All Things BJJ gives the outlet for Carley to explain how two U.S. Marines came into his academy, which was the beginning of the story of how Jiu-Jitsu came to the U.S.

He trained the American Marines and led them to victory at a local tournament in Brazil. Carley was even looked at as a traitor to his own people for training the Americans to beat the Brazilians. So the United States Marine Core  invited him to come to America to teach.

Learn what happened next from his mouth:

For three hours you can learn from legend Carley Gracie and his son, black belt Pan champion Clark Gracie at Team Redzovic BJJ Academy on Tuesday, June 10.

From 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. te duo will teach their techniques. The cost is $100 per person.

GMA Team Redzovic BJJ Academy is located at 4900 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago, IL 60625.

To reserve your spot please contact chicagojiujitsu@gmail.com

Clark Gracie in action in Pan 2013. Photo: Ivan Trindade/GracieMag.com

Black belt Clark Gracie, 28, has already demonstrated the value of his sharp guard since the No-Gi Worlds last year, when he lost a close match against DJ Jackson in the final.

Earlier this year, some missteps. But everything would become just stairs to the top of Pan 2013. In Irvine, Calif. this past Sunday, the son of Carley reached the biggest title of his career, in a middleweight infested with superstars with many styles, from Leandro Lo to Kayron, from DJ Jackson to Otavio Sousa.

In the absolute, he had already shone and almost surprised Leo Nogueira. The fight ended with Clark on the back of the super heavyweight champion from Alliance.

“Having the Gracie name on the birth certificate is not easy … The guy has to kill a lion a day,” said Clark, shortly before action in Irvine.

The black belt born in California explained the reasons for his progress this season:

“My preparation has been better than ever. This year I’m taking it more seriously, training with a coach, while training Jiu-Jitsu stronger every day. Furthermore, I teach as well. I spend the whole day on the mat and it helps at the last minute,” said the versatile fighter. In the final of the Pan, Clark saw Marcelo Lapela pull for his guard, but he was undeterred. He put pressure to pass at the last minute and got the submission, an omoplata choke.

“If it was easy it wouldn’t be fun,” philosophized the ace. “But that’s it, my goal is always try to submit everyone. Sometimes we can do it, sometimes we can’t.”

On Monday, professor Clark came back enshrined to his students at the gym in La Jolla, Calif. With an eye on the ideas of family, he not only teaches the techniques that work in competitions; he also likes to teach many self-defense techniques, including kicks and stand-up defenses.

Check out the winner of Pan 2013 teaching:

Clark Gracie em ação no Pan 2013. Foto: Ivan Trindade/GracieMag.com

O faixa-preta Clark Gracie, 28 anos, já vinha demonstrando o valor de sua guarda afiada desde o Mundial Sem Kimono do ano passado, quando perdeu apertado para DJ Jackson na final.

No início do ano, alguns tropeços. Mas tudo seria apenas degraus na escalada para o topo do Pan 2013. Em Irvine, nesse domingo, o filho de Carley chegou ao maior título da carreira, num peso médio infestado de  craques dos mais diversos estilos, de Leandro Lo a Kayron, de DJ Jackson a Otavio Sousa.

No absoluto, ele já tinha se engraçado e quase apronta para cima de Léo Nogueira. A luta terminou com Clark nas costas do campeão superpesado da Alliance.

“Carregar o nome Gracie na certidão de nascimento não é nada fácil”, brinca o rei das omoplatas. “O sujeito tem que matar um leão por dia”, comentou Clark, pouco antes das ações em Irvine.

O faixa-preta nascido na Califórnia explicou as razões de seu progresso nesta temporada.

“Minha preparação está sendo melhor que nunca. Este ano estou levando mais a sério, treinando com um preparador físico, sem deixar de treinar Jiu-Jitsu forte todos os dias. Além disso dou aulas também. Passo o dia inteiro no tatame e isso ajuda na hora H”, lembrou o lutador versátil. Na grande final do Pan, inclusive, Clark viu Marcelo Lapela puxar para a guarda, mas não se intimidou: botou pressão para passar e no último minuto obteve a finalização, um estrangulamento com a omoplata encaixada.

“Se fosse fácil não teria graça”, filosofa a fera. “Mas é isso, meu objetivo é sempre o de tentar finalizar todo mundo. Tem lutas que a gente consegue, outras não”.

Nesta segunda, o professor Clark volta consagrado para seus aluninhos na academia em La Jolla. De olho nas ideias da família, ele não apenas ensina as técnicas que funcionam em competições. Ele também gosta de passar muita defesa pessoal, inclusive chutes e defesas em pé.

Confira o campeão do Pan 2013 ensinando:

Clark Gracie ficou de ponta-cabeça para vencer Sharpei.

