Bernardo Faria turns 28 today! The two-time black belt world champion who currently trains and teaches at Marcelo Garcia Academy in New York City is one of the most recognizable Jiu-Jitsu athletes. His tried and true deep half guard and sweeps are characteristics of this guy’s game and his battles with the Buchecha and Rodolfo Vieira have most likely graced your computer screens.

Check out this interview about the champion to celebrate his birthday:

Marcos Tinoco, Dominyka Obelenyte, Marcelo Garcia, Jonathan Satava. Photo: John “Ric” Ricard

When Marcelo Garcia runs his promotion nights at Marcelo Garcia Academy in New York City, he makes sure to leave some level of surprise. It may be seen as a tease or even a prank like when he promoted Gianni Grippo one year ago by making him think he was being promoted to a four-stripe brown belt before whipping out the black belt from his gi.

Dominyka receiving her black belt. Photo: John “Ric” Ricard

This year there were three additions to the MGA black belt team: Dominyka Obelenyte, Marcos Tinoco and Jonathan Satava. All active competitors on the team with multiple accomplishments for each, Marcelo decided it was their time. But not without inviting Marcos and Jon up for more stripes on their brown belts, letting them believe they would have to wait a little longer for their final rank.

Marcos receiving his black belt. Photo: John “Ric” Ricard

Before the ceremony was over, Marcelo gave his speech and called up the three one by one to have their black belts tied around their waist. A microphone placed in their hand, they each told a speech that they may or may not have been prepared for. Dominyka talked of her ten years in the art and wanting to quit while her parents encouraged her throughout her journey. Marcos talked of his struggles in Brazil and the opportunities that both his wife and Marcelo

Jon receiving his black belt. Photo: John “Ric” Ricard

gave to him that led him to this day. And Jon spoke of how he still had photos of Marcelo choking people in his bedroom at his family home that proved how much of a hero Marcelo was for him prior to even training with him.

Thanks to MGinaction, the speeches are available to see online. You can watch them below:

Watch out for Dominyka and Marcos, both entering the 2015 IBJJF European Championship to test their new belts on Jan. 22-25 in Lisbon, Portugal!

The brown belt dream team at the 2014 No-Gi Pans. Photo: Erin Herle

At Marcelo Garcia Academy in New York City, there is a team of athletes who have been sweeping tournaments. They came on the rise last year after individually winning competitions here and there. But today, they’ve discovered their unity in both training and competition so well that their tactics have succeeded in many accomplishments and titles.

The brown belt dream team as they’re called includes Marcos Silva Tinoco, Matheus Diniz, Jonathan Satava, Dillon Danis, Mansher Singh Khera and Joel Burgess. Their origins all differ as to when they exactly began training full-time with Marcelo and where they traveled from to be part of the team but now they all share a very similar lifestyle.

Some of their weight divisions overlap but from feather to sometimes heavy they have the titles covered. Their opportunities granted to them by Marcelo allow them a life of full-time training but their work ethics provide them with the results.

Marcelo Garcia himself pays close attention to the ebb and flow of their training, their interpersonal relationships and even their living situations. “I try to develop such a good environment that it encourages everyone to train. No fights, no chance to complain about small things, never lose the focus from what is the big goal: get better at Jiu-Jitsu and be able to live from Jiu-Jitsu later on. Everyone will enjoy it no matter if they are hurt or they’re upset, they come here and they’re going to have a good place and always enjoy training.”

Marcos, right. Photo: Erin Herle

Marcos’ arrival came in 2012 when he met Marcelo through his wife after moving from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The two were living in Memphis, TN and working at an affiliate school but Marcos often traveled back to New York to train under the legend. It was early this year when Marcos became part of the team in New York full-time. Since then he has competed in the major tournaments on both coasts and internationally. In 2013 he came up short as a brown belt at the gi Worlds, earning second in the middleweight division. By the following year the gold was his after closing out with teammate Dillon. In no-gi he closed out the medium-heavy division with another teammate Matheus twice at the Pans in NYC in 2013 and 2014.

