No ano de 1989, o Bahia era o campeão brasileiro, nossa moeda se chamava cruzado novo e o Brasil se preparava para votar para presidente pela primeira vez desde 1960.

Mas algumas coisas seguiam como sempre, ao menos na escola Behring de Jiu-Jitsu, visitada por uma equipe da emissora TV Educativa.

O que os repórteres da TVE flagraram no dojô em São Paulo foi ouro puro, que o historiador Elton Brasil garimpou no seu canal de YouTube.

Em quatro minutos valiosos, revemos o hoje grande mestre Flavio Behring ensinando o armlock que lapidou com seu mestre, Helio Gracie. A seguir, a aluna Vargas explica por que o tatame sempre foi lugar para a mulherada.

De quebra, vemos um jovem Fernando Yamasaki a explicar por que, mesmo sendo instrutor de luta olímpica, via o Jiu-Jitsu como uma arte marcial mais completa.

Para fechar, o saudoso Marcelo Behring, filho de mestre Flavio, em plena pujança física e técnica, distribui golpes e pisões, e conversa com a câmera sobre surfe, desafios no Havaí e os planos para lutar naquele ano.

Confira a aula especial, e bons treinos esta semana. Oss!

Fotos:Divulgação PBJJF

A organização Professional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (PBJJF) realizou em 16 de agosto dois de seus maiores eventos na temporada: o Pan-Americano, em Maryland (EUA), e o Sul-Americano, em Itapema (SC).

Nos Estados Unidos, o destaque foi Enzo Yamasaki, filho de Fernando e sobrinho de Mario Yamasaki, ex-árbitro do UFC. Competindo na faixa-marrom, Enzo conquistou o título no peso e no absoluto – com e sem kimono – consolidando seu nome como uma das jovens promessas do Jiu-Jitsu internacional.

No Brasil, o protagonismo foi de João Vitor Machado, que brilhou no adulto faixa-preta, levando o ouro tanto na categoria quanto no absoluto. Outro nome de peso foi o de Cristiano Freitas, representante da Six Blades Brasília, que dominou o master 1, garantindo também o duplo título de campeão peso e absoluto.

A realização simultânea de dois grandes eventos reforça o projeto de internacionalização da PBJJF, que segue conectando atletas em diferentes continentes e consolidando sua marca como uma das principais federações do esporte.

Confira os resultados oficiais do Pan-Americano e do Sul-Americano da PBJJF nos links da organização:

Resultados Pan-Americano PBJJF 2025: https://pbjjf.smoothcomp.com/en/event/23505/results

Resultados Sul-Americano PBJJF 2025: https://pbjjf.smoothcomp.com/pt_BR/event/24412/results

Team Brazil ready to embark to the 1995 Pan. Pictures: Rodrigo Clark’s archives

There are only a couple of videos about it on YouTube.

It’s almost impossible to find pictures of the event as well.

The final results are not even posted either on the IBJJF or the CBJJ webpages.

Even so, it did happen.

On June 1995, the first Pan Jiu-Jitsu championship took place in Irvine, California.

The Brazilian athletes all flew together from Rio to compete.

Competitors and his medals after the tournament in California, in 1995.

Among them, people like Roberto “Gordo” Correa, Marcio Feitosa, Alexandre Soca, Rodrigo Clark, Marcelo Tetel, Rommel Cardozo, Leão Teixeira, Fernando Yamasaki, Vinicius Draculino, and many others.

GRACIEMAG founder Luca Atalla, then a 21-year-old competitor, also was there and managed to get a silver medal and report the event for the “Jornal Gracie”, GRACIEMAG’s embryo.

“I had five matches in the blue belt lightweight and ended up with the second place,” remembers Luca.

Leão Teixeira refereeing during first BJJ Pan-Ams, in 1995

Now master, José Henrique Leão Teixeira worked as a referee in the first Pan. He tells us a little bit about the adventure of organizing a championship in the ’90’s:

“It was a big test for us. Carlos Gracie Jr (CBJJ President) had the plan of doing a championship outside Brazil, once he felt Jiu-Jitsu needed to grow and that would only happen with a tournament in the USA. The idea was to have a Brazil vs. USA matches. The first challenge was to get visas to all the athletes, more than 40. We managed to have a meeting with the American Consul in Rio, Mister Olsen, if I’m not mistaken. We travelled with a huge group, many of which on their first international trip. We were welcomed by Joe Moreira in Irvine and the mood in the hotel was of complete euphoria. Everyone wanted to compete so much that the hotel manager reserved a separated room for the guys to train. It was great to see guys from all different squads rolling together. The day of the event begun with the Brazilian anthem playing and all athletes forming on the mat. I remember one great fight between Joe Moreira’s student Bob Bass and Marcio Feitosa, at brown belt.”

“It was a battle and Marcinho was defeated for the first time since he was a yellow belt”, remembers Leão Teixeira. “In the end, it was an event that many didn’t believe that we would be able to put together. We did everything, from setting the mats to refereeing. When we got back to Brazil we had the feeling of contributing with the growth of the sport.”

