Guto submits Cavaca in the absolute final of the European Championship. Photo: Ivan Trindade

Winner at weight and open weight at this year’s European Championship Guto Campos will unveil his secrets to Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in the Land Down Under. The black belt representative of Atos and Guetho is heading off to Australia.

In Sydney from September 30 to October 15, Guto will conduct seminars and private lessons, as well as go about preparing himself to compete in the United States in October.

Guto takes the opportunity to share his contact details with anyone interested in seminars and classes: thiagobraga_11@hotmail.com or guetho.jiujitsu@yahoo.com.br.

Langhi in action at the European Championship. Photo: Ivan Trindade

Winner of all the important competitions he was in in 2009, Michael Langhi kicked off the current season successfully, winning the European Jiu-Jitsu Championship, after closing out the lightweight division with Alliance teammate Lucas Lepri. The black belt already has his next challenge in sights.

“I’m going to compete at the Pan-American for sure. My expectations are be best possible and, God willing, it will all work out,” Langhi told GRACIEMAG.com.

The fighter is still in Europe, reaping the rewards of his great results.

“I’m holding some seminars here in Finland. I came here after the European and I’ll be here for two more weeks. After that, I’ll head back to Brazil, where I’ll have three weeks to finish training for the Pan,” he says.

Meanwhile, the Fabio Gurgel student keeps hard at training is pursuit of another good appearance in California.

“Training is going strong here. I have great training partners, the guys are strong and really good technically. I’ve been training twice a day and without the gi as well. My physical conditioning coach, Edson Ramalho, always sends me my routine and tells me what to do and how I should train, using the Studio Personal method, which has been working out really well for me. Also here in Finland are Bruno Malfacine, Alex Monsalve and Bernardo Augusto, so we train together whenever possible. For sure we’ll be in great shape for the Pan and I’ll still have three weeks to iron out my game in Brazil. Training with these Finns here, I’ll be stronger than ever, because you have no idea how strong they are (laughs)!:

On the Old Continent, Langhi is keeping up with the Gentle Art’s evolution. The fighter is impressed by the level of Ju-Jitsu around those parts.

“There is surely a huge evolution going on in Europe. We could see that at the European Championship, with lots of good athletes here. In Finland, for example, the guys are physically really well prepared. That’s how Finnish people are, they are very strong and train the whole day if you let them. You’ll hear a lot about the folks from here,” he says in finishing.

Cavaca against Rodrigo Caporal in the absolute. Photo: Ivan Trindade

How do you feel about your European campaign?

I had a good tournament. I trained starting at the end of last year with my students from Santos and Leo (Vieira) gave me a lot of important pointers. Before the event, I spent a week in Lithuania, getting ready with some students of mine over there. I had hoped to win the absolute title as well, but I think I did well.  Guto (Campos) caught me by surprise and that’s how Jiu-Jitsu goes. Sometimes we win, other times we lose. The thing is to keep preparing yourself for next time.

What did you think of the level of competition this European Championship?

The championship is becoming more prestigious among athletes, especially the black belts, who increasingly seek to compete in Europe. The calendar year is opening with a very strong competition, almost equivalent to the Pan and Worlds. The gang holds off a bit on the holidays and Christmas to prepare themselves, but it’s worth it. The competition is getting tougher with every year.

Cavaca’s win over Bernardo Augusto in the absolute. Photo: Ivan Trindade

What are your goals now?

I’ll compete in everything, just as I did last year. Two weeks prior I’ll head to the CheckMat camp in California. We focus on the Pan-American. I will join the Lucas Leite, Pantho and the whole gang.  Leozinho will go, too, soon after that will be the World Pro in Abu Dhabi, I’m eager to go. Then comes the main one of the year, the Worlds. I’ve already struck out twice as a black belt and, for sure, this year I’ll be really prepared to take the world title, which I’m still missing.

Your team has shown strength at the European, with a lot of athletes from the Old Continent…

Last year we placed well in everything, but this year we went into the event with far fewer people. I think that for the number of athletes we went in with, compared to Alliance (the first place team), the outcome was great. We hardly took any athletes from Brazil and still managed to come up with significant results. I think this is a reflection of the work we are doing in Europe. We have a really tough group in Denmark, Sweden and other countries. The kid who won at weight and absolute as a purple belt (Alexandre Trans) kicked butt. So the thing is growing, and if we keep it up, we’ll place really well just with our European team.

Controversy in the weight group final against Peinado. Photo: Ivan Trindade

In an interview published yesterday (see here, including the fight), your opponent in the super-heavyweight final, Antonio Peinado, said he doesn’t agree with the result. What did you think of the match?

It was hard fought.  Peinado came in with the strategy of not letting me stick to him, because he knew I was going to pull guard. He was winning the man and made it to the side with his knee in my belly. But, in my opinion, he didn’t hold it long enough to stabilize the position and I was able to restore the guard. The crew from the Alliance, of course, are on his side and have the right to complain. But the referees assessed it and saw it my way, that it wasn’t held for enough time to consider that the position stabilized. That was the outcome of the match and Peinado and I will certainly face each other again, no problem, and there will be no confusion next time.

Bernardo beside master Gurgel at European. Photo: Ivan Trindade

Bernardo Augusto Faria gradually little by little starts coming up with the good results he was accustomed to getting at other belts, at black belt. However, in addition to celebrating victory, the Alliance representative had a special thrill at the European Jiu-Jitsu Championship, which took place late January, in Portugal.

Bernardo competed in the same category as his master, Fábio Gurgel, who at 40 years old had a victorious venture into the adult division.

“I am very happy to have closed out the heavyweight division of the European Championship with my professor Fábio Gurgel. It was an honor to have reached the final with him and, thank God, I had great matches in the tournament. The year started off really well for me,” he said in celebration.

Building on the laurels of his triumph, Bernardo remains in the Old Continent, where he is holding a series of seminars.

“After the championship I came to the north of Finland to do two seminars at two branches of our team. I’ll head back to Brazil on March 4 to get back to training at Alliance headquarters in Sao Paulo, targetting the Pan American, World Pro, Brazilian Nationals and IBJJF World Championship,” he says.

Seminar in Rovaniemi, Finland. Photo: Personal Archives

To the skinny competitor to make it to the throne in Lisbon, the “Bad Boy” of the Alliance had two good matches. Check out the final against Wekcilley Cruz