Há quem diga que Jiu-Jitsu é a arte de fazer coisas difíceis parecerem simples.

No dia 9 de maio, um sábado de primavera nos Estados Unidos, o professor GMI Bruno Jacaré Dias realizou uma baita façanha. Conquistou pela manhã a medalha de ouro no Boston Spring International Open da IBJJF, na categoria Leve Master 3. Mais uma vez esbanjou sua técnica favorita, os ataques aéreos, como o triângulo voador.

À noite, o faixa-preta da escola Kaizen Jiu-Jitsu teve um outro compromisso desafiador: a superluta sem kimono do evento Reality Fighting, realizado na bela Mohegan Sun Arena, em Uncasville, Connecticut. Boston e Uncasville ficam a aproximadamente duas horas de carro em condições normais de trânsito, mas isso não foi problema para o craque, formado por Marco Barbosinha, que tem como mantra a seguinte frase: “Morra com memórias, não com sonhos.”

O Reality Fighting é uma organização norte-americana que promove cards combinando lutas de MMA profissional/amador e superlutas de grappling (Jiu-Jitsu sem kimono / No-Gi). No show do dia 9 de maio, Bruno Jacaré finalizou Antonio Santos (da Cruvinel Brothers) com a belíssima chave de braço que você pode ver na foto logo abaixo.

“Vencer em dois torneios, no mesmo dia, em dois estados diferentes e com finalizações voadoras! Mais um dia normal em meu escritório…”, brinca Jacaré. “E tudo isso depois de ter ensinado mais de trinta aulas durante a semana na academia, meu amigo.”

Fica o exemplo do craque da Kaizen para os dias em que você estiver com preguiça de ir à academia e treinar Jiu-Jitsu, amigo leitor. Oss!

Relembre esse confere soltinho entre os manos Rener e Ryron Gracie, durante um camp em 2014, e bons treininhos.

Oss!

Dylan Melton é uma das promessas da Gracie Barra nos Estados Unidos. Desde 2023, ele vem treinando na escola GB Westchase, do professor Ulpiano Malachias, e após um estudo consistente e treinos duros sem kimono, colhe os frutos.

O atleta saiu de Houston e, pela primeira vez, decidiu visitar e competir no Brasil. Valeu a pena: o jovem cometa voltou com a medalha de ouro no peso pesado e no absoluto, na faixa-marrom, no acirrado Campeonato Brasileiro Sem Kimono, da IBJJF.

Ele fez seis lutas, e finalizou cinco, com um belo leque de estrangulamento pelas costas e chaves de calcanhar. Na final, a vitória veio numa virada eletrizante, no último minuto, quando ele montou no oponente João Victor Souza, da equipe DreamArt, para pontuar e vencer.

Dylan tem mostrado, em outros torneios do circuito americano, um jogo de guarda ofensiva e criativa, com ataques duplos ou triplos. Confira e aprenda um pouco com a fera, em vitória recente no Submission Hunter Pro. Vai longe, a fera?

Leão Teixeira entre Kyra e Roger Gracie, em 2011. Foto: Marcelo Dunlop

Vai competir sem o kimono neste fim de temporada?

Em idos de 2011, antes de mais um ADCC, o experiente campeão José Henrique Leão Teixeira, o famoso mestre Zé Beleza, ensinava para nossa equipe o macete para um contra-ataque interessante, com auxílio do faixa-preta Nilton Garcia.

Confira a aula, na academia de nosso GMI Roger Gracie, em Londres, e bons estudos.

On Sunday, September 16, martial artist Thiago Gaia returned to the stage. He was one of the stars of the Submission Pro Tour 18 event in Sacramento, California, and won his fight in great style, submitting Ignacio Lamoglia via reverse triangle.

“Closing space plus total pressure results in submission”, summarized the professor at Checkmat Brentwood, in California, after the triumph at Benvenuti Performing Arts.

Click here to review Gaia’s double attack in no-gi Jiu-Jitsu. Oss!

What did you learn from your recent victory at the IBJJF Phoenix Open? 

ANDRE FREIRE: The Phoenix Open has a very high competitive level, my victory in the event boosts confidence for bigger competitions, especially for the No-Gi Worlds, a competition in which I’ve been on the podium in the past, but now I want the highest place.

Who is your greatest idol in your career?
Ayrton Senna is a great idol, that reference of pursuing excellence in what he does, not giving up in the face of adversity, especially because he is not in my sport, being able to motivate those who have never even seen a racing car up close.
 
What are your goals for the future in the USA?

I have some important titles that I want to achieve, like World Masters, and also be able to teach Jiu-Jitsu as a lifestyle and the benefits of this art to as many people as I can.
 
What is the philosophy behind your school?
Promote the different aspects of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, such as martial art, sport and self-defense. My desire is to positively achieve people’s different goals, respecting each person’s adversities and limitations.

Photo: Milena Maldonado

As a brown-belt, in 2019, Jéssica Caroline had her best moment when she topped off a strong phase with titles in the IBJJF’s Pan and World Championship in Long Beach, California.

