Southwest Training Facility and Team Beauregard celebrate Ian Beauregard’s promotion to brown belt Saturday Aug. 3. Photo: Ryan Beauregard

President of GD Jiu-Jitsu Events Gustavo Dantas and Kristina Barlaan, head of Inspire: All Femal Open Mats, spearhead the female Jiu-Jitsu movement in Arizona. Photo: John Cooper.

Arizona Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Kids Cup is set to take place this April 21, 2012, at Mesa, Arizona’s Westwood High School in Mesa, with only divisions for kids aged four to 15 on offer. Last year the event was sold out, so the promoters urge anyone interested to make haste, as registration will be closed after the first 300 competitors have signed up.
Now GD Jiu-Jitsu Events and the Arizona State Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (AZSBJJF) are proud to announce the inaugural Copa Bela: All Female Jiu-Jitsu Tournament, Arizona’s very first women-only Jiu-Jitsu competition! The maiden event will take place immediately following the Kids Cup on April 21, 2012 at the same Mesa, Arizona venue. On offer: female juvenile (16-17) and adult (18+) divisions only.
One major draw for the Copa Bela premiere is the $1,000 up for grabs to the winner of the brown/black open weight division.
Bolstered by Inspire: All Female Open Mats, open-mat meetings for girls organized by Gustavo Dantas purple belt Kristina Barlaan, the female Jiu-Jitsu community in Arizona has seen major growth over the past year. The 1st Copa Bela is meant to be more than simply a competition, but also a celebration of female Jiu-Jitsu around the nation.
For further information about the 4th AZ Kids Cup and 1st Copa Bela or to register, please visit www.gdjjevents.com.

Westbrook (left) receiving black belt diploma from Dantas (middle) / Photo: publicity

Former professional American football player Michael Westbrook is gearing up for his black belt competition debut, in the open weight division of the upcoming 6th Arizona BJJ International Open in Mesa, Arizona. The 2008 purple belt/superheavyweight world champion, and 2009 brown belt/superheavyweight U.S. national champion received his black belt from Nova União USA team leader Gustavo Dantas last November, after winning the 2nd Southwest BJJ Classic.

Besides Nova União black belt Westbrook, 2010 Pan-American champion Carlos Farias and Mexico’s Rodrigo Salas will be at the competition. The registration deadline is February 21st. Sign up now by clicking here.

This seminar will cover specific techniques, tips, and exercises focused on strengthening and fine-tuning your competitive game. From working out of tough positions and situations to learning how to use the IBJJF rules in your favor, the 2nd Arizona FUSION Seminar will provide the tools you need to have an extra edge over your opponents.

Also, all attendees will receive a raffle ticket to win free entry to the 6th AZ International Open on February 26th & 27th, 2011, or other prizes provided by OTM Fight Shop.

Space is limited to 60 attendees each day, so pre register now to secure your spot at the 2nd Arizona FUSION Seminar. Here are the rates:

Pre-Registration until Tuesday, November 16th (T-Shirt Included) $60

Registration online ends on November 19th at 11:59 pm. (T-Shirt Not-Included) $70

KIDS MINI FUSION

In addition to the Fusion Seminar, Gustavo Dantas and Robson Moura will be conducting the 1st Mini Fusion Seminar & Pizza party, which will include techniques, games, and prizes for kids from 5 to 12 years of age. Pizza party only for kids and staff.

All schools are invited.

The class will take place at Tiger’s Lair AZ, located at 7107 E. Southern Ave. #101 in Mesa, AZ 85208 on Friday November 19th from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Pizza party will follow. The 1st Mini Fusion is limited to 40 kids. All kids pre-registered by Tuesday, November 16th will receive a Fusion Seminar T-Shirt. After 11/16, kids WILL NOT receive the Seminar T-Shirt. Registration ends on Thursday November 18th. No Registration at the door!!!

Prizes:

Free entry for the 6th AZ International Open on February 26th, 2011

Movie Tickets

Games Works Card

On the Mat Fight Shop Gifts

Rates:

By November 16th – $45 (T-Shirt Included)

After November 16th – $55 (T- Not Included!!!)

Registration ends on November 18th, no registration at the door!!!

Only 40 spots available for the Kids Mini Fusion, sign up now!!!

Click here to register

No registration at the door!

For further information, contact Gustavo Dantas at 480-310-5483 or gustavo@novauniao.com

Gustavo Dantas teaches seminars in Tempe

Vice-president of the Arizona State Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (AZBJJF) and leader of team Nova União in the United States Gustavo Dantas still finds time to conduct seminars. Most recently, the black belt taught his techniques to the Tempe, Arizona, police department.

