Marcus Buchecha and Leandro Lo

Four-time absolute world champion Marcus Buchecha spent a week in Sao Paulo training with Leandro Lo, who will debut as a heavyweight this weekend at the European BJJ Championship in Portugal. Buchecha, who has trained with Lo before and fought him in the absolute division, had this to say about him:

Lo has become a good friend, and, whenever we have a chance, we exchange experiences. So we’ve trained a few times. But now was the first time I trained with him at this new weight. Many people think that he lost speed because he moved up in weight, but I can guarantee that’s not the case. He continues to have the same game, always jumping right in, but with more strength and heavier. So I’m sure he will do well in this new weight class and he will fight well in his debut as a heavyweight.

Buchecha himself will only compete again at the World Championship, and he knows there’s a chance he will clash with his pal there. About that he said, with a laugh, “I believe it will be the same as when we train together — always rough. I have no doubt it will be a great fight.”

The moment Buchecha got injured at the 2015 Worlds

Three-time black belt open class world champion Marcus Buchecha had surgery this Friday, in Brazil.

The procedure was to reconstruct the ACL ligament on his left knee, injured during the quarterfinal match against Ricardo Evangelista, at the 2015 Worlds.

The surgery went well and Doctors gave Buchecha a five-month minimum recovery period until he can perform at 100% again.

“I’ll be back soon,” said Buchecha

He also told GRACIEMAG that he intends to work his way to a full recovery in Brazil before returning to California, where he has been living for the past years.

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.

The number one ranked male black belt in the world has planned a seminar at the school of ADCC absolute champion Roberto Cyborg Abreu. The two have matched up against each other many times over the years but have remained friends and the respect is always evident as we watch them on the competition mats.

On Saturday, Feb 15, GMA Fight Sports in Miami, Florida will host Buchecha for a seminar. The cost is $80 for Fight Sports students and $100 for visitors but everyone is welcome from any academy.

Fight Sports Miami is located at 77 Northeast 24th St Miami, FL 33137

The seminar is expected to be a full house so register early to reserve your spot. You can do so by calling 786-290-6875.

More information can be found at www.cyborgbjj.com

Marcus Buchecha Almeida gives us his take on the submission including how to secure the back before going for the technique and the common mistakes people make in their attempts.

Do you think you can take his advice to the mat? Let us know.

Jeff Monson at the 2011 ADCC in Nottingham. Photo: Daren Bartlett

Another athlete to drop out of the October 19-20 event in Beijing, China, is Jeff Monson. He made his name in the very first event in 1999 in Abu Dhabi.

Since his first gold at the 99 event he went on to win four more medals in the following events including one other gold medal. Unfortunately “The Snowman” will be missing his chance for yet another medal at this year’s event.

The ADCC committee is currently working towards finding a replacement. The over 99kg division already holds athletes such as Marcus Almeida Buchecha, Bernardo Faria, Alexander Trans, and the champion Vinny Pezao.

Stay tuned for more follow-up information about the 2013 ADCC event in Beijing, China.

Buchecha at the IBJJF No-Gi Worlds. Photo: John Cooper / Archives GRACIEMAG

Although the second edition of the World Jiu-Jitsu Expo will be in November, on 9 and 10, the temperature of the event has already started to heat up.

Days after training with surfing idol Kelly Slater, the absolute world champion Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida met with the organization and will participate in a superfight at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California.

The best is that the Expo, designed by Renzo Gracie, wants the people to choose how star Buchecha must fight the beast. Do you have any guesses? Who do you think should face Buchecha the 2013 World Jiu-Jitsu absolute champion?

The news was released ten days after the announcement that Rodolfo Vieira will also participate in the Jiu-Jitsu Expo in another one of the supermatches.

The people, represented by the readers of GRACIEMAG, listed several suggestions for Rodolfo’s opponent. André Galvão, Frank Mir, Leandro Lo, Fabricio Werdum and Vinny Magalhaes.

And against Buchecha? You decide. The organization promises to reveal soon and secure the supermatches for the Expo. For now, only Jeff Glover vs. Bruno Malfacine is confirmed.

See other attractions of Expo 2013 here.

Rodolfo passes Lucas Leite’s guard in the heavyweight final of the 2013 Worlds. Photo: Ivan Trindade.

One hour after the absolute final, Rodolfo Vieira came down from the restroom of the Long Beach gym where he’d done his drug test, and was already in a good mood.

“Buchecha kicked my butt,” he smiled, “but this only makes me want to train even more for our rematch, which certainly takes place next year. Having an adversary of his caliber only makes me better.”

After the wise analysis, the GFTeam steamroller goes back to kidding around. “I don’t know what hair color I’m using next year. I lost as a brunet, I lost as a blond – I’m screwed,” he said, getting the reporters nearby to burst into laughter.

But on a serious note, Rodolfo gave signs that he is thinking of a way to try and even things out with Buchecha: He may fight the next Worlds as a super-heavyweight.

Good news for the men in the heavyweight division, since Rodolfo had hardly a hiccup as he became a three-time champ over there. On Saturday he subbed Elliot Kelly in the round of eight. On Sunday he started by scoring 8-0 on Yuri Simões, then in the semi he caught Nivaldo Oliveira in a katagatame. Finally, he choked out Lucas Leite. A victorious sequence over three tough CheckMatters, whose supporters found solace in chanting in unison: “Buchecha is coming for you…” Here the voice of the people – however biased – turned out to be correct, and the open’s final was what everybody’s already seen by now: Buchecha swept, took the back and passed, and then worked an armbar before time ran out.

How about next year, reader? Can a super-heavyweight Rodolfo bridge the current gap between himself and Buchecha? As strong as they both are, it seems neither is quite done evolving, so what’s certain is it’ll be worth the wait.