The two medals resulted in Jéssica, 27, being promoted black-belt atop the podium of the last Worlds, prior to the pandemic. Since then, the Alessandro Nunes-trained athlete won the South American and the Rio Open, and placed second in the Brazilian Nationals—all three events held by IBJJF/CBJJ in Brazil.

“In 2019 it was an incredible experience; I was really well prepared, I felt really good in all the fights I had, thus winning the title of champion,” she said. “This year I’m feeling great too, focused and training a lot… I’m going to give it my maximum to bring this title home again, now in the black belt.”

Asked about the state of the roosterweight division, the PAX Academy athlete added: “My category is quite interesting! There are some girls I’ve never fought, all at a high level. I’m anxious and excited! I want it to come soon, because it’s going to be a war.

“I’m prepared and confident; my training sessions have been difficult, and that makes me confident. Nothing can be harder than my training.”

A black-belt since September 2019, Jéssica also spoke of what she thinks it takes to win the World Championship, which is set to start on December 9 in Anaheim, California.

“It’s impossible for you to have success at the Worlds without having the discipline to train right and eat well,” she said. “That’s the work I’ve been doing in the course of all these years. I have a training routine, and discipline to do what’s right and say no to the distractions. When it’s fight time, I also like to see each fight as final, and, in my mind, the person who dictates the pace of the fight is me. That’s the path I’ll follow to become world champion!”

Check out below one of Jéssica’s fights from the 2019 Worlds in California.

Photo: Personal Archive

At 23 years of age, Jeferson Guaresi is one of the strongest athletes from the new generation of Jiu-Jitsu. The black-belt from Unity Jiu-Jitsu proved he deserves this distinction as he won the IBJJF’s World Championship and No-Gi Pan in the last two months. These are medals at the highest level of the sport, especially in the black belt division.

With just two years of experience as a black-belt — a promotion given to him by Murilo Santana — Jeferson has accumulated 29 wins, nine of which were by submission. At the No-Gi Worlds, for example, he won four matches and scored two submissions against Rodrigo Lopes and Joseph Watson. In the medium heavy final, Jeferson played the strategist to beat Pedro Rocha, a fighter known for his guillotines. Jeferson spoke about his performance in a recent interview.

“The final was an interesting fight, because my opponent only had one move about which I had to worry,” he said. “It was a fight where I had to be very focused on not losing my concentration, but I knew my jiu-jitsu is up to date. It just came down to not messing up, and I’d walk away with the win. That was when I scored two points right away and then managed my advantage.”

Jeferson is an avid competitor who has won more than 100 medals in national and international tournaments — including gold at the IBJJF’s No-Gi Pan, No-Gi Worlds and European Championship — in the past eleven years, the time he has been practicing jiu-jitsu. He shared some thoughts on this journey:

“My goal in jiu-jitsu has never been just to be world champion; that’s a consequence of my training. In the course of this time, my goal is to help all who are parts of the sport. I want to make the sport grow more and more, and I want to help people achieve their goals. I want the practitioners of jiu-jitsu to be good people to society too. I’m greatly inspired by my master, Murilo Santana, who is a big influence on what I’ve become today. Rafael Godoi, my first teacher, is also an important part in my education as an athlete.”

Jeferson is considered by many to be the originator of the “thrown by” guard pass — a move that has earned him multiple gold medals in different competitions, including at the No-Gi Pan. Here’s a pioneer’s perspective on how the guard pass works:

“It’s important that you know how to create space to position yourself when it’s time to move. The guard pass I do is intricate and requires perfect timing and form; the secret is in the positioning of the hip and knee, responsible for preventing the guard player’s returning with the leg to defend. Then, I use one of my hands to control my opponent’s hip and advance my entire body to win the three points.”

To see how it works, check out Jeferson’s step-by-step tutorial in the following images.

Confira os confrontos iniciais do GP sem kimono do BJJBet 2: Who’s Next! Foto: Reprodução

Com os atletas e as lutas casadas já definidas, o BJJBet fez a revelação que os fãs do Jiu-Jitsu estavam esperando. Através de suas redes sociais, a organização revelou os confrontos que darão o pontapé inicial em seu aguardado GP sem kimono, no dia 1 de agosto, rumo à bagatela de 15 mil dólares e ao cinturão do evento.

Ditando o ritmo da noite de lutas, Leandro Lo e Rafael Paganini lideram o primeiro duelo do GP; No segundo confronto, gerações colidem nos tatames do BJJBet, com Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares encarando William Tackett; Lucas Hulk e Servio Tulio protagonizam o terceiro confronto na busca por uma vaga na semifinal; E por fim, mas certamente não menos importante, Mica Galvão e Mauricio Oliveira lutam para alcançar a próxima etapa da competição.

Vale lembrar que, ao realizar a compra do ppv no site do BJJBet, você poderá receber até R$ 5 mil reais para palpitar em todos os duelos da noite através do BJJPicks. E ai, amigo leitor, vai ficar de fora dessa? Deixe já seu palpite no BJJPicks e comente conosco suas previsões para os confrontos do BJJBet 2: Who’s Next!

