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Boa leitura e bons treinos!

The first day of action at the 2016 World Jiu-Jitsu championship featured lots of thrills in over 12 hours of Jiu-Jitsu at the Long Beach Pyramid.

The main attraction was the adult male blue belt division, but juvenile and master white belts also took to the mats to pour their hearts out in search of the much wanted gold medal.

In the blue belt division, Guigo Jiu-Jitsu’s Luis Eduardo do Carmo was the stand out after all was said and done with a double gold campaign. Duzão first won the ultra-heavy division after six matches, then he went for the open class title.

In the absolute, Do Carmo had five more matches and made his way to the top of the podium with five submissions. In the final, he caught Mauricio Oliveira Neto with an americana lock from side control.

After his second podium ceremony, Duzão was graduated to purple belt by his Professor Guigo.

The male adult purple belt division started out this Thursday with two divisions, the roosterweight and the light-feather. Rubens Cobrinha’s son Kennedy Maciel won his first title in the Worlds as an adult when he managed a last-second sweep on Jonata Ramos.

Click here for the full results of day 1.

The 2016 Worlds resumes this Friday at 9AM local time with the remainder of the male adult purple belt division, two divisions in the male brown belt and the female blue and purple belt divisions.

Click here for the full schedule of day 2

Here’s a photo gallery of the best moments of the blue belt open class division.

Follow the complete coverage at GRACIEMAG’s social media channels: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.

Coverage brought to you by GAMENESS.

Buchecha vs. Faria at the 2013 Worlds

The 2016 World Jiu-Jitsu championship kicks off this Thursday at the Walter Pyramid. In the next four days, the best grapplers in the world will fight for the ultimate glory in the gentle art community.

After all champions are crowned, the Jiu-Jitsu environment will be reshaped. We have lined up 10 questions the action at the Worlds could answer until Sunday.

1. Who’s the king of the hill? 

Bernardo Faria wants to join the select group of two-time open class champions. Buchecha wants to make history with an unprecedented fourth open class gold medal. Felipe Pena wants to consolidate his name as one of the greatest with his first absolute triumph. Trans wants to become the first non-Brazilian to win the open class. And there’s also Erberth Santos, Mahamed Aly, Keenan Cornelius, Leandro Lo…. The 2016 Worlds open class division could be one for the history books.

2. Who’s the queen of the land?

Dominyka is healthy once again and ready to defend her crown. Andresa Correa wants to keep her perfect record and win the unprecedented grand slam in the black belt. Mackenzie Dern already said she’ll never stop trying to win the absolute. Bia Mesquita wants her third gold medal to reign over the division in history. And there’s also Michelle Nicolini in her goodbye run, Monique Elias, Fernanda Mazzelli and many others.

  3. Who is currently the best black belt roosterweight competitor?

For the first time. the lightest division will gather the three most important names of the weight class in recent years. Bruno Malfacine, Caio Terra and João Miyao will battle for the gold medal in what is expected to be a thrilling series of matches. Terra, absent in 2014 and 2015, is back to try to win his third gold medal at the Worlds in the gi as a black belt. João is still after his first title after two silver medals in the last two years. Malfa wants his 8th title to consolidate his name as the greatest name in the division of all times.

4. Can the new generation of American black belts finally make a dent in the Brazilian domination?

Keenan Cornelius is the senior member of this very tough group of black belts. Edwin Najmi, JT Torres, AJ Agazarm, Michael Liera, Jon Satava, Gianni Grippo, Dillon Danis, Mansher Khera, Michael Musumeci, Isaac Doederlein, Brian Mahecha and a few others have all the tools they need to write their names in history. The sheer number of high level black belts make it more probable than ever to have a non-Brazilian at the top of one of the black belt divisions.

Mendes vs. Cobra at the 2015 Worlds

5. Will the new generation steal the spotlight in Long Beach?

2016 could be a year marked by the changing of the guard. Mahamed Aly, Erberth Santos, Isaac Doederlein, Mikey Musumeci, Mansher Khera, Dillon Danis, Jon Satava, Edwin Najmi, Luan Carvalho, Jhonny Souza, among others, will be in the mix to represent the newest generation of black belts and possibly steal the show from the household names.

6. Could anybody bud in and prevent a Rafael Mendes vs. Rubens Cobrinha final for the third time in a row in the featherweight division?

Rafa and Cobra already met in 4 finals since 2010 and were the finalists in the past two years. This time, Marcio Andre is a strong contender to be in the mix and have a go at the final. Samir Chantre and Osvaldo Moizinho also would love to be in the spotlight. Could anyone else do it?

