No-Gi Pan 2010 | Graciemag

Lepri analyses season: “To win the Worlds again, I’ll have to sweat”

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 01:28:36 +0000

Lucas in photo by Luca Atalla.

Lucas Lepri had a good year on the mats. He won major competitions and saw his work at GMA academy Alliance New York prosper. Looking ahead to next season, the black belt assesses his main challenges in making 2011 even more productive.

Check out the conversation he had with GRACIEMAG.com.

What’s your assessment of your year?

It was really positive, but I can improve and yield a lot more. I started out well and won the European Open, in Lisbon, along with Michael Langhi. Then I had to deal with a number of tough guys at a championship here in New York called Long Island Pride, where I beat guys like Abmar Barbosa, Guybson Sá, and in the final, Roberto Cyborg by 6 to 2. I also closed out the Pan with my friend Langhi and didn’t have an easy time in doing it. To get to the final, for example, I had to make it past Bill Cooper and Jonathan Torres. After the Pan I went to Brazil for two weeks before the Worlds to finish up preparations with Fabio Gurgel and the team. Even with a fever, I competed at the Brazilian Nationals and there was no getting around the result: I ended up losing. But it served as a learning experience, now I see that I have to respect my own limits, no matter how much I want to fight. I missed a week of training and, in the end, I had a week to get ready for the Worlds, where I took third. The No-Gi championships started up in the second half of the year and I managed to win the Pan for a second time and, soon after that, I got my second No-Gi Worlds title, where I got the finish in all three of my matches. Looking back over the year, I competed at all the major championships and managed to place in all of them.

What are your hopes for 2011, do you intend to compete in the big tournaments? Will you be at the European Open?

2011 is coming up and I’m already getting ready for the season, which will be really intense until June, when the Worlds happen. I started preparing to put in a good showing at the European Open. After that I’ll be in the World Pro tryouts, which will happen February here in New York. I hope to be at all the major events like the Pan, World Pro, and Worlds. In know that to keep the titles I’ve won over these years and win the IBJJF Worlds again I’ll have to sweat a lot, but I always expect the best. And, of course, I always rely on the support of my team, my students, my family, and especially, God.

So the main focus is to close out the Worlds with Langhi again?

If possible, we’ll not just close out the Worlds but the other championships. However, the Worlds is always all the athletes’ main focus.

Lepri puts on the pressure at Long Island Pride. Photo: Luca Atalla.

Who are the main adversaries you have ahead of you?

There are a number of top competitors at lightweight and there are others who I didn’t know about showing up now. When I won the 2007 Worlds nobody knew who I was. I won the title I’d always hoped for in my very first year as a black belt. So I always pay close attention to the opponents I already know about and I don’t forget how surprises can always show up.

How is work in New York?

Alliance NY is growing and producing new champions with every day. We’re working on building the foundations, aiming for our students to make the lowest number of mistakes possible. We’re also focused on the self-defense part that gave origin to Jiu-Jitsu and it is extremely important to teach starting at white belt. I’d like to mention Fabio Clemente, who provided me the opportunity to teach at Alliance NY, and Babs, my brother who teaches with me and helps me train for championships. I’m really happy to be part of this team and I consider my students to be my true friends.

Do as Lucas Lepri does and sign up for the European Open clicking here.

What are your hopes for 2011, do you intend to compete in the big tournaments? Will you be at the European Open?

So the main focus is to close out the Worlds with Langhi again?

If possible, we’ll not just close out the Worlds but the other championships. However, the Worlds is always all the athletes’ main focus.

Who are the main adversaries coming up in your path?

How is work in New York going?

Do as Lucas Lepri does and sign up for the European Open clicking here.

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Lucas Lepri: “When you work this hard and then win, it’s exciting”

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:40:46 +0000

Lucas Lepri cleaned up in the lightweight division of the 2010 No-Gi Worlds last Sunday after having done the same last year, and he was thrilled. “I feel very proud because this is my second No-Gi Worlds win,” Lepri says, “When you train a lot and work this hard for one event and then you win it, it’s very exciting. I’m so happy. The guys I fought were very good, the Worlds are very tough to win.”

This has been a very good year for Lepri. He won the lightweight division at the 2010 European Open in Portugal, closing out with Michael Langhi. Then he and Langhi closed out the Gi Pan in California together. “Michael took the win because last year I took first place.” At the 2010 Gi Worlds, he took third place and he just won gold at the No-Gi Pan in New York and the No-Gi Worlds on Sunday. “I’m so happy with my results,” he says.