Matheus after winning his second No-Gi Worlds title. Photo: Erin Herle

Matheus Diniz came from the same hometown as Marcelo in Brazil. When Matheus began training, Marcelo would come by to train and it was then that he made the connection. By the time he was a purple belt in 2011 he began training full-time as much as he could with Marcelo in the states before he’d travel back to his hometown. In 2013 he began his trek of collecting titles by closing out the 2013 No-Gi Pans with teammate Marcos and winning the 2013 No-Gi Worlds medium-heavy title. He came up with a bronze at the gi Worlds in 2014 but accomplished the same exact no-gi feat at Pans and Worlds as the previous year. He currently lives in a house with other serious athletes who are focused on the same goals from the academy.

Jon Satava winning his Pan ttile. Photo: Erin Herle

Jonathan Satava, a Long Island native spends his time teaching and training in the city during the week but travels home to family on the weekends. Considered to have the most replicated game of Marcelo’s, he moved to the academy as a blue belt. His breakthrough came in 2012 when he won No-Gi Pans absolute as a purple belt then followed up with a No-Gi Worlds title and a silver in the absolute. After being promoted to brown belt in 2013, he went on to win the No-Gi Pans. By 2014 he earned the gi Pans title with Dillon and earned third in the absolute. More recently he repeated the No-Gi Pans title but this time with an absolute title as well. No-Gi Worlds this year was another win for him as he closed the middleweight division.

Dillon after winning at the 2014 Pans. Photo: Erin Herle

Dillon Danis was the last to enter the dream team. He trained four years in both wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu as a teenager in New Jersey before moving next door to the Marcelo Garcia Academy in NYC at the age of 19 in 2013. Prior to the major move he traveled from NJ to train twice a week. He first made his appearance at the 2013 gi Worlds, which was his first tournament as a new brown belt, when he got to the quarter-finals of the middleweight division submitting all three of his opponents up to that point. But by the end of the year at No-Gi Pans he had put it all together to close out the middleweight division with teammate Jon Satava and third in the open. The gi Pans in 2014 gave him the win after again closing out with Jon. But at the Abu Dhabi World Professional Championship he and Jon fought in the finals instead of closing out, a move that is considered controversial by most. He earned the win and a month later closed out the middle division at gi Worlds with teammate Marcos. Most recently he closed middleweight and the absolute at 2014 No-Gi Pans  with Jon and closed middleweight with Jon again at 2014 No-Gi Worlds and then closed out with Munchi in the absolute.

Munchi won the double gold at 2013 No-Gi Worlds. Photo: Erin Herle

Mansher Singh Khera, known as Munch or Munchi, started training with Marcelo in 2010 as a white belt. He transferred over to the gym from a Queens academy less than a year after his Jiu-Jitsu journey began. All of his promotions have been earned under Marcelo making him the first of the homegrown. He made some strides in tournaments every once in awhile even placing second at gi worlds in 2013 as a purple belt losing to Michael Liera Jr. Later that year after being promoted to brown belt alongside teammate Jon Satava, he went on to win the 2013 No-Gi Pans lightweight division and accomplished double gold at the No-Gi Worlds. He again came up short against Liera Jr. at the gi Worlds of 2014 placing third in the lightweight division. However, he accomplished the same titles in no-gi as the previous year but instead of winning the absolute at No-Gi Worlds he closed it out with teammate Dillon.

Joel securing a crucifix, his most successful technique. Photo: Erin Herle

Joel Burgess moved from upstate New York to the Big Apple Feb. of 2012 as a purple belt after a short career in MMA. He visited the academy almost every month for two years before making the official move. Today he works as an assistant instructor, he’s the forum admin of MGinaction and oversees the daily operations and production of Estimainaction. He carries the weight of the feather division at most tournaments, earning his first major win at the 2013 No-Gi Pans closing out the weight division with German Salas. Moving on the No-Gi Worlds, he earned the silver medal in the feather division out in California. At the beginning of this year he was promoted to brown belt, his first promotion under Marcelo. Later in the year he won No-Gi Pans again, this time on his own accord. At No-Gi Worlds he secured the bronze.