7. Will Alliance once again reign supreme in the teams podiums?

The eagle has been soaring untouched in the past 10 years in Long Beach. Fabio Gurgel, Jacaré, Gigi and their crew have stacked up 8 adult male titles in 9 events in the USA. Will Atos Jiu-Jitsu, Gracie Barra, Checkmat, Cicero Costha or any other be able to put a dent in Alliance’s almost perfect record?

Follow the complete coverage at GRACIEMAG’s social media channels: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.

Coverage brought to you by GAMENESS.

2016 IBJJF awards ceremony

The IBJJF held a award ceremony in Irvine this evening. The event paid homage to some of Jiu-Jitsu’s greatest names from the past and the present.

“I look at this room and I remember how we started doing tournaments in Brazil in the 90s. Twenty years later we are here and we can make a living off Jiu-Jitsu. I tell all of you to never stop dreaming. This today is the realization of the dream we had 20 years ago,” said Master Carlos Gracie Jr. opening the ceremony.

Grandmaster Carlson Gracie, Masters Romero Cavalcanti and Carlos Gracie Jr, and Jiu-Jitsu legend Rolls Gracie were inducted to the Hall of Fame for their contribution to the gentle art throughout the years.

“My goal has always been to contribute to then growth of Jiu-Jitsu and to make possible to all of us to make a living through the art we love,” said Master Carlos Gracie Jr.

“I learned a lot from Rolls and I always wanted to be a Jiu-Jitsu Professor. Sometimes I can’t believe we have gone so far,” said Master Romero Cavalcanti.

“Grandmaster Carlson Gracie was a special person indeed and he inspired all of us. He would be very happy to see his work being recognized,” said Professor Rodrigo Medeiros after receiving the award in behalf of the Grandmaster who passed away in 2006.

“Maybe you guys don’t understand why we say Rolls was ahead of his time. Rolls was a pioneer and a innovator. He was the guy who introduced the concept of having a Jiu-Jitsu game on the offensive and mixing elements of other sports,” said Master Carlos Gracie Jr. after receiving the award in behalf of Rolls Gracie, who passed away in 1982.

Master Carlos Gracie Jr.

The evening also awarded the best teams and athletes of the 2015/2016 season.

Mackenzie Dern and Paulo Miyao got the $15,000 check for topping the adult black belt ranking. Click here to see who else were in the top ten both in the male and female divisions.

Alliance got two awards, as best team of the season and also the best team of the Jiu-Jitsu Grand Slam, which includes the Worlds, Pan, European and Brazilian Nationals.

“I want to thank all Alliance Professors out there for helping us to put up such a strong team. I would also like to thank all the teams that compete with us. I admire a lot of you guys as we all work for the growth of the art. I also like to say thanks for such clean and tough competition,” said Fabio Gurgel.

The complete standings for the best academies of the season was: Alliance 1^st, Gracie Barra 2nd, Nova União 3rd, Checkmat 4th, Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu and Atos 5th, Impacto Japan 7th, GF Team 8th, Cicero Costha 9th, Gracie Humaita 10th.|

The night also reserved a moment for Beatriz Mesquita, Andre Galvão, Romulo Barral and Renato Cardoso to receive the medals they earned after doping violations by the original holders.

Bia got the 2013 open class gold medal, Galvão got the 2014 heavyweight gold medal, Barral got the 2014 medium-heavy gold medal.

Other than that, Master Julio Cesar Pereira, leader of GF Team, got the certificate for his 7th degree red and black belt.

Click here for the full coverage on Instagram.

Here’s a photo gallery with the best images of the evening.

Leandro Lo against Otavio Sousa in the 2014 Worlds middleweight final. Photo: Ivan Trindade / GRACIEMAG

Leandro Lo has been a fan favorite since he rose to fame in 2011.

Now a four times black belt world champion is three different weight divisions (Light: 2012-2013; Middle: 2014, Medium-heavy 2015), Lo is getting ready for his sixth appearance in the world championship looking for his fifth gold medal.

If he wins, he would be right up there with the best competitors in history, a selected few with more than four world titles as a black belt.

Even so, Lo wants more and that’s why for the fourth year in a row, his name will be on the open class bracket.

Lo already has a bronze medal in 2015 and a fourth place finish in 2014 in his record, but he wants to go all the way.

That’s the main reason he decided to bulk up and go from lightweight to medium-heavy in two years.

For 2016, Lo says that he’s doing the same he did in his training camp: “I train for my tournaments the same way, rolling with my teammates.”

