Rodrigo Clark with Master Carlos Gracie Jr

GMA member Rodrigo Clark had a big surprise earlier this week.

After a training session at GB Mission Viejo, during the team’s training camp for the 2014 Worlds, Clark was awarded with his third degree to the black belt.

The honor came from the hands of the team founder and leader Carlos Gracie Jr.

Clark talked about the graduation: “I was honored to receive my 3rd degree from Master Carlos Gracie Jr. today, during the GB Worlds Training Camp. It’s been a pleasure to represent the Gracie Barra flag and to be part of this incredible BJJ family for so many years. Gracie Barra forever!”

Rodrigo Clark runs Gracie Barra Santa Barbara, in California.

For more info, go to gbsantabarbara.com

Mauricio Grudsky is the first Chilean black belt under Gracie Barra. Photo: Personal Archive

At GMA Gracie Barra Santa Barbara, there is word of a new black belt in town.

Professors Rodrigo Clark and Juan Pablo Garcia granted a black belt to student Mauricio Grudsky. He is the first Chilean to earn a black belt under the Gracie Barra banner.

Congratulations to Gracie Barra Santa Barbara and Mauricio Grudsky on the prestigious promotion.

Learn more at www.gbsantabarbara.com

The Gracie Barra academy in Santa Barbara led by GMA member and 2nd degree black belt Rodrigo Clark have scheduled their celebration for two related anniversaries coming up. On September 27, the head instructor will celebrate his tenth year teaching in Santa Barbara along and the academy will celebrate their fourth year as an academy.

Rodrigo Clark began training Jiu-Jitsu when he was sixteen in 1992 and earned his black from Master Carlos Gracie Jr. The Santa Barbara Gracie Barra academy has been operating on State Street since August 2009.

The celebration will begin at 5:00 p.m. and go until 7:00 p.m. at the school located at: 1014 State St. Santa Barbara, CA 93101.

Master Vinicius ‘Draculino’ Magalhaes will be in town for a seminar so don’t miss the chance to celebrate a solid academy in the Santa Barbara town and learn from a decorated coach.

Learn more about GMA Gracie Barra Santa Barbara and the anniversary party go to: www.gbsantabarbara.com

Check out this highlight of the academy by Andres Quintero:

Professor:

Black Belt Rodrigo Clark

Address: 1014 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Phone: 805 845 2272

Website: www.gbsantabarbara.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/graciebarrasantabarbara

About:

We offer world-class level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instruction for individuals, families, and Law Enforcement officials of Santa Barbara County and is a reference for fitness, character development, self-defense, martial art, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training for the communities of Santa Barbara, Ventura, Goleta, Isla Vista, Santa Inez, Lompoc and Santa Maria.

The Gracie Barra Santa Barbara classes are aligned with the Gracie Barra Program Structure developed by Master Carlos Gracie Jr. to meet specific learning needs from people with different ages, gender and levels. Our clean, friendly, and progress oriented environment allows the students to have a challenging, inspirational, and warm learning and training experience that always make them feel like coming back.

Gracie Barra is for anyone who values discipline, wellness, martial art, respect, and is looking for a well balanced life-style. It doesn’t matter if you are a person with no training background that wants to lose weight or learn self-defense, a busy business man looking for a stress relieving activity, a parent searching for an something to complement the education of your kids, or a experienced martial artist aiming for the further development of your fighting skills, come to the school.

We are sure you will find an exciting and challenging place that will allow you to achieve your goals.

Video:

Photos: Deb Blyth

Over seventy-five people packed into the fashionable school to take part in the day. GB black belts Kayron Gracie, son of Carlos Gracie Jr, and Marco “Piu Piu” Joca, were there for the seminar, along with brown belt Ronis Gracie, who took to the mats first to lead the students in an action-packed day.

Ronis Gracie started off the day by teaching the basic fundamentals of an armbar and a triangle that have helped him win some tournaments along the way. Marco “Piu Piu” Joca taught some advanced techniques that the students were excited to try to master. Finally, Kayron Gracie taught a really tricky collar choke, and an open guard sweep that had all the students buzzing.