Carley Gracie (décimo primeiro filho do mestre Carlos) foi o primeiro da família a se mudar paras os EUA. Viajou de barco até Nova York, trabalhou como zelador do navio para pagar a passagem, pegou uma pneumonia no rigoroso inverno de 1972 e quase morreu. Essas foram algumas das aventuras do Gracie antes de se firmar como professor de Jiu-Jitsu, se casar e ter o filho Clark, faixa-preta que desponta nas competições da arte suave.

Já Clark, nascido na Califórnia e praticante de Jiu-Jitsu desde os 16 anos, dá continuidade aos ensinamentos do pai e do avô Carlos em sua academia em La Jolla. Na GRACIEMAG #182, em todas as bancas, o leitor pode conferir um pouco dessa saga de Carley e Clark.

Já no vídeo abaixo, aqui no GRACIEMAG.com, confira o trabalho de Clark Gracie:

Laercio Fernandes and Giva Santana. Photos: Deb Blyth.

In the adult light featherweight final, Caio Terra of Gracie Fighter faced Laercio Fernandes of Lotus Club BJJ. Terra, coming off his big win in the open class the day before, told GRACIEMAG.com on Saturday that he was unsure whether he wouldo compete in his division on Sunday because of a back injury he suffered in his open matches. However, he chose to compete anyway, and he and Fernandes went at it, with Fernandes pulling off the big win.

Fernandes won on points, 4-2. “It was a hard fight,” an excited Fernandes says, “He’s a world champion. I trained really hard for this tournament.” This was Fernandes’s ninth tournament of the year.

“I had a good experience,” he says, “I’m very happy I got to fight Caio Terra. Thanks to my master, Giva Santana, and to my team.” Next up for Fernandes: the No-Gi Worlds in November.

In the adult featherweight division, the final was between Wellington “Megaton” Dias of Gracie Humaita and Samir Chantre of Gracie Fighter. Chantre won with an arm bar. “I pulled guard, swept him, and then fell into mount,” Chantre says, “He tried to push me off and he extended his arm. I caught it, waited for my points, and then went to the arm bar.”

Samir Chantre

Chantre says he uses this sweep often. There is no name for it, but it seems to work for him when he applies it because he recently won another tournament with it. “I’m not totally stabilized when I do it, so everyone tries to push me off and they extend their arm,” he says.

In the semifinals, he was excited to face Baret Yoshida. Chantre and Yoshida have a personal competition going. “He beat me in the 2009 No-Gi Worlds,” Chantre says, “This was a rematch. He tapped me out last time. This time I won by an advantage.”

Chantre competed in the black belt open on Saturday, but did not medal. He lost in the last thirty seconds of his match. He tried the same sweep maneuver on a heavier competitor, but he pulled his arm back, so Chantre didn’t get the submission he was looking for, but Chantre was still happy with his performance. “Caio Terra is my training partner and roommate and he has been helping me a lot,” he says.

Rodrigo Simoes and his GB Team

In the adult lightweight division finals, Rodrigo Simões from Gracie Barra Manhattan Beach competed against Zak Maxwell of Gracie Humaitá and won on points. “I pulled to guard,” a happy Simões says, “I swept him, then he swept me, and then I swept him again.” After all the back-and-forthing, it became a bit of a “dog fight” at the end as Maxwell fought to pick up points before time ran out. Simões ended up winning 4-2 to pick up the gold in his division.

Simões competed in the open class the day before, but did not medal. He won his first match by an advantage, but got caught in an arm triangle to Caio Terra in his second match.

“I trained really hard for this tournament,” Simões said, “I’ve been taking a special conditioning class with Kayron Gracie, Fabiana Borges, and Mikey Gomez. It’s really been helping.” Simões’s next stop will be the New York No-Gi Pan.

In the adult medium weight class, the division ended with Ryan Beauregard and Clark Gracie, both of BJJ Revolution, in the finals. They tried to come up with a gentleman’s agreement, but were unable to come to terms, so they decided to compete for the gold, with Gracie tapping Beauregard out to win it.

Clark Gracie

Gracie says that he and Beauregard couldn’t agree on who should take the gold and all that talk got him out of his zone. “I came out not in tune for the fight,” he says, “It was hard to go 100% against a friend, but as soon as I felt his intensity, it woke me up, and I knew I had to match it.”

Beauregard was winning 4-0 when he ended up in Gracie’s guard. “I finished the match with an omoplata,” Gracie says, “I choked him from that position.” Gracie later informed GRACIEMAG.com that the referee told him the score should have been 4-2 because he hadn’t counted Gracie’s takedown. Regardless, the points were not a factor because of Gracie’s submission.

Gracie’s first divisional match was against Marcelo Mafra. “It was a good fight,” he says, “I had never competed against him before, so I didn’t know his game. I played it safe.”