Leandro Lo competing in New York in 2014

Even tough the training setting is always the same, Lo said in a interview to Vitor Freitas in 2015 that what he does during training changes a lot: “I’m always trying new things to be a better athlete. You can’t stay on your preferred game all the time. You have to allow yourself to be uncomfortable. That will only bring you good things in the end. To be able to play on top and on the bottom is essential. You don’t need to be the best at each one, but you have to know your way around it. Train until you have a strong enough base and a dangerous enough guard.”

He also shared one thing that he liked to do that he thinks gives him a little edge over his opponents: “Go through all the training without resting. Try to go against the toughest of your partners, those who give you the most trouble. Even when you feel tired, keep going. This will increase your endurance and enhance your perception of the fight.”

The leader of NS Brotherhood, in São Paulo Brazil, did another thing differently in 2016, as he was seen training with Felipe Pena and Marcus Buchecha recently.

Another difference between the previous years and the camp for the 2016 Worlds for Lo was a particular off the mat activity: “I did more weight lifting to be stronger for the open class.”

All in all, Lo loves what he does, as he revealed to Vitor Freitas in 2015: “Make sure you are a happy person whenever is time to roll. Be there to do what you like the most and not because you have to be there. If you go train without really wanting to do it, you lose your focus. Love what you do and you’ll do it at a 100% rate.”

The 2016 World Jiu-Jitsu championship is scheduled June 2-5, in Long Beach, California.

Follow the complete coverage at GRACIEMAG’s social media channels: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.

Coverage brought to you by GAMENESS.

The Long Beach Pyramid at the 2014 Worlds

The IBJJF has released the official schedule for the 2016 World Jiu-Jitsu championship.

The most important event of the year takes place June 2-5, once again at the Walter Pyramid, in Long Beach, California.

Day 1, Thursday, will see mostly white belts and blue belts on the mats, with two purple belt divisions.

Day 2, Friday, will feature blue, purple and brown belts. This is also the day black belts have to register for the open class divisions (male and female).

Day 3, Saturday, will be dedicated to juvenile white and blue belts and adult brown belts and black belts. The male and female open class black belts are set to kick off around 11:30 AM.

Day 4, Sunday, is all about the black belt, starting with the weigh classes quarterfinals all the way to the finals.

Click here for the full schedule.

The brackets should be released this Tuesday, May 31.

Follow the complete coverage at GRACIEMAG’s social media channels: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.

Coverage brought to you by GAMENESS.

Erberth Santos at the 2016 European

Erberth Santos is on fire in 2016. In his second year as a black belt, the heavyweight from Ralph Gracie team has had great results in every event he entered.

After a 2015 Worlds that ended without medals, Erberth regrouped and went for it in the new year. He won the heavweight division at the European for the second time in a row and finished third in the open class after an all out war with Felipe Pena in the semifinal.

In Abu Dhabi, Erberth got back at Pena with a 7-2 win in the 94kg final, but could not face his big rival in the open class final after the referee decided to disqualify both fighters in the quarterfinal against Victor Honório. Back in Brazil, Erberth made his way to his second open class title at the Brazilian Nationals in a tough match against Rodrigo Cavaca.

We caught up with Erberth as he puts the final touches in his preparation for the 2016 Worlds and he talked to us about his training ethics, mindset, experience level and the rivalry with Pena.

GRACIEMAG.COM: You are about to compete in your second world championship as a black belt after a debut in 2015 where you could not secure a medal. What lessons did you take from that experience and from the past 12 months competing to have a better performance at the 2016 Worlds? 

Erberth Santos: In 2015 I went in with a lot of drive and little experience. I found out the hard way that at the black belt level you cannot make mistakes. Each tournament I compete in is another experience I stack up to be even better as a fighter.

Erberth vs. Pena at the 2016 WPJJC

GRACIEMAG.COM: You have had great results this season, with gold medals at the European, WPJJC and Brazilian Nationals, among other events. Did anything change in your game and your physical and mental training to reach a higher level of performance and results?

Erberth: I analyze each and every fight I have to correct my mistakes and evolve my game. I try to sharpen the techniques and also to get out of my comfort zone to test my self. This way I feel stronger and stronger physically, technically and most importantly mentally.

GRACIEMAG.COM: You and Felipe Pena have been protagonists of one of the most exciting rivalries in Jiu-Jitsu today. The possibility of fighting him once again in Long Beach is an extra motivation? Do opponents shape your way of training and fighting in any way? 

Erberth: Actually, the rivalry is left for the fans. On the mat, you have two professional fighters looking to reach for their goals. I never fight or train thinking on my opponents, but rather on overcome my own limits.

