Copa Bela | Graciemag https://www.graciemag.com The Original Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Magazine — BJJ news Tue, 24 May 2022 15:15:18 +0000 pt-BR hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 https://www.graciemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/cropped-WhatsApp-Image-2023-08-09-at-20.29.31-32x32.jpeg Copa Bela | Graciemag https://www.graciemag.com 32 32 Women take center stage at Arizona https://www.graciemag.com/women-take-center-stage-at-arizona/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=women-take-center-stage-at-arizona Fri, 13 May 2022 01:48:26 +0000 https://www.graciemag.com/?p=237085 On April 16th, in Mesa, Arizona, it took place the Copa Bela, an all-female tournament for juveniles and up. The Arizona Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu League has been promoting the Copa Bela since 2012, and Gracie Mag was there covering the event. GracieMag caught up with Heath Flicker, AZ BJJ League’s tournament director, to update the Arizona…

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Mackenzie Dern at Copa Bela. Photo: AZBJJL

On April 16th, in Mesa, Arizona, it took place the Copa Bela, an all-female tournament for juveniles and up. The Arizona Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu League has been promoting the Copa Bela since 2012, and Gracie Mag was there covering the event.

GracieMag caught up with Heath Flicker, AZ BJJ League’s tournament director, to update the Arizona competition scene.
How was the event turn out?
“It went well; it was two tournaments in a one-day event. We started the day with the Spring Kids Cup, ran twelve mats (IBJJF mat size), and finished the tournament with nearly seven hundred kids in four and a half hours.
After a thirty-minute break, we switched the podium banner and started the Copa Bela tournament utilizing six mats. In the first Copa Bela in 2012, we had thirty-six competitors. Last weekend, the event reached one hundred and sixty competitors.”
Does AZBJJL still follow the IBJJF rules?
“The AZBJJL always attempts to follow the IBJJF Rules and Regulations as close as possible to prepare the competitors for the more significant IBJJF events.
We have been promoting tournaments and providing the opportunity for thousands of local and out-of-state competitors to get more competition experience for the past two decades. As a result, Arizona has a solid competition scene with many world champions, from blue to black belts, breaded in the State; it’s not by accident.
Like Mackenzie Dern, for example, she competed in the first event in 2001 as a yellow belt and won the Absolute Pro Division of the 2012 Copa Bela as a brown belt.”
What is next for Copa Bela?
“This year’s event was the first one since 2019. 2020 Copa Bela got canceled due to Covid, and we didn’t have an opening for last year.
In five to ten years, the goal is to turn Copa Bela into the biggest all-female tournament in the World. Our goal is 1000 plus competitors from four years old and up. We would also like the event to include an annual convention with seminars and activities dedicated to the female jiu-jitsu community.”
To know more about AZBJJL’s next event, the 2022 AZ State Championship, on June 25th at the Bell Bank Park in Mesa, Arizona, please visit www.azbjjl.com.
The post Women take center stage at Arizona first appeared on Graciemag.]]> 1st Copa Bela Brown/Black Belt pro division shaping up https://www.graciemag.com/1st-copa-bela-brownblack-belt-pro-division-shaping-up/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=1st-copa-bela-brownblack-belt-pro-division-shaping-up Tue, 03 Apr 2012 22:37:21 +0000 https://www.graciemag.com/?p=46911 The April 21 date for Arizona’s maiden women-only Jiu-Jitsu tournament, Copa Bela, is fast approaching. Promoted by the Gustavo Dantas purple belt and creator of INSPIRE: All Female Open Mat in Arizona Kristina Barlaan has devoted her time and effort to creating events to help promote the growth of women’s Jiu-Jitsu. One of the major…

The post 1st Copa Bela Brown/Black Belt pro division shaping up first appeared on Graciemag.]]> The April 21 date for Arizona’s maiden women-only Jiu-Jitsu tournament, Copa Bela, is fast approaching. Promoted by the Gustavo Dantas purple belt and creator of INSPIRE: All Female Open Mat in Arizona Kristina Barlaan has devoted her time and effort to creating events to help promote the growth of women’s Jiu-Jitsu. One of the major draws for the inaugural event is the brown/black belt absolute division, which is awarding $1000 to the champion. With the early-registration discount deadline coming up on April 9, the pro division is starting to take shape with two world champions already in the mix.

Featherweight brown belt Mackenzie Dern will be looking to take the $1000 prize pro absolute jackpot. Photo: Mike Calimbas.

Fresh from her 2012 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship victory, Mackenzie Dern (Gracie Humaita) is looking to take home the prize despite being carrying the size disadvantage of being a featherweight. Having earned here way to compete at the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu World by winning the San Diego trials, Tracey Goodell (Atos) is a fierce and aggressive addition to the bracket, a challenge to anyone even as a lightweight. With two weeks left for registration, the pro division is sure to draw in more world class competitors in the days to come.

Early registration for the 1st Copa Bela ends April 9, and final registration ends April 16. For further information or to register, please visit www.gdjjevents.com.

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