Marco Joca, who’s assisted in the organization of Compnet tournaments since their very first event, said it was important for Gracie Barra to have more upper belts at the tournament. He and his GB Association team, Marcio Feitosa and Flavio Almeida, understand the commitment required to develop a high level of skill in Jiu-Jitsu and to put on a great show for the crowd. There isn’t much money in Gi competitions, but Gracie Barra is trying to improve that. “Now, with the Compnet Pro Divisions, we can contribute to the future of Gi competitions in order to see high level athletes being properly rewarded. It’s a test still, and might change as we move forward, but it’s worth saying that GB’s main goal is to bring the BJJ lifestyle to everyone and to keep contributing to the technical development of our art,” Marco says.

Lucas Rocha locking in the choke / Photos: Deb Blyth

So, many upper-level belts registered for and competed in the event, and the usual suspects rose to the top of the heap. It was brown belt middleweight world champion Lucas Rocha of GB America (Irvine) who took top honors for the day, winning a gold medal and claiming $250 in prize money. He had one match and said it was a fun one. He locked in a triangle and got the armbar, sealing the deal. Lucas was happy to compete in the tournament and win some money. “The money is always welcome,” he smiles, “I think more competitors will sign up in the future because of it.”

Lucas says he’s been “working like a dog” lately, and trying to train as much as he can to prepare for the No-Gi Worlds. His last tournament was the Gi Worlds, which he lost, but he is taking precautions against that this time around. “Every time I’ve lost a tournament I’ve been at middle heavy,” he says, “So, I’ve been losing weight to stay at middleweight. I’m faster at that weight and feeling much better. I’ve been training as much as I can.” He says it wasn’t a mistake to go to medium heavyweight, because he learned from it, but he feels like his game is coming back to him and that he can win at middleweight now. “This is where I belong,” he says, “I won’t change again.”

Lucas Rocha at top spot on the podium

Lucas, who teaches at both GB Whittier and GB San Clemente, says it’s not easy combining his teaching and training responsibilities, and because of his busy schedule, he’s not sure where he truly stands competition-wise but he’s giving it all he’s got. “I can’t see if I’m really ready,” he says, referring to the No-Gi Worlds, “I’m tired after training… I can feel my cardio… I can see I’m good all the time, but I don’t know if I’m tired from my working and teaching or if it’s really just from my training. I have a wait-and-see attitude but I feel really positive.”

The last time Lucas won the No-Gi Worlds was as a purple belt in 2009, and he wants to win again this year. He’s been a brown belt for about a year and a half and he feels like he’s finding his flow again. He’s been watching videos from the last ADCC and conjuring up new strategies and plans for the 2011 No-Gi Worlds. “I’m changing my game,” he says, “I really like No-Gi. I’m getting different ideas. I have plans and strategies. I’m feeling very comfortable.”

Lucas has quite an impressive record: he won the Gi Worlds as a juvenile blue belt and adult blue belt and both the Gi and No Gi Worlds as a purple belt. He feels pressure to win again as a brown belt. “I must win as a brown belt,” he says, “It’s been hard on me lately, but now I’m back and ready to win. I feel positive.” Sadly, Lucas lost his grandfather about a month ago and he would like to dedicate his performance at the No-Gi Worlds to him.

Rodrigo Augusto working his technique

Another brown belt to win $250 and a gold medal was Rodrigo Augusto of GB Long Beach. Like Lucas, Rodrigo is a constant on the tournament scene. Also like Lucas, he has a heavy load of teaching responsibilities and then works his Jiu-Jitsu training schedule around it. Originally, Rodrigo came to the Compnet 11 to coach his kids from GB Long Beach who came to compete. “I was happier to see them winning than I was thinking about me competing,” he says.

But he knew it would be a great experience for him to compete against the GB people and friends he knows, so he was up for the challenge. “That’s the great difference with this tournament,” he says, “At the other competitions, you fight against people you don’t know, but here you’re on the mats with your friends. It’s a really good experience.”

Rodrigo, who competes as a lightweight, had one match for the day. “I fought against Jake from BudoVideos,” he says, “It was a nice fight. I had a solid game with him. I had a lot of fun competing against him.” Rodrigo was able to pull out the win, making him a gold-medal winner and $250 richer for the day.

