Black belt Mackenzie Dern of GMA Megaton Jiu-Jitsu will be teaching a workshop in Tempe, AZ on Dec. 7.

The 2014 no-gi world champion will be teaching a Toys for Tots Workshop where you can train and learn with her. Men and women of any affiliation are welcome.

The cost of the seminar is $50 but you will receive $10 off if you bring an unwrapped new toy to donate.

The seminar will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1761 E Warner Rd. Tempe, AZ 85284.

A list of various athletes and teachers will be present at Drysdale Jiu-Jitsu on Saturday, Dec. 14 for a charity seminar to help those less fortunate. The seminar is open to all levels and all affiliations.

Set to teach are:

Robert Follis, a renowned MMA coach
Evan Dunham, a Jiu-Jitsu black belt and UFC  fighter
Sean Spangler, a Jiu-Jitsu black belt and Grappler’s Quest most decorated competitor
Kyle Griffin, a D1 wrestler and ADCC veteran
Kristian Woodmansee, a brown belt world and pan champion

The location is Drysdale Jiu-Jitsu: 1234 S. Rainbow Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89146

They are asking for a minimum donation of $10 or equivalent value and are accepting toys, clothing, food and money.

The seminar will begin at 10 a.m.

For more information go to www.drysdalejiujitsu.com

Last week the Jiu-Jitsu community in Philadelphia attended a seminar for a student of Jared Weiner at BJJ United who is currently undergoing treatment for leukemia. They raised over $10,000.

Because of the disastrous Supertyphoon Haiyan in the Philippines that hit last week, many are in need and  we can help to fund relief efforts. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, there are currently 3,621 deaths, 12,165 injured, 1,140 missing and many homeless.

Check out these events coming up that will give you the opportunity to donate to various outlets. If you are not local or cannot make the events, there are other opportunities to support:

Rolling for Philippines – Sunday, Nov. 17 San Jose, CA

At Heroes Martial Arts is holding an open mat on Sunday, Nov. 17 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 460 S Market St. San Jose, CA. They are asking for a minimum $20 donation and black belts like Samir Chantre, Osvaldo Queixinho, Bryant Pangelinan, Alan “Gumby” Marques, Matt Darcy, Jeremy Adkins, Sergio Silva, Julio Echeverria to name a few will be present also. Instead of conducting a massive seminar however, they will be available for “privates” at the rate of $2 per minute. Call 408-288-8857 for more information. If you can’t make it you can donate online at: http://www.crowdrise.com/rollforthephilippines/ which goes to the American Red Cross.

Roll for the Philippines – Saturday, Nov. 23 Peoria, AZ

There will be an open mat at Siege MMA on Saturday, Nov. 23 with all proceeds donated to the relief. It will run from 1 – 3 p.m. at 14131 W. Rio Vista Blvd. #9 Peoria, AZ. They are asking for $20 or more if possible. Call 602-680-3467 for more information.

Seattle Martial Arts Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fundraiser and Auction  – Sunday, Nov. 24 Seattle, WA

Seattle martial arts and crossfit schools will come together on Sunday, Nov. 24 for a fundraising event with lunch and a silent auction. It will run from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at MKG Seattle: 10714 5th Ave NE, Seattle, WA. Workshops will run from 10 a.m. on with a Filipino lunch available for $10 donation per plate from 2 – 3:30 p.m. For more information visit http://www.mkgseattle.com/fundraiser/

Roll4Relief – Sunday, Dec. 1 San Diego, CA

Michael Liera Jr. and his family have set up open mat fundraiser for the BJJ community in San Diego, CA. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Arena MMA: 3350 Sports Arena Blvd. San Diego, CA. It will be a day of music, Jiu-Jitsu, food, prizes for family and friends. They are asking for a $25 mat fee for donation. More information can be found at their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Roll4reliefhaiyan

Northwest GrappleThon for Philippine Disaster Aid – Friday, Dec. 6 to Saturday, Dec. 7 Edmonds, WA

There will be a 24-hour grapplethon to raise money at Gracie Barra Edmonds which is twenty minutes south of downtown Seattle. It will run from 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 9681 Firdale Ave, Edmonds, Washington 98020.