Clark, who is very involved in the Santa Barbara business community, wanted to do something more than just throw a party for his students. He wanted to give back to the community of which he has become such a big part. In his speech to his students, he informed them that his father died of cancer many years ago, and it has been his desire ever since to give to a cause that supports cancer victims and their families, so he chose The Breast Cancer Resource Center to do just that. Clark then asked a volunteer from the Breast Cancer Resource Center to speak to the full class about the successful journey of the resource center and how their donations really benefit those in need.

Clark said, “The way I try to give something back to you guys on the mats every day, I also wanted to give something back to the community.” So, Clark asked Joca, who runs Gracie Barra Wear, to team up with him for a good cause. Joca did, and donated one-of-a-kind GBSB one-year anniversary Breast Cancer Awareness shirts to sell to the students. All the proceeds went to the Breast Cancer Resource Center in Santa Barbara.

When asked to speak to the group about his involvement in the seminar and his donation of the shirts, Joca graciously said, “When Professor Rodrigo called me to come to the one year anniversary for the school, I was already excited. I heard great things back in Irvine; not only about the school itself, but also about the group of people who train here and the great job Professor Rodrigo’s doing. The donation to the Breast Cancer Foundation was extra motivation for me because my mom is a breast cancer survivor back in Brazil. I’m sure she’d be happy to see us not only sharing the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle, but also helping others who need it.”

Joca went on to say, “It’s amazing how twenty years ago, I was in the line as a little kid and today I see the similar environment, the similar feeling, and the similar way that people are treating each other and working hard on the growth of our sport and the growth of our Gracie Barra family, the same way we did twenty years ago back in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We can’t be happier than that. Congratulations, Rodrigo and to all of you for the great job you’re doing and for carrying our flag.”

After the clapping and cheers died down, Clark pulled out a signed Gracie Barra gi to the class. Some of the prominent signatures on this gi included Master Carlos Gracie Jr, Marcio Feitosa, Flavio Almeida, Marco Joca, Kayron Gracie, and Fabiana Borges. The students were excited as he started to auction it off to the class. The bidding started low to get the students warmed up, but it quickly jumped into the hundreds as the students yelled out their bids. A very excited Matthew Weddington picked it up for a cool $300. Between the shirts and the gi, by the end of the day, Clark raised over $1000 for the Breast Cancer Resource Center.

Following the excitement of the seminar, Clark asked some of the children on the mats to spar with each other. It was very uplifting and encouraging as two kids at a time would be placed in front of the adults lined up against the wall, and compete, eliciting cheers from the group, which had the kids smiling from ear to ear.

At the end of this unique and very special day, Clark had a surprise for his students: a belt and stripe ceremony. As he walked onto the mats with a bag full of belts, anticipation mounted. One by one, he called his students up and gave them new stripes and belts. The pride held by each student in the room was palpable.

Clark believes in giving back and building a better future for the businesses of Santa Barbara. From his cross-marketing campaigns to his donations to the local Breast Cancer Resource Center, to the contributions he makes to his students’ lives, it is clear that Clark has become a pillar of the Santa Barbara community and in the hearts of many.

It is not easy and demands a good eye to find the right ones.

The GMA Blog looked around a little and came across some great images of our members.

For starters, we selected 14 of them. Many more is still to come.

Enjoy.

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Owner and Professor Rodrigo Clark, remembers how much he enjoyed his belt ceremonies from the past, “Traditionally, we always had a belt ceremony in Brasil. As a student, back in the day, I always felt it was a really cool idea. It was a nice concept because people came to the ceremony to show support and friendship to those getting their new belts. We all trained together everyday and we depended on each other, so it was an honor to be there.”

Clark says that there was a lot of good energy around GBSB last weekend and that his students really enjoyed the party, “They loved it! A new belt, plus the chance to celebrate another year on the mats with your training partners…who could ask for more?”  Clark says, “It was a very family-friendly day. Like all belt promotions, these ceremonies promote the fact that students have to train harder and show improvement to get their new belts. They know we expected them to show up and train, so when they received their belts at the ceremony, they knew they really earned them.”

This year 14 students received new belts: One new brown belt, nine new blue belts and four little champs promoted to white/yellow belt. Clark says he and his students had a lot of fun at the celebration, “It was wonderful to see everyone gathered here. It was really cool and everybody had a great time. This is what GB is all about – organized like a team and fighting like a family. I’m really looking forward to the next one.”