The group after rolling, at Joe Moreira’s academy

Rodrigo Clark, founder of Gracie Barra Santa Barbara, also recollects on the championship:

“The Pan 95 was a turning point in my life, on and off the mats. It was not only my first competition outside Brazil but also the first time I competed as an ‘adult’. I was only 17 back then and had only competed as a juvenile. It was an amazing experience to be able to compete with the big names of the sport. The actual trip to the USA was important to the development of Jiu-Jitsu. Until then, there was huge barrier dividing the academies in Brazil. After that championship, it started to change. During the trip, we had the chance to get to know our biggest rivals, which created a lot of respected among us. I remember the moment of boarding to the US, when we hardly knew each other and also the moment we came back, when new friendships were already formed. I’m sure that everyone that took part in that trip has a lot of great memories of those days of glory, fighting and fun.”

Rodrigo Clark and the rest of the team waiting to fly to the USA

Gold medalist Alexandre “Soca” Carneiro, leader of Soca BJJ in New York, was also in that group that travelled from Rio to compete in the USA. He tells us what he remembers of the first Pan.

“I believe it was my first international trip to compete. We had a trial in Rio to decide who was going and I won the right to compete representing Brazil. Sadly, when we got to California, Fernando Yamasaki decided not to compete in my division and instead fight my teammate Vinicius Draculino in the light-featherweight. I ended up with a medal without fighting. The event was cool, but there weren’t many competitors. The real good thing was to get a whole bunch of friends together from several generations and academies. I wish I had competed, but it was still nice to be there.”

Vinicius Magalhaes, aka Draculino, tells us what he remembers from the match: “It was a historical event and it was a pleasure to take part in it. We didn’t have many black belts back then. In my division, the light-feather, there was only me so I fought Fernando Yamasaki. This fight became the turning point where I decided to take my career in Jiu-Jitsu seriously. I knew that with that championship the sport had been launched internationally.”

This year, the Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship is taking place in March, in Florida.

Visit ibjjf.com and check the full results and more history about the tournament. Oss…

They had a full house in Maryland.

The team sent us a great picture of the day.

For more info, go to grappling.com

Pedro Rizzo em pose clássica nos tempos de UFC, na imagem do fotógrafo Susumu Nagao.

Contando com patrocinadores de grande porte como Hyundai, Toyota, Dollamur/Swain e District Lounge, o Washington Combat, evento de MMA dos irmãos Yamasaki agradou o público na capital dos EUA.

Confira alguns lances do evento no site do jornal “Washington Post”, aqui.

Resultados completos:

Washington Combat 1

DC Armory, Washington DC, EUA

15 de maio de 2010

Peter Simone venceu Francisco Salguero por decisão dos jurados

Chris Buckner venceu Jahmal McNellan por nocaute técnico aos 2min02s do 3R

Matt Van Buren venceu Manny Okorie por decisão dos jurados

Ovince Sain Preux venceu Claudio Godoy por interrupção médica após o 1R (Godoy fraturou o antebraço e nãoretornou ao 2R)

Marco “Loro” Galvão venceu David Derby por nocaute técnico a 1min37s do 1R

Jordan Smith venceu Gustavo “Ximu” Machado por decisão dos jurados

Pedro Rizzo venceu Gary Goodridge por desistência após o 1R

Our GMA member Fernando Yamasaki, of Yamasaki Academy, in Maryland is announcing some good news for his students.

Next May 15th, he will be hosting the UFC star Kenny Florian for a seminar.

For more info, go to grappling.com

Kenny versus Roger Huerta. Photo: Josh Hedges

Professor Fernando Yamasaki calls on one and all for a Jiu-Jitsu and MMA seminar conducted by one of the UFC’s top fighters, lightweight Kenny Florian.

The seminars shall take place on May 15 and 16, at a cost of 70 dollars per day, or 120 dollars for both days.

The seminars are to be held at the following addresses:

May 15, noon
Yamasaki Academy
Rockville, Maryland (MD)
Tel: (301) 770-0969

May 16, 11 am
Fairfax JJ
Herndon, Virgínia (VA)
Tel: (703) 346-4737

Kenny contra Roger Huerta. Foto: Josh Hedges.

Professor Fernando Yamasaki convida para o seminário de Jiu-Jitsu e MMA de um craque do UFC, o peso leve Kenny Florian.

Os seminários serão realizados nos dias 15 e 16 de maio, a 70 dólares cada dia. Quem for nos dois paga 120. Confira e marque presença, se estiver pronto:

15 de maio, 12h
Yamasaki Academy
Rockville, Maryland (MD)
Tel: (301) 770-0969

16 de maio, 11h
Fairfax JJ
Herndon, Virgínia (VA)
Tel: (703) 346-4737

Yamasaki was called as a expert witness to help the prosecutors to establish that the defendant David E. Cavalieri had technical expertise to know the consequences of choking his girlfriend on march 29 2009.

With the help of Yamasaki, Cavalieri was charged with first degree murder and the final veredic is expeted to be announced on May 6th.

Click here for an article on the case.

For more info on Yamasaki, go to grappling.com.