Marcus Buchecha won the ultra-heavyweight and the open at the 2013 Worlds. Photo: Ivan Trindade.

The final of the absolute showed Marcus Vinicius Almeida, also known as Buchecha, is one step ahead of the competition.

In numbers, Buchecha proved his supremacy in the 2013 Worlds: He fought eight times and finished five opponents – only Bernardo Faria, Alexander Trans and Rodolfo Vieira went the distance.

But there was another opponent he didn’t submit, or even fight, and that was a much more important one.

It was his master Rodrigo Cavaca, in the ultra-heavyweight final.

“Closing out with Cavaca was a dream I had since purple belt, but it was a distant dream. Today it came true, and I don’t think this has ever happened before – a teacher closing out with their pupil who’s been training with them since white belt,” Buchecha said as he walked out of the arena.

That was when someone congratulated him for his second absolute championship and his eyes shone even brighter. “Who’d say, two-time open champ… I’ve tied the feat of Jacaré, Xande and Pé de Pano,” he mused, mentioning some of his idols.

If it’s all up to Buchecha, who claims not to be thinking of doing MMA anytime soon, there are some Jiu-Jitsu records about to be pulverized sooner rather than later. And this young man may become the most successful competitor in the also young history of tournament Jiu-Jitsu.

Can he do it?

We may find out very soon, dear friends.

Lucas is a popular figure on the mats of California. Photo: Alicia Anthony/Archives GRACIEMAG

The 2013 IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu World Championship begins on May 29 in Long Beach, California, and the black belt monsters are preparing to take the Pyramid of Cal State Long Beach by storm.

In the middleweight division, the dispute promises big emotions with defending champion Otavio Sousa, DJ Jackson, Victor Estima, Tanner Rice, Claudio Calasans, Diego Borges, Clark Gracie and maybe Marcelo Garcia, who is not yet confirmed.

“This year, what I want the most is to see my students become world champions,” Marcelo says as he takes the spotlight off of himself.

Among the favorites for the gold, there’s also Lucas Leite. The Checkmat professor is sticking to training under Leozinho Vieira in California. He also counts on the help of absolute world champion Marcus Buchecha.

He told us how the training is going. Check it out:

GRACIEMAG: How is the preparation for another World Championship, Lucas?

LUCAS LEITE: The training is excellent, and at full speed. Leo Vieira solved his visa issue after five years and is here to train us and correct some mistakes we were making. I’m happy now. I’m well prepared both on top and bottom. I hope it will show at the Worlds.

Are you healed from that injury at Pans?

Yes, during the last six months I was hurt and I even got discouraged, but thanks to my teammates I kept taking care of it and now I’m fine again. I’d like to thank Buchecha, Marcelo Lapela and João Assis. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be fighting anymore.

How are the back attacks? Sharp?

I’m ready for war and the attacks will come. Taking the back is always my goal, it’s in the blood. Whoever gives the back will have a problem (laughs). The goal is to get there with cardio and explosiveness to reach the back and submit.

In the Pan you fought in the heavy category. Why did you lower your weight now?

In Pan, I was third in the heavy, but I didn’t lose any fights. I opened the semifinal with my partner, Nivaldo Oliveira. He was better than me in training and I was still afraid of the injury. It was good for me to gain confidence again. I’ll fight in the middleweight category now, it’s my real weight. I want to go to win [and] am very confident with my body now.

How do you evaluate the middleweight division?

I’m always saying that it’s the toughest category. You never know who is going to do well. The guys are strong, quick and technical. So it’s always a war in the middleweight and I hope to take that title, God willing, always with a lot of training, focus, discipline, humility and determination!

>>> Register for the World Championship today by clicking here. And to see who is already in, visit the IBJJF website.

Buchecha vs. Humphreys in Abu Dhabi. Photo by: Dan Rod

The thrills of the 2013 WPJJC are still fresh in everyone’s minds.

One of the big moments of the event was the male adult open class semifinal between Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida and Tarsis Humphreys.

Buchecha manages to impose his game to secure a spot in the final, which he also won to become the champion.

The video is a GracieMag exclusive and filmed in HD.

Bernardo Faria on top. Photo: Ivan Trindade/GracieMag

The Jiu-Jitsu Pan Championship 2013 in late March, in Irvine, Calif. was not so good for Alliance athlete Bernardo Faria.

Bronze in the absolute, the black belt from Minas Gerais, Brazil, failed to return Sunday to compete in the super heavyweight. As a result, he lost some positions in the IBJJF ranking and saw Marcus Buchecha, ultra heavyweight and absolute champion, take his position at the top.

The athlete, who is recovering in New York, where he has been training with the star Marcelo Garcia, commented on his rib injury with GracieMag.

“It was kinda serious, my rib clicked in the middle of the (semifinal) fight with Buchecha and from there I had only to defend myself, because I could not move. But now I’m taking care of my recovery and I’ll be back in the Long Beach World Championship, God willing,” said Faria.

And why would a heavy fighter with a solid game be learning from a light and fast athlete like Marcelo Garcia? Bernardo said:

“Training with Marcelo has been a fantastic experience. I’m actually getting to know him better and understanding how he thinks about Jiu-Jitsu, the way he trains. The coolest thing is to see that, as a person, he may be even better than as an athlete. He is very humble and considerate to everyone, so I am learning outside the mats as well,” he said.

About the positions, Faria analyzed: “I’m trying to bring several of his positions to my game, and he has helped me with this. It’s hard for me to completely change my style, but I can add many things to what I do, many details. Not to mention the no-gi Jiu-Jitsu, which I have trained a lot here. I’m feeling a cool evolution.”