Lucas Lepri submits Lucas Leite. Photo: Luca Atalla.

Lepri, who flew in from New York City for the tournament, had three matches on Sunday. In his first match, he won with a choke from back mount. “I tried to take him down but he escaped, and then I tried to submit him a couple times but he blocked me,” Lepri says, “After about five minutes, I took his back and then applied the choke from the back… the mata-leão.”

In his second match, he faced Philipe Della Monica from Gracie Barra. “I took his back and submitted him from behind,” he says. After going two for two with the rear-naked choke, Lepri entered the finals ready to go and prepared to win. “I fought Augusto Mendes (Soul Fighters),” he says, “He was winning the match. He got the takedown, and then, at around eight minutes, I took his back and finished from the back again.” Lepri pulled a hat trick – he submitted his three opponents with a choke from back mount three times.

“I train that move every day,” he says, “I practice it over and over and do the drills so that it’s automatic,” Lepri says, “But sometimes it’s a risk. You can take a person’s back, but if the guy escapes, you go on bottom and the guy goes on top and gets points for the sweep.”

That’s what happened to Lepri in the 2010 Gi Worlds, and he was really disappointed. “I lost because of a sweep,” he says, “I was fighting Celso Vinicius from Gracie Elite Team. I tried to take his back and he escaped and took out my hooks. I was on the bottomand he stayed on top, swept me, and took two points. Then I tried to sweep him and take his back, but he escaped. I finished the match behind by two points.”

Lepri says the guys in the lightweight division are really tough. “There are a lot of really good fighters in my division,” he says, “They are all very technical and strong. All the fighters train a lot, so we all know how hard we work and how much energy we expend to try and win tournaments. The emotion is very high.”

One interesting fact about Lepri is that he easily fights and wins at two different weight divisions: lightweight and middleweight. Most players will gain or cut weight to try to get an advantage to win their matches, but Lepri just roams between the two divisions without much thought. He fought at the 2008 No-Gi Worlds in the middleweight division and took second place. “I lost to Daniel Moraes by one advantage point,” he says. Last year, he fought at the No-Gi Worlds and the No-Gi Pan but changed to lightweight and won both. In 2010, he won the No-Gi Pan at middleweight and the No-Gi Worlds at lightweight.

Lepri usually fights in the lightweight division and tries to keep that weight, but it’s hard for him. “Every tournament I have to cut weight,” he says, “I cut four to five pounds.” But Lepri feels very comfortable in both divisions. “I can fight at lightweight or middleweight,” he says, “I’m short, so if I fight lightweight, I have a better chance. Middleweight guys are taller and that can be more difficult, but sometimes I don’t want to cut the weight and so I just fight at middleweight. And sometimes I fight at middleweight just in no-gi.”

It’s nice to have that kind of flexibility in your Jiu-Jitsu game. “I’m very flexible for fighting either,” he says, “I can gain weight or cut it. Both divisions have really tough guys. I get good fights in either division.”

As for his no-gi game, Lepri says he likes gi better, but feels his game is more suited to no-gi. “I don’t train too much no-gi,” he says, “But I think my game is very good for it. When I sign up to fight no-gi, I still train with the gi. I think my game has helped me with the transitions. I like to apply the takedowns, I play more half-guard, and the transitions are good for me. This has helped me a lot.”

After the No-Gi Worlds Lepri hung around California to hold a couple seminars at Paragon BJJ. He conducted one in Hollywood on Wednesday and the other is in Santa Barbara on Thursday. “If anyone wants to come, they can contact Ronald at (213) 308-1205,” Lepri says.

At the end of the week Lepri’s flying back to New York to resume his teaching and training at Alliance New York City. He’s going to take a bit of a rest until the beginning of 2011 when he will begin his hard-core training regimen for all the big gi and no-gi tournaments coming up during the year. “I love this life,” he says, “I love to travel, fight, and teach. It’s my life.”

Lepri wants to thank his students at Alliance New York City. “Thank you to my wife for giving me the support when I need it,” he says, “Thank you also to GRACIEMAG so I can talk about my experience at the tournament.” Lastly he’d like to thank his sponsors Keiko Sports for giving him the support to fight, and KP Studio Physical Conditioning, “They help me prepare for all my tournaments.”

