Fabiano Silva / Photos: Deb Blyth

Stephen beat Fabiano last year at the same event, and it didn’t sit well with him. “He’s such a nice guy and I like him, but I had nightmares over my loss to him,” he says, “I don’t like to lose.” So Fabiano was determined to win this year, and he did. The two had one fight in their division, which Fabiano won by points, 7-2.

Fabiano says his experience this year was very pleasurable. With Fabiano being 33 and Stephen over 40, the two still look forward to competing in the adult division but know they’re not going to be able to do it forever. “We’re not young guys anymore,” Fabiano says, “We put our butts on the line in the adult division. We put our personalities out on the mat and leave it all out there. And we just did that because I’m tired! It was a fast moving match for two big guys.”

To add to the age issue, the two men also have many outside commitments that make it more difficult to train and compete all the time like many of the younger competitors. “I have three kids, a wife, and I run a gym,” Fabiano says, “I don’t have the time to train as much as others do.”

Fabiano playing half-guard

Fabiano’s favorite Jiu-Jitsu move is half-guard and he uses it as much as he can when he’s fighting. “I love it,” he says, “ I do believe it’s one of the most effective guards there is. You can transition into and out of it easily and effectively to get into other positions. I’m a big fan of Cyborg and Caio Terra’s and they’ve completely mastered this aspect of the game.”

Silva's comeuppance for last year's loss to Hall

You can see Fabiano at his professional MMA fight next week at Gladiator’s Challenge at Soboba Casino in San Jacinto, California. “It’s on August 21st,” Fabiano says, “I’m about 218 pounds right now and I have to get to 206 to fight.”

As for the Las Vegas International Open, Fabiano says, “Stephen and I are now 1-1. We are trading wins back and forth.” But with Fabiano’s competitive nature, it’s not likely he’s going to want to give it back next year.

At last year’s Las Vegas Open everything converged, and the lightest competitor, most nimble athlete, and the winner of the absolute were all the same person: roosterweight Caio Terra. This year Caio’s in the mix again, but the obstacles in taking his second event title on the coming 13th abound – and are of lumbering stature.

The names looking to throw a wrench in Caio’s plans and shine are Otavio Sousa, Ben Baxter, Carlos Melo, Paulo de Sá, Marcello Salazar, Diego Gamonal, Rodrigo Teixeira, Fabiano Lima, Steven Rosenberg and Samir Chantre, to name a few. What about you, dear reader, who’s your money on to be the big name at the Las Vegas Open?

No Las Vegas Open, ano passado, porém, tudo convergiu, e o atleta mais leve, o mais ágil e o campeão absoluto foram a mesma pessoa, o faixa-preta peso-galo Caio Terra. Este ano, Caio está no páreo, mas os obstáculos para o bicampeonato, no próximo dia 13, são muitos, e de alta estatura.

São nomes como Otavio Sousa, Ben Baxter, Carlos Melo, Paulo de Sá, Marcello Salazar, Diego Gamonal, Rodrigo Teixeira, Fabiano Lima, Steven Rosenberg e Samir Chantre, entre outros, na briga para desbancar Caio Terra e brilhar mais em Vegas. E você leitor, aposta em quem para ser o grande nome do Las Vegas Open?

As most know, Terra not only has a love for competing, but also a passion for teaching as well. He continues to share his knowledge of Jiu-Jitsu with the world through his YouTube channel and the viewers who subscribe to his link. On his channel, he has moves with Nick and Nate Diaz, Jake Shields, Gilbert Melendez, Samir Chantre, and Cesar Gracie, to name a few of the heavy-hitting Jiu-Jitsu and MMA stars Terra’s rolled with over the years.

Most recently, Terra added his 2010 Las Vegas Open Absolute highlight to his YouTube channel. “That was the first time in history a rooster or light feather weight has won the Absolute in an IBJJF tournament,” he says.

If you would like to subscribe to Terra’s YouTube channel, you can access it at this address: http://www.youtube.com/user/caioterrabjj

Caio Terra se vira literalmente para vencer o super-pesado Bruno Bastos, no último Americano de Jiu-Jitsu. Foto: Alicia Anthony.

Caio Terra foi um dos destaques de 2010 nos dojôs. O peso galo chamou a atenção ao garantir o ouro em dois absolutos de importância na temporada, no Americano de Jiu-Jitsu e no Las Vegas International Open.

No entanto, também chamou a atenção durante o ano a rivalidade com tricampeão mundial Bruno Malfacine, o grande rival no peso galo.

