  Gustavo Aragão.

It wasn’t just in the elite, adult black belt, division that the Brazilian No-Gi Nationals delivered euphoria and excitement at the Tijuca Tennis Club last Saturday.

At purple belt, for example, the swarm of Lucas Daniel’s backers could hardly contain themselves when the young man, nicknamed “Hulk” by his matmates at Marcio Rodrigues Academy, managed to get past pint-sized Cicero Costha-representative João Miyao’s guard.

So great was their excitement that a friend of Lucas’s, thinking the match had ended, chucked him a banner, but the refereeing commission tolerated the slip up.

“He was better than me today, and I congratulate him. What else can I do?” said a disappointed João Miyao, as he packed up his things to head straight back to São Paulo. After turning down a friend’s invitation to stick around and hit up some Rio de Janeiro beaches on Sunday, the light-featherweight purple belt champion put his and his brother’s performance under the microscope. “I feel there’s a big difference when we compete in No-Gi. Without the gi, we can’t trap our opponents in our games like we usually do. We’re going to train more for the next absolutes,” he shrugged, having referred to his brother Paulo, who himself left defeated, but in the brown belt division.

Weeping, camaraderie and diverse paths

Involuntarily, Paulo Miyao’s loss in the absolute played a part in the most sublime moment of the championship.

In the first semifinal of the brown belt absolute, Paulo took on the big-bodied Jackson Santos, who had earlier secured the heavyweight title. Miyao did his all to sweep, nearly making it to the giant’s back, but Jackson held the fort through determination and technical wherewithal. As the match drew to a close, his strategy paid off: Jackson launched a foot assault that scored him the winning advantage point.

He entered the final opposite Rodrigo “Aquiles” Conceição of Alliance, and the embrace shared by the pair betrayed the fact that it was not their first encounter.

“Aquiles has been my friend since I was a kid growing up on Cantagalo Hill, where we both began training under [Fernando] Tererê. When Tererê had to stop, I chose to carry on training with Ricardinho [Vieira], and Aquiles went to Alliance,” Jackson would explain to GRACIEMAG.com a short while later.

In the battle they waged, the last of the Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro event, Jackson scored a quick takedown and safely controlled the action, scoring a second time towards the end: 4-0. With the final whistle, the joy gave way to an outpouring of tears after the friendly hug between the pair of stalwart competitors, still kneeling on the mat.

“I never imagined we could one day be opponents. That’s why I broke out in tears. We always trained together, and he’s a warrior like I am. We always fought hard to make it to where we did today,” said Jackson.

Ricardo Vieira wants return at ADCC 2013

That wasn’t team CheckMat’s only cause for joy on the day. Black belt Ricardo Vieira made his competition return after years dedicated to his family, and two wins paid out in gold in the light featherweight master division.

“I won my first one by a good margin on points, and I won the final by 2-0, in a cool match against Anderson Pereira. It felt too good. I’m already thinking of upping the load in training to put in an appearance in the ADCC under-66 kg division. I think I have a good chance, since my brother Leo should be in the under-77 kg division,” remarked Ricardo.

Think the excitement’s over? Today is the Worlds No-Gi. The California competition will go from today to Sunday. Do you imagine there will be moments of emotion and joy like these, gentle reader?

Stay tuned to GRACIEMAG and our Twitter and Facebook to not miss a beat!

Lo tops the podium again, this time for winning the absolute division at this Saturday’s No-Gi Brazilian Nationals. Photo by Gustavo Aragão/GRACIEMAG.

The current lightweight champion of the world in Gi Jiu-Jitsu, Leandro Lo has just shown that beating him without the gi is an even trickier task.

After a festival of sweeps, passes and mounts at lightweight, beating Kim Terra by 19 to 0 in the final, Leandro Lo tore into the absolute division this Saturday at the Brazilian No-Gi Nationals at Rio de Janeiro’s Tijuca Tennis Club.

First, he outpaced Rafael Costa, proving that his guard is indeed indecipherable. IN the semifinal he caught up with former training partner Filipe Meirelles, who let Leandro go through.

At the other end of the bracket, the only other weight group winner in the absolute showed just why he’d won the superheavyweight division. Mauro Celso of team Gracie Barra Belo Horizonte, first went past courageous light featherweight Leandro Luiz of CheckMat, before going on to beat Moisés Flores and then Manoel Fernandes.

The final started out with caution from both sides, with Leandro waiting for his opponent to attack and get caught in one of his traps, each more exciting than the last. So Mauro didn’t want to hear about being stuck between Lo’s legs, and leapt for a kneebar that brought the crowd to its feet. Although in pain, Leandro managed to unravel the submission hold after a few seconds.