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Undefeated since 2007, Weapon X wants gi win in 2011

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:22:25 +0000

Yes, 2010 has been Pablo “Weapon X” Popovitch’s year. He won the 2010 Pan-American No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu Championship in New York both in his division and in the absolute (he closed out the division with teammate Marcus Bochecha), he was Copa America No-Gi and Gi absolute Champion, he won the Grapplers Quest – UFC Expo superfight against Lucas Lepri (Lepri just won the lightweight division at the 2010 No-Gi Worlds) in Boston, and he won the huge VIC tournament in Europe, both in his division and in the absolute. He fought eight matches in one day. “I fought from 2 p.m. until midnight,” he says.

Popovitch gets back mount on his way to winning No-Gi Worlds. Photo: John Lamonica.

Popovitch made his professional MMA debut as part of the co-main event against Jeff Savoy at Rock and Rumble 3 at Florida’s Hard Rock Hotel, winning via TKO in the 2nd Round. “I took his back and started punching him in the face,” he says, “He tapped during my striking. I broke his orbital bone.”

Another big accomplishment this year was being inducted into The Grappling Hall Of Fame By the North American Grappling Association, N.A.G.A. “It’s a huge thing,” he says, “They contacted me about it and I was so honored.”

Popovitch is also the inspiration behind his and Cyborg Abreu’s new Jiu-Jitsu team, The Avengers. They have about fifteen black belts training together, including Rodrigo Cavaca’s CheckMat team, called The Armory, who train with them as well about two or three times a week. The team they’re all building together is becoming a superpower on the tournament circuit. Because of this, in these tournaments, when they all rise to the top together, he says they have to be humble and give each other credit. “You can’t win by yourself,” he says, “You have to help each other out.”

And help each other out is what they did at the 2010 No-Gi Worlds. After winning gold and world champion status in his middleweight division, Popovitch then closed out the absolute division with Cyborg and Marcus Bochecha, and Cyborg took the title. “I love those guys,” he says, “We make it fair for everyone.”

Popovitch has been undefeated since 2007. Since 2003, he’s lost only twice and both times were to Marcelo Garcia, once in 2005 and once in 2007. In 2009, Popovitch was able to beat Garcia at the ADCC. “I hope to face him again in 2011,” Popovitch says, “He is my toughest opponent ever. I love competing against him. I love the challenge. He lets me know how far I’ve come in my game. He makes me work really hard.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Imp_mz3RA5s

As for his undefeated record, Popovitch says he needs to reflect on what it means to him because it may cause him to hold back on his Jiu-Jitsu when he could throw himself into it more. “Being undefeated, I think about my record,” he says, “I try to transfer it into training harder. Anyone can make a mistake and get caught. Some matches I think I could do more but I don’t because I want to keep the record going. It does take away from my Jiu-Jitsu in tournaments for sure. In some matches I could really let it go but I play it safe, so as not to fall into danger. Jiu-Jitsu is like a chess match. You make a mistake, you lose. I just try not to put that much pressure on myself.”

Popovitch displaying his exceptional strength in photo by John Lamonica

At the No-Gi Worlds, Popovitch looked calm and composed. He had three matches in his division. He won his first match on points. In his second, he faced Murilo Santana of Barbosa JJ, and won on points. “He’s really tough,” Popovitch says.

In the finals, Popovitch squared off with Daniel Moraes of Relson Gracie in a very exciting display of Jiu-Jitsu. “He’s super tough,” Popvitch says, “He’s a four-time world champion. I took him down, took his back, and almost choked him, but he defended.” The two stood up and Moraes pulled guard. “I passed and was able to take his back twice during the match,” Popovitch says. The match ended with Popovitch pulling off a 6-0 victory.

In the absolute, Popovitch had two matches before closing out the division with his teammates. His first fight was with Ben Baxter, whom he submitted with a choke. In his second match, he took on Gracie Barra’s Flavio Almeida and beat him 2-0 with a takedown.

Then Cyborg, Cavaca, Bochecha, and Popovitch conferred at the edge of the mats and, while there was a lot of talking and laughing going on, it was obvious that it was tough for him to take the “loss” they had agreed upon. But Popovitch smiled as he stepped onto the mats and let his friend and teammate Bochecha take the win, who in turn gave it to Cyborg. “I don’t like to lose at anything,” he laughs.

Popovitch wants to dedicate his win to his parents. “They’ve always supported me,” he says, “My dad’s a black belt, too. I’ve been doing Jiu-Jitsu since I was four years old.” Many may not know that Popovitch is cousins with some of the Gracie’s and grew up in Brazil living the Jiu-Jitsu lifestyle. “It gave me a lot of confidence,” he says.

