Mackenzie Dern celebrates brown belt world title with her boyfriend, Augusto Tanquinho. Photo: Ivan Trindade/GRACIEMAG.com.

The young Mackenzie Dern was the big name in the female brown belt division at the 2012 Worlds, which ended this past Sunday. At the Long Beach Pyramid the daughter of Wellington Megaton snapped up two gold medals at featherweight and open weight, and emotions swelled within her.

“It was even more than I’d hoped, because I managed to get the finish in all three of my matches at weight, two by choke and a footlock in the final. After that, I entered the absolute just to get more matches in, without any expectations whatsoever. I just went in to have fun and learn, not thinking about results. I was really pleased that in the absolute I got the finish in all my matches as well, three of them by footlock and one choke,” she said jubilantly in a quick chat with GRACIEMAG.com.

WHAT DO YOU FEEL MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN YOUR PERFORMANCE AT THE 2012 WORLDS?

I fight for the finish in all my matches, no matter what championship I’m in, and I feel that’s why I did so well. Especially in the two finals, the important part was to stick to my strategy of always getting myself into the best position, whether on top or on bottom, and thus pave the way to the finish. That was the main thing I got right in the finals.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE FACING YOUR TEAMMATE ANA CAROLINA LEBRE IN THE ABSOLUTE FINAL?

The situation arose when Royler [Gracie] came and told us both that the decision as to whether we faced each other was ours to make, it was up to us. So we discussed it. And we decided that both of us were doing well, had good matches at the Worlds and won our divisions, both made it to the final, and we both deserved the absolute title, right? So we decided we’d face off for real and, regardless of the result, we agreed not to harbor any ill feelings towards each other. We’re professionals and know that a fight is a fight, and anyone could have won it. When we fought, we spent some time on the feet before going to the ground. Carol was in my guard, and I attacked with an omoplata. She postured up to defend and I switched to a footloock, where I got the finish. Carol’s a tough and humble girl, and I was happy to reach the absolute final with her.

HOW DID YOU TRAIN JIU-JITSU IN HAVING A PERFECT WORLDS?

My primary worry was that I’d go into the 2012 Worlds fearing that I’d land in a position I had trouble with. So I focused a lot on preparing to deal with any position. I corrected my weaknesses with the help of my father, boyfriend and team. I worked a lot on my weaknesses, did lots of physical conditioning work and lots of specific training for this Worlds.

WHAT’S THE MAIN LESSON YOU LEARNED AT THIS TOURNAMENT?

I feel I learned that you have to be confident in your game, always. Sometimes in training you may have run into trouble or a hard time with some position, but all you have to do is keep your head on straight when competing. That’s vital in doing well in competition.

WHAT DO YOU FEEL YOU DID DIFFERENTLY THIS WORLDS?

What I sought to do differently this Worlds was go for more foot attacks, which you’re allowed to do at brown belt. I’m working on the position a lot in training, and thank God it worked out, because four of the submissions in my seven matches were footlocks.

ANY POINTERS ON YOUR ARSENAL OF FOOT ATTACKS?

When you go for a footlock, pay a lot of attention to your foot as well, because a lot of the time your opponent can defend by attacking you right back. When you attack a foot, hide yours. Then get a firm grip on the top of the foot with your first hand, and with your second hand grab hold of your wrist to get the figure-four on the foot. Then start squeezing out the footlock, pushing the foot towards the back of their thigh, and turn your body sideways to get as much leverage as possible and get the finish. It’s simple.

ANY FINAL LESSONS FOR OUR JIU-JITSU-PRACTITIONER READERS WHO DREAM OF ONE DAY BECOMING CHAMPIONS, AND FOR GETTING TO BROWN BELT ONE DAY?

The best way to pull off new moves at championships is to train, train and train. Be confident in what you’re training, because if you’re managing to do new positions well in training, there’s a greater likelihood you’ll be able to do them at championships.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqneyq0RsNM

Stalwart grapplers and old chums Marcus Bochecha and Antônio “Cara de Sapato” in the Pan 2012 final that would not be: a friendly embrace determined the absolute gold medalist / Photo: Ivan Trindade/GRACIEMAG.com.

