Inacio Neto at the New York Open earlier this year. Photo: Erin Herle

The next IBJJF championship in New York is the 2014 New York Summer Open on Saturday, July 19. As with every other edition, the athlete list always reaches capacity before the registration deadline is met so register early!

The championship will take place at the traditional venue, the Nat Holman Gymnasium at the City College of New York. It is located at 160 Convent Avenue New York, NY 10031.

Divisions are open for adults and masters, white to black. Already signed up are members of GMA academies ready to defend their turf such as Renzo Gracie, Marcelo Garcia Academy, Vitor Shaolin BJJ Academy, Soca BJJ, Gracie Barra Long Island, Savarese BJJ and more.

You can register now for $110 per person at www.ibjjf.org

Vitor Oliveira, absolute champion of the NY Summer Open. Photo: Erin Herle/ GRACIEMAG

The weekend of July 13 saw some high-level Jiu-Jitsu in New York. The IBJJF held the first edition of the New York Jiu-Jitsu Summer Open, in the Nat Holman gymnasium, and the biggest name of the event was Teresópolis, Brazil’s, Vitor Oliveira (GFTeam), who secured gold at both the middleweight and absolute black belt divisions.

Vitor, who passed the guard of DJ Jackson (Lloyd Irvin) in the absolute final, talks about the feat and has some advice for our reader:

GRACIEMAG: What have you learned from winning two golds at the NY Summer Open?

VITOR OLIVEIRA: I had an excellent performance, I was able to apply the positions I wanted. But even with the win, I could see that I need to make adjustments in my game. I think the crowd was instrumental in this achievement – it’s always good to have the fans supporting.

How did your mind operate in the absolute final against the DJ?

This time I believed more in my judo. Early on I applied a takedown and gained two points. Then, I tried not to make mistakes by always attacking. That’s how I applied pressure until I passed the guard. Passing DJ’s guard was time-consuming, because he kept locking my foot in half-guard, but I kept my shoulder on his face and persisted. Near the end, he managed to sweep, but I won by 5-2. The secret to taking him down was to attack at the right time, when he sank the grip on my lapel.

In the middleweight final, you beat Daniel Tavares, of SAS. What have you learned?

I had fought Daniel in the No-Gi Pan last year and already knew a little about his game. I tried to take him down, but couldn’t stabilize the move and ended up leaving the fighting area. The referee brought the fight back to the middle and Daniel pulled the X-guard. I then fell on the side, but didn’t stabilize. Then Daniel went to all fours, which was when I was able to sink the guillotine and finish him.

What is your main trick for the few hours prior to competition?

I try to be as quiet as possible. It’s kinda funny, I always think that I won’t be able to use force [laughs]. My body gets a little soft, but when I get to the mat I am awake and cool. The fighter must always maintain good nutrition, sleep early before the event, try to be focused and avoid eating too much before fighting. It is helpful to have full confidence in your game – this will help in the critical hours throughout the tournament.

What did you learn overall in New York?

I learned a lot about my game. I have to be more alert and adjust my grips better when fighting. I was a little loose when I was caught by surprise in the final with DJ. I like to fight on top very much, preferably in half-guard. So I’ve just got to practice more and get my grips ultra tight.

See the final of the black belt absolute match here:

Visit GMA academies in the city

The IBJJF NY Summer Open has released the brackets for the one day event scheduled for Saturday, July 13. Athletes from all directions are driving into the city, flying from the west coast and other places and preparing their bodies for the competition tomorrow.

To see the brackets, click here.

New York is home to some of the best Jiu-Jitsu academies around. Our GMA members are located all over NYC and the surrounding areas so if you have the chance or want to train while you’re traveling, head on over to these academies:

Alliance NYC
98 Third Ave #1
New York, NY 10003
# 1 212 529 7675
www.alliancebjjnyc.com

Brooklyn Martial Arts
289 Livingston St
Brooklyn, NY 11217
# 1 718 403 9026
www.brooklynmartialarts.com

Gracie Barra Long Island
24 Jericho Turnpike
New Hyde Park, NY 11040
#1 516 633 0731
www.graciebarralongisland.com

Marcelo Garcia Jiu Jitsu
250 w26th St. – 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10001
# 1 212 414 0044
www.marcelogarciajj.com

New York City Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Team Renzo Gracie Staten Island
2397-B Hylan Blvd
Staten Island, NY 10306
# 1 347 414 1525
www.nycbjj.com

Renzo Gracie Academy
224 W 30th St
New York, NY 10001
# 1 212 279 6724
www.renzogracie.com

Rio Academy
95 Mains St.
East Rockaway, NY 11518
# 1 516 593 3859
www.rioacademy.com

Soca BJJ
1913 Wantagh Ave.
Wantagh NY 11793
# 1 516 557 2888
www.socabjj.com

Vitor Shaolin BJJ
780 8th Avenue, 3rd floor
New York, NY 10036
212.957.4045
www.bjjnewyorkcity.com