Staying true to his word, Gustavo Dantas brown belt and Nova União standout Christian Broadnax has been busy building back up to his winning form. In a GRACIEMAG interview from a couple months back, the lightweight shared his struggle with keeping his training, school, and job in balance and how his Jiu-Jitsu had been suffering with the juggling act.

Revitalized by a double-gold performance at the 2012 AZ BJJ State Championship, Christian remained adamant about not letting his winning momentum come to a sudden halt. “You either keep going or you quit, and I’m not going to quit. I don’t have that kind of spirit,” stated a more reserved and mature Christian.

With the fire once again lit in his belly, Christian set off to compete at the IBJJF Toronto Open where he was able to claim gold in the lightweight division. The very next weekend, the 18-year-old traveled back down to Southern California to compete at the 2012 Samurai Pro and captured the gold at lightweight there as well.

Watch this clip of Christian at the Toronto Open doing what he does best: winning in impressive and athletic fashion.

Christian in action / Photo by Deb Blyth

Christian, who is now a brown belt, was recently spotted at Gustavo Dantas’s AZ BJJ State Championship, doing what he does best: showing some serious athleticism and good, technical Jiu-Jitsu skills on the mats. He competed in both his lightweight division and the open class at the event, and won both to take double gold for the day.

The 18-year-old told GRACIEMAG that he and his twin brother, Christian, have had to take some time away from their Jiu-Jitsu training to attend college. Christian was able to compete at the Worlds, though, and made arrangements to reprioritize his school and work schedules to train twice a day for a few weeks before he got there. He lost in the quarterfinals and was disappointed with his finish, but he did receive his coveted brown belt shortly thereafter. “I still love Jiu-Jitsu,” Christian says, “but it’s hard to train and go to school. My ultimate plan is to refocus on Jiu-Jitsu. I want to make Jiu-Jitsu my job.”

Christian says this last year has taught him patience. Because he hasn’t been training as much as he did in the past, he’s not been winning as much either. But what he’s discovered through this journey is that it’s not all about the “win.” “I’ve learned that Jiu-Jitsu is all about dedication,” a toned down, quiet, and seemingly resigned Christian says. “You either keep going or you quit, and I’m not going to quit. I don’t have that kind of spirit.”

After winning the lightweight final against Gerson Atoigue, Christian ended up facing him yet again in the open class final at the AZ BJJ State Championship. Once again, Christian took the match, and upon having his arm raised, he looked visibly relieved. “It’s been a year since I’ve won gold,” he sighed. “It feels good. I still have a lot to work on. I didn’t want to compete in the absolute. Gerson tired me out the first time! But this time my base was good and my positions felt strong. Everything’s improving.”

Christian atop podium / Photo by Deb Blyth

Christian’s take on Jiu-Jitsu has really matured over the years, and he feels like he’s truly beginning to understand what Jiu-Jitsu is all about. “Because it’s like a chess game you can’t really be better at just one thing,” he says; “you have to be good at everything and strengthen your weaknesses. You can’t rely on just one part of your game.”

Christian has one more year of college left before he graduates, and then he is committed to being back on the mats full time. Until then, he is simply committed to continuing his Jiu-Jitsu journey of learning more about patience and dedication.

Foto: Arquivo Pessoal.

10 – Marcio André

O garoto é uma das crias de Fabio Andrade no projeto que comanda em Bangu, no Rio de Janeiro. Ainda juvenil, Marcio vem derrotando todos os adversários em grandes torneios como o Brasileiro de Jiu-Jitsu, em que foi campeão absoluto, e no Brasileiro de Equipes, entre outros eventos. A jovem promessa da Nova União também se classificou ao World Pro, na seletiva disputada no Rio de Janeiro, contra adversários da categoria adulto.

Foto: Carlos Ozório.

9 – Denílson Bischiliari

O peso pluma da Atos costuma chegar bem no pódio em todas as competições que participa. No fim de 2010, em Natal, garantiu vaga ao Abu Dhabi World Pro na faixa-azul. Mais uma fera saindo do “caldeirão” em Rio Claro?

Christian. Foto: Arquivo GM.

8 – Christian Broadnax

Pupilo do nosso GMA Gustavo Dantas na Nova União Arizona, Christian Broadnax deve manter os títulos na faixa-roxa. No último Pan de Jiu-Jitsu, quando ainda era azul, faturou peso e absoluto. Ao seu lado, também deve vir bem Christopher Broadnax, irmão gêmeo, também campeão no Pan 2010.

7 – Mackenzie Dern

Mackenzie em foto de John Lamonica.