Tired from a long year of competing, Popovitch says he needs a break, but he’s going to come out strong in 2011. “My goal for 2011 is to win every single gi and no-gi tournament.” With his above-average strength, speed, dedication, and focus, along with a near-perfect record, “Weapon X” should have no problem attaining those objectives.

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Businessman, ex-goal keeper and fighter: meet Brazil’s no-gi absolute champion

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 20:27:49 +0000

Victor celebrates winning absolute. Photo: Carlos Ozório.

The Brazilian No-Gi Nationals 2010 saw Victor Costa crowned champion of the main category. The CheckMat representative beat four opponents in making it to the highest spot on the winners’ stand, nabbing his second medal of the day. Earlier, in the superheavyweight division, he forsook competing in the final to save energy for the absolute.

An illustrious figure among the competitors? The black belt doesn’t see himself that way, despite his background being somewhat different from his opponents’. Before getting involved in the gentle art, up until he was eighteen, he was dedicated to soccer. He was a goal keeper who even figured on the professional team of São Paulo’s São Caetano soccer club. After that, he became the businessman behind the Koral Kimonos brand. From there on out, his involvement in Jiu-Jitsu became so intense that practicing and competing in the sport became his destiny.

Get to know a bit more about Victor Costa in this GRACIEMAG.com interview:

Did you imagine you’d do so well at the No-Gi Nationals?

I competed at the No-Gi Pan and that marked my competition return. I was lucky to only have one match, because I wasn’t that well prepared, I’d been away from competition for a long time. But I won and that picked up my spirits a lot. I knew the Brazilian Nationals was coming up at the end of the month and so I started to believe I could win it. I never imagined I’d make it so far in the absolute, but I knew I could do well.

Submission in absolute final. Photo: Carlos Ozório.

When did you start believing you could actually win the main division?

When I won my first match in the absolute, I got to talking with Chico Mendes, one of the coaches at CheckMat, and we saw it could work. I concentrated and started thinking about making it to the final. I was really confident in my second match; I fought well and got the finish. The semifinal against Theodoro Canal was rough. He’s a really technical athlete, really quick and it was a hard match, but I won. Capoeira (Nilson Ricardo), my opponent in the final, had lost to the same fighter I beat at weight. So I was confident, didn’t want to squander the chance, and I went into the match focused.

How do you manage to reconcile business with proper competition training?

First comes my love for Jiu-Jitsu, my desire to compete. I was a soccer player, turned professional at eighteen, but there was a lot of politics involved and I ended up sort of abandoned. I started Koral with my brother and, then, started training Jiu-Jitsu. I saw it as an individual sport, where we depend much more on ourselves. As I always had a drive to win, it was the perfect union. I won the world championship as a brown belt, but after getting my black, I kind of dropped out.

Photo: personal archive.

What has Jiu-Jitsu changed in your life?

Jiu-Jitsu made me a more focused and dedicated person. There’s always time for training on my agenda! Ever since I started Koral fourteen years ago, I’ve made loads of friends through Jiu-Jitsu. The folks on my team are great. They all help me and provide me incentive in competing. I stayed in Florida with Rodrigo Cavaca, who I admire a great deal. I was at Nino Schembri’s academy and the guy took off his gi to help me prepare for the Pan. So I know people wherever I go. It’s a family for everyone and I feel privileged in that respect.

What’s your relationship with the other competitors like? Do they treat you any differently for your being a businessman who works in the fight world?

I feel it’s normal. All athletes these days have a very professional mentality and they know how to separate things. In the warm-up area, they all know I’m just another competitor, and I see it like that, too. I’ve faced athletes who I sponsor before and it was real professional. I’m a laid back guy, I respect everyone and feel it’s just a normal situation.

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Popovitch wins again, with and without gi

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 19:45:30 +0000

Popovitch at Copa America

Everyone knows what Pablo Popovitch can do when he takes off the gi – he won the last ADCC after beating Marcelo Garcia in the final and is this season’s Pan-American No-Gi champion.

On October 9 at Lake Gibson High School in Florida, Popovitch won the absolute no-gi division of the Copa America alongside CheckMat black belt Marcus “Bochecha”, which you already found out here on GRACIEMAG.com.

Popovitch and Bochecha (right)

However, this time our GMA ventured into the gi division, which he closed out with Bochecha, too.

The next chance to see Popovitch in action will be at the No-Gi Worlds on November 7. In the meantime, check out the black belt’s three submission wins in Florida:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3UIm4jfdyw

Keep on top of the upcoming IBJJF events:

To find out more about the Miami Open, click here.