The 2016 World Jiu-Jitsu championship is scheduled June 2-5, in Long Beach, California.

Follow the complete coverage at instagram.com/graciemagazine

Coverage brought to you by GAMENESS.

Flavio, Ricardo, André at the New York Spring Open

Purple belt André Almeida definitely has some serious Jiu-Jitsu genes in his body. The younger brother of black belts Ricardo and Flavio Almeida took a while to start in the gentle art, but when he did he knew that was what he wanted for his life.

At 24 years old and training since he was 13 under Jefferson Moura at Gracie Barra headquarters, in Rio de Janeiro, André is already making some big waves in the competition circuit.

After competing at the 2016 Pan, he decided to stay in the USA to have an intense training camp alongside his brothers for the 2016 Worlds.

We talked with André about his start in Jiu-Jitsu and his plans for the future. Here’s what he had to say.

GRACIEMAG.COM: Your brothers are well known within the Jiu-Jitsu community, but you are still a new face. What can you tell us about yourself and your beginning in the gentle art?

André Almeida: I have 24 years old and have been practicing Jiu-Jitsu since I was 13 years old. My mother never really wanted me to start Jiu-Jitsu and like 90% of the kids in Brazil I always were really into soccer but I had always a big influence of my older brothers (Ricardo and Flavio Almeida) that always used to take me to their tournaments and to their trainings in Gracie Barra. One day I was jumped by a bunch of older kids because of a girl back in Brazil and my older brothers (both already living in United States) called their friends and training partners at Gracie Barra to help me out. After that I knew that I wanted to join that team, so I started training Jiu-Jitsu. I’m a purple belt and I currently train at the first Gracie Barra, our headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, under the guidance of Professor Jefferson Moura. I came to the United States to fight on IBJJF PanAms and decided to stay until IBJJF Worlds doing a camp with my brother Flavio Almeida witch is helping me everyday to get my game sharp for a good result at World’s.

The brothers at the gym

GRACIEMAG.COM: What role your brothers Ricardo and Flavio played in your development in Jiu-Jitsu? 

André Almeida: Today I’m totally devoted to the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and that has happened, in big part, because of my older brother’s influence. A couple of years ago I was finishing Law School and working on one of the biggest Law Firms in Brazil, back then I had no time to do almost anything but I used to escape on the middle of the work shift (sometimes at noon sometimes at 6 pm) to train with a couple of friends, after training I would put the suit back on and head back to the office. A couple of times I heard people asking how could I have sweat so much, and I would always put the blame on the hot humid Brazilian whether. My older brothers always played an important roll in my life as been a big inspiration of mine, I believe that their influence has made me grow so much faster than the average kids. I have learned a lot from their actions in simple things like work ethic, never giving up, always believing in yourself. I had the opportunity of embracing – since a young age – the world of my brothers and to watch them thriving in their tournaments. I can easily say that if I’m passioned about testing myself today is because of their influence and good exemple. Fighting alongside my brothers has always been a dream of mine and this year we were able fulfill this dream when we all won our categories Gi and No-Gi competing together at the New York Spring International Open Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF. Following the steps of my brothers I’m glad to defend Gracie Barra and to represent the next generation of Almeida’s.

GRACIEMAG.COM: What do you see for your future in the gentle art?

André Almeida: I have been training Jiu-Jitsu for over 10 years now and I’m 100% focussed in competition and preparing for IBJJF World’s this year. I’m dedicating myself entirely to competition and I plan to one day be a Black Belt World Champion. For this year I have won the gold medal at the Atlanta Open, New York Spring Open, New York Spring Open No-Gi, Arizona Open, NABJJF Silver State Open and NABJJF Silver State Open No-Gi; have won second place at the San Jose Open No-Gi; and have won 3rd place at the Pan Jiu-Jitsu IBJJF, Las Vegas Open, San Jose Open. I’m not thinking about MMA at the moment but I have always liked and followed the sport. I always admired my older brother Ricardo Almeida for his accomplishments on the sport as athlete and now as a one of the greatest MMA coaches and whenever I get the chance I take the time to visit him on New Jersey and train with his team.

The Long Beach Pyramid at the 2014 Worlds

After the registration deadline the IBJJF has updated the pre-schedule for the 2016 World Jiu-Jitsu championship.

The event is now scheduled for four days of action, on June 2-5.

The final sign up number reached 2846 athletes.

Here’s the updated pre-schedule with the days each belt color goes on.

