It’s that time of the year again.

The registration period for the 2015b World Jiu-Jitsu championship is officially open.

Hurry and register now to be part of the most important event of the calendar.

On top of all that, the 2015 edition is extra special, once it is the 20th edition of the Worlds.

From Roberto Roleta, Walid Ismail, Royler Gracie, Fabio Gurgel, to Roger Gracie, Ronaldo Jacaré, Hannette Staack, Leka Vieira, to Rodolfo Vieira, the Mendes Bros, Gabi Garcia and Marcus Buchecha, the number of Jiu-Jitsu legends that made their names at the Worlds is endless.

Now you also can be a part of that glorious history, all you have to do is register.

The 2015 World Jiu-Jitsu championship takes place once again at the Long Beach Walter Pyramid, from May 27* to May 31st (*if necessary).

It’s an open event for all belts except the black belt.

Adult black belts need to have at least 50pts in the IBJJF ranking to be able to register.

All other belts can register freely.

Click here for more info and to register now.

The final deadline is May 18, but if you want to pay less, you better hurry.

The fee is $95 until April 20, then $115 until May 4 and then $130 for late comers until May 18.

And remember to follow the complete coverage of the 2015 Worlds on all of GRACIEMAG outlets.

Once again, we will have the best team around the mat to bring all the thrills direct to you, via site, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more.

GRACIEMAG is the only media outlet that covered all editions of the Worlds and once again we’ll be there to be your eyes and ears.

See you in Long Beach!

Marcelo Melgaço vs. Gustavo Dantas. Photo: Ivan Trindade

Over the weekend of Nov. 1 & 2, Professor Gustavo Dantas of GMA GD Jiu-Jitsu was one of many who traveled to the Long Beach Pyramid to compete in the Masters Worlds. An avid competitor, leader of a strong team out of Arizona and promoter of mental training. The BJJ Mental Coach took to his blog to explain the outcome of his run at the Worlds.

While he didn’t get the gold, he has no shame or regrets in the performance he was able to have with the tools he had with him. He explains what is necessary in these tournaments and the correct mindset going into it, during it and after.

Check it out:

“Definition of movement: “An organized effort by supporters of a common goal”

First of all, I would like to congratulate all supporters of The BJJ Mental Coach® movement who competed at the 2014 World Masters Championship in Long Beach. I lost in my fourth and final match by one advantage and ended up with second place at the Black Belt/Feather/Master 2. It was not exactly the outcome that I had planned, but I can walk with my head up high and be in peace with myself, knowing that I did the best I could with the tools that I had during that moment. I made some tactical and strategic mistakes that I will have to review and then start working towards improvement.

But why did I call it The BJJ Mental Coach® movement? Because when you see competitors wearing a The BJJ Mental Coach® patch on their gis during competition, they BELIEVE in an idea:

“Always try to perform to the best of your ability and be your best self on and off the mat with the tools and knowledge that you have right now!”

The most frustrating feeling that a competitor can have (in my opinion) is the feeling that you lost to YOURSELF, when the nerves got the best of you and you didn’t perform to the best of your ability. I believe our losses are usually related to four key elements:

1-Technical mistakes

2-Physical conditioning

3-Tactical or strategic mistakes

4-Lack of mental preparation

The first three are easy to fix. The problem is the fourth one, the mental aspect. It takes a lot more work than people think to overcome it. You could have lost your match due to one key element, two, three, or even a combination of all four elements. The point is that when your nerves get the best of you, you are NOT being your best self on the mat, and it sucks! Trust me, I’ve been there many times. It doesn’t mean that you cannot WIN, though. That is not the point. The point is to perform just like you do in practice so you can truly be at peace with yourself. And the first step that helped me to overcome my mental blocks is actually the number one tip of my program, Inner Discovery for Outer Success:

Tip 1 – BE TRUE TO YOURSELF.