Filha de peixe, peixinho é. É o que vem provando Mackenzie Dern, que tem como pai o faixa-preta Wellington Megaton. Ainda na faixa-azul, Mackenzie venceu, entre tantos eventos, o Campeonato Mundial. No mesmo torneio, a peso pena ficou em segundo no absoluto. Já na roxa, Dern mostrou que faz frente até contra as faixas-pretas, sendo batida apenas pela experiente Michelle Nicolini na seletiva para o World Pro, em Lisboa.

6 – Marcelo Tarso

Graduado à faixa-roxa recentemente pelo mestre Guto Campos, Marcelo Tarso é o atual campeão mundial na faixa-azul super-pesado. Em 2010, também foi bem no World Pro, com o segundo posto. Outro que deve dar trabalho na nova graduação.

5 – Mateus Luckmann

Mateus agora deve aprontar na faixa-roxa. Foto: Arquivo Pessoal.

Fera treinada por Fabio Gurgel, Mateus venceu em 2010 Mundial, Pan e World Pro na faixa-azul. O peso pena divide apartamento em São Paulo com feras como o também campeão mundial Bernardo Faria, onde montam um dojô e praticam posições. Mais um motivo para apostar no garoto.

Lucas em foto de Ivan Trindade.

4 – Lucas Rocha

O pupilo de Zé Radiola na Gracie Barra-PE se destacou em todas as faixas, tendo sido campeão mundial em 2009, entre os roxas. Neste ano, tem tudo para se firmar de vez na faixa-marrom. Sua grande vontade é repetir o feito do companheiro Otávio Souza e faturar o absoluto no Mundial.

3 – Michel Langhi

Michel Langhi (direita) comemora com feras como Bruno Malfacine. Foto: Ivan Trindade

Irmão mais novo do bicampeão mundial faixa-preta Michael Langhi, Langhinho não tem apenas o nome parecido com o do mano. O representante da Alliance também tem o Jiu-Jitsu afiado. Além de ter se destacado em todas as graduações, venceu em 2010 eventos como o Campeonato Brasileiro, já na faixa-marrom. Acabou derrotado no Mundial pelo rival Ary Farias, mas tem tudo para abocanhar o título neste ano.

2 – João Gabriel

João Gabriel em foto de Carlos Ozório.

O faixa-marrom da Soul Fighters venceu na faixa-roxa o Pan e também foi campeão Brasileiro. Graduado à  marrom, já deu trabalho até aos pretas, em eventos como a seletiva do Rio para o World Pro, neste vice no absoluto, derrotado apenas por Rodolfo Vieira.

1 – Antonio Carlos “Cara de Sapato”

Antonio deve dar trabalho na faixa-preta. Foto: Carlos Ozório.

O paraibano da CheckMat conquistou diversas medalhas em todas as graduações. No ano passado, ainda de marrom, fechou peso e absoluto com o companheiro Marcus Bochecha tanto no Mundial como no Brasileiro. Ganhou a faixa-preta do mestre Helder Bob Sponja no pódio da seletiva de Natal para o World Pro, depois de finalizar oponentes mais graduados. Olho vivo nesta fera!

Photo: personal archive

10 – Marcio André

The kid is a product of Fabio Andrade’s goodwill project in Rio de Janeiro’s Bangu neighborhood. Still a juvenile, Marcio has been ravaging all the opponents he’s encountered at big tournaments like the Brazilian Nationals, where he won the absolute, and the Brazilian Team Nationals, among other events. The promising young Nova União rep also qualified for the World Pro at the Rio de Janeiro tryouts, beating opponents in the adult division.

Photo: Carlos Ozório

9 – Denílson Bischiliari

The Atos light featherweight tends to make it to the podium at all the competitions he is party to. In late 2010, in Natal, he secured a spot in the blue belt division of the Abu Dhabi World Pro. Yet another wicked ground wizard to come from the “cauldron” in Rio Claro?

Christian. Photo: GM archives

8 – Christian Broadnax

The student of our GMA Gustavo Dantas at Nova União Arizona, Christian Broadnax will likely keep up his title-winning ways at purple belt. At the last Pan, while still a blue belt, he won both his weight and the open weight divisions. Along with him comes his twin brother, Christopher Broadnax, who is also a Pan 2010 champion.

7 – Mackenzie Dern

Mackenzie in photo by John Lamonica

Like father, like daughter. That’s what Mackenzie Dern has been proving, with her black belt father Wellington Megaton. While still a blue belt, Mackenzie won the World Championship among other events. At the same tournament, the featherweight took second in the absolute. Already at purple belt, Dern showed she can even stand up to black belts, having lost only to the seasoned Michelle Nicolini at the World Pro tryouts in Lisbon.

