You’ll find complete coverage of the Jiu-Jitsu Pan at the GRACIEMAG at the Pan Blog.

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Photos: Ivan Trindade

Not having completed since ADCC 2009, when she won the over-60 kg weight class, Hannette Staack is signed up in the middleweight division.

She may get a chance to face Hillary Williams, who is also returning, after dedicating recent months solely to medical school

The GRACIEMAG at the Pan Blog had a chat with Hannette and she told us what she expects on her return to competition.

The first comment on the post predicting the outcome of the men’s black belt divisions (on the Portuguese version of the Blog) was… You guessed it: “What about the females? You forget about them?”

No, we didn’t forget.

Jiu-Jitsu’s valiant lady warriors deserve a post all their own.

The female brown/black belt category is already a success in sheer number of competitors that sign up.

Head over the GRACIEMAG at the Pan Blog and check out the Blog’s predictions:

Sign-ups for the 2011 Pan are practically done.

Some new names may still make the list, but not much will change.

The brackets aren’t out yet, but one can already get an idea of the big picture to unfold in Irvine, California.

So the GRACIEMAG at the Pan Blog fearlessly endeavors to unravel each black belt weight group and come up with predictions for finalists and a likely winner.

After the final check is done, we’ll be back to see if any big names entered the fray to change the outlook.

Michael Langhi celebrates gold at 2010 Worlds. Photo: Ray Santana.

“I read on GRACIEMAG.com that the Pan 2011 lightweight division could be the best of all times, so I didn’t want to miss out,” chides black belt Michael Langhi over the radio.

And that’s that, the lightweight world champion is another name to confirm his participation at the last minute, as did a number of other teachers – Wellington Megaton, Theodoro Canal, Bia Mesquita and more.

Yesterday, Langhi told GRACIEMAG.com he needed one more visit to the doctor to decide whether he will go. The reason being a recent leg injury. “It was bothering me, but I’m already training. So I’m 70%,” he told us on Wednesday.

Injury cured, the likelihood rose to 100% at night, when the teacher at Alliance São Paulo entered the IBJJF website and put in his name. “Now I’m already feeling good in training, going strong against everyone in the academy, so I decided to compete at the Pan too. I’m heading to Irvine to try and steamroll everyone there.”

Next Wednesday the world champion embarks for California, where he will meet up with Lucas Lepri, his teammate in his weight group, and other Alliance aces. “I’ll arrive there, do a last training session at Cobrinha’s academy, rest Friday and I’ll be ready to throw some weight around,” he says in farewell.

To find out more about the athletes and timetable for the 2011 Pan, visit IBJJF.org.

Lucas Lepri (pictured, in photo by Luca Atalla) is one of the favorites to win gold at the 2011 Pan.

The one who wins the IBJJF Pan can, throughout an entire year, metaphorically pound his chest and claim he’s the best Jiu-Jitsu fighter in the Americas.

And the winner of the lightweight division at this year’s Pan may be able to gloat about even more. That’s so because pretty much all the best in the world will be there, as you can see in the official list from the IBJJF below. Plus, as GRACIEMAG.com has ascertained, a a burly surprise could show up at the last minute. . .

Among those guaranteed to be there: Lucas Lepri, Augusto Tanquinho, JT, Davi Ramos, Sandro Batata, Rodrigo Freitas, Zak Maxwell. Get the picture?

How about you, you secured your spot in the thick of the action yet? Sign up here, today’s the last day!

Adult black belt lightweights

Edson Pereira (Alliance)

Lucas A. Lepri (Alliance)

Davi Ramos (Atos)

Rodrigo Caporal (Atos)

Francisco Tavares (Combative Martial Arts)

Rodrigo Freitas (Gracie Barra América)

Zak Maxwell (Gracie Humaitá)

Jonathan Torres (Lloyd Irvin)

Evan Michael (Lotus Club)

Leandro Nascimento (Manimal)

Alexandre Henrique (Ryan)

Sandro Santiago (Sandro Batata)

Julio Armando (Sandro Batata)

Augusto Mendes (Soul Fighters)

What do you think of the list so far? Who’s going to take it? Opine below!

Rodrigo Munduruca, the absolute champion of the International Master competition after closing out with Saulo Ribeiro, is one of this year's favorites. Along with him: Fabio Leopoldo, Roberto Tozi, Fernando Soluço and more.

Rodrigo Munduruca, the absolute champion of the International Master competition after closing out with Saulo Ribeiro, is one of this year’s favorites. Along with him: Fabio Leopoldo, Roberto Tozi, Fernando Soluço and more.

One of the big attractions of the IBJJF Pan, with sign-ups closing today, is the masters division, where teachers and fighters from back in the day display their technique, defend their legacies, and inspire their students.

This year the division brings further aces, as you can see below, according to information provided on the IBJJF website. To check out all those signed up until now, click here. Take the opportunity to sign yourself up, if you haven’t already. And to find out all the juicy details regarding the Pan-American Jiu-Jitsu championship, check out the GRACIEMAG at the Pan Blog.

