Jiu-Jitsu no convés: foto do leitor casca-grossa Rafhael Sampaio, na edição #199 de GRACIEMAG.

Na revista GRACIEMAG, edição #199, que chega às melhores bancas do país esta semana, o leitor Rafhael Sampaio, terceiro sargento da Marinha do Brasil, relembra um dos treininhos mais prazerosos e inusitados que deu em sua vida, em julho, no convés de um navio a caminho do Haiti.

“O mais legal é que, para alguns oficiais, foi o primeiro contato com o Jiu-Jitsu”, conta Sampaio, faixa-preta de judô e faixa-roxa de Jiu-Jitsu. “Por fim ainda fomos brindados com esse pôr do sol depois do treino”.

E você, amigo leitor, qual foi o local mais inusitado em que você praticou Jiu-Jitsu? Comente, e lembre de reservar sua próxima GRACIEMAG com seu jornaleiro.

Aldo in Haiti, before heading to Holland / Photo: Antonio Lima/Publicity

While his opponents can’t stamp their mark on his mug, José Aldo keeps getting his passport stamped, in his search for new training partners and challenges.

In the bone-chilling cold of Holland, Aldo has been keeping warm by training with one of his heroes, alongside his muay thai coach and training partner Johnny Eduardo (Boxe Thai/Nova União).

GRACIEMAG.com contacted the UFC featherweight champion, who spoke of the anxiousness of having his first fight in the world famous octagon, following the fusion of the UFC and the WEC, where he came to fame.

Find out what goes on in the head of the champ as he trains to defend his belt from Mark Hominick at home in Canada on April 30. Below, check out some of Jose Aldo Junior’s career highlights.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT-unj2Ffr8

How is training in Holland going for UFC 129?

Training is going great, both Johnny and I are learning a lot from the folks here, where everyone’s a standup expert. There’s nothing better than training with one of your heroes – I always liked Andy Souwer’s style at K-1 Max, and training with him here was one of the best things that has ever happened to me.

You went to Haiti, now you’re in Holland. Where will you do the final part of your preparations to face Hominick?

I’ll return to Brazil soon, then I won’t travel any more. I’ll do the last part of my training in Rio up until I travel to Canada. I insist on doing my final preparations for my fights with my team and friends from training; I won’t trade that for anything.

What is most dangerous about Hominick?

He has his strong points, which may be his standup. As soon as I get back to Brazil I’m going to sit down, watch some of his fights and study him better. Now here, with Andy, we’re already working on some things I’ve noticed about my opponent. But in Brazil, along with Dedé (Pederneiras) and our team, we’re going to put together the final training plan and strategy. We’ll work based not just on his game, but mine too (laughs)…

Are you at all anxious about this fight in particular?

Yes, I’m plenty anxious to fight in the UFC for the first time. But it has a lot more to do with UFC fans, the ones who don’t know me yet, and for my admirers who are waiting for this moment. Deed down inside I feel like it will be another fight, another challenge like the rest, and I’m going to train the way I have for all my other fights up until now. In other words, I’m going to train a lot.

What did you learn from witnessing the situation in Haiti up close?

My experience in Haiti was very worthwhile. Just to have participated in the goodwill mission added a lot for me. I was kind of shocked by what I found there, but it just made me more thankful for what I have and reinforced the impression I already had in my head.

Aldo no Haiti, antes de ir para a Holanda. Foto: Antonio Lima/Divulgação.

Enquanto os adversários não conseguem carimbar sua lataria, José Aldo continua carimbando forte o passaporte, rumo a novos treinos e desafios.

Num frio implacável na Holanda, Aldo tem se esquentado com treinos com um ídolo seu, ao lado do parceiro brasileiro Johnny Eduardo (Boxe Thai).

O GRACIEMAG.com entrou em contato com o campeão peso-pena do UFC, que falou sobre a ansiedade de sua primeira luta no famigerado Octagon, após a fusão entre o Ultimate e o WEC, onde se consagrou.

Veja como anda a cabeça e os treinos do campeão para a defesa de cinturão no próximo dia 30 de abril, contra o canadense Mark Hominick em Toronto, na casa do adversário. Abaixo, reveja alguns dos melhores momentos de Aldo Júnior.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT-unj2Ffr8

Como estão os treinos na Holanda para o UFC 129?