While hundred-year-old sport soccer’s big debate these days is ethics, rules and regulations, why should Jiu-Jitsu’s be any different? On the mat, controversy likes sporting a gi when the subject comes to closing out final; that is, a gentlemen’s agreement between two teammates who reach the final together, where the only move the crowd gets to see is an embrace. If you’re a GRACIEMAG.com reader, you’ve seen this subject come up before. But could a creative solution bring the issue to resolution? One Jiu-Jitsu professor thinks so.

Claudio Arrais, a black belt and the organizer of the South American Jiu-Jitsu Championship, went through a peculiar situation late last year. He explains: “There was a championship in Santa Catarina where four athletes from the same team closed out the semifinals. The worst part is that the city mayor was there to award the prize to the absolute champion. So I had to go to great lengths to get him to understand that in Jiu-Jitsu this is acceptable. Politely but in jest, he said the most significant division of a championship could not go without a final, and he offered to do the final against any one of the four,” Arrais recollects.

BAD FOR JIU-JITSU FANS, AWFUL FOR TV

Having experienced the issue in the flesh, and aware that it’s unpleasant to face a friend or brother, Claudio drummed up a simple solution for the dilemma.

“I understand that it’s a really delicate situation, and it’s one that we should always respect. On the other hand, also out of respect, we can’t leave the championship, fans and TV broadcasters without the matches that determine the titles. This practice of closing out brackets arose in Jiu-Jitsu at a time when there was no such thing as the internet, and information regarding techniques was kept under military-like secrecy, which isn’t the case these days, with all the seminars, DVDs, video classes and YouTube,” Claudinho says in providing background.

“I suggest the following: The champion and runner-up who closed out the brackets receive their medals normally; after all, they made it there fair and square through lots of dedication, training and fair play. However, their points shouldn’t count for the overall team score. This measure would protect the fans and the promoters of the championship, and it would also get the athletes to think less about themselves and more about their team,” says the Rilion Gracie black belt.

(Watch JT and his teammate Jimmy Harbison going at it for real in the absolute final at the 2012 Houston Open:)

To Arrais, such a penalty could start changing the outlook and help move Jiu-Jitsu forward, not backwards.

“WITHOUT FINALS THERE NO MEDIA, NO SPONSORS”

“Choosing to close out finals is extremely damaging to Jiu-Jitsu. The championship loses out on showcasing a final. The crowd loses out by not getting to watch the grand decider. The media (read TV) is stuck questioning whether it’s worth covering a championship that might not result in a final match. No media, no big sponsors. So it’s unfair that the team that allows such a thing to happen should go without being penalized for its stance, having produced the athletes. I agree that everyone should have the right to decide what’s best for their team, so long as it’s not to the detriment of Jiu-Jitsu as a whole,” asserts Claudinho, who has his own academy, in the city of Florianópolis.

The teacher isn’t naïve to the point of thinking that that will settle everything. But he does take kindly to such a change in mentality, even if it results in teammates rolling symbolically in the finals.

“Sure, new ways of avoiding teammates doing finals will crop up. Some will feign injury, others will refuse to compete, still others will just rig the match, do an exhibition. Should there be suspicions that the athlete is faking an injury, the staff doctor giving a verdict could be a solution, but even an exhibition match would be better than the ref simply raising the arm of the winner, to everyone’s frustration. In a nutshell, it would all be for the development of Jiu-Jitsu, a sport that educates us and fills us with pride for being a part of it, and for the athletes, teachers, promoters and team owners,” Claudio says in conclusion.

What do you say, gentle reader: can this be the way forward? Join the debate floor by commenting below.

The promoter in good company: André Santos, Crolin Gracie, Claudio and Carlinhos Gracie / Publicity photo