Lucio Rodrigues against Rafael Lovato Jr. at the 2014 European Open. Photo: Ivan Trindade

At the 2014 IBJJF European Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship, Lucio “Lagarto” Rodrigues took home the gold in the black belt super heavyweight division, his tenth time at the event. In the final he met with American world champion Rafael Lovato Jr. After spending most of the time on bottom, he was able to secure the sweep, two points and the gold.

Seeing Lagarto compete is a rare occasion given that he does not travel to the World Championship and Pan American Championship. With Europeans as his way to shine, the Gracie Barra black belt represented well, proving he is still a top competitor.

During the final match with Lovato, a lot of guard were used by Lagarto, showing off his eclectic and flexible style. See what he has to say about both in this interview:

GRACIEMAG: What made you decide to pull guard with Lovato?

LUCIO RODRIGUES: I just thought that was the best thing to do at the moment, in order to avoid his game plan!

You played many guards in the match: leg lasso, spider guard, single leg x, even a butterfly hook or two and x-guard. What do all of these guards have in common and why did you choose to use all of them against him?

Yes, in my game I use a lot of different guards and my main idea is to get underneath as soon as possible. If I can’t, then I start to use variations of open guard. But all the positions can connect really well as long you know what to use in the right time.

You play a flexible game for such a big guy. What advice can you offer bigger guys about being flexible?

With everything I do in life I think about being as healthy as possible. I took the example of my master, Carlos Gracie Jr: Every day he used to stretch at least 30 minuntes before training, and after. So it’s not just the big guys but every single person should worry about flexibility. The other big point is, you will lose a lot of positions if you are not flexible!

Watch the full match between Lagarto and Lovato to see the flexible guards in action:

 

When he was fourteen years old, Tussa found Jiu-Jitsu and devoted his life to the art. He learned from various instructors while in Brazil but always remained under the Gracie Barra banner.

After years competing at the top level and even teaching once he was a purple belt, Tussa earned his black belt in 2006 from Master Carlos Gracie Jr. That same year he made the move to the United States initially to Atlanta, GA then settling down in Albuquerque, NM where he still resides as head instructor of Gracie Barra New Mexico.

Always an avid competitor at black belt, Tussa earned medals in the major tournaments such as the World Championship in which he has placed four times since 2007. He earned his first black belt No-Gi World Championship title in 2007 and repeated the result three more times in 2008, 2009 and 2012.

He earned his first black belt Pan American Championship title in 2009 and then a second gold in 2013. It was in 2012 that Tussa competed in ten major tournaments with four golds in a row at the Pan No-Gi, Master & Seniors Worlds, No-Gi Worlds and ended the year with the first BJJ Pro League title.

Tussa is set to compete in the second edition of the BJJ Pro League this weekend on the Dec. 8 against three other competitors in his bracket.

Check out this highlight video of Roberto Tussa Alencar:

Learn more about the 2013 BJJ Pro League on Dec. 8 at the Long Beach Walter Pyramid at www.bjjproleague.com

The Gracie Barra academy in Santa Barbara led by GMA member and 2nd degree black belt Rodrigo Clark have scheduled their celebration for two related anniversaries coming up. On September 27, the head instructor will celebrate his tenth year teaching in Santa Barbara along and the academy will celebrate their fourth year as an academy.

Rodrigo Clark began training Jiu-Jitsu when he was sixteen in 1992 and earned his black from Master Carlos Gracie Jr. The Santa Barbara Gracie Barra academy has been operating on State Street since August 2009.

The celebration will begin at 5:00 p.m. and go until 7:00 p.m. at the school located at: 1014 State St. Santa Barbara, CA 93101.

Master Vinicius ‘Draculino’ Magalhaes will be in town for a seminar so don’t miss the chance to celebrate a solid academy in the Santa Barbara town and learn from a decorated coach.

Learn more about GMA Gracie Barra Santa Barbara and the anniversary party go to: www.gbsantabarbara.com

Check out this highlight of the academy by Andres Quintero:

Opponent tries sweeping Paulo Miyao from half-guard at 2011 Pan. Photo by Ivan Trindade/GRACIEMAG.com.

Fernando Nassif is a Jiu-Jitsu professor at California-based academy Gracie Barra San Clemente, a school belonging to our association, the GMA.

Alongside Flavio “Cachorrinho” Almeida he teaches the basic Jiu-Jitsu that works. Or as he learned from Carlos Gracie Jr.: “The great technical virtue possessed by black belts isn’t the number of moves they know, but the experience that goes into their performing the moves they do know.”

So today Fernando shows us seven steps for getting a mounted opponent off you, putting him in half-guard and sweeping him.

1. Use your elbows to get the opponent off your chest.

2. Extend your leg and latch on to one of his legs with your legs.

3. Turn sideways, open up room and grab the opponent’s belt.

4. One of the key steps: rock your legs back and forth sideways to get hold of his ankle and then bring your knee up between his legs..

5. Kick his leg up and, holding his leg firm, push his leg with your foot.

6. Look outside and kick until you are positioned behind the opponent.

7. Posting firm on your foot, pull his knee and complete the sweep.

How did you like that?