Black belt master light featherweight

Hiroyuki Mizuno (Alliance)

Sung Kang (Alliance)

Bruno Maniaudet (American Top Team)

Luíz Vicente (De La Riva)

Daniel Alvarez (Nova União)

Featherweight

Cristiano Oliveira (Gracie Barra)

Lightweight

Mark Vives (BJJ Revolution)

Kazeka Muniz (Gracie Barra)

Marcos Barros (Gracie Barra)

Carlos Lemos (Gracie Barra America)

Stephan Luther (Gracie Humaitá)

Issac Riggs (Léo Dalla)

Middleweight

Carlos Frederico Rodriguez (Carlson Gracie)

Elizandro Beda (CheckMat)

Francisco Mendes (CheckMat)

Luiz Carlos Chagas (Reação)

Rodrigo Teixeira (Rickson)

José Costa Junior (Ryan)

Medium heavyweight

Eduardo Braga (Alliance)

Ethan Day (ATT)

Daniel Wanderley (Carlson)

Marcello Viktor (Cascão JJ)

Aldo de Oliveira (Gracie Barra)

Nakapan Phungephorn (Lloyd Irvin)

Marcelo Meleiro (Nova União)

Heavyweight

Fernando Di Pierro (Alliance)

Humberto Borges (Alliance)

Walter Fontes (Cascão)

Carlos Alexandre (Emirates Team)

Fabio Leopoldo (Gracie Barra Thousand Oaks)

John William (Ribeiro JJ)

Gustavo Katayose (Rilion)

Superheavyweight

Alessandro Ferreira (Cia Paulista)

Cristiano Kaminice (Gile Ribeiro)

Roberto Tozi (Godói)

Anthony Scales (Nova União)

Ranieri Paiva (X3 Sports)

Ultraheavyweight

Don Francis (Caíque JJ)

Fabiano Monteiro (Carlson)

Diego Monteiro (Competition)

Tyler Bosard (GB Rio Grande Valley)

Rodrigo Munduruca (Gracie Humaitá)

Phillip Smith (Roberto Traven)

Marcos Willian (Tozi)

Master Absolute

Eduardo Braga

Fernando Di Pierro

Ethan Day

Mark Vives

Don Francis Richard

Carlos Frederico Rodriguez

Fabiano Lima Monteiro da Silva

Marcello Viktor C. Morais

Walter Fontes Vital Jr

Elizandro Leite Beda

Francisco Ramos Mendes Neto

Alessandro Ferreira da Silva

Diego Antico Monteiro

Luíz Vicente da Silva Júnior

Carlos Alexandre C. Rodrigues

Cristiano Alves Kaminice

Roberto Tozi Ferreira Filho

Cristiano Renato Q. Oliveira

Kazeka Muniz

Tyler Bosard

Fabio Leopoldo e Silva Neto

Rodrigo Munduruca

Stephan Luther Goyne

Luiz Carlos Chagas S. Junior

Nakapan Phungephorn

Anthony Scales

Daniel V. Alvarez Jr.

Marcelo Meleiro

John William Walus

Rodrigo Gonçalves Teixeira

Gustavo de Oliveira Katayose

Phillip Smith

Jose Julio Costa Junior

Marcos Willian Pereira

Ranieri Paiva de Albuquerque

(Total: 35)

If you did, you can relive the excitement. If you only heard or ready about it, you’ll get to experience it for the first time.

Direct from youtube, the black belt finals of the 2009 Pan.

The Pan Blog now takes the chance to remember this memorable edition of the most popular competition on the Jiu-Jitsu calendar.

It was the Pan of Antônio Braga Neto, super heavyweight and absolute champion.

Head over to the GRACIEMAG at the Jiu-Jitsu Pan Blog and relive the emotions from 2009.

A Jiu-Jitsu classic

It was in 2006 that their rivalry was born.

Today they hold five absolute black belt world titles betwen them, with three going to Roger Gracie and two to Alexandre Ribeiro.

But on that spring day in California the Gracie hadn’t yet made it and his career was marred by back-to-back losses to Ronaldo Jacaré, in 2004 and 2005. Now Xande was still just Saulo’s brother.

But 2006 would be the year things turned around, and it all started in Dominguez Hills.

Reporter Raphael Nogueira was on the scene and recounted all that transpired, on the pages of GRACIEMAG #111, only the second issue in the magazine’s new bilingual format.

The scrutiny the Ribeiro brothers carried out on Roger’s game served as a starting point for the cover of the magazine, titled “The secret to Roger,” where Gracie’s game was put under the microscope with his very own help.

Returning to the Pan, Saulo and Xande’s strategy worked well, but only in the superheavyweight division. In the absolute, Roger got the finish.

Head over to the GRACIEMAG at the Jiu-Jitsu Pan Blog and look back on the birth of one of the greatest rivalries in competition Jiu-Jitsu.

Tererê had won the middleweight division in grand style. At medium heavyweight, Jacaré did no differently.

After overcoming some true juggernaut’s in the open weight class, the two were face to face in the final.

Find out what they said before and after the match and watch it in its entirety.

Head to the Blog now and relive the excitement.

And don’t forget to sign up.

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