This is Gracie’s fourth time winning a gold at the American Nationals in other belts. “This is my first medal as a black belt,” Gracie says. He received his coveted belt on May 29, 2010 from his father Carley Gracie. “I’m really excited to be stepping up as a black belt,” Gracie says, “I’m getting ready to face the best guys in the world.”

Gracie is now back training and teaching at his academy, Gracie La Jolla, in San Diego, but he will be back facing all the best guys in the world at the 2010 No-Gi Worlds, which he won last year as a brown belt.

At adult medium heavyweight, Marco “Sharpei” Machado from Drysdale Jiu-Jitsu and Bruno Antunes from Gracie Barra found themselves in the final together again. They met in the same position at the Las Vegas Open, with the same results. Machado took gold again.

Machado’s first match was DQ’d, so Antunes was Machado’s first and final fight. Machado won by five advantage points. “I went to take him down, and he tried to fight on top. After a couple of minutes, I pulled to guard. I laid a lot of pressure.” Machado almost passed his guard twice and almost took his back twice.

“I had a lot of fun,” he says, “I like this tournament.” Machado is proud of his Drysdale team. “Our team is growing a lot. Everybody fights really well.” Machado will be at the Miami Open in October and then the No-Gi Worlds in November.

In the super heavy adult division, Bruno Bastos of Nova União, not fully recovered from his loss to Caio Terra in the absolute on Saturday, won his first and final match against Alberto Silva Vilanova from Gracie Barra and took home the gold for his academy.

“I swept him, then passed his guard,” Bastos says, “We both got penalties in the match because we weren’t moving. I passed his guard again and won by points.” Bastos says at one point Vilanova almost got him in a guillotine. “I almost tapped,” he says, “Then I heard Gustavo (Dantas) say ‘there’s only one minute thirty seconds left,’ so I tried to control my breathing and I was able to escape. He was a really tough guy.”

Bastos says he was still tired from the open and he refereed all day, so that had an impact on his performance, but he carried on anyway. “I have to support the sport to keep it growing,” he says, “It’s a pleasure to help grow it in the U.S.”

This was Bastos’s first time at the American Nationals. “I really liked it,” he says, “Gustavo Dantas brought lots of students and I brought some, too, but I hope to bring more next year to get a trophy. Thanks to Nova União and Octagon in Dallas for their support.”

Leandro Santos and Stephen Hall

In the adult ultra heavy weight class, Leandro Santos of Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu fought Stephen Hall of Alliance and won the gold medal for his efforts. Santos was coming off a third place win in the absolute.

Santos hadn’t competed in over a year because of a triceps injury. “I felt more confident today than yesterday,” Santos says, “Everything was clearer today. I was able to move better and think clearer. I pulled guard to feel him out and ended up in his guard. I was able to pass. I felt loose by the end of the fight.”

Santos wasn’t feeling 100% at the tournament. “I was more confident in my grip exchanging, but I can’t grip well. I missed so many competitions. I was only performing at about 40% this weekend.”

Santos says during the open class on Saturday, he felt foggy and was late getting into positions. “Competing is way different than in the gym,” he says, “Split-second decisions count and I definitely paid for my mistakes. Thanks to Saulo and Xande for being my masters, and Cory Miller, Gazze and Mica for all their support inside and outside the mats.”

E quem chega com moral para o evento principal em Abu Dhabi, em abril, é Clark Gracie (BJJ Revolution), que fez uma das grandes lutas do dia, na categoria 83kg da roxa, marrom e preta.

Filho de Carley, Clark fez a final contra o primo Reylan, filho de Rorion, e não perdeu tempo: puxou para a guarda, raspou aos dois minutos de luta e montou, abrindo 6 a 0. Daí foi só administrar até o final.

No feminino, a surpresa geral ficou por conta de Kiri Liao, faixa-roxa de Saulo Ribeiro que venceu o absoluto leve, que reúne lutadoras da branca até a faixa-preta.

“Mas não acabou não”, comenta Renatinho Tavares. “No próximo fim de semana há a segunda seletiva aqui nos EUA, desta vez na Flórida, em Boca Raton. Juntamente com Helio Moreira, vamos realiza-la pela segunda vez, com expectativa de casa cheia”.

Roberto Traven, Hillary Williams e Marcello Salazar estão entre os nomes na disputa por mais passagens para o World Pro, nos dias 15, 16 e 17 de abril.

Mais informações: www.nafafighters.com

Classificados na Seletiva Costa Oeste, em Santa Cruz:

Roxa/Marrom/Preta: John Ramirez (65kg), Marcos “Yemaso” Torregrosa (74kg), Clark Gracie (83kg), Raul Castillo (92kg), John Devine (+92kg)

Branca/Azul: Issa Able (leve), Orlando Sanches (pesado)

Feminino: Kiri Liao (leve), Lana Stefanac (pesado)