Leandro then started racking up the points by sweeping and then passing guard and taking the back. Once it was all over: 12 to 2 for Brazil’s new absolute king of No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu.

Talita has a romp in the female division

Talita Treta didn’t encounter much resistance in the female division. The Ryan Gracie team black belt didn’t have any opponents in the heavyweight division, so she showed up fresh for the absolute. Her first match was an easy WO win. The final she won handily against the featherweight Elizângela Meireles, who also won her weight group without having to fight. Talita pressured her way past guard in style, finishing up with an armbar.

In the brown belt division, heavyweight champion Jackson Snatos steered clear of Paulo Miyao’s berimbolo in the semfinal, took down Rodrigo Aquiles in the final, and shed his fair share of joyful tears for winning two golds on the day.

In the purple belt absolute, the one of stunned everyone was Lucas Daniel “Hulk” of Marcio Rodrigues team, passing João Miyao’s guard in the final and winning by 3 to 0.

For the complete results, check out the CBJJ website here.

Leandro Lo laid a drubbing on Kim Terra in the lightweight final, winning the championship for the second time. Who can stop the kid in the absolute? Photo by Gustavo Aragão/GRACIEMAG.

The adult black belt divisions had the Rio de Janeiro crowd transfixed this Saturday.

Kudos to Leandro Lo, who outpointed Kim Terra by 19 to 0, and Herbert Burns, who in the final caught Richard Flood in a triangle from mount. “My brother’s awesome,” said a dazzled Gilbert Durinho.

Vinicius Marinho too put in a stellar performance, flawlessly outperforming the dangerous Murilo Santana.

Check out the black belt weight group winners:

Roosterweight: Raul Marcello (Gracie Humaitá)
Light featherweight: Douglas Rufino (CheckMat)
Featherweight: Herbert Burns (Durinho Association)
Lightweight: Leandro Lo (PSLPB Cicero Costha)
Middleweight: Vinicius Marinho (GFTeam)
Medium heavyweight: Alberto “Batata” (GFTeam)
Heavyweight: Leonardo Maciel (GFTeam)
Superheavyweight: Mauro Celso (Gracie Barra BH)
Ultraheavyweight: Bruno Matias (CheckMat)

For the complete results, check out the CBJJ website here.

Leandro Lo against Theodoro Canal last year / Photo by Gustavo Aragão/GRACIEMAG

This 27th, a Saturday, Rio de Janeiro’s Tijuca Tennis Club will host the finest of No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu, as current and future stars take to the mats for the IBJJF Brazilian No-Gi Nationals.

Among the favorites to take top spot in the lighter weight classes are the likes of Cicero Costha product Leandro Lo, GFTeam’s Theodoro Canal and CheckMat’s Kim Terra.

At super heavyweight, the favorite is the UFC fighter Caio Magalhães, a team Nova União representative. Now at ultraheavyweight, Bruno Matias of CheckMat is the man to beat.

At middleweight, another candidate for absolute gold, Murilo Santana of Barbosa JJ, who’s always dangerous without the gi, will have to get past Vinicius Marinho at weight. At featherweight there’s Herbert Burns of Durinho Association, Leandro Escobar of Soul Fighters and Richard Flood of GFTeam.

At medium heavyweight there’s GFTeam’s Victor Bomfim and Alliance’s Rogel Monsalve, along with other solid names.

The female contest will feature stars like Talita Nogueira of Ryan Gracie academy, Elizangela Meireles of Gavião JJ and Maria do Carmo of De La Riva.

Now, the brown belt division will be serving up some truly promising talent, like light-featherweight Paulo Henrique Miyao of Cicero Costha’s team; Alliance’s lightweight duo Victor Genovesi and Rodrigo Aquiles; and UAE team’s Faisal Fahad Al Ketbi, a hero back in his native Abu Dhabi.

So, who do you feel will steal the show in Tijuca? Who will GRACIEMAG.com be talking most about this weekend?

Let us know who your favorites are in the comments field below.

To check the competitor list, visit the CBJJ website by clicking here.

Photo: Carlos Ozório.

One of the Alliance aces to stick his neck out at last Saturday’s Brazilian No-Gi Nationals, Antonio Peinado secured another gold medal for his collection.

“Winning a CBJJ title is just awesome! It’s a newer championship, but it’s getting bigger every year and it will just get more tradition about it,” he told GRACIEMAG.com.

Peinado had two matches ahead of him, but only needed to enter one, as absolute champion Victor Costa opted not to fight.

“I didn’t do the final, due to Victor deciding to save himself for the absolute decider. Some people were confused because we didn’t shut out the division, if just because we’re from different teams. It was Victor’s decision and I respect it. He spoke with me and it was cool,” he remarked.