Rodrigo says the money is a good motivator and will help pay for him to register at the upcoming No-Gi Worlds. “I still need to register for the No-Gi Worlds,” he says, “Training can be expensive. You have to pay for tournaments, buy supplements, pay for training… the money helps with all of that.”

But Rodrigo adds that he would recommend to the other higher belts within GB to come and compete at a GB Compnet event next time for a variety of reasons, not just the money. “It’s a safe environment; no one gets hurt,” he says, “You look around and see all the professors from every school here. After your matches you can go up to them right away and get tips from them. You can even learn new techniques from the other guys you’re competing against. It really helps prepare you for the big tournaments.”

Magid and his dad, Magid Sr.

Purple belt Magid Hage of GB Escondido came to the tournament and put on his usual show for the crowd, albeit a quick one. Magid, who is now just 18 years old, has been a purple belt for one year. At GB Compnet 11 he had one match, which he closed out with a baseball choke in under one minute.

Magid wins $250 in prize money.

As fellow GB competitors stood mat-side watching, murmurings of “his grips are unbelievable” and “he’s got vice-grips” could be heard all around. His opponent, clearly dazed by the strength of the choke that almost put him out, sat on the sidelines blinking and then suddenly yelled out, “He’s got grips like iron!” Magid just smiled and then got on the mats to show everyone how he got his grips in so tight. Everyone gathered around for a quick lesson.

Magid’s next tournament is the No-Gi Worlds. And just like a teenager, he hasn’t thought too much about it or put too much emphasis on it – he’s just gonna do it. “I don’t train in No-Gi,” he says, “but I’m going to give it a shot. I don’t even really like it to be honest, but I did a No-Gi tournament once and I won it.”

This light-hearted, confident attitude about Jiu-Jitsu is well earned. Jiu-Jitsu is not new to Magid, whose father is GB black belt Magid Hage Sr., the owner of GB Escondido. Magid was raised on it and wants to make it his life as well. He started teaching classes at 12 years old, and competing as an adult at the age of 16 because there were no good juvenile tournaments at which for him to compete. These days, like other GB athletes, Magid teaches both kids and adults classes at GB Escondido. He also goes to college, has a part time job outside of GB, and fits his training regime around it all.

Magid’s ultimate goals are to have a beautiful Jiu-Jitsu school by the beach and to be a world champion black belt one day. “World champion black belt is my dream,” he says, “Winning my division and the open at the same Worlds… that would be amazing. And I want to tap everyone out with a baseball choke at the Pan or Worlds.”

Lysset and her supportive brother, Hector / Personal archive photos

Lysset, who labels herself as “stubborn,” says she spent the week over-training at GB Lake Elsinore and GB Irvine. The college student, who also holds a demanding job, ended up getting sick from trying to juggle such a heavy load. She woke up Saturday morning, the day of the tournament, still feeling poorly but got up to participate in the Alzheimer’s Walk in Dana Point early that morning. “I thought the fresh air would help, but I was wrong,” the 22 year-old says, “After the walk I went to the GB tournament to help coach some of the students from GBLE because my brother, Hector, had a ton of kids and adults competing. I ended up having so much fun helping and enjoying the GB family atmosphere, I forgot I had signed up to compete!”

As the female competitors were called to the bullpen, Lysset tried to get into the zone. She warmed up a little and got a pep talk from Hector. “My first fight I went out smiling,” she says, “I could hear people in the crowd telling me to focus and stop smiling, but I couldn’t help it! I like to smile and I was excited to roll!”

In her first match, Lysset, who has been training for two years, went for the double-leg and landed it. She began feeling confident and started working the knee on the belly, to mount, and eventually to the back, where she went for a bow and arrow choke. “Let me tell you,” Lysset laughs, “I have been dying to land that bow and arrow choke. It’s one of my favorite moves, but I have a hard time getting it when I train. So, being able to finally land it, especially at a tournament, was amazing.”