You are who you are, NOT what you do. Winning or losing a tournament will not make you a better or worse worthwhile person. The fear of failure, the fear of disappointing others (your coach, teammates, and/or family members), the fear of being judged if you don’t meet others’ expectations of your performance—these feelings hold SO many competitors back from performing to the best of their ability and being their best self on the mat. (They held me back for a long time.)

Keep one thing in mind: people who really love you and care about you will be there for you no matter what, winning or losing. Don’t let fear control your performance and/or your life, preventing you from pursuing your personal goals, dreams, and aspirations that you might have and performing to the best of your ability ON and OFF the mat. That is right—we need to perform to the best of our abilities every day! We need to be the best parent that we can be, the best husband/wife, business owner and so forth. Become a champion ON and OFF the mat.

This year was a great competition year for me! I have zero complaints, just appreciation. I’ve learned SO much about Jiu-Jitsu and about myself, including an appreciation for being healthy, for all the supportive people in my life, for living my teenage dream of teaching Jiu-Jitsu, for living, and for living my life purpose 100%.”

Follow more valuable lessons from Gustavo Dantas at www.thebjjmentalcoach.com

Gabriel Moraes (in white) is the light featherweight world champion of 2013. Photo: Ivan Trindade.

Veteran black belt competitor Gabriel Moraes hadn’t won at the BJJ Worlds since 2004. With his 2013 title, he is now the black belt with the furthest apart gold medals in history. (Gabriel Vella had the old record with wins in 2002 and 2009.) However, it was not through this hiatus that the CheckMat fighter proved his persistence. In his fights at the Worlds last weekend, he would never give up until he heard the whistle. On Sunday, Gabriel had to hack away until the very end to sweep Gabriel Willcox and beat him, 6-4.

In the semifinal he came across Daniel Beleza, who had knocked out Gui Mendes in a decision. Once again, victory came only with the last move, and he wasn’t even sure until he left the fighting area. “All I know is I was losing and then I kept pressing and pressing–I have no idea how I won or how I got the advantages,” he smiled.

Ary Farias’ drama

In the final, Gabriel did all he could to stop 2010 champ Ary Farias from scoring. Ary went to the back, Gabriel defended. Ary tried to catch a limb, Gabriel freed himself. And the fight went on tied with no points, Ary leading in advantages. The whistle blew and Ary was the champion for the next couple of seconds. That was when his emotions betrayed him and he took his two fateful steps toward the podium. The rule, although new, is very clear: The athlete that leaves the fighting area to celebrate will be punished with one advantage being given to their opponent.

Referee Muzio de Angelis had no choice but to grant Gabriel an advantage, thus changing the score to a draw in advantages, except Gabriel had one less penalty and had just become the world champion.

Devastated with the turn of events, Ary said of the lost title, “I fight five times against those lions, beat the toughest men in the division, and then this happens.”

1. Who’s the new king of Jiu-Jitsu? Buchecha or Rodolfo?

Buchecha is the undisputed reigning king of Jiu-Jitsu. He had a brillant 2013 Worlds, giving no chances to any of his opponents. The 9-0 score in the open class absolute final over the also incredible Rodolfo Vieira was the perfect cap for an amazing weekend. Buchecha is at least one step ahead of all other competitors. Very skilled, unpredictable, fast and with infinite pressure, Buchecha is for sure the man of the moment.

Buchecha, the new king of Jiu-Jitsu

2. Can anyone prevent an absolute final between Rodolfo and Buchecha?

No. Buchecha and Rodolfo are the two best competitors of their generation by far. Fabio Gurgel tried to put them on the same side of the absolute bracket but when that didn’t work the final between the two became an almost certainty. Rodolfo submitted all his opponents until the final and Buchecha had a bit more trouble only with Bernardo Faria in the other semifinal, but managed to advance. The overall scenario of Jiu-Jitsu black belts is one where no one is currently able to threaten the supremacy of Buchecha and Rodolfo.

No one can threaten Buchecha and Rodolfo

3- Will Clark Gracie be able to put the family back on the top of an adult male black belt podium?