The black belt still intends to compete at this year’s World Cup, an event held in São Paulo in December. However, he has already begun planning for 2011.

“2010 wasn’t a bad year for me. I learned a lot. I just made it to two years as a black belt and I came really close in a number of competitions. I was European runner-up, took third at weight and open weight at the Pan, third at the Brazilian Nationals and the Worlds. I’ve been competing at ultraheavyweight, but what I want is to compete at superheavyweight. I’m heading full steam into that division, focused and better. I feel 2011 will be special, a year of conquests,” he says in closing.

Victor celebrates winning absolute. Photo: Carlos Ozório.

The Brazilian No-Gi Nationals 2010 saw Victor Costa crowned champion of the main category. The CheckMat representative beat four opponents in making it to the highest spot on the winners’ stand, nabbing his second medal of the day. Earlier, in the superheavyweight division, he forsook competing in the final to save energy for the absolute.

An illustrious figure among the competitors? The black belt doesn’t see himself that way, despite his background being somewhat different from his opponents’. Before getting involved in the gentle art, up until he was eighteen, he was dedicated to soccer. He was a goal keeper who even figured on the professional team of São Paulo’s São Caetano soccer club. After that, he became the businessman behind the Koral Kimonos brand. From there on out, his involvement in Jiu-Jitsu became so intense that practicing and competing in the sport became his destiny.

Get to know a bit more about Victor Costa in this GRACIEMAG.com interview:

Did you imagine you’d do so well at the No-Gi Nationals?

I competed at the No-Gi Pan and that marked my competition return. I was lucky to only have one match, because I wasn’t that well prepared, I’d been away from competition for a long time. But I won and that picked up my spirits a lot. I knew the Brazilian Nationals was coming up at the end of the month and so I started to believe I could win it. I never imagined I’d make it so far in the absolute, but I knew I could do well.

Submission in absolute final. Photo: Carlos Ozório.

When did you start believing you could actually win the main division?

When I won my first match in the absolute, I got to talking with Chico Mendes, one of the coaches at CheckMat, and we saw it could work. I concentrated and started thinking about making it to the final. I was really confident in my second match; I fought well and got the finish. The semifinal against Theodoro Canal was rough. He’s a really technical athlete, really quick and it was a hard match, but I won. Capoeira (Nilson Ricardo), my opponent in the final, had lost to the same fighter I beat at weight. So I was confident, didn’t want to squander the chance, and I went into the match focused.

How do you manage to reconcile business with proper competition training?

First comes my love for Jiu-Jitsu, my desire to compete. I was a soccer player, turned professional at eighteen, but there was a lot of politics involved and I ended up sort of abandoned. I started Koral with my brother and, then, started training Jiu-Jitsu. I saw it as an individual sport, where we depend much more on ourselves. As I always had a drive to win, it was the perfect union. I won the world championship as a brown belt, but after getting my black, I kind of dropped out.

Photo: personal archive.

What has Jiu-Jitsu changed in your life?

Jiu-Jitsu made me a more focused and dedicated person. There’s always time for training on my agenda! Ever since I started Koral fourteen years ago, I’ve made loads of friends through Jiu-Jitsu. The folks on my team are great. They all help me and provide me incentive in competing. I stayed in Florida with Rodrigo Cavaca, who I admire a great deal. I was at Nino Schembri’s academy and the guy took off his gi to help me prepare for the Pan. So I know people wherever I go. It’s a family for everyone and I feel privileged in that respect.

What’s your relationship with the other competitors like? Do they treat you any differently for your being a businessman who works in the fight world?

I feel it’s normal. All athletes these days have a very professional mentality and they know how to separate things. In the warm-up area, they all know I’m just another competitor, and I see it like that, too. I’ve faced athletes who I sponsor before and it was real professional. I’m a laid back guy, I respect everyone and feel it’s just a normal situation.

Ximu com Greg Jackson e GSP. Foto: arquivo pessoal.

Now in Montreal, Canada, Gracie Barra black belt Gustavo Ximu contacted GRACIEMAG.com.

“I took a photo with my cell phone and I’m sending it to you! It didn’t come out too good, but it has me, Georges St.-Pierre and renowned coach Greg Jackson,” says Ximu, who explains what he’s up to.

“I was all set to compete at the No-Gi Brazilian Nationals, which I won last year. But St.-Pierre invited me to train with him again and I couldn’t turn down such an opportunity. I’ve been here a week so far and will stay one more,” says Ximu.

GSP, a Bruno Fernandes black belt, will face Josh Koshcheck on December 11 at UFC 124, where he will defend his welterweight belt.

“St.-Pierre is an extraordinary fighter and I’m certain he will keep his belt,” wagers Ximu.