“We wIll charge a fixed amount to participate, in this case, $30, and then people are welcome to solicit pledges from co-workers, family, and friends based on how many rolls you get, or how long you can go, etc. I’m feeling that “a dollar a roll” is a reasonable ask. If you aren’t a Jiu-Jitsu person, a “roll” is a 5-10 minute “live” sparring session with another person. How tough it is really depends on the participants, but it can be extremely draining and painful when your opponent is way better than you are. So, if you think it sounds like an awfully hard dollar, you are probably correct. If you’d rather do it based on time spent, $6-$10 is probably fair for an hour. We will also be doing T-shirts for the participants, and you will receive one with your donation of $50 or more. There will also be prizes available for the participants, and if you are interested in a sponsorship opportunity, please reach out to griff@edmondsbjj.com and we can discuss it directly.”

“Braver & Stronger” Fundraiser T-Shirt by Gawakoto, Meerkatsu and Scramble – Pre-order ends Monday, Nov. 18 Online

To raise money for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Phillipines, Gawakoto has teamed up with Meerkatsu & Scramble to produce this one of a kind shirt featuring all three artists’ work. Pre-orders for the first batch will be taken between Thursday 14th until Monday 18th. Tees will begin shipping roughly two weeks after. This way the money from the shirt can be donated quicker. Donations will go to Disasters Emergency Committee.

To order go to: http://store.gawakotoclothing.co.uk/Pre-Order-Fundraising-Shirt-Stronger-Braver_p_45.html 

Any other events or fundraising opportunities? Let us know!

GMA member Flavio Almeida is an active member of the community where his Gracie Barra San Clemente Academy resides. This month he will be offering a way for veterans to deal with their PTSD by using Jiu-Jitsu through the lessons of a Special Operations Force Recon Marine as he fights the battle within.

When most combat veterans return home from war, something within them is different.  It is as if they are battling another war within.  Maybe you are a Combat Veteran that is struggling with these trails and have lost hope.  Or maybe you are a family member of one that is deployed and wants to prepare for when your loved one returns home.  Can we even fathom what they are or have gone through at war?

Chad Robichaux, was a Special Operations Force Recon Marine that has experienced more than we can ever imagine at war as well as overcome the battle at home.  Chad has used Jiu-Jitsu  as a part of his healing in PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Chad is coming to San Clemente to give hope.

Author of “Redeployed” and founder of Mighty Oaks Foundation (www.MightyOaksFoundation.org) will be at GMA Gracie Barra San Clemente to give a donation based seminar on how Combat Veterans can overcome the obstacles and battles they have returning home. The seminar will include  Jiu-Jitsu as a method for personal development and a way for marines to cope with PTSD.

The Mighty Oaks Foundation focuses on dealing with combat trauma, men’s character and family support for combat trauma spouses and family members.

The donation based seminar will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 21 at Gracie Barra San Clemente (1011 Avenida Pico, Suite A. San Clemente, CA).  Chad will also be doing a book signing on his book, “Redeployed”.  This seminar is a minimum suggestion of $35 donation but not required.  Hopefully, with Chad and his experience, he will not only provide resources but hope for our Combat Veterans in San Clemente.

To learn more about Chad Robichaux seminar or about Gracie Barra San Clemente, please call (949) 361-9411 email the program director at ryan.ritcey@graciebarra.com, or visit the academy’s website at www.gbsanclemente.com.

Kids at the Spartanos Complex Project in Brazil. Photo: Personal Archive

GMA member Jorge Britto supports a a new project called the “Spartanos Complex Project” to provide a way for at-risk children to develop through learning Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil by his friend Anderson Ribeiro.

Here is what he has to say about it:

My name is Jorge Britto; I am a 2nd degree black belt under Saulo Ribeiro and head instructor at Toronto BJJ Mixed Martial Arts academy. What is more important than all of my accomplishments and positions though, are that I am also a father, a brother, a son, and a human being.

Jiu-Jitsu has been an incredible, life changing force for me. It has tested and will always test me, making me a better person. It has sharpened my will power and improved my character. These improvements in turn made life off of the mats better… I can see more clearly, and I can overcome more obstacles with the tools that Jiu-Jitsu has provided me. The best way for me to show my gratitude for these wonderful gifts, is by helping to spread the benefits to those who need it most.

There are sons, daughters, brothers and sisters out there who have only known the most violent environment. Many of them don’t know where their next meal will come from, and in some cases will have to do terrible things to get that meal. Right now there are people doing what they can to help them get out of the darkness; and I would like to humbly ask that you give back through the sport that has given to you.

My friend and Gracie Humaita black belt Anderson Ribeiro has started an incredible project to aid these troubled youths; and he needs your help.

The “Spartanos Complex Project” is providing Jiu-Jitsu instruction, medical attention, nutrition, and most importantly –a place to go where the values of honesty, courage, loyalty, family, and hard work can be instilled. Its beginnings are humble but through donations and support they are looking to give better help and to more people who need it.

Right now the project is in its infancy and Anderson Ribeiro is helping as many as he can, with a few old mats and rooftop training area. But to provide a better environment for these children he needs to make improvements to the training area, protect the mats from the elements, provide counseling and medical assistance to the children, as well as nutrition and opportunities that they would otherwise never have access to.

This is the most important aspect of this project, to provide a better starting point and life skills so that they can grow as human beings and escape the life they were born into. Arte Suave – “The Gentle Art” isn’t about building fighters, it’s about building better people. The “Spartanos Complex Project” is about allowing other human beings the opportunity to grow and develop themselves, provide greater social integration, and give a chance to someone who wasn’t given any chances to start with.

To support this worthy endeavor you can make financial donations (to cover medical, counseling, facility improvement, and building maintenance costs) as well as donations of gis, supplements, and training equipment. If you are a business owner and would like to sponsor or otherwise support this project, that would also be greatly appreciated.

For more information on the project and what you can do, please visit the following website: http://spartanoscomplexproject.com/

The kids at Brazil 021 project at Morro do Borel / Publicity photo

Jiu-Jitsu black belts André Terêncio and Hannette Staack are the leaders of team Brazil o21 and GMAs of ours in Chicago, USA. Being the good teachers they are, they don’t just want to produce athletes; they want to leave a legacy for their pupils.

At Morro do Borel, an impoverished community in Rio de Janeiro’s North Zone, the couple put their efforts into a social project that is already bearing fruit. But like a good training session, it’s never easy.

“Though we have the support of some friends and the bus company Litoral, which kindly transports the kids to championships, we’re always short on donations and publicity to further strengthen the project. This year’s end, we’re going to throw a big Christmas party at the academy, and we want it to be worthy of the kids,” said André, who doubles as a referee.

The party will be held December 20, and besides the celebrations and banquet, each child will be given a kit comprising an academy T-shirt, school supplies, personal hygiene products and a photo from the event, with Santa Claus and everything.

To find out how to contribute or help out as a volunteer at the Brazil 021 project, visit the school Facebook page here.

Teachers at Brazil 021, a GMA academy, André “Negão” Terêncio and Hannette Staack put together a mini documentary on the team’s endeavors to help needy neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro. “We present our schools in two communities in the Tijuca part of Rio. It’s a project we’re doing with the help of some unofficial partners and students who pay a symbolic fee, just to cover the cost of the teacher and the facility’s upkeep,” recounts André, who dreams of the project reaching new heights.

FREE JIU-JITSU

“I want everyone to soon be able to train for free. That’s right, for free; but working in conjunction with a school,” he remarked. Initially, the official Brazil 021 campaign is meant to provide the basics for students to take their first steps in the gentle art.

“We still have a large chunk of the Brazilian population that can hardly get enough to eat, much less pay for a Jiu-Jitsu academy. Our objective is to acquire gis of all kinds, sizes, new and old. With a gi, young people can start practicing Jiu-Jitsu, and that will surely keep them away from a lot of issues and help them become upstanding citizens,” he said in conclusion.

Anyone who can help Brazil 021 can make contact via email: – andre.terencio@brazil021.com or andre@andrenegaobjjclub.com.

To become better acquainted with the project, drop by www.brazil021.com.

Check out a video of the Brazil 021 Project:

If you train Jiu-Jitsu for some time, you sure can help.

Take that old Gi that you don’t use anymore but it’s still in good shape and donate for those that share your passion for the gentle art.

Give a Gi is a non-profit organization created by brown belt Christian Graugart (read more about him here), 26, from Denmark.

He explains what led him to create the campaign: “In 2010, I got the idea to travel around the world to train BJJ in any society and country I could get to in five months. The BJJ Globetrotter project was realized in 2011 and during the trip, I visited many gyms, where people (kids especially), trained with very, very little equipment and very simple facilities. During the trip and with exposure on my blog, I managed to coordinate several shipments of gis to gyms around the world, where they were highly needed. After coming home, I decided, that I would organize things more, which gave birth to the “give a gi” project.”

You can help donating the actual Gi or money.

Log on to Give a Gi and learn more on how to help.