No. Clark was not able to repeat his 2013 Pan performance in Long Beach. He did well and went as far the middleweight quarterfinals, where he faced Victor Estima and lost the spot in the semifinal by 2-0. Clark is young and will have other opportunities to put the family back on the top of the podium, as will other talents like Kayron, Kron and Kyra.

Clark Gracie stopped in the middleweight quarterfinals

4- Will Atos JJ’s black belt squad plus Keenan be able to debunk Alliance from the top of the teams’ competition?

No. It was not a good weekend for Atos JJ. Despite placing third in the adult male competition, the team was not able to make even one black belt champion (male or female). Light-featherweight Ary Farias was the one who came closest, but two steps outside the mat during celebration cost him a penalty and the title. Other than that, Atos had some bitter outcomes to the run of competitors regarded as favorites. Gui Mendes lost to Daniel Beleza in the light-featherweight and came short of the podium. Rafael Mendes suffered a last-second defeat to Tanquinho. Andre Galvão lost a tough match to Braulio Estima and had to settle for a third place in the medium-heavy. In the open class, Galvão was stopped by Leo Leite in the quarterfinals, also earlier than expected. Claudio Calasans Jr. could not give back the 2012 defeat to Otávio Sousa and had to settle for the silver medal again. Even Keenan Cornelius came short of the 18 points he was expected to score, with double gold at the brown belt medium-heavy and open class division. The defeat to Paulo Miyao in the absolute final on Saturday was maybe a sign that Atos was not in its weekend. 

Leo Leite gets the win over Galvão

5- Is Gabi Garcia really unbeatable among women?

Yes, for the moment. Bia Mesquita once again was unable to present an actual threat to Gabi’s supremacy. The Alliance star cruised through the absolute and the heavyweight division to keep her title of queen of female Jiu-Jitsu. It’s going to be a while until someone is able to dethrone Gabi. First, someone will have to come up with a way to annul her size advantage and ever growing technique.

Who can beat Gabi?

6- Will Caio Terra really stay in light-feather and if so can he pose a real threat to Gui Mendes?

No. As expected, Caio went back to his natural roosterweight. More than that, he was able to conquer his second world title when he defeated Bruno Malfacine 4-2 in the final. It was their fifth Worlds final in a row and for the first time Caio came out of it as the winner.

Caio Terra was the roosterweight world champion

7- Can Cobrinha prevent Rafael Mendes from becoming a four-time world champion, like himself and Royler?

No, but Tanquinho could. Just like 2011, Augusto Tanquinho stole a spot in the featherweigjht final when he beat Rubens Cobrinha 2-0 in the semifinal. Unlike 2011, this time Tanquinho was able to put his game plan to work. A takedown in the first seconds put the Soul Fighters athlete in a comfortable position and a last-second effort for a back-taking and a takedown was all he needed to go ahead in the advantages count and claim the gold medal. Rafael Mendes will have to wait another year for a second try for the membership of the four-time featherweight champions club.

Tanquinho fought hard for his first world championship

8- Are we going to see a new non-Brazilian win an adult male black belt division?

No. The Brazilian domination of the black belt division stays unchallenged. Nyjah Easton, Ida Hansson, Tracey Goodell, Mackenzie Dern, Kanako Inaba, Alex Trans, Abraham Messina, Rafael Lovato Jr. and Yukinori Sasa were the non-Brazilians able to make to the podium. Only Nyjah was able to make to a final match. Jiu-Jitsu is stronger around the world every day, but it will take a while until the dominance of the country who created the gentle art as we know is seriously threatened.

Otávio Sousa celebrates his second world title

9- Will the Miyao Bros finally defeat Keenan?

Yes. Looks like all the training with the Mendes Bros before the Pan and before the Worlds paid off, despite creating some tension within the Atos JJ team (the Miyaos were not allowed to train at Atos San Diego with the rest of the team, Keenan included). For the first time after 10 battles (six against Paulo and four against João), Keenan’s arm was not raised at the end of the match. After the fight and after breaking into tears on the mat, Paulo had the following to say about the war with Keenan: “This time, it worked out. Maybe it was a random thing, I don’t know.”

Paulo Miyao can’t hold in his emotion after defeating Keenan

10- Will anyone be disqualified for using the double guard pull? 

No. As expected, the IBJJF referees were very patient with the double guard pull and the 50/50 guard, despite the protests of the crowd. At least in the main dvisions, no one got disqualified for that kind of game.

Double Guard

In another video report, GRACIEMAG stopped by Gracie Barra’s HQ, in Irvine, California, to register the 2013 Worlds Training Camp.

Led by Professor Zé Radiola, the camp gathers stars like Bráulio and Victor Estima, Otávio Sousa, Philipe Della Monica, Magid Hage IV, AJ Agazarm, among many others.

See how they are all getting ready for the most important event of the year.

The pre-sale of the 2013 Worlds pay-per-view is already available. Buy your now at ibjjf.com

André Galvão is leading an impressive army of competitors to fight for the teams’male adult competition first place.

Watch the video-report and see how strong Atos JJ will be in Long Beach (not forgetting that the Mendes Bros have a second Atos camp going on in Costa Mesa).

The pre-sale of the 2013 Worlds pay-per-view is already available. Get yours at ibjjftv.com.

In the second video report of the series featuring the training camps for the 2013 Worlds, we paid a visit to black belt and seven-time world champion Leticia Ribeiro.

Once again, she is preparing a strong team for the female division.

Bia Mesquita, Carol Vidal, Penny Thomas, besides Leticia, lead the team of 20 girls (14 were training the day we visited them).

Watch the video and see how they are getting ready to compete in Long Beach. 

And you still have two hours to register. The deadline is 11:59PM (PDT). Hurry and do it now here.

Augusto Tanquinho in a match against Isaque Paiva at Pans 2013. Photo: Ivan Trindade/ GRACIEMAG

For Augusto “Tanquinho” Mendes, this Jiu-Jitsu World Championship won’t be like the others. First, because this IBJJF Championship to be held in Long Beach from May 29 to June 2, will be his first Worlds after surgery in which he needed to put four screws in his neck, due to an injury during a training session in 2011.

And also, because it may be the last Worlds for this beast. “After this Worlds, I’ll only focus on MMA, whether I win or lose in Long Beach,” he announces.

Tanquinho will need to have a perfect day to get to the top of the featherweight division, which this year already confirmed an army consisting of Rafael Mendes, Rubens Cobrinha, Mario Reis, Theodoro Canal and the eternal Wellington Megaton, Tanquinho’s father-in-law.

The Soul Fighter’s professor, however, has a secret weapon that other competitors do not have: the assistance of the explosive UFC champion Ben Henderson. Tanquinho chatted with GRACIEMAG, check it out:

GRACIEMAG: How’s your head 15 days from the start of the World Championship?

AUGUSTO TANQUINHO: As strong as it can be. I fought several competitions after the surgery and I feel I’m doing well for someone who one year and half ago placed a titanium plate and four screws in the neck. All I had been through pre and post-surgery and in training was thinking about fighting this Worlds. So I used the prior events to correct errors and improve my pace, and I’ll get to this Worlds in the best shape of my life. I am very focused and training hard to become the champion. I believe 100% that my strongest aspect in Long Beach will be my mind.

You took third at Pan Ams in April. What have you changed to win the Worlds?

I haven’t changed much. The level is very high today and during Pans I lost against (Rubens) Cobrinha by advantages–he was better that day. The same way that I was better than him in Abu Dhabi. So I followed the plans, I kept training and let the mind be strong. There is no mystery: who makes less mistakes will be the champion in Long Beach.

Are you focusing on any technical details to shine at the Pyramid?

I’m always improving technical details; I pay much attention to all opponents. I try to train to be a complete fighter. If I need to play on top, I do it, if I need to pull guard, I do it, if I need to fight standing up, I also do it. And when training to be complete in Jiu-Jitsu, there are always details to correct.