In a video by John”Ric” Ricard, five of the dream team members discuss their tournaments and training in a casual setting. As an added plus, each of the athletes choose a technique they use well and break it down for viewers. You can watch the documentary here:

Paul Schreiner, Felipe Pena, Marcelo Garcia, Leandro Lo, Bernardo Faria. Photo: Erin Herle

While in town for the IBJJF NY Pro and/or seminars, the two Copa Podio stars Leandro Lo of Cicero Costha and Felipe “Preguica” Pena of Gracie Barra have stopped into the famed NYC academy of Marcelo Garcia.

The two stars took a class under Bernardo Faria who is also competing in the NY Pro and won the IBJJF Pro League last weekend in Long Beach.

Blending in as visiting students, they drilled the technique and sparred with other students in the class.

You can check out a quick video of the training:

Leandro will be competing in the heavyweight division in a round-robin with Keenan Cornelius and Tim Spriggs for a prize of $4,000 on Saturday, Oct. 25

The group of instructors, students and visitors discuss techniques. Photo: Erin Herle

Mansher and Dillon close out the brown belt male absolute. Photo: Erin Herle

The brown belts at the 2014 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship fought their matches on Sunday, Oct. 5 inside the Felix Event Center in Azusa, CA.

The divisions began the day and ran all the way through until the very end, only taking a break for the black belt finals in the middle. The brown belt male absolute title was shared among two students of Marcelo Garcia Academy in NYC. A week prior, the team swept the divisions from feather to heavyweight winning gold in each with one close-out in middleweight. Those middleweights, Dillon Danis and Jonathan Satava repeated the same feat in Azusa. Matheus Diniz went up a weight class at the Pan and won the heavyweight division there but went back down to his medium-heavy division at the Worlds and earned another gold there. Featherweight Joel Burgess conquered the Pan and earned a bronze in the Worlds.

Mansher in the lightweight final. Photo: Erin Herle

Mansher Singh Khera won the lightweight division after three matches and entered the absolute alongside Dillon. The two met in the finals and the title was given to Dillon, who had three matches of his own in middleweight before meeting Jon in the finals.

Dillon wins the semi-final with a kneebar. Photo: Erin Herle

Mansher defeated an ultra-heavyweight, a heavyweight and a super-heavyweight in the absolute using his single-leg x-guard. Dillon faced an ultra-heavyweight, and two other middleweights on his way to the gold. The podium was shared with super-heavyweight silver medalist Pedro Araujo of Gracie Barra and middleweight William Durkee of Fight Sports.

Jaqueline after she won the absolute. Photo: Erin Herle

The female absolute was conquered by featherweight Jaqueline Amorim of Checkmat, who was able to redeem herself from losing her one match in her weight division. The new brown belt, who won both 2013 and 2014 purple belt featherweight at gi worlds, faced two lightweights in the first and second rounds to get to the finals. Her opponent in the finals, Alexis Du Frense of Checkmat as well, attempted to pass Jaqueline’s guard but it was a referee decision that ended the match. In a cathartic moment, Jaqueline’s hand was raised and she collapsed as she realized the gold was hers.

See the full results here: http://static.ibjjfdb.com/Campeonato/000313/en-US/Results.pdf 

Check out full photos of the brown belt divisions:

Check it out:

Dilon celebrates his win at the 2014 Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship. Photo: Erin Herle

After the double gold at the 2014 IBJJF New York Open, a brown belt taught by star Marcelo Garcia gained prominence in the Jiu-Jitsu scene. Dillon Danis, 20, won the middleweight and absolute, closing with teammates. The promising young athlete won five fights.

Dillon also dominated the middleweight category at the the Pans and Worlds this year.

In conversation with GRACIEMAG, the Alliance athlete told how he plays against heavier opponents, and passed on the lessons he learns from his teacher Marcelo.

GRACIEMAG: What did you do differently in this competition, Dillon?

DILLON DANIS: Nothing different. I always do the same thing. I want to dominant, that’s my style. I like to score as many points as possible while always attacking. I want my opponent to never want to fight me again.

In the middleweight category, you closed out the competition with your teammate Jonathan Satava. But, for that to happen, first you had to take on Tye Ryan Murphy of Team Lloyd Irvin. Talk me through how you subbed him.