“No meu peso, ele é o cara mais duro, muito forte. No Mundial 2008, eu o finalizei; no Mundial 2009, encaixei um triângulo, mas ele saiu do tatame e ganhou por pontos; e em 2010 tenho certeza que ganhei a luta, apesar de ele ter vencido por uma vantagem”, fala Caio em reportagem da repórter Deb Blyth, na GRACIEMAG #165.

Em 2011 tem mais Mundial e o confronto pode acontecer novamente. Para conseguir o resultado, Caio diz qual a sua receita:

“Vou treinar duro para finalizá-lo em 2011.”

Para saber tudo sobre Jiu-Jitsu, assine agora a GRACIEMAG clicando aqui.

Caio Terra literally upside down to beat superheavyweight Bruno Bastos at last American Nationals / Photo: Alicia Anthony.

Caio Terra was one of 2010’s big standouts on the mats. The roosterweight caught attention by securing gold in the absolute division in two major events, the American Nationals and the Las Vegas International Open.

However, the rivalry with three-time world champion Bruno Malfacine, his great rival at roosterweight, drew attention too.

“At my weight, he’s the toughest, he’s really strong. At the 2008 World, I submitted him; at the 2009 Worlds, I sunk a triangle but he left the mat and won by points; and in 2010 I’m certain I won the match, although he took it by an advantage point,” says Caio in an article by reporter Deb Blyth featured in GRACIEMAG 165.

There’s another Worlds coming up in 2011 and the matchup may arise again. To achieve his desired result: Caio gives the recipe:

“I’m going to train hard to submit him in 2011.”

To find out all there is to know about Jiu-Jitsu, subscribe to GRACIEMAG by clicking here.

A dupla do pluma no Mundial No-Gi ensina a guarda aranha. Foto: John Lamonica.

Em destaque na GRACIEMAG #165, Caio Terra vem aprontando nas principais competições, seja nas divisões de peso – Caio costuma lutar de pluma e de galo – ou no absoluto, como ocorreu no Las Vegas Open e no American Nationals, recentemente.   

Na revista GRACIEMAG, o faixa-preta comenta uma das grandes rivalidades do Jiu-Jitsu atual, entre ele mesmo e o tricampeão mundial Bruno Malfacine. Além disso, conta como faz nos treinamentos para derrotar os oponentes mais pesados. 

No vídeo abaixo, com os faixas-pretas Matheus Henrique e Samir Chantre, seu parceiro no título mundial sem kimono, Caio ensina boas variações da guarda aranha, com uma raspagem e uma finalização. 

Confira e aprenda:   

Quer saber mais, então assine a sua GRACIEMAG clicando aqui.

The light featherweight duo at the No-Gi Worlds teaches the spider guard. Photo: John Lamonica.

Featured in GRACIEMAG #164, Caio Terra has been wreaking havoc in the big competitions, whether in the weight groups – Caio tends to compete either at light feather or at roosterweight – or in the absolute, as he did at the recent Las Vegas Open and the American Nationals.

In GRACIEMAG magazine, the black belt comments on his current rivalry in Jiu-Jitsu, between he and three-time world champion Bruno Malfacine. Furthermore, he speaks of how he goes about training to beat much bigger opponents.

In the video below, including black belts Matheus Henrique and Samir Chantre, the co-holder of his No-Gi world title, Caio teaches some great spider-guard variations, with a sweep and finish.

Watch and learn:

Want to find out more? Then subscribe to GRACIEMAG by clicking here.

Vinicinho e Alan Moraes. Foto: Carlos Ozório

Caio Terra vem impressionando por ser um lutador do peso galo, a categoria mais leve do Jiu-Jitsu, e vencer os pesadões no absoluto, como fez recentemente no Las Vegas Open e no Nacional Americano. 

Entretanto, não é de hoje que os bravos levinhos se aventuram no absoluto com êxito. Atleta da Carlson Gracie, campeão mundial na faixa-marrom e vice mundial na faixa-preta, Vinícius Cruz, o Vinicinho, também aprontava das suas contra os grandalhões. 

No fim da década de 90, num evento numa grande feira de esportes no Rio Centro, Vinicinho venceu a categoria aberta. O lutador bateu dois adversários e fechou na final com o companheiro Vitor Dórea. Na luta que mais chamou a atenção, Vinicinho usou a arma que era especialista: o estrangulamento rodado. Contra o hoje árbitro da CBJJ Maurício Russo, o lutador apertou até finalizar. 