Lysset gets the bow-and-arrow choke

Lysset says her experience at this year’s tournament was “amazing.” “I got my dream submission when I got the bow-and-arrow choke, and I think I performed really well considering the circumstances,” she says, “I feel I have a lot of room for improvement and I see where I made mistakes. My game plan is to go back to the mats and refine my game.”

Lysset on the podium with Hector

But Lysset is not discouraged or swayed by any naysayers and she has no intention of giving up Jiu-Jitsu any time soon. Her goal is to get her black belt, and to compete more in the future. “I’ve done well in the GB tournaments, but haven’t yet placed in the IBJJF tournaments,” she says, “I participated in the Pan Ams and the Vegas Open and lost by points. I hope to change this pattern soon.”

Gracie Barra tournaments are all about families competing; moms, dads, kids, brothers, and sisters. If one family member signs up, chances are there’s usually another family member not too far behind. The Wilner brothers, Max and Maza, both signed up to compete at Compnet 11, and they had a great time in the process.

Max Wilner going for the rear naked choke / Photos: Deb Blyth

Max, a nine-year-old yellow belt, and his 13-year-old green belt brother, Maza, both train at GB America in Irvine with Professor Otavio Sousa and Instructor Cedric Chamouille. They also train at GB Cerritos with Professor Renato “Babalu” Sobral. They love Jiu-Jitsu and have been training for quite some time: Maza for seven years and Max for about five.

Max, whose favorite move is the triangle, had two matches at the GB tournament. He won one by armbar and one by decision, making him a gold medal winner for the day. He says he was a little nervous before his bouts but he competes a lot and knows, once he starts, the butterflies go away. “I just make sure I stay safe and don’t get hurt and always try my best,” Max says, “I like winning first place medals.”

Max says there are a lot of things he loves about Jiu-Jitsu. “I like to roll and I like getting promoted,” he says, “I like spending time on the mat with my friends, Brennan and Toby. They’re my best friends in Jiu-Jitsu.” Max says he and Babalu grapple for fun. “I can’t beat him but I want to,” he says. He also rolls with his older brother, Maza, at home. “We play, but one day I want to beat him,” he says.

Max hanging out with his friend Professor Babalu Sobral

Max obviously has a competitive side and says he wants to be a world champion black belt one day, but for now he will continue to emulate those he admires most in Jiu-Jitsu: Babalu, Master Carlos, Otavio Sousa, and Cedric Chamouille.

Brother Maza had a different experience at the tournament, which turned out to be a good learning experience for him. Being a green belt, there weren’t too many competitors in his division, so he was placed with another green belt who was older and bigger than him. The match was more like an absolute than a divisional bout and the uncertainty was clear on Maza’s face as he took to the mats to face his competitor.

Maza Wilner stuck in a triangle

Early on, Maza held his own, but when his opponent pulled guard, Maza says he was hit in the groin. He posted his arm on his opponent’s chest, who took full advantage, locking Maza up in a triangle. Maza did his best to defend but ultimately time ran out and Maza lost the match. “I lost fair and square,” the mature 13-year-old says, “He was the better man this day.”

Maza says he loves to compete but hates the feeling of being nervous. “I hate losing more than I love winning,” he laughs, “I’m a competitive guy.” Regardless of the loss, though, Maza says it was a good experience. “I haven’t lost in a long time,” he says, “So I’m going to learn from this. I’m going to go back and train on how to defend better.”

Maza, who also trains in wrestling and Thai boxing, wants to be a black belt one day. “I want to be the best at whatever it is I do,” he says, “I’m going to keep training to get better and be number one.” Maza would like to thank his family for all they do for him. “I’ll be back stronger next time,” he says.

David Kopelev is an eight-year-old yellow belt from GB San Clemente. This mature little guy says Jiu-Jitsu has taught him a lot of really important life skills. “I’m a small guy,” he says seriously, “It’s taught me how to defend myself against people who pick on me.” Asked if he gets picked on a lot, David replies, “They’ll pick on me once, then they don’t do it anymore. I have my birthday parties at Gracie Barra, so they know what I’m capable of.”

David Kopelev and his BJJ family

David had two matches at the GB tournament. His favorite takedown is the double-leg, and he put that skill to good use in his first match, which he won on points. He also had an impressive sweep during the bout, which drew a collective, “Wow!” from the crowd seeing such a little guy pull off such a beautiful technique.