I know from watching Tye before that he is very physical and aggressive so going in I knew I had to be smart and use my mind and go around his force using it against him, which I did eventually finishing with a toehold.

You were also successful in the open. What was the secret to beating that division?

For me I love fighting the absolute because it gives me the chance to try my Jiu-Jitsu against all sizes especially bigger opponents. A big thing for me is when I was growing up I was very weak and was always on the defense because I was training with men. When I was a kid my defense became really good so now when I fight bigger opponents I don’t have to change my style. I do the same thing: go for the kill because I have no fear. I attack without caution because I am comfortable in bad positions.

In the absolute semi final you overcame Gustavo. Can you talk about that one in some detail?

He was very flexible with very strong grips and the thing about strong grips is that they can’t last forever so I kept the pressure and never stopped moving forward until he got tired and I could work my game.

You are a student of one of the greatest talents ever produced by BJJ, Marcelo Garcia. What was your most unforgettable training session with him?

I don’t remember an exact session but every time I train with Marcelo it’s unforgettable. He is a special talent. I am so blessed to get to roll with him. I don’t know if there will ever be anyone like him again. People ask me all the time what it’s like to roll with him and I say I can’t explain; you have to feel it for yourself.

And what sorts of BJJ lessons does he currently pass onto you?

Marcelo is the best role model in Jiu-Jitsu and in life he has taught me so much on how to be humble and many other things. I can’t thank him enough but the best lesson he has taught me in Jiu- Jitsu is to always attack, never move backward.

At WPJJC this year you didn’t close it out with your teammate Satava. Do you have a policy against that? What is your opinion?

At our gym we have a policy as a team that you either fight or flip a coin to decide the winner so when the time comes we talk and choose what we’re gonna do between each other. In my opinion the big events should be fought because the fans deserve a fight but it’s easier said than done because my training partners are like family. We do everything together.

In his best moment in the final, Bernardo threatened Rodolfo’s back. Photo: Ivan Trindade

A lot of times we remember Jiu-Jitsu athletes in terms of their accomplishments or better yet, their signature moves. For the Mendes brothers it’s the berimbolo. For Romulo Barral it’s the spider guard. For Marcelo Garcia it’s the x-guard and his ADCC fame. In the case of Bernardo Faria, he is the king of deep half guard. We may not remember their names at first but most definitely, Bernardo has been referred to as “that deep half guard guy” more than a few times.

The move will always and forever be a part of this Alliance super-heavyweight’s strategy no matter what others have told him regarding its efficiency. As it turns out, his blue belt days served him well as his blue belt half guard move has survived to this day– after three black belt world titles.

While he just missed the gold at the 2014 World Championship, he gave everything he had and earned some proud moments along the way. Check out how Bernardo Faria describes his journey at worlds, some history in his half guard and some other moments he’s proud of:

GRACIEMAG: What was your  journey like at Worlds?

BERNARDO FARIA: In general it was a very good tournament for me. I had a total of eight matches– four in the open class and four in my weight division. It is the fifth year straight that I got to the finals. I won against many tough guys like Abraham Marte, Yuri Simoes, Igor Silva, Braulio Estima, and two others.

Most of my matches I won by submission or by a large score of points, and I did EVERYTHING I could against Rodolfo Vieira [in the super-heavy final]. In the finals I got a little bit frustrated because I saw the opportunity to beat him, I almost got the sweep, almost got his back, and I felt him getting very tired, but once again he did very well and I was able to defend everything I tried even while tired. He is for sure the toughest opponent I had in all my career.

Unfortunately I didn’t win the Worlds this year but I’m happy about my performance and about the way I fought. I received a bunch of messages from people saying that I inspired them, so this is what really matters for me, to be an example for other people winning or losing.

Besides Rodolfo, who was your toughest match?

He went half way into the sweep. Photo: Ivan Trindade

I think probably against Yuri Simoes. He scored three points from passing the guard. But I was with my chest on the mat and the referee gave him the points. I thought the referee was wrong but later someone told me that currently to be considered passed the guard you just need to get to the guy’s side and hold for three seconds. It doesn’t matter if he has your back or your chest on the mat, it will be three points, so the referee was right and it was my mistake. And at this level to start losing by three points to a guy as tough as Yuri, it is hard to revert, but thank God I kept calm, adjusted my favorite positions and I got two sweeps and one back take. And I won the match by 8 – 5 points.