How’s your camp for the tournament?

I’m doing physical training with Jerret Aki, from MMALab, and training Jiu-Jitsu thoroughly with Megaton Dias, Mackenzie (Dern, girlfriend) and their gang. I’m also training MMA and no-gi at the gym with Ben Henderson, Efrain Escudero and several others. I’m training to get there as a highly skilled athlete. Fans can expect a much focused Tanquinho, with my guard and passing sharp. My plan is that this will be my last Worlds for now, then I’ll take a break and devote myself exclusively to MMA – whether winning it or not. So I really want the title and I’m going for it, always fighting smart and finishing the fights when I’m able to do so.

How do you plan to surprise Rafa Mendes, the triple world champion who has dominated the feather division?

Rafael is a great athlete, he is the champion. I see him as a perfectionist in Jiu-Jitsu. But surely he also has flaws and should be training to correct them. I don’t know if we will face each other at the Worlds. I have to go through a lot of people and so does he. If the time comes to face each other again, I’ll be ready for him. The category is very difficult, no fight will be easy. The World Championship in the black belt, in all categories, is very tough. It’s in God’s hands (laughs)!

Tanquinho, what lesson can you teach our readers so they can have a good Jiu-Jitsu base?

Jiu-Jitsu is training, as simple as that. Train hard and it will help. Second, train like you intend to fight, so try not to accept sweeps and takedowns easily. If you are used to accepting these positions in training, you end up accepting them in a fight. Third but not least: work out the legs, strong legs are an important aspect for a good base.

Caio Terra vs. Laercio Fernandes. Photo: Ivan Trindade

The thirteenth reasons for supporting the 2013 World Championships is mostly for the spectators. Of course we can always learn from watching, the matches can also be pure entertainment. In this case, athletes shifting weight classes has something to do with that.

Reason #13: See new or rare match-ups from top athletes as they move weight classes.

Most of the time, competitors stay at the same weight class. Occasionally you will see athletes moving one or two or even a few as if to say they want a new challenge. But the top champions in one weight class tend to stay within their conquered divisions year after year.

This year one of the bigger moves by a champion is that of Caio Terra. We’ve seen the rooster weight compete as light feather many times before and we’ve seen him win in that category as well. He even competes in open classes and wins as the lightest guy to enter. But at the prestigious world championships he stays in his rooster division where his main opponent has always been Bruno Malfacine. Caio Terra has so far signed up as a light feather and although he mentioned that he could potentially still go back down to his home at rooster, he is competing in the higher division.

In this article he coaxes Bruno Malfacine to follow his footsteps and join the light feather division as well. There hasn’t been any confirmations, but we very well could see Malfacine in the mix as well leaving rooster weight so that others like Fabbio Passos, Felipe Costa, Rafael Freitas, Brandon Mullins and other natives can take their place in the finals. Malfacine is also one to move up to light feather at times, such as Pan Ams 2012 when he won the division.

Light feather has competitors like Guilherme Mendes who has been champion there three times as a black belt in 2009, 2011 and 2012. But he’s not the only threat in the division. Laercio Fernandes, Samuel Braga, Carlos Holanda Vieira, Samir Chantre just to name a few reside in the light feather category who can give both Caio and Bruno a good fight. Although these match-ups have happened before such as Laercio and Caio, Bruno and Guilherme and in both cases the rooster weights have won.

It will be interesting to see the light featherweight division and and what type of wrench this throws in the plans of some of the most dedicated and professional athletes. What do you think about the changes? Let us know!

[highlight]And if you haven’t signed up for yourself, you can click HERE to register and get more information!

[/highlight]

Luca Atalla during live GRACIEMAG Google+ hangout with Roberto Tussa in the Pan

Continuing with our 18 reasons for following the 2013 World Championship in honor of its 18th edition, we give you number three:

Enjoy our live coverage on our Google+ page for live interviews on Google Hangouts.

For every event, GRACIEMAG presents live coverage on Google + by posting pictures, videos, results and details as to what is happening at each event. This includes when, who is winning, how the event is being run and what you’d miss if you weren’t there.