Thursday – June 2
White Adult Male
White Adult Female
White Masters
Blue Adult Male
Purple Adult Male (Rooster and Light Feather)

Friday – June 3
Purple Adult Male (Feather to Ultra Heavy and Open Class)
Purple Adult Female
Brown Adult Male (Rooster and Light Feather)

Saturday – June 4
White Juvenile Male
White Juvenile Female
Blue Juvenile Male
Blue Juvenile Female
Brown Adult Male (Feather to Ultra Heavy and Open Class)
Brown Adult Female
Black Adult Male (Weight divisions* and Open Class**)
Black Adult Female (Weight divisions*** and Open Class**)

* Adult Male Black Belt  athletes will start fighting on Saturday if your bracket have 9 or more people. The quarter final, semi finals and finals will start or resume on Sunday.
Every adult male Black belt athlete who is in a bracket with 9 or more people can weigh in on Saturday (from 10 am to 6 pm), even if his fights will occur on Sunday only. If the athlete will fight on Saturday, he must weight in few minutes before his first fight.

** The Open Class final starts on Sunday.

*** Adult female Black belt athletes will start fighting on Saturday until the semi finals. The finals will start on Sunday.

Sunday – June 5
Black Adult Male
Black Adult Female

Click here to know more.

Coverage brought to you by GAMENESS.

Rafael Mendes already made history at the 2015 Worlds, when he won his fifth gold medal in the featherweight division. No other athlete has so many titles in that division, historically one of the toughest weight classes in Jiu-Jitsu.

As he prepares for another run for the top of the podium in Long Beach, Rafa took some time to talk to GRACIEMAG.com about how he maintains his drive. Mendes also talked about his training program leading up to the big moment and the challenges he will have to face on June 4 and 5.

GRACIEMAG.COM: You are after your 6th world title in the featherweight division. This year, possible opponents include Gianni Grippo, Marcio Andre, Samir Chantre, Mario Reis and Cobrinha. Do they influence in any way your training program? How ready are you for the 2016 Worlds compared to previous years? 

Rafael Mendes: Opponents never influence my way of training. My preparation is aimed at reaching my highest potential and correct all possible flaws in my game. I believe that each year that passes I am better than the year before and more experienced. Now it’s only a matter of doing everything right on the day of the competition.

Mendes vs. Cobra at the 2015 Worlds

GRACIEMAG.COM: You competed in two small events recently (San Antonio and Vegas). How important it is to do these trial runs before the Worlds?

Rafael Mendes: I got in those competitions to unload the adrenaline of training. I have been training hard since January and it comes to a point where you just want for the championship to come. I competed in San Antonio and Vegas to unload the energy and see how I felt.

GRACIEMAG.COM: After five world titles in the same division, what’s your motivation to keep competing? What are the challenges that keep the flame of going for another gold medal? 

Rafael Mendes: When I started in Jiu-Jitsu as a kid, my parents had just split up and we were in a complicated place in my lives. I saw Jiu-Jitsu as a chance to reach my full potential and transform my life and the life of my family. I can say I did just that. I never had my own home or a car in Brazil. I moved to the USA with 22 years old and now I live in Newport Beach and I own my own business. My achievements in Jiu-Jitsu generated a source of income for myself, my family and other people around us. I am only 26 years old and I won a gold medal at the Worlds in all belts, I won the ADCC twice and I am a five-time world champion as a black belt. I no longer fight for results. What motivates me now is the desire to find out what is the highest level I can reach in this sport. I have found the balance between training, work and family, and that makes me happier than I have ever been.

Don’t forget to register for the 2016 World Jiu-Jitsu championship

The final deadline is today, May 24.

Click here to sign up now.

Coverage brought to you by GAMENESS.

Erberth Santos at the 2015 Rio Winter Open. Photo by Gustavo Aragão

The IBJJF traveling tour made a stop this weekend in Curitiba, Brazil.

The 2016 Curitiba International Open had both Gi and No-Gi action.

In the black belt division, Erberth Santos and Talita Nogueira were the standouts with four gold medals in two days.

With the gi, Erberth won the superheavy with a win over Alex Ceconi and then beat Dimitrius Souza for the Gi absolute gold.

Talita beat Karla Hipolito for the superheavy title and Carina Santi for the open class.

Click here for the full results.

London, UK

After the 2016 Worlds, the next big thing in the IBJJF circuit will be the 2016 British National Championship.

Scheduled June 25-26, The British Nationals are really three tournaments rolled up in one.

You can sign up for the Gi divisions, no-Gi divisions (or both) and kids will also have a tournament of their own.

The final deadline to register is June 17.

Click here to sign up now.