6 – Marcelo Tarso

Marcelo Tarso in photo by Carlos Ozório

Recently promoted to purple belt by Master Guto Campos, Marcelo Tarso is the surrent superheavyweight blue belt world champion. In 2010, he also did well at the World Pro, taking second place. He’s another who should be a handful at his new rank.

5 – Mateus Luckerman

Fabio Gurgel-trained beast Matheus won the 2010 Worlds, Pan, and World Pro as a blue belt. The featherweight shares an apartment in São Paulo with other slick submission aces, like also-world champion Bernardo Faria, where they set up a dojo and practice positions. Another good reason to bet on the kid.

4 – Lucas Rocha

Lucas in photo by Ivan Trindade

The Zé Radiola student at Gracie Barra-PE stood out at all the belts he’s been through, winning the 2009 World Championship as a purple belt. This year, he has just what it takes to carve out a place for himself at brown belt. Top on his list of things to accomplish is repeating his joint feat with teammate Otávio Sousa and conquer weight and open weight at the Worlds.

3 – Michel Langhi

Michel Langhi (right) celebrates with beasts like Bruno Malfacine. Photo: Ivan Trindade.

Younger brother of two-time world champion black belt Michael Langhi, Langhinho doesn’t just have his name in common with his bro. The Alliance rep has slick Jiu-Jitsu to boast of too. Besides having stood out at all the belts till now, he won 2010 events like the Brazilian Nationals as a brown belt. He ended up dropping the Worlds to rival Ary Farias, but he has what it takes to snatch the title this time around.

2 – João Gabriel

João Gabriel in photo by Carlos Ozório

The Soul Fighters brown belt won the Pan and the Brazilian Nationals as a purple belt. Now promoted to brown, he’s given black belts a hard time at events like the Brazilian Team Nationals and the Rio World Pro tryouts, taking runner-up in the absolute of the latter, only losing to Rodolfo Vieira.

1 – Antonio Carlos “Cara de Sapato”

Antonio will be giving a lot of black belts a hard time. Photo: Carlos Ozório.

The CheckMat rep from the Brazilian state of Paraíba has a number of medals at all belts to boast of. Last year, still a brown belt, he closed out his weight and the open weight divisions with teammate Marcus Bochecha both at the Worlds and the Brazilian Nationals. He was promoted to black belt by Master Helder Bob Sponhja while still on the podium at the Natal, Brazil, tryouts for the World Pro, after submitting higher-ranked opponents. Watch this monster of the mats closely!

Check out some of the scenes from the event in the photos below:

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Destaque para o triângulo voador aplicado por Guybson Sá em Rafael Freitas.

Confira as melhores cenas do evento nas fotos abaixo.

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Bruno Bastos no alto do pódio. Foto: Dan Gerous (divulgação)

O grande destaque foi Bruno Bastos. A fera da Nova União fez dois combates e faturou a premiação do absoluto faixa-preta. 

“Lutei contra o Carlos Faria na primeira luta, um cara que pesa uns 130kg. Graças a Deus ele puxou para a guarda e venci por 17 a 0 nos pontos. Na final lutei com o Guybson Sá, um adversário muito duro, e venci por uma raspagem. Mas quem também mandou muito bem no absoluto foi o Rafael Barata, da Gracie Barra. Ele é peso galo, mas lutou muito bem”, conta Bruno Bastos. 

Christian Broadnax comemora. Foto: Dan Gerous (divulgação)

Ainda na faixa-preta, o ex-lutador do UFC Hermes França finalizou e garantiu o ouro no peso médio. Na faixa-roxa, o campeão de leves do WEC Ben Henderson mostrou que o chão continua afiado e foi melhor no peso e no absoluto. Outros destaques do evento, que contou com mais de 500 participantes, foram os gêmeos Broadnax Christian e Christopher, que venceram no pena e leve faixa-azul. No feminino, a campeã do Pan 2010 Kristina Barlaan também venceu peso e absoluto faixa-azul. 

Aguarde aqui no GRACIEMAG.com a galeria de fotos do evento e confira abaixo o resultado por equipes:   

Kids  

1st – MMA Lab (88 pts)

2nd – Lion’s Den (86 pts)

3rd – Relson Gracie AZ (47 pts)

4th – Siege MMA/Lotus Club (44 pts)

5th – GD Jiu-Jitsu (42 pts) 

Adulto

1st – GD Jiu-Jitsu (249 pts)

2nd – MMA Lab (119 pts)

3rd – Rey Diogo/De Brazil (92 pts)

4th – Ruffhouse (74 pts)

5th – Megaton (64 pts)