Angelica Galvao and the 100+ females on the mats at AOJ. Photo: Personal Archive

On Saturday, April 26, over 100 females entered the mats at GMA Art of Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Costa Mesa, CA to learn from Angelica Galvao. It was a day for females to get together and train with one another through the lead of Atos’ leading female. Angelica is a brown belt under husband and mentor Andre Galvao at the Atos Jiu-Jitsu Academy in San Diego.

The hosts of the event, Rafael and Guilherme Mendes were thrilled with the outcome: “We feel honored to have a champion like Angelica teaching at our academy. We chose to invite her because she is a great image of a strong woman–wife, mother and a champion. The girls had a great time on the mat, Angelica taught some good techniques and we could celebrate another great day for our sport! We want to have girls’ open mats more often and help to share the Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle to the women of our community.”

We also asked Angelica a couple questions about her experience leading such an event and how it speaks to the female Jiu-Jitsu community as a whole:

GRACIEMAG: What was your expectation or goal with your seminar at AOJ and did you accomplish it?

ANGELICA GALVAO: Yes, what I saw there was beyond my expectations, way beyond. I was expecting a good group but not a huge group. Anyway, when we compete, we get used to that group of competitor women and it’s growing so much. But what I saw yesterday was an amazing group that is behind the scenes, non-competitive women who love our sport so much. This group is also growing from kids to senior age, moms, wives, doctors, successful business ladies and I really believe that this group needs attention as well. It was priceless for me. I have never been on a mat with so many ladies together, it smelled like flowers haha.

Do you think having women-only seminars is the key for building the women’s community?

I do believe that events like that are essential for a strong growing of the women’s community in Jiu-Jitsu. It’s natural for us ladies to appreciate a special time only for us, and that is how it works in events like that, a time just for us, in between us, learning and practicing techniques that are good for our game. It is pleasant to gather together with other women that have the same passion. It was a great experience for me not only as a BJJ player but as a woman as well.

To follow all the Mendes brothers’ endeavors into the female community as well as their future events, go to www.artofjiujitsu.com

For more of Angelica Galvao and her Atos academy, go to www.galvaobjjsd.com

All of their matches were ended with a submission but can you guess beforehand what Rafa submits with in this match?

On November 17 the annual Rickson Gracie Cup unfolded in Tokyo, Japan for its 2013 edition. Our GMA members Guilherme and Rafael Mendes entered the competition and earned two gold medals with outstanding performances.

Guilherme won the featherweight division, Rafael won the lightweight division and the pair closed out the open weight division alongside Roberto Satoshi.

All of their fights were determined by submission finishes.

Check out some videos from their instagram @mendesbros.

Rafael in his first match:

Guilherme in his first match:

You can check out the rest of their videos on their instagram/facebook page: www.mendesbrosfans.com

Diminutive Rafael wants to test 50-50 on big guys. Photo: Carlos Ozório

In the lobby of the Officers Club & Hotel, some of the favorites to win the title at the World Pro Jiu-Jitsu Cup, starting this Thursday in Abu Dhabi, gathered and mingled.

The subject was prize money for the absolute black belt division, which saw an 8 thousand-dollar raise, now paying 20 thousand dollars to the grand champion. “Wow. If I win I promise I’ll host a barbecue back in Los Angeles after the Worlds,” invites Rômulo Barral.

The banter and laughs don’t stop. Braulio Estima has a chat with Rômulo Barral and Alexandre Souza about the results from the Pan, especially Kayron Gracie’s middleweight title.

“I bet on him; the creature was too tough in training,” remarks Rominho, saying how the experience of giving technical and psychological pointers to the Gracie and Otávio Sousa, besides brown belt Lucas Rocha, pointed in the direction his future will take: to train the new generation at Gracie barra. “I liked preparing the kids for the championship. I’m getting old, starting to get too broken up in training and soon I’ll stop competing. I’ll only fight so long as I’m able to train hard as always,” says the Minas Gerais native, who often rolls 15 times on a single day in the lead up to a competition.

Sporting jeans and a polo shirt, Celso Venicius bids farewell and heads to his room.

That is where Rafael Mendes, his brother Guilherme and Claudio Calasans, absolute bronze at the Worlds 2009, already were. “How much? 20 thousand? Sheesh, even I’m going to go for it,” says featherweight Guilherme, meaning it. “You figure the 50-50 will work in the absolute?” he questioned.

“But of course! That’s what will save use! I’m in, too,” blurted Rafael Mendes, 66 kg.