The new location for Claudio Franca’s San Jose Academy. Photo: CFBJJ

Our GMA  member Claudio Franca has opened up a new location in San Jose, CA.

CFBJJ has a new home at 14442 Union Ave at the Cambrian Park Plaza. The new academy is nearly 4000 square feet.

New classes have also been added. Dave “Choco” Dixon will be teaching his Xtreme cardio kickboxing classes on Saturday mornings. More kickboxing/conditioning classes will also be on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

The new Saturday schedule is as follows:

Claudio França (quarto da direita pra esquerda) com seu exército versátil. Foto: Daniel Carettoni

Nosso GMA em Santa Cruz, na Califa, o professor e organizador de eventos Claudio França graduou, no fim do ano em sua academia, mais nove faixas-pretas de Jiu-Jitsu.

Durante cerimônia recente na academia, o professor amarrou a faixa-preta na cintura do combativo competidor Nathan Mendelsonh, e ainda graduou Steve Opolinsky, Toru Kawamura, Brian Guzmanm, Todd Jones, Steven Cocos, Quintin Cox, Paul Pendergrast e Ken Wong.

Cada um dos nove graduados vem treinando com França por pelo menos 11 anos. “Já Todd Jones e o Paul Pendergrast treinam comigo por quase 20 anos”, ele comenta.

Com muito orgulho, o professor destacou ainda o aluno Toru Kawamura, seu mais novo faixa-preta aos 62 anos.

Além da graduação dos pretas, a Claudio França BJJ graduou outros 420 estudantes – incluindo crianças e adultos, de suas três academias e escolas afiliadas na Califórnia.

Festa de graduação na escola Claudio França, em dezembro de 2012. Foto: Divulgação

Claudio França (fourth from right) with his newest black belts / Photo by Daniel Carettoni

Our GMA in Santa Cruz, California, Claudio França, held his academy end-of-the-year party and promoted nine of his students to black belt.

At the ceremony, he fastened black belts around the waist of the stalwart competitor Nathan Mendelsonh as well as Steve Opolinsky, Toru Kawamura, Brian Guzmanm, Todd Jones, Steven Cocos, Quintin Cox, Paul Pendergrast and Ken Wong.

Each of the nine promoted have been training with França for at least 11 years. “Now, Todd Jones and Paul Pendergrast have trained with me for almost 20 years,” he remarked.

The Jiu-Jitsu professor was also proud to point out the fact that his new black belt Toru Kawamura is 62 years old.

Besides promoting the black black belts, Claudio França also promoted 420 other students of his—among them children and adults from his three academies and branches of his school around California.

Claudio França’s December 2012 promotion party/ Publicity photo

GMA member Claudio França has three great news to announce.

He is organizing yet another tournament and has just opened a new school.

The All Star Tournament is scheduled, January 22nd, at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, in California.

Registrations are open and the event is suitable for all ages, men and women.

And in November, França opened a new school in Watsonville.

Last weekend, França held his annual graduation ceremony.

He tells us what happened: “We had 368 students being promoted. Four of them got their black belts: Matt Slatter ,Erick Benaquisto ,Chris Zepro,Dylan Techer.”

For more info, go to claudiofrancabjj.com.

To register at the tournament, go to allstartournament.com