You mainly play deep half but have incorporated some new moves since training with Marcelo Garcia. What do you think of his game and what type of moves have been effective for you?

Since I was blue belt I have done half guard. I have two types of half guard: the deep half guard, and the one I call “blue belt half guard”. This is the one I started doing when I was a blue belt thats why I call “blue belt half guard” and it is the one I always try to do against Rodolfo–the one where I end up in the single leg.

Since I moved to NY (Marcelo’s school), my half guard hasn’t changed so much. I probably just adjusted it even more, because Marcelo’s way to pass the guard is very good against half guard, so training with him and all his students definitely helps to improve my half guard. But one thing that I improved a lot since I moved to NY, was my back attack. Marcelo taught me how to submit from the back, and I’ve already seen big results in tournaments.

During just the Worlds alone I got four submissions and two were from the back. This is just one example showing what I’ve improved since starting to train with Marcelo, but there are many others. His game is the most effective game I have ever seen and I always try to pick up everything I can that combines with my game. I’m very happy to be around him, training, learning and teaching at his school.

Buchecha said that it is useless to try to play half guard with Rodolfo, for not only you, but anyone because that’s his strongest position to pass from. What do you think of this statement?

I think if he said this he probably means against Rodolfo this year, as a super-heavyweight, because if not then it doesn’t make sense considering most of the times that Buchecha swept Rodolfo in the other matches it was from half guard. So I think he probably means now that Rodolfo went up to super-heavyweight he gave Buchecha a hard time in the half guard at the [Abu Dhabi] World Pro.

But in my case, 90% of my sweeps are from half guard; I’m not a wrestler nor judo player. Rodolfo will never pull guard against me, so I have to do half guard, and one thing that I learned in BJJ that I even use in my general life, is that we have to trust in ourselves It doesn’t matter who we are, what we do, if you have something that you do well, you have to believe and trust that it is going to work against everyone.

Before my first World title as a black belt I heard many people telling me that for me to win the Worlds as a black belt I would need to change my game because having only half guard would not be enough. And I was able to prove to myself that it is possible winning [the Worlds] in 2010, 2012 and 2013. So Im going to keep believing in what I do, and of course always trying to find ways to improve it. For example now I started doing wrestling to see if I can finish my single leg from half guard better.

Do you ever change your strategy based on who your opponent is or do you believe that playing your “A” game is always most effective?

Bernardo pressures his opponent into turtle. Photo: Ivan Trindade

I used to change my game using my game. I have a game plan with different positions. For example, closed guard, or deep half guard, or blue belt half guard, or wait for the opponent to pull guard and play on top– things like that. So depending on my opponent, I try to make the right strategy according to my game. Against some guys I play the deep half guard, against others the blue belt half guard, against others the closed guard, or maybe for wait them to pull guard, so thats how I think. I never change to something that I’m not used to doing, like spider guard for example.

What is your most proud moment so far in 2014?

I think it was probably my fight against Braulio [Estima] at the Worlds, when I scored 26 points. I think in BJJ one way to be unforgettable in the sport is by doing things that no one ever did. Whenever I see someone winning against him it is by a very tight score, so I was very happy to get to fight so well against him. I have a lot of respect for him and he has, in my opinion, one of the best resumes in all of BJJ history: five-time world champion, ADCC division champion, and ADCC open class champion. So earning this win against him like this is a moment I’m sure I will never forget for the rest of my life.

I would like to thank everyone who supported me after the Worlds on my fan page, facebook.com/bernardofariabjj sending me messages; I really appreciate it. I’m going to keep training and competing hard because you guys are my motivation. Thanks a lot.

Learn more techniques and tips from Bernardo Faria at www.facebook.com/bernardofariabjj

In New York City Marcos is a student of GMA Marcelo Garcia Academy. Along with Marcelo is world champion Bernardo Faria, who has accompanied him in this video to teach the cartwheel armbar that Marcos completed in his quarterfinal match.

Check out the submission as it happened and then the tutorial below:

See how the match went: