Osvaldo “Queixinho” will be across the country for the 2014 IBJJF Pan No-Gi Championship on Sept. 27 but in the meantime he will be teaching some seminars around the area. The Caio Terra Association member boasts competition results around the world and countless hours of teaching.

You can expect to see him in Lyndhurst, NJ at Sub Force BJJ on Sept. 25 at 6:30 p.m. The cost for the seminar can be found when you reserve your spot by emailing showtheart@gmail.com. Sub Force BJJ is located at 718 Ridge Rd. Lyndhurst, NJ 07071.

On the following day, Sept. 26, he will be teaching in Brookfield, CT at Soul Fighters. The seminar will begin at 7:30 p.m. and run until 9:30 p.m. The cost is a nice $40 per person. To reserve your spot for this seminar, call (203) 628-8096. Soul Fighters is located at 20 Old Gray Bridge Rd. Brookfield, CT.

Claudio Franca and the US Open promoters have branched out to the east coast. For the inaugural BJJ Tour Tournament Series, the leaders of Northern California tournaments will be hosting an event in Bridgeport, CT on Sunday, April 27.

This new tournament event will be held at the Wheeler Recreation Center Field House at the University of Bridgeport: 120 Waldermere Avenue Bridgeport, CT 06604.

If you register before April 7 the price for a division from juveniles to masters is $75. For kids who register before April 7, the cost is $60.

Registration is now open and you can register your spot at http://www.t360reg.com/bjjtour/connecticut2014.aspx

For more information about the event go to: http://bjjtour.com/tournaments/bjj-tour-connecticut/

The only two Abu Dhabi WPJJC trials for the 2014 main event will be for the east and west coast. In order to earn your free travel package to compete in Abu Dhabi next year, you must attend one of two competitions.

The west coast trial is on September 22 at the Long Beach Walter Pyramid. The registration deadline is on September 16 and fast approaching.

The east coast trial is on October 20 at the Fitzgerald Gymnasium at the City University of New York Queens College. The registration deadline is October 14.

Divisions are available for both male and female athletes with divisions for adults, masters, seniors, teens and kids. Prizes are divided among divisions with travel packages granted to open weight class winners.

Do not miss your chance to compete for $6,000 in cash prizes, a $139 Fuji Kassen Gi and your paid trip to compete in the World Championships in Abu Dhabi in 2014. If you have already registered get the word out as  there are minimum number division requirements for prizes.

To register, go to www.apjj.org

Caio Terra troca pegadas com Laércio Fernandes, na final até 64kg da IBJJ Pro League. Foto: Erin Herle/GRACIEMAG

No último sábado, Caio Terra confirmou seu favoritismo na divisão até 64kg e ficou com os 5 mil dólares de premiação, no inédito torneio profissional organizado pela IBJJF, em Long Beach, na Califa.

Na final, em combate contra o consistente Laércio Fernandes, Caio levou a melhor por três vantagens a uma e conquistou o título.

Em entrevista ao GRACIEMAG.com, Caio listou o que aprendeu na Pirâmide de Long Beach e comentou a frenética troca de chaves de pé, durante a final. Confira!

GRACIEMAG: Como você avalia a sua atuação na IBJJ Pro League?

CAIO TERRA: Talvez essa não tenha sido a minha melhor apresentação no ano. E não só a minha, como da maioria dos faixas-pretas que competiram. Muitos de nós estávamos já pensando no fim do ano, cansados do calendário longo do Jiu-Jitsu. Só eu devo ter competido mais de dez vezes em 2012. Se ainda levarmos em conta todos os seminários, as aulas na minha academia aqui em San José e nas afiliadas, nota-se como é complicado ensinar e levar vida de atleta de verdade. Levando em conta o ano corrido, acho que eu não poderia ter me apresentado melhor.

Você finalizou o Daniel Beleza na semifinal, e venceu Laércio nas vantagens na final. O que achou da luta decisiva?

O Laércio é um cara muito duro, técnico, forte para categoria e bem veloz. Às vezes ele é até desvalorizado pelo público que não o conhece tão bem, mas na certa ele ainda fará o nome dele no Jiu-Jitsu. Acho que nem eu nem ele sofremos perigo algum durante a luta. A chave de pé dele não estava fazendo nem cosquinha. E a minha estava justa, mas não senti o pé dele estalar hora nenhuma. Talvez o único momento de perigo tenha sido quando fui para as costas no começo da luta, mas ele conseguiu sair bem. No fim, eu acabei a luta nas costas dele, mas ele estava perdendo e provavelmente precisou se expor mais do que o normal.

Que lição útil para o leitor você tirou desse campeonato?

Eu queria estar no campeonato para dar um suporte a essa iniciativa da IBJJF, aos meus amigos e companheiros de equipe que estavam treinando para esse evento e aos meus patrocinadores, Gameness e Versa Climber, que me ajudam muito. Porém, a verdade é que eu estava me sentindo saturado, após tantas batalhas pelo Jiu-Jitsu este ano. Eu mesmo não estava querendo estar ali, muito menos lutar. Havia em mim um estranho sentimento de derrota antes de começar o torneio – só queria que o evento passasse para eu pensar nas férias, entende? Com isso, a única grande lição que tirei mais uma vez é sempre acreditar mais em mim.

E o prêmio em dinheiro, fez diferença?

Este ano fiz algumas lutas casadas e sei como é importante para nós atletas sermos remunerados. Hoje não dá para viver apenas de premiação de campeonato e patrocinadores. É preciso ter uma academia ou dar seminários, e por isso fica mais complicado ser um atleta profissional. A premiação foi uma boa iniciativa, mas precisa ser apenas o começo. Com 5 mil dólares, você mal sobrevive dois meses nos EUA, e hoje apenas o campeão leva a grana. Às vezes deixamos de fazer algum seminário para treinar, o que torna mais ainda arriscado, e por isso outros atletas deixam de lutar. Ao longo dos anos, a IBJJF tem mostrado que tudo que eles começam só tende a melhorar. Acredito que em breve teremos mais categorias, premiações ainda melhores e, quem sabe, mais eventos da League durante o ano. Gostaria de agradecer a todos os patrocinadores do evento, a IBJJF e a ao público por terem contribuído com esse passo para um Jiu-Jitsu mais profissional.

Você acha que essa inciativa da IBJJF pode começar a demover os competidores de ir para o MMA?

A maioria dos atletas que migram para o MMA por causa de dinheiro acaba perdendo. Para lutar MMA, você tem de realmente gostar do esporte, e não fazer por dinheiro, porque isso vai acabar com sua carreira. Além de deixar você infeliz.

Quais são seus planos para 2013?

Ainda estou acabando minha última turnê de seminários nos EUA e depois vou ao Brasil passar férias. A seletiva para o ADCC 2013 ainda não está nos meus planos. É aquilo, ganhei os cinco últimos Campeonatos Mundiais Sem Kimono, sou o atual campeão nacional peso e absoluto sem kimono. Se os organizadores não acharem que sou qualificado o suficiente para ser chamado será uma pena… Na última enquete que fizeram no site deles fui o mais votado, mas acabaram chamando outras pessoas e fiquei fora. Tenho planos em 2013 para organizar camps bem profissionais para o Pan e Mundial de Jiu-Jitsu na minha academia. E quero fazer seminários na Ásia, Europa e na costa leste dos EUA. Se alguma academia se interessar, por favor entre em contato: info@caioterra.com ou via Facebook.

Caio Terra swaps grips with Laércio Fernandes in the up-to-64 kg  division at the IBJJ Pro League. Photo by Erin Herle/GRACIEMAG.

Last Saturday, Caio Terra lived up to his billing as favorite to win the up-to 64 kg division and seized the $5,000 prize for first place at an unprecedented IBJJF professional tournament in Long Beach, California.

Facing the consistent Laércio Fernandes in the final, Caio won the decisive match by three advantage points to one.

In the following interview with GRACIEMAG.com, Caio reveals what he learned during his exploits in the Walter Pyarmid this past weekend and commented on the frenetic footlock exchange he endured in the final. Check it out!

GRACIEMAG: What’s your assessment of your performance at the IBJJ Pro League?

CAIO TERRA: This may not have been my best performance of the year. And not just mine, but most of the black belts who competed. A lot of us had our minds on the end of the year, tired after a long Jiu-Jitsu season. I alone must have competed more than ten times in 2012. If we also take into account all the seminars and classes at my academy here in San Jose and at other branches, we can tell how tough it is to truly live the life of an athlete. Considering what a busy year I had, I think I did great.

You tapped out Daniel Beleza in the semifinal and beat Laércio on advantage points in the final. What’s your take on the decisive match?

Laércio is really tough, technical and fast and is strong for the division. Sometimes he is even overlooked by people who aren’t too familiar with him, but for sure he’s going to make a name for himself in Jiu-Jitsu. I don’t think either of us were in any danger during the match. His footlock didn’t even tickle. And mine was in tight but I didn’t feel his foot pop at all. The only time there was any danger may have been when I made it to his back early in the match, but he did a good job of escaping. At the end of the match, I was on his back; but he was losing and probably had to expose himself more than he normally would.

What lesson that could be of use to our readers did you learn at the championship?

I decided to do the championship out of support for the IBJJF’s initiative, for my friends and the teammates who were training for this event and for my sponsors, Gameness and Versa Climber, who helped me a lot. However, the truth is that I felt worn out, after so many Jiu-Jitsu battles this year. I really didn’t want to be there, much less compete. There was a strange feeling of defeat in me before the tournament began—all I wanted was to get the event out of the way so I could think about vacation, you know? So the big lesson I derived from it is to believe in myself more.

What about the prize money, did it make a difference?

This year I had some supermatches and I know how important it is to us athletes to get remunerated. There’s still no way to make a living just off of prize money and sponsorship. You have to have an academy or teach seminars, and that’s why life as a professional athlete is complicated. The cash prize was a good initiative, but it’s only a beginning. With $5,000 you can hardly make it two months in the USA, and so far only the champion gets the money. Sometimes we have to forgo teaching a seminar so that we can train, which makes it even more of a risk, and that’s why other athletes decline to compete. Over the years, the IBJJF has shown that whatever it is they set about doing tends to improve. I believe that soon there will be more divisions, better prize money and, perhaps, more League events during the year. I’d like to thank all the sponsors of the event, the IBJJF and the crowd for having contributed to this new step in Jiu-Jitsu becoming more professional.

Do you feel this IBJJF initiative may help dissuade competitors from migrating to MMA?

Most of the athletes who migrate to MMA because of money end up losing. To fight MMA, you have to really like the sport, and not do it for the money, because that will be the end of your career. Besides the fact you’ll be unhappy.

What are your plans for 2013?

I’m still wrapping up my latest seminar tour in the USA, and after that I’ll go to Brazil on vacation. The 2013 ADCC tryouts don’t figure in my plans yet. Here’s the deal, I won the last five World No-Gi Championships, I’m the current national No-Gi champion at weight and absolute. If the promoters don’t feel that’s enough to qualify me, it’ll be a shame… I got the most votes in the last poll that they held on their website. Still they ended up inviting other people and I got left out. For 2013 I’m planning really professional training camps at my academy for the Pan and Jiu-Jitsu World Championship. Plus I want to do seminars in Asia, Europe and on the East Coast of the USA. If any academy is interested in having me, please contact me via the email info@caioterra.com or Facebook.