To find out more aout the No-Gi Worlds, click here.

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Gamonal celebrates Pan win and forges ahead in US competition

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 17:40:31 +0000

Diego on Pan podium

Brazilian Top Team black belt Diego Gamonal did a fine job at the No-Gi Pan in New York, winning the heavyweight division.

“The matches were really tough. I fought in a really stacked division, but it all worked out. It was the first time I competed at a No-Gi Pan and I intend to be back next year,” remarks Diego.

Now the fighter forges ahead in his class-teaching tour in the USA and gets ready for the upcoming IBJJF events in the country, the Miami Open and No-Gi Worlds. After spending three months in Portland, Oregon, he goes on to spend two months at BTT Boston, a GMA of ours, alongside Professor Daniel Mirel.

“I’m still working to get the gang ready for the Miami Open and No-Gi Worlds. I just don’t know at what weight group yet because it’s hard to keep up a diet here (laughs)!” he says in closing.

Do as Diego Gamonal does and participate in IBJJF events.

To find out more about the Miami Open, click here.

To find out more about the No-Gi Worlds, click here.

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Popovitch vs. Caio Terra at No-Gi Pan

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 17:34:41 +0000

Pablo and Bochecha celebrate. Photo: Alberto Vasari

One of the standouts at the No-Gi Pan 2010, our GMA Pablo Popovitch overcame Caio Terra in the absolute semifinal. The match seemed more like a final, since with the win, Popovitch shut out the division with training partner Marcus Bochecha, and thus there was no final.

The heavier man Popovitch had his work cut out for him in dealing with Caio Terra’s guard. The solution was to get to back mount, where he ended the open weight affair.

See how it played out:

The next IBJJF events are the Miami Open on October 23, the No-Gi Brazilian Nationals on October 30, and the No-Gi Worlds on November 7.

To find out more about the Miami Open, click here.

To find out more about the No-Gi Brazilian Nationals, click here.

To find out more about the No-Gi Worlds, click here.

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See who heated things up at the No-Gi Pan

Graciemag Newsroom — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 22:12:51 +0000

At the No-Gi Pan 2010, Pablo Popovitch was king, crowned after winning his weight and the open weight divisions. But the event also featured stellar showings from Caio Terra, Henrique Costa, Jonathan Torres, Lucas Lepri, Diego Gamonal, Marcus Vinícius Oliveira, and Victor Costa, among others. Furthermore, the blue to brown belt athletes put on comely performances in New York.

Between the teams in the contest, Renzo Gracie took top spot, followed by CheckMat and Alliance. Also noteworthy was the participation of team Marcelo Garcia, winning the female, masters and seniors divisions.

The complete results can be found here. But to see all the action from yet another great IBJJF event, all you need to do is check out the photos taken by Dan Rod, below:

[flickr set=72157625095987722]

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Pablo comments on New York Pan absolute gold

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 17:16:50 +0000

Popovitch on medium heavyweight winners' stand. Photo: Dan Rod.

Pablo Popovitch was the big name of the No-Gi Pan held Saturday in New York by the IBJJF.

The Brazilian teacher living in Florida added another two medals to his vast no-gi collection.

Victorious at the last UFC Fan Expo, where he won his Grapplers Quest super match against Lucas Lepri, and at the ADCC in Barcelona, where he stopped Marcelo Garcia, the Jorge Popovitch black belt won four matches in New York and closed out the absolute with CheckMat’s Marcus Bochecha.

In the medium heavyweight division, Pablo first went past Nakapan Phungephom by a score of 4 to 0. Next, he submitted Leonardo “Leléo” Ferreira with a kimura lock, taking gold in his weight division.

In the absolute, Pablo submitted Marcelo Pereira, also with a kimura, and finished off Caio Terra with a rear-naked choke. And the champion wants more:

“I did a lot of work in preparing for this; the truth is that I’m always prepared. Now I have bigger objectives. Now I want to win the absolutes,” Pablo told GRACIEMAG.com. “This is the main lesson I learned in New York: that I have what it takes not just to win my weight class but the absolutes as well.”

And which was the toughest match of his campaign?

“All of them were tough. The most technical one for sure was against Caio Terra. I worked on a half-guard-pass variation to ultimately mount going over his legs. He gave up his back and I finished with a rear-naked choke.”

Check out the complete results on IBJJF.org and check back for more news here, on your most reliable source of news on everything Jiu-Jitsu.