Although he lost his second match on points to take silver for the day, the positive-minded competitor felt good. “I’m happy!” he says, “I had a great experience.” And no doubt he did. It was a major feat for David to be at the tournament at all. He’d just had his appendix out six weeks earlier and was already back competing and feeling no pain. “I have no pain and I’m not tired at all,” he says.

David’s favorite technique is the keylock, and he takes his training very seriously. “I have my own rule when I train,” he says, “I practice one kind of sub per round. Otherwise, I would only train the keylock.”

David’s goal is to one day become a black belt. He recently started taking wrestling classes at GB Dana Point with coaches Kanai and Cody. “I want to compete as much as I can and be just like Professor Flavio (Almeida) when I grow up.”

Both David’s parents train in Jiu-Jitsu as well. “Our whole life is Jiu-Jitsu,” dad Sergio says, “All our friends are Jiu-Jitsu friends. We take our gi’s on vacation with us. We just trained at Ricardo Almeida’s school and loved it.” Then Sergio goes one better, “It’s the best marriage therapy ever,” he laughs. “Yeah,” says David’s mom, Christy, “We get it all out on the mats. We lock up chokes on each other!”

Jude Irons with his family after winning gold

GB Encinitas Jude Irons comes from a famous family, but there is no pressure to perform for this light-hearted nine-year-old. As his last name implies, Jude comes from the famous Irons surfing family. His dad, Ricky was a professional surfer, along with his cousins Andy, who recently passed away, and Bruce. But it was Jude’s big day as he took to the mats to compete in his three matches.

In his first match, Jude says he was caught off guard, “He went for a double-leg and I was like, ‘Whoa!’ Last year’s tournament was easier!” Jude ended up winning the match on points once he regained his composure. He says his second match was “gnarly.” “He was very strong,” Jude says, “In the last second I took him down. He was so much taller than me!” In this third and final match, Jude found his flow. “I took him down and passed his guard,” he says, “Then I just kind of held on to him.”

Jude says it was pretty cool to win a gold medal but there was some pressure to try to keep it real in the winner’s circle. “I was so happy standing on the podium,” he says, “I don’t like to make fake smiles, but I was nervous up there. There were so many people watching. There were so many cameras. I’m not one for cameras.”

Like his illustrious family, Jude also surfs and apparently has picked up some of those surfing genes from the one’s who came before him. “I acknowledge that a lot of people are better than me,” he says, “But in my opinion I’m good at it.” Jude can’t pick which he likes better between surfing and Jiu-Jitsu because he loves them both. He’s not sure what he’s going to be when he grows up but says, “I’m gonna let life flow and see what happens.”

Regardless, Jude thinks Jiu-Jitsu is fun and he’s going to keep training and competing. His mom got him into the sport, and he loves his parents for encouraging him to do it. And let’s face it, he was sick of baseball anyway. “There were too many treats in baseball after the games… like cupcakes,” he says, “I wasn’t having enough fun. Now I’m having a lot of fun.”

Austin Gerrard and his new blue belt

Austin Gerrard of Gracie Barra Lake Elsinore got more than he bargained for when he showed up to compete at the GB Compnet 11 event. This was the 15-year-old white belt’s second tournament, after recently competing at the American Nationals and taking third, and he was excited about it. At the GB event, he had three matches. Two he won by points and one he won by armbar, which is also his favorite technique, allowing him to claim a gold medal for the day.

Austin, a sophomore in high school, says competing helps him become more confident in his Jiu-Jitsu. Also a high school wrestler, Austin trains in wrestling three hours a day and then goes to Jiu-Jitsu three to four times a week. “Both BJJ and wrestling help each other a lot,” he says, “I think I’ll be better in wrestling this year, from the Jiu-Jitsu training I’ve been doing.”

Austin’s day came to an exciting close when he got a big surprise on the podium. His instructor, Hector Tapia, and Professor Gustavo Pires wrapped a blue belt around his waist to Austin’s and the crowd’s delight. “I feel pretty excited!” Austin says, “I didn’t expect it today.” In Jiu-Jitsu, one must always expect the unexpected.