“A gola rodada é excelente arma contra os mais pesados. Salvou a minha pele muitas vezes!”, relembra o casca-grossa.    

No vídeo abaixo, o faixa preta ensina a posição de duas formas. A gola rodada de maneira tradicional e, depois, com os macetes que o próprio desenvolveu. Assista e aprenda aqui no GRACIEMAG.com:   

Caio Terra in photo by Deb Blyth

Following his conquest of two absolute titles, at the Las Vegas Open and the American Nationals, Caio Terra teaches his secrets in two seminars.

This Thursday, BJJ Conquest academy will receive the black belt for a no-gi seminar. Activities go from 6 pm to 9 pm in Crofton, Maryland. The price to attend is US$ 75 and contact can be made via the websites www.caioterra.com and www.bjjconquest.com. Or by telephone (443) 668-9769.

Then, the champion will don his gi on October 3 in Claymont, Delaware, at XS Combat academy. The price is the same and, again, it is open to all. The contact information iswww.caioterra.com or (410) 599-5750.

Caio Terra em foto de Deb Blyth

Depois dos títulos absolutos no Las Vegas Open e no American National, Caio Terra ensina seus segredos em dois seminários. 

Nesta quinta-feira, a BJJ Conquest recebe o faixa-preta para um seminário sem kimono. As atividades vão das 18h até as 21h em Crofton, Maryland. O custo é de US$ 75 e os contatos podem ser feitos pelos sites www.caioterra.com, www.bjjconquest.com ou pelo telefone (443) 668-9769. 

Depois, o campeão veste o kimono no dia 3 de outubro, em Claymont, Delaware, na academia XS Combat. Os valores são os mesmos e, novamente, todos estão convidados a participar. Os contatos são pelo www.caioterra.com ou (410) 599-5750.

Caio Terra and Bruno Bastos (in blue). Photo: Alicia Anthony.

Terra, a rooster weight from Gracie Fighter, fought on Saturday in the black belt open and for the second time this year (coming off his big absolute win at the Las Vegas Open), he gave the crowd something to talk about.

Terra got a bye in his first match. In his second, he competed against Rodrigo Simoes of Gracie Barra Manhattan Beach. “We both pulled guard,” Terra says, “I went on top, and then took his back.” Simoes escaped and they rolled off the mat. The referee reset the match and the two started over. Terra pulled guard, swept Simoes, went to a flying triangle, and submitted him.

In his third fight, Terra was matched with Marcelo Mafra from Checkmat. Both competitors pulled guard. “I went on top,” Terra says, “Then took his back.” The two rolled off the mats and were reset by the referee. Both pulled guard again. “I swept him, he swept me, and I swept him back again,” Terra says. Terra took Mafra’s back. He went for an armbar at the end of the match, but Mafra escaped. Time ran out and Terra won 6-2.

In Terra’s fourth and final match, he faced off with super heavyweight Bruno Bastos from Nova Uniao. Bastos stayed in Terra’s guard for much of the match, unable to pass. Terra got three omoplata attempts on Bastos. “He always stood up,” Terra says. Bastos tried to shake the little man off, but Terra stayed in position.

Bastos was given a warning for not moving. “I opened my guard a little, to try to make something happen, but he went back into my closed guard,” Terra says. Time ran out and Terra won by points.

“Bruno was a gentleman on the mats,” Terra says, “He showed really good sportsmanship. He was very cool.” As a competitor, Terra said, “His base is very good. His weight seems way stronger than he is.”

Bastos also fought three matches in the open class. In his first match, he fought Rodrigo Ranieri from Brasa. “He is very strong,” Bastos says, “I swept him and ended up controlling the match on top.” Bastos won by points.

In his second match, he faced Leandro Santos of Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu, whom he beat by points. Bastos threw him with a foot sweep and Santos ended up back on his feet. “We played judo on the mat until the end,” Bastos jokes.

Then in the final, Bastos was paired with Terra, much to his dismay. After the match, Bastos laughed, “I tried to crush him, but there were so many legs flying around!” Bastos says that Terra is very tough. “He won the open in Las Vegas and now again. I have to train more with small guys. He’s very flexible. I kept trying to pass his guard, but couldn’t.”

When Terra commented on his good sportsmanship, Bastos says, “I try to be a good sportsman. I love to compete.” At the end of the match, both jokingly agreed that they would prefer not to have to compete against each other again in the future.

The final results of the black belt open were:

1. Caio Terra, Gracie Fighter
2. Bruno Bastos, Nova União
3. Leandro Santos, Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu
   Marcelo Mafra, CheckMat