Os treinos estão sendo ótimos, tanto eu como o Johnny estamos aprendendo bastante com o pessoal aqui, onde só tem especialista na luta em pé. Não tem coisa melhor que poder treinar com um ídolo seu, eu sempre gostei do estilo do Andy Souwer no K-1 Max, e treinar com ele aqui foi uma das melhores coisas que aconteceram comigo.

Você foi ao Haiti, agora à Holanda. A reta final dos treinos para enfrentar o Hominick será onde?

Vou voltar ao Brasil em breve, e aí não viajo mais. Vou fazer a última parte do treinamento no Rio, até o dia de viajar para o Canadá. Não abro mão de fazer minha preparação final para a luta bem perto da minha equipe e dos meus amigos de treino, isso não troco por nada.

O que Hominick tem de mais perigoso?

Ele tem os pontos fortes dele, que podem ser a luta em pé. Assim que eu chegar ao Brasil vamos sentar, ver algumas lutas e estudar mais. Agora com o Andy, aqui, já estou treinando alguns aspectos que percebi no meu adversário. Mas no Brasil, junto com Dedé (Pederneiras) e nossa equipe vamos montar os treinos e a estratégia final. Não apenas em cima do jogo dele, mas também do meu jogo, né (risos)…

Há alguma ansiedade antes desta luta especificamente?

Sim, posso dizer que estou bastante ansioso para lutar no UFC pela primeira vez. Mas é muito mais pelos fãs do UFC, aqueles que ainda não me conhecem, e pelos meus admiradores que estão esperando esse momento. No fundo, dentro de mim, penso que será mais uma luta, um desafio como os outros, e vou treinar como sempre fiz para todas as lutas anteriores, ou seja, vou treinar bastante.

O que você aprendeu ao conferir de perto todo o drama do Haiti?

Minha experiência no Haiti foi bastante proveitosa. Só de participar de uma jornada para fazer o bem já me acrescentou muito. Fiquei um pouco assustado com o que eu encontrei lá, mas isso só me fez agradecer mais o que tenho e reforçar o que eu já tinha na minha cabeça.

UFC featherweight champino in Port au Prince, Haiti / Photo: publicity

And the journey has begun. First Aldo attended an even co-organized by the Brazilian city of Manaus in the earthquake-ravaged nation of Haiti. On one of the most touching days of his trip, he visited the “Soldadinhos da Paz” (“Soldiers for Piece”) orphanage, where volunteers from the military help out. There are fifty-two children living at the shelter overseen by Father Supreme Jean Fega.

Aware of the problems afflicting Father Supreme’s family, the fighter from the poor outskirts of Manaus will hold an auction selling paraphernalia from his upcoming April 30 fight against Mark Hominick in Canada. It will be the Brazilian’s first defense of his UFC title.

Aldo confirmed that his gloves, shorts, T-shirt, cap, and sponsorship banner will all be auctioned off for the cause.

“I want to set a good starting bid to help them. We saw the donation he and his wife and children made, as well as the love the soldiers put into it by working there during their free time. It’s a wonderful endeavor. I hope I can help out,” remarked the UFC champion.

The money brought in from the auction will be used to help build the orphanage headquarters and a little school. The current orphanage is in the pastor’s house, which also had its foundations rattled by the earthquake.

Check back with GRACIEMAG.com for further information on the auction.

O campeão dos penas do UFC em Porto Príncipe, no Haiti. Foto: Divulgação.

Será um semestre de fortes emoções para José Aldo Junior, campeão do UFC.

E a jornada já começou. Primeiro, Aldo acompanhou a Jornada Haitiana do Esporte pela Paz, co-organizada pela Prefeitura de Manaus em janeiro. Num dos dias mais tocantes, a comitiva visitou o orfanato “Soldadinhos da Paz”, que conta com a ajuda de militares voluntários em missão no país. São 52 crianças que hoje moram nesse abrigo coordenado pelo pastor Suprême Jean Fega.

Sensível aos problemas enfrentados pela família de Suprême, o lutador amazonense, que veio da periferia de Manaus, vai leiloar o equipamento usado em sua próxima luta, no dia 30 de abril no Canadá, contra local Mark Hominick. Será a primeira defesa de título do brasileiro.

Aldo confirmou que suas luvas, bem como o short, camisa, boné e seu banner com patrocinadores irão a leilão.

“Quero colocar um bom lance inicial para ajudá-los. Vimos a doação deste homem e de sua esposa a essas crianças, além do amor que os militares dão em suas horas de folga. É um trabalho muito bonito. Espero poder ajudá-los”, comentou o campeão do UFC.

O dinheiro arrecadado no leilão será usado para a construção da sede do orfanato, além de uma escolinha. O atual orfanato funciona na casa do pastor, moradia que também sofreu problemas na estrutura por conta do terremoto.

Aguarde mais informações sobre o leilão aqui, no GRACIEMAG.com.

Aldo no Haiti. Foto: Divulgação / Não conta lá em casa.

José Aldo foi eleito o lutador de MMA do ano de 2010 pelos leitores e pela equipe de GRACIEMAG. Mas não tem jeito: o sucesso do campeão dos penas do UFC parece que jamais vai subir à cabeça. Em vez de férias (merecidas) em algum recanto paradisíaco, José Aldo partiu para uma missão solidária no Haiti, país da América Central sacudido por um terremoto em janeiro do ano passado, e cujo cenário ainda apresenta mais estragos do que os sofridos pelos oponentes do pequeno amazonense.

Via Twitter, @josealdojunior contou que retorna amanhã ao Brasil. Ele comentou o que viu durante a Jornada Haitiana do Esporte pela Paz, que contou com outras estrelas brasileiras.

“Nunca vi nada parecido. Estou chocado, tudo é muito triste mesmo. A gente reclama de tudo de barriga cheia”, refletiu o campeão, que chegou a chorar em palestra do jogador de vôlei Nalbert na capital do país, Porto Príncipe. “Me emocionei como nunca. O (nadador) Luiz Lima fez uma homenagem a um soldado que cantou com as crianças num orfanato. Chorei bastante”.

Foto: André "Fran" Pires.

Aldo também emocionou alguns fãs, em especial o soldado Vanute Patreve, como registrado em reportagem do Globoesporte.com.

Outro admirador de Aldo foi o jornalista André “Fran” Pires, que tirou foto “armando” para o ídolo. “Conversamos sobre a missão e as cenas com certeza vão entrar no programa”, disse André, produtor do “Não conta lá em casa”, exibido nas noites de quarta-feira no canal a cabo Multishow.

Aldo in Haiti / Photo: publicity - Não conta lá em casa

José Aldo was voted MMA fighter of 2010 both by GRACIEMAG readers and team. But there’s no changing him: it looks like the success of being UFC featherweight champion will never go to his head. Rather than taking some well-deserved down time in some holiday paradise, José Aldo took off for an aid mission in Haiti, a Caribbean nation ravaged by an earthquake in January of last year and still baring more damage than the opponents of the little fighter from the Amazon.

Via Twitter, @josealdojunior stated he will return home to Brazil tomorrow. He also commented on what he saw during the Hatian journey for “Esporte pela Paz” (“Sports for Peace”), along with other Brazilian stars.

“I’d never seen anything like it. I’m shocked, it’s all so sad. We complain about everything while our bellies are full,” the champion reflected, even crying during a lecture by volleyball player Nalbert in the nation’s capital, Port au Prince. “I was struck by emotion like never before. Luiz Lima (swimmer) paid tribute to a soldier who sang to kids at an orphanage. I wept a lot.”

Photo: André "Fran" Pires

Aldo also touched the hearts of some fans, especially the soldier Vanute Patreve, as captured on a video clip on Globoesporte.com.

Another of Aldo’s admirers was journalist André “Fran” Pires, who took a photo with his “guns cocked” facing his idol. “We spoke about the mission and the scenes will surely make the program,” said André, producer of the TV show “Não conta lá em casa,” airing Wednesday nights on Multishow television channel.

Aldo with UFC belt / Photo: publicity

Manaus city hall, represented by municipal sports secretary Fabrício Lima, in partnership with the UN, the Brazilian army, and the Viva Rio NGO, will be in Port au Prince, Haiti, on January 23 to participate in the “Sports for Peace” event, whereby big names from the sporting world will visit the earthquake-ravaged nation. Among them will be stock car racer Antonio Pizzonia, triathlete Armando Barcellos, Olympic judoka Flávio Canto, taekdowndo fighter Natália Falavigna, and soccer star Fred, who has yet to confirm his presence.

And MMA couldn’t stay out of such a noble venture. The one called on to represent the style is UFC featherweight champion José Aldo, who accepted the invitation from the government of his city of birth right away. Aldo will take off January 20.

(Collaborator Arthur Castro, Lutas do Norte)

Aldo com o cinturão do UFC. Foto: divulgação.

A prefeitura de Manaus, representada pelo secretario municipal de Esportes Fabrício Lima, em parceria com a ONU, Exército Brasileiro e a ONG Viva Rio, participa no dia 23 de janeiro, em Porto Príncipe (Haiti), da Jornada Haitiana do Esporte pela Paz. O evento levará para o País, que foi devastado por um terremoto há um ano, grandes nomes do esporte. Entre eles o piloto de stock car Antonio Pizzonia, o triatleta Armando Barcellos, o judoca da equipe olímpica do Brasil Flávio Canto, a atleta do taekwondo Natália Falavigna e o jogador de futebol Fred, que falta confirmar sua presença.

E o MMA não poderia ficar de fora de uma atividade tão nobre. O escalado para representar a modalidade foi José Aldo, campeão dos penas do UFC, que aceitou de pronto o convite da prefeitura da sua cidade natal. Aldo embarca no dia 20 de janeiro.

(Colaborou Arthur Castro, Lutas do Norte)

Recently, Dr. Steve, a “2nd degree” blue belt, showed his usual “black belt attitude” when the earthquake hit in Haiti. He didn’t think twice about it – he knew he had to go and help. Dr. Steve is an Internist and has his regular medical practice in San Clemente, but he is also part of a charitable organization called “Operation Rainbow.” Operation Rainbow is based out of San Francisco and is comprised of six different medical teams that travel to Central and South America to perform orthopedic surgery on children with crippling injuries and congenital deformities.

Once a year, each Operation Rainbow group travels to a given destination. Once there, they evaluate 500 people and pick 50 to 80 to do surgery on, “My role as an internist,” Cullen says, “is to run the recovery room and hold clinics for high blood pressure and diabetes. I’m also the doc for our team, should they get sick. This emergency trip to Haiti was the first ever of its kind for Operation Rainbow. It was a strike-force for the earthquake victims. We’ve never put together a trip like this on such short notice.”

In fact, the whole team only had 16 hours notice to get time off from work and collect the medical and surgical supplies needed for a trip like this, let alone pack for a week in a foreign country. That was followed by a 3am drive to LAX, a flight to Miami, a second flight to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, and finally a 6-hour bus ride to the Haitian border.

Cullen didn’t eat any food during the day because he didn’t want to use the camp’s food supply”

Cullen says it was chaos when they arrived on the scene, “We drove into a refugee camp in Jimani, in the Dominican Republic. It was two miles from the Haitian border. We didn’t know what to expect. We were responding to a natural disaster greater than what we’d ever seen before. Our surgeons quickly took leadership of the surgical community that was down there, and probably a hundred docs and nurses from all over the world worked together to orchestrate medical care.”

The refugee camp was at a site where there was a hospital, a chapel, and an orphanage. Those buildings and a number of tents quickly became hospital wards, “There were hundreds of patients in need of emergency medical care and surgery,” Cullen says, “They were laying everywhere – on mattresses inside the buildings and outside in the dirt. The 40-bed orphanage that we converted into a hospital housed 300 patients. It was busting at the seams. All in all, we had about 500 patients. We immediately started triaging them to different areas depending on their medical needs and we began to operate on people. Patients were put on antibiotics and pain control meds.”

What complicated matters was that there was no medical testing available, “We usually have access to medical testing, like blood tests and x-rays, but we didn’t have any of that. Doctors fixed fractures by guessing if bones were aligned correctly,” Cullen says, “Most of the victims had crushed bones, so we performed surgeries, put them in casts, or amputated limbs, but in war zones you’re not supposed to close wounds. You’re supposed to come back a week later to do formal amputations. Unfortunately, initial medical teams did amputations quickly and that led to post operative complications that we also had to deal with. Many victims got infections, so we ended up with bigger amputations. We had to remove many arms and legs.”

What makes it more tragic is that many children operated on had no family left, “Kids woke up from anesthesia crying for their moms and dads, but they weren’t there. They were probably dead. Their homes collapsed after the earthquake. They were built into the sides of hills, staggered, one on top of each other with no support, so they didn’t stand a chance.”

Cullen was busy working when a 6.1 earthquake aftershock hit, “The Haitians were so traumatized from their initial earthquake experience, the aftershock sent them over the edge. One guy got so scared he threw his clothes and mattress over the 2nd story balcony and jumped. He broke his back and paralyzed himself. I tried to explain to everyone that the building we were in was safe, but none of the 300 patients would go back into the building after that. They pulled their mattresses outside and stayed there, regardless of their medical condition.”

Cullen’s wife, Cathy, is an R.N. and was also on the scene with him, “Cathy saved one man’s life. He was a burn victim with 40% of his body covered in 3rd degree burns. He sat outside of a hospital for six days with no medical care before he came to our camp. Cathy found him sitting outside. She brought him in and found a surgeon to perform surgery on him. Most would have died from infection. We kept him alive and we had him airlifted to the USS Comfort, where I hope he’s still alive today.”

In fact, Cullen was instrumental in getting patients airlifted to the USS Comfort, a floating Naval Hospital, sent to help the earthquake victims, “On our 5th day, there was a rumor that the USS Comfort was going to start airlifting patients out. The US Navy sent a helicopter to our camp and the Dominican Republic decided to do the same. I was introduced to a Dominican general and I spoke with him in Spanish about the situation. I told him about some of our patients who desperately needed to be in a regular hospital to be treated for things we couldn’t do at the camp, and he initially agreed to one trip, then I got him to agree to multiple trips.”

Cullen went on to say, “No matter what your profession and training, nothing prepares you emotionally for seeing a US Navy Black Hawk helicopter dropping down from the sky and whisking patients away in minutes. There was no better feeling than knowing my patients were going to a US Naval hospital that could house 1000 patients and give them the effective medical treatment they so badly needed.”

Cullen says he worked from 7am until 10pm at night. He didn’t eat any food during the day because he didn’t want to use the camp’s food supply. Cullen says the trip was an unparalleled experience, “It was crazy, heart breaking, and chaotic. Every second was amazing.”

What Cullen wants people to know is that although the earthquake is over, Haitians have an uphill battle ahead, “These people will have to go back to Haiti. The Dominican Republic won’t let them live there. There is no prolonged care in Haiti. These patients will need more operations and they have no means to get them or prosthetics. Haiti is now a country filled with amputees and orphans. They had no belongings to begin with, but now they have no belongings, no money, and no homes. So, if people want to help, they can donate to charitable organizations that have already shown up like Operation Rainbow, and earmark their donations for Haitian relief. My team’s committed to going back in April to see what more we can do.” There’s that black belt attitude again…

If you want to help, go to: http://www.operationrainbow.org/

Jacaré training with Cobrinha (on bottom). Photo: Publicity Alliance Atlanta

Through an in-house tournament held this Saturday, Alliance US Headquarters, in Atlanta, Georgia, managed to raise 2,500 dollars for victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

“We’re sending the money now,” Master Romero “Jacare” Cavalcanti told GRACIEMAG.com. “It was a really cool gi tournament, perfectly organized with everything running on schedule. At the end of the day, with 160 competitors signed up and a leather jacket raffled off, we collected 2,500 dollars. It was a great party.”

The donation will be sent to the Red Cross, which is working on rebuilding the Caribbean nation.

Romero Cavalcanti, o Jacaré, dando um treininho. Foto: Divulgação.

Tão logo viu as imagens do terremoto no Haiti, mestre Romero Jacaré decidiu fazer algo pelas vítimas da tragédia no país da América Central.

A solução pensada foi um torneio interno da Alliance Atlanta, na Geórgia, que será realizado amanhã, com toda renda voltada para a Cruz Vermelha que age no Haiti. Além do dinheiro das inscrições, doações podem ser feitas no dia.

Após a convocação do mestre, 106 praticantes já se inscreveram no torneio. Além de Jacaré, a estrela Rubens Cobrinha vai atuar no campeonato, como árbitro e organizador.

“Para incrementar a premiação, Jacaré criou uma rifa cujo prêmio é uma jaqueta de couro da equipe, lançada em série limitada”, conta o aluno Bart Stevens. “Os proprietários da empresa Lutador Grappling ofereceram o pódio e as tabelas. O retorno tem sido grande, vai ser um dia realmente especial para a Alliance”.

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