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Popovitch wins absolute at No-Gi Pan

Sun, 03 Oct 2010 20:12:40 +0000

Pablo on top in photo by Luca Atalla.

If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. Following his capturing the under-77 kg title at last year’s ADCC, Pablo Popvitch kept with Frank Sinatra’s theme by winning the medium heavyweight division at the No-Gi Pan in New York this Saturday.

Pablo shut out the open weight final with Marcus Vinícius (Check Mat), with Bruno Bastos and Caio Terra rounding out the winners’ podium.

Also to win at black belt were Caio Terra (light featherweight), Henrique Costa (featherweight), Jonathan Torres (lightweight), Lucas Lepri (middleweight), Diego Gamonal (heavyweight), Marcus Vinícius Oliveira (super heavyweight) and Victor Costa (ultraheavyweight).

Check out the official results on the IBJJF.org website.
Team results:

Adult:
1- Renzo Gracie  2- Checkmat BJJ  3- Alliance
Master & Seniors:
1- Marcelo Garcia  2- Alliance  3- Gracie Humaitá
Juvenile:
1- Alliance  2- Lloyd Irvin  3- Hasset’s
Female:
1- Marcelo Garcia  2- Brazilian Top Team  3- Lloyd Irvin

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Bruno Bastos raring for American Nationals and No-Gi Pan

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 21:14:51 +0000

Bruno Bastos is all set for yet another competition marathon. The Nova União ace is raring to see action at the next two IBJJF events in the USA, the American Nationals on September 25 and 26 and the October 2 No-Gi Pan. And not only has he been pleased with his students’ performances in competition, the black belt had the honor of a special tribute from the US Army.

“I taught a seminar in south Texas last weekend, as well as doing a Jiu-Jitsu demonstration at a US Army event at the Fort Lee base (Richmond, Virginia). We held gi and no-gi activities for the American soldiers stationed there. It was an honor to receive a certificate of services rendered to the American army, and it was also really cool to interact with the soldiers,” he says.

Bruno with American army soldiers

Beyond the recent excitement, the black belt is also motivated by his results as a coach. His student, blue belt Nicolas Nuila, won the Las Vegas Open and Asian Open, and his team took second place overall at last month’s Grapplers Quest in Texas. Bruno is excited and has only winning gold at his next outings on his mind.

“It’s hard to believe that, after all I’ve been through to get here, all this has happened in so little time (ten months). But I’m also sure this is just the beginning. Now I’m going to turn my attention to the competitions coming up and will try to win both my weight and the absolute weight groups. I’m thirty years old, but I’m still fighting in the adult division. I only compete in the master division at the International Master and Senior, which is a really important event. I’ll give people a hard time for a while yet! I’m training hard and will continue to represent Nova União well,” he says.

Bruno at seminar in Harlingen

And finally, so as not to say everything is pure joy, Bruno laments not being able to compete at the Brazilian Team Nationals to take place this coming weekend in Rio de Janeiro.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to wish the gang competing at the Brazilian Team Nationals good luck. I’d like to be with them, but now I have commitments here in the USA. Thiago Gaia will captain the team along with my cousin, André Bastos, and some others who are going to cause some havoc in the heavyweight brown and black belt division. I know the team will be well represented,” he says in closing.

Do as Bruno Bastos does and register for the No-Gi Pan. Sign-ups end on the coming 25^th. Find out more by clicking here.

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Today last chance to be US champion

Sat, 18 Sep 2010 19:45:57 +0000

Caio Terra goes for the sweep, in photo by John Cooper.

Sign-ups for the American National Championship end today. It’s the last day for anyone with hopes of pursuing the coveted title of US Jiu-Jitsu champion, so don’t miss out.

The tournament is set for September 25 and 26 at California State University in Dominguez Hills.

Click here to secure your spot at the best place in the gymnasium.

Among those signed up are black belts Caio Terra, Stephen Hall, Wellington Megaton, Rodrigo Teixeira, Clark Gracie, Ryan Beauregard, Bruno Bastos, Ulpiano Malachias, Samir Chantre and Fabiana Borges.

The IBJJF will also hold a refereeing clinic that is open to all participants interested in learning more about our Jiu-Jitsu’s rules, and not just black belts.

Besides the American Nationals, sign-ups remain open for the No-Gi Pan to take place October 2 in New York.

The other IBJJF events on the calendar are the Miami Open (October 23), the No-Gi Worlds (November 7, in Cali) and the South American (November 20 and 21 in Santa Catarina, Brazil).

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