With our Google Hangouts we interview athletes and coaches during the event giving you information right on the spot as we get it from the source. Get a chance to offer your own questions by watching out for our posts on who will be up next. And if you miss the live broadcast you can head to our youtube page for archives. Check out our interviews from Abu Dhabi WPJJC here as well as the Pan American Championship.

Prepare now for the coverage by bookmarking this link: gplus.to/graciemag. Easy enough, right?

The 2013 World Championship will be held at the Long Beach Pyramid, 1250 N Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90840. To see more information and/or register please go to www.ibjjf.org

Check out this interview from the 2013 Pan American Championship with Caio Terra:

Be a spectator but virtually. Photo: Erin Herle

As part of our 18 reasons to follow the 2013 World Championship, this second reason is a great motivator. And easy!

The second reason involves teleportation. But not your whole body, just your eyes. Don’t worry, it’s still cool because you can be a spectator at home just like you would be at the Long Beach Pyramid from May 29 – June 2!

Budovideos has mastered the ability for everyone with a computer to enjoy the World Championship by placing cameras at every one of the twelve competition mat areas which stream to your computer live. For a small fee and with different package prices you can access the event without paying for the plane ticket to get there.

The multi-mat technology allows you to switch between all of the mats. If you are trying to see a specific competitor, make sure you know the mat number and you can be ready to see all of their matches as they happen. The delay is only about 15-20 seconds!

Commentary is available with an entirely different camera view that comes with it. The commentators help out those looking to know more information on the event and athletes on only Saturday and Sunday.

You will be able to watch the stream on your phone as well if it is compatible. Most iPhone/iPad users will be able to see and some Android devices as well. On the mobile you can see the commentary view only, you can’t switch between the different mats.

Get creative and hold a get-together so multiple people can join in on the fun. Like watching the UFC, you can show your support in numbers and create a discussion. Hook up your computer to your TV for better viewing pleasure with this article.

Of course being there live is a luxury, but if that isn’t possible you can pretend you’re there by going to www.ibjjftv.com. Bookmark the page for easy access to avoid missing a match.

For more information on the 2013 World Championship May 29 – June 2, please visit www.ibjjf.org

Here’s an example of what you can do with the livestream:

Multiple set-ups at home. Photo: Instagram

Xande Ribeiro taking the back. Photo: Ivan Trindade

This year the annual World Championship is holding its 18th event. The first year of the championship was held in 1996, a year after the first Pan American Championship. The location was set at the famous Tijuca Tênis Clube gymnasium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where it resided until moving to California in 2007. This year the event will be held at the same location, the Long Beach Pyramid from  May 29 to June 2.

In honor of the 18th year, we’ve gathered 18 reasons for you to join us whether you’re a competitor yourself, a non-competing practitioner, a big fan of the sport, a supportive family member or a complete newbie. Every day we will post a new reason.

To kick it off, we give you the first:

See and learn from the best all in one place!

The most obvious motivation for following the Mundials is so you can learn from the best in the business. The black belts prepare for this tournament every year by going back to training right after it ends in order to focus on the next one. All year-round athletes, even at lower belts, dedicate their lives to training, preparing and competition with the largest goal in mind– the world champion title. By watching the matches you can see some of the most basic to the most advanced or most unique or most common moves and their application.

Check out this article for examples of moves we’ve pointed out in recent matches around the world.

When we watch Jiu-Jitsu we can recognize positions we’ve learned and see them used in ways we may not have seen before. The fact that you already understand a position can allow you to learn slight details or transitional opportunities without having to be taught the technique. By being present at the World Championships it will allow you to see how champions handle themselves, how they warm-up, how they choose their moves wisely and even mistakes that you can learn not to make.

See a choke from the back that Xande Ribeiro successfully used in competition. Then watch the next video to see it taught inside of his GMA academy.

Now that you are motivated, hurry and register to compete in the 2013 World Championship and click here.