Victor Costa wins absolute final via submission. Photo: Carlos Ozório

On the eve of Brazil’s presidential elections, Rio de Janeiro’s Tijuca Tennis Club was stage to the runoff determining the new leaders of Brazil, but in No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu. The finals of the 2010 Brazilian National Championship began just as the clock struck six in the afternoon.

One of the big standouts of the day was businessman Victor Costa (CheckMat), who heads the Koral Kimonos company, showing his slick ground game. After winning his first superheavyweight match on points, he opted not to enter the final against Antonio Peinado (Alliance), who won his first via rear-naked choke and then took the championship title. Victor’s reason for not entering the decider was to spare himself for the absolute, where he battled for gold against Nilson Ricardo (Nova União). In the open weight category, the black belt won his first on points, finished his second with an arm triangle, and beat Theodoro Canal (GFTeam) in the semifinal via referee decision. In the gold-medal contest, he quickly put away Nilson Ricardo with a rear-naked choke.

Peinado didn't have to face Victor Costa in the final. Photo: Carlos Ozório

Luiz “Big Mac” (Godoi) got the best of the ultraheavyweight division. “Big” won his first by WO and finished his second with a kimura lock to then face Igor Silva (GFTeam) in the decider. In the final, the São Paulo native used his judo experience to land a throw and control the bout from there on out, winning by points.

Big Mac beat Igor Silva. Photo: Carlos Ozório

Rafael Bettega took heavyweight gold. The Alliance rep had to compete one less time in his bracket and saw his first opponent disqualified. In the final, he faced MMA fighter Marcus Maciel “Bicudinho” (BTT) and won via kneebar from half-guard.

Buiú clings to Murilo Santana's back. Photo: Carlos Ozório

Kleber Buiú (Gracie Barra), who came in off a win at the Rio Open, beat Murilo Santana (Barbosa) and took top spot on the medium heavyweight winners’ stand, after an evenly-matched dispute. Murilo started the action with a sweep, but in the final minute, Buiú was still playing for keeps and managed to make it to back mount to rally back for the win (4 to 2). Prior to the final, the fighter would beat his first adversary with a rear-naked choke and overcome his second with takedowns.

Tiago Alves passed the guard of Jonatas Novaes. Photo: Carlos Ozório

Another Marcos Barbosinha ace, Tiago Alves started out falling behind on the scorecards in the middleweight final. His opponent, Jonatas Novaes (Brasa), managed a sweep. Known for his high-pressure Jiu-Jitsu, Tiago persisted until passing guard (3 to 2). Alves won his prior matches by a large margin on points. In his first, 9 to 0, and his second, against a game Vitor Henrique (GFTeam), he also took a sizable lead, but his opponent ended up injured and out.

Davi Ramos (Top Brother) got by his first lightweight challenge on advantage points. He then faced Helder “Bob Sponja” Medeiros (CheckMat) in the semifinal, and won with two takedowns and a sweep for a 6-2 tally. In the decider, Davi submitted Marcio Rodrigues (Tubarão) with a footlock.

The best at featherweight was Leonardo Souza (Gordo-Evolve), who drew 2 to 2 with André Luiz (Godoi), but eeked out the win on advantage points. At light feather, Rufino Gomes (CheckMat) finished off two opponents with rear-naked chokes. In the gold-medal match he beat Leandro Escobar (Soul Fighters).

Michelle in absolute final. Photo: Carlos Ozório

In the female mix, Michelle Tavares recovered from a loss in the lightweight final, having moved up a weight category due to lack of opponents, and won the absolute. She won her first engagement with a triangle choke, her second with a ten-finger choke, and won the final against Polyana Lago (Alliance) by sweeping and mounting (6 to 0).

Marina on Michelle's back. Photo: Carlos Ozório

Michelle’s bane at lightweight was Marina Ribeiro (CheckMat), who managed a sweep and two back mounts to one sweep from the guard by Michelle (10 to 3). Another standout was Rosalind Ferreira (Gavião), who overcame Polyana Lago with advantage points in the middleweight final, and Luiza Monteiro (CheckMat), who won two matches with footlocks.

CheckMat took top spot on the team winners’ stand, followed by Gracie Barra and GFTeam.

Check back with GRACIEMAG.com for the full photogallery from the Brazilian No-Gi Nationals.

Murilo Santana won the absolute in 2009. Photo: Carlos Ozório.

The next CBJJ/IBJJF tournament in Brazil is the No-Gi Brazilian Nationals, coming up October 30 in Rio de Janeiro’s traditional Tijuca Tennis Club venue.

Big teams like Gracie Barra, BTT, GFTeam, Alliance, and Carlson Gracie are confirmed to be there.

However, time to sign up is running out, so anyone interested should hurry to do so by this Friday, October 22.

To sign up and for further information, click here.