Barros, Lemos, Bansfield

The IBJJF Chicago Open International was a success this weekend.

And our GMA members were a huge part of this success, conquering lots of medals.

Carlos Lemos, from Gracie Barra Countryside, and Marcos Barros, of GB Springfield, dominated the black belt master. They closed out the lightweight and the absolute.

Also in the black belt master division, Sean Bansfield, from Ann Arbor JJ, conquered a silver and a bronze medal and at the ultra-heavyweight and the absolute.

Team Brazil 021, headed by André Terêncio, also did great. Its members went home with 12 medals.

Click here for the complete results of the event.

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Las Vegas will hold its first International Open and host the American No-Gi Nationals in August

With the Rio Open 2010 and International Master and Senior tournaments rolling along in the Tijuca Tennis Club, we enter a new chapter in competition Jiu-Jitsu history: the post-Worlds International Open chapter.

Although other Open tournaments do exist – like the Houston and New York Opens that took place earlier this year – the one with the most history behind it now underway shall henceforth mark the beginning of a “post-World Championship Open Season,” when a series of International Open tournaments in different locations around the US will keep competitors out of languor once the biggest tourney of all is over and done.

First on the horizon is the Las Vegas International Open, to take place August 14 in the SportCenter of Las Vegas. This one coincides with the American No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu Nationals, which should reel in a good chunk of the city’s abundant MMA-fighters, who do without the gi for the greater part of their ground training. As the two tournaments will be held at the same time and place, it should be a great opportunity to rub elbows with Jiu-Jitsu stars and the city’s MMA elite alike.

The price table for tournament registration is as follows:

$82.00 – for Registration in the Gi tournament by Sunday, July 25, 2010
$97.00 – for Registration in the Gi tournament by Saturday, August 07, 2010
$82.00 – for Registration in the No-Gi tournament by Sunday, July 25, 2010
$97.00 – for Registration in the No-Gi tournament by Saturday, August 07, 2010
$142.00 – for Registration in both the Gi and No-Gi tournaments by Sunday, July 25, 2010
$162.00 – for Registration in both the Gi and No-Gi tournaments till Saturday, August 07, 2010

Registration is already underway, so secure your place in the inaugural event by clicking here.

Next stop for the International Open is Chicago. The Chicago International Open will be held at Bearsley Gymnasium in Evanston, Illinois, on the 22^nd of August. Anyone to register by July 31 will pay the promotional rate of $82, after which the full price of $97 will stand until the August-14 final sign-up deadline. Black belt males and brown/black belt females can already sign up by clicking here. The other belt groups can sign up here.

And last but not least in the list of International Open Championships coming up in a two-month time frame – and before a nearly two-month pause till the October 23 Miami Open – there’s the Honolulu International Open. The tourney in the Pacific paradise of Hawaii is set for September 4 and is also open for sign-up. Black belt males and female brown/black belts can sign up here, and the other belt groups can sign up here. Anyone to register by August 15 will pay the promotional rate of $82, after which the full price of $97 will stand until the August-28 final sign-up deadline.

For further information on the upcoming International Open championships, visit the USBJJF website.

Anyone interested in who will be facing who this weekend at the Rio International Open and International Master and Senior championships can check out the brackets here.

At the Sport Center Arena in Las Vegas this August 14 No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu will take the world capital of MMA by storm. The United States Jiu-Jitsu Federation is promoting the American National No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu Championship (sign up here).
On the 22^nd of the same month, the gentle art takes front and center in Chicago, with the Chicago International Open IBJJF Championship (sign up here).
To keep up the pace, On September 4^th at Henry J. Kaiser High School in Hawaii the Honolulu International Open IBJJF Championship will be held.

Stay on top of the events and keep up your training!

For further information, visit the IBJJF website.