BJJBet: Who’s Next
São Paulo – SP
1 de agosto de 2021

LUTAS CASADAS

Nicholas Meregali x Rider Zuchi
Gabrieli Pessanha x Tayane Porfírio
Matheus Gabriel x Luan Carvalho
Jorge Michelan x Leo Lara
Murilo Amaral x Meyram Maquine
Matheus Onda x Samuel Nagai
Duda Tozoni x Sayuri Toledo
Pedro Machado x Caio BBG

GP SEM KIMONO (ATÉ 88KG)
1ª rodada

Leandro Lo x Rafael Paganini
Rousimar Palhares x William Tackett
Lucas Hulk x Servio Tulio
Mica Galvão x Mauricio Oliveira

Photo: Personal Archive

At just seven months among the sport’s elite, Jack Douglas is starting to capture his first important titles. The 26-year-old athlete was the best super-heavy and ultra-heavy fighter in gi and no-gi at this year’s American Nationals, one of the toughest tournaments of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) circuit.

Owner of a submission-heavy style, which prioritizes attacks from the waist down, Jack became no-gi American Nationals champion by applying a heel hook on John Leslie (Axios) in the final. He spoke about how he practices his finishes.

“I was already practicing leg attacks a lot, and the heel attacks are more of a complement,” said Jack, who also won the Nationals’ gi super-heavy division by beating Lucas Norat (Gracie Barra). “I can’t deny that it’s a bit complicated to practice them without some kind of hesitation, but it’s that old story that all that is new is scary. But the heel hook will become just as normal as an armbar. The secret is to train, study and practice. In the past, people would only talk about heel hooks when they had a superfight, and now you practice that position all week to fight on the weekend.”

Having lived for four years in the United States, where he leads his career as a professional athlete, Jackson is closely following the increasing popularity of no-gi events — a niche in which Americans are, for now, investing more.

“I believe gi jiu-jitsu isn’t going to lose its space, because many people don’t like to train or compete without the gi,” he said. “No-gi jiu-jitsu can, indeed, gain more space in superfights, because the vast majority of events are looking for a more dynamic kind of match. The public these days that buys tickets wants to see fights with movement, spinning and euphoria. The events are also looking for athletes that display this type of style — it’s all in service of the show. I always train to win with lots of movement, via submission. The audience that gets to see me fighting will enjoy it!”

Jackson trains at Checkmat La Habra in California, under Lucas Leite, his teacher.

Confira o primeiro episódio da nova série. Foto: Reprodução

Depois da série que mostrou os preparativos da primeira edição do BJJBet, a organização vira suas lentes para o futuro. Às vésperas do próximo evento, que ocorre no dia 1° de agosto, o BJJBet liberou em seu canal do YouTube o primeiro episódio de um novo seriado, que irá focar no BJJBet: Who’s Next.

Intitulado “Pré-fight”, o episódio mostra a rotina de treinos de alguns dos atletas que irão compor a noite de lutas. Luan Carvalho e Matheus Gabriel abrem o vídeo e as portas de suas academias enquanto comentam sobre suas expectativas para o confronto. Depois, o episódio chega às ruas do Rio de Janeiro, onde Gabi Pessanha e Tayane Porfírio falam sobre o treinamento para uma das lutas mais aguardadas do evento. Por fim, Leandro Lo e Rafael Paganini relatam seus preparos e prometem grandes atuações no GP sem kimono.

Confira abaixo o primeiro episódio da série “BJJBet: Who’s Next”!

BJJBet: Who’s Next
São Paulo – SP
1 de agosto de 2021

LUTAS CASADAS

Nicholas Meregali x Rider Zuchi
Gabrieli Pessanha x Tayane Porfírio
Matheus Gabriel x Luan Carvalho
Jorge Michelan x Leo Lara
Murilo Amaral x Meyram Maquine
Matheus Onda x Samuel Nagai
Duda Tozoni x Sayuri Toledo
Pedro Machado x Caio BBG

GP SEM KIMONO (ATÉ 88KG)
1ª rodada

Leandro Lo x Rafael Paganini
Rousimar Palhares x William Tackett
Lucas Hulk x Servio Tulio
Mica Galvão x Mauricio Oliveira

Marcus Buchecha and Leandro Lo may face each other.

Eight of the strongest fighters, 40,000 dollars on the line and three no-gi matches to get to the top of the podium. It is with this formula that the IBJJF is again hosting in Las Vegas its Heavyweight GP. It will take place Aug. 24 at Evexia Fit Fest.

Last week the federation confirmed João Gabriel Rocha to fill the last spot of the tourney that promises to be an explosive one from beginning to end, following a sudden-death format.

The first fighter confirmed, Marcus Buchecha, who is the biggest record holder in IBJJF World Championships, seeks to extend his reign over the BJJ world. A two-time ADCC world champion, he has plenty to offer in no-gi. Another fighter confirmed is the American Gordon Ryan. A heel hook master, Ryan paraded his technique under IBJJF rules at the 2018 No-Gi Pan, which he walked out of with double gold. He is currently recovering from an injury, which may stop him from competing, but his name remains on the list.

A two-time no-gi world champion, Lucas Hulk was the third name confirmed. Coming off some great performances in classical BJJ, Hulk has the potential to be a thorn in anