Rafael Lovato want s to come back to Emirates in 2012. Photo: GRACIEMAG.

Saturday is a day of World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship (WPJJ) trials in San Antonio, Texas, the second  U.S. trials to AbuDhabi.

The event has a significant number of high level aces, as reported by our partner Mike Calimbas. The event chooses 13 fighters for the main tournament, held in the capital of the UAE, in April 2012. Saturday’s disputes occur at Coliseu Freeman, and before the fights, there will be na arbitration course by IBJJF.

Among the athletes of the leading academies in the U.S., experts like Rafael Lovato, Pablo Silva, Gustavo Dantas, Wellington Megaton, JJ Holmes, Ricardo Bastos, Samir Chantre, Joshua Lauber and others, are promises of hot dispute.

The girls, with great technique, will be represented by Mackenzie Dern, Michelle Tavares, Kristina Barlaan and Christina Thomas, brown belt by Relson Gracie.

Check out the entries in all categories of major graduations and wait for the results here in GRACIEMAG.com.

 Black/Brown Belt

-143 pounds

Gustavo Dantas / Nova União

Gustavo Carpio / Marra Senki

Pablo Silva / Gracie Barra Tx “Draculino”

Milton Nascimento / Paragon BJJ

Mike Reyna / Champion Jiujitsu

-163

Joshua Lauber / Relson Gracie JiuJistu

Wellington “Megaton” Dias / Gracie Humaitá

Bruno Amaral / Brazilian Top Team

Joe Scovel / Longman Jiu-jitsu

Maajid Abdullah AL-Kush / Jiu jitsu Academy of Health and Fitness

Vitor Henrique Silva Oliveira / GFTeam

Darrin Lillian / Paragon Texas

Jason Soliz / TX 3 Coast MMA

Travis Tooke / Travis Tooke MMA

Travis Serna / Lovato Jiu Jitsu

Albert Hughes / Esportes Luta

Samir Chantre / Gracie Lutador

-183

James Harbison / Team Lloyd Irvin

Alberto Juarez / Ricardo Barros BJJ

-202

Rafael Lovato Jr. / Lovato Jiu-Jitsu

Jon Wagner / Nova União

Ricardo Bastos Cruz / Nova União

JJ Holmes / Aliança

Alexandre Santos / Gracie Barra

+ 202

Luis Rubalcava / Arsenal Jiu-Jitsu

Ricardo Barros / Ricardo Barros BJJ

Female – Purple to Black

– 140

Mackenzie Dern / Gracie Humaitá

Nathalia Azoff / Brazilian Top Team

Kristina Barlaan / Nova União

Ana Michelle Tavares Dantas / Gracie Humaitá

Tessa Simpson / Team Ronny Lis BJJ

Laurah Hallock / Paragon Texas

Ariadne Burkhart / João Crus BJJ

+ 140

Sijara Eubanks / Team Lloyd Irvin

Christina Thomas / Relson Gracie

Kelly Faszholz / Nova União

The event was held on May 28th, in San Antonio, Texas.

It was a huge success with great attendance and athletes turn out.

To wrap things up with a bang, Relson Gracie himself paid a visit on may 30th for a special seminar.

Here is a video of the event

For more info, go to GracieGrapplingCup.com

Photo: publicity

Our GMA Joshua Lauber (Relson Gracie) is throwing his first big tournament this coming October 29 and 30 in San Antonio, Texas. “It is called Gracie Grappling Cup, and on the 29th we are holding superfights in the gi with an eight-man format and first prize of 1,500 dollars. I am hoping to do two categories,160 pounds and down and 161 to 210 pounds. I have secured five lightweights, but am having trouble getting a few more and most of the heavies. I was hoping to make this mostly Texas-affiliated black belts, but want to open it up to others who might be interested.

The regular tournament will be on the 30th. Rules and info available at www.graciegrapplingcup.com.

The event is scheduled next October 29th-30th, in San Antonio, Texas.

Lauber explains the format of the event: “On the 29th we are holding superfights in gi with an 8 man format for a prize of 1500 dollars. The regular tournament will be on the 30th and both days will be done according to Relson Gracies proam rules.”

The leader of Relson Gracie San Antonio is looking for heavy fighters to compete at the 8 man competition.

Rules and info available at graciegrapplingcup.com.

Do you own a Jiu-Jitsu academy and want to have your school featured  on GRACIEMAG.com? It’s easy, all you need to do is to become a GMA member. Click here and find out how.

GMA member Joshua Lauber, of Relson Gracie San Antonio, in Texas, announces a very special seminar next August 31st.

Red-and-black belt Relson Gracie will be at the school for a special one-and-a-half hour class.

So, if you are a Jiu-Jitsu aficcionado and live in or will be visiting the San Antonio area at the end of the month,  don’t miss this opportunity to learn from one of the highest ranking BJJ professors there is.

The price of admission to learn from one of Jiu Jitsu’s greats is only $60 for non-members and $40 for RGJJSA members. Call 210-680-8900 for details or questions.

For more info, go to graciesa.com.

Do you own a BJJ academy and want to have your school featured in GRACIEMAG.com? It is easy, all you have to do is to become a GMA member. Click here and learn how.

Rolles teaching in Texas

Earlier this week, he attended a Rolles Gracie seminar with Rolles’ cousin Rhalan Gracie. “The eldest son of the legend Rolls led us through armbar setups and transitions to the back that were highly detailed.”

Back in San Antonio, Rhalan is the special guest until this Saturday, 27th. he will be teaching two seminars.

Rolles, Lauber, Rhalan

On the 26th, he will cover self defense and no holds barred techniques.

In April, RGJJSA will welcome Alvaro Romano for two ginastica natural seminars on the 16th and the 17th.

For more info, go to graciesa.com.

“It’s hard to pick one moment as everything he does is so detail oriented. But his armbar from the cross side is perfect!”, says Layber, himself one of the 38 attendees of the seminar.

“Ryron was also good enough to bring juice bags for sale (they sold out) and talk about his experiments as a vegetarian,” he concludes.

I’ve trained with Ryron a couple of times when he was a purple belt spending a long season with his grandfather, Master Helio, in Itaipava, Brasil, and I didn’t need to attend to be sure it was a good class.

Ryron visited Joshua Lauber academy on Texas

For more information, log on at www.graciesa.com