With around twenty-five participants, among them male and female police officers, Dantas went over situations typically to arise on the street, when detaining criminals and even defending themselves from aggressive suspects.

“With MMA’s rise in popularity in Arizona, the police are often put in situations where they face people committing criminal infractions who have fighting backgrounds and use the techniques against the officers. Many of these officers don’t know how to defend themselves in this type of confrontation. They just want to enforce the law, protect people, and it’s important that they be able to control criminals safely,” he states.

Now Gustavo carries on in his busy schedule. His next engagement is the Southwest BJJ Classic, an event he promotes that will count 600 participants on the 16th and 17th of this month in Mesa, Arizona.

There will go some important deadlines for those who want to compete in October:

→ Oct 8:

The US Open (in Santa Cruz, CA) regular registration ends tomorrow. Click here to register and get $9 off. And Remember, the final deadline for the tournament that will happen on Oct 15, 16 and 17 is this Monday, Oct 11.

→ Oct 8:

The 2nd Southwest BJJ Classic (in Mesa, Arizona) regular enrollment also ends tomorrow midnight. Click here to register and get $10 off. The final deadline for the tournament that will occur on Oct 16 and 17 is this Tuesday, Oct 12.

→ Oct 16:

This is the final day to enroll for the Miami International Open, that will be placed in the Floridian City on Oct 23. Click here to enroll.

And please be in a good shape and in your proper weight at the day for enjoying the competition the most.

The Jiu-Jitsu tournament will offer kids, juveniles, adults (male and female), master and senior divisions, as well as two black belt open classes: the Open Light (167.5 lbs and under) and the Open Heavy (Over 167.5 lbs). The winner of each open weight division will receive a ticket to the 2011 European Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Lisbon, Portugal.

It is important to note that registration for the kids division will cut off at 200 competitors. Registration for the juvenile, adult, master, senior, and female divisions will stop at 450 competitors.

GD Jiu-Jitsu Events will reward all competitors to sign up by the pre-registrations deadline of 11:59 pm on October 8 with free tournament T-shirts. Anyone to register thereafter will not receive a T-shirt.

GRACIEMAG will be in Mesa to cover the event.

11:59 pm Arizona time today – June 23 – marks the final deadline to sign up for the competition where the winners take home bounty like LCD screens, Nintendo DS’, Video cameras and more.

Click here to sign up.

For further information, click here.

Kron gets the mount, at the 2009 European Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

The established aces didn’t make way for the lesser-known names in the supermatches at this weekend’s 5th Arizona International Open, in Mesa, Arizona.

The son of legendary Jiu-Jitsu icon Rickson Gracie, Kron Gracie dispatched Gracie Barra’s Philipe “Furão” Della Monica with an armbar, after having mounted the up-and-comer.

In the other supermatch, Nova Uniao’s 7-time world champion Robson Moura overcame Japanese champion Nobuhiko Kitahara (Axis JJ) via choke.

Check back with GRACIEMAG.com later for complete results and pictures from the 5th Arizona International Open.

Gustavo Dantas, AZSBJJF Vice-President and event promoter. Photo: AZSBJJF

Anyone wishing to compete this coming March 13 and 14 at the 5th Arizona Open Jiu-Jitsu tournament and pay less had better act quickly: the $40 for kids and $50 for adults rates end at midnight tonight, March 5, after which the full $50 and $60 prices for kids and adults, respectively, apply till the final sign-up deadline of March 10. All kids signed up by the pre-registration deadline of 11:59 Pacific Time on March 5 will get a free T-shirt.

Click here to sign up.

The tournament organized by GMA Gustavo Dantas features all gender, belt and weight divisions for both adults and children. As is custom at Dantas-produced events, the competition will double as a food drive to aid the needy in the Arizona community. For every 5 food items spectators and participants donate, a raffle ticket will be issued.

Furthermore, there is the special added attraction of two supermatches between world class athletes, with Team Nova Uniao’s 7x world champion Robson Moura meeting Axis JJ’s Nokuhiko Kitahara in a Jiu-Jitsu showdown, and Rickson Gracie’s son Kron facing GRACIEMAG #2 Fighter to Watch in 2010, and Gracie Barra stand-out, Philipe Della Monica (Gracie Barra), in a middleweight match-up.

Spectators and competitors alike can check out the tournament schedule by clicking here on March 12, one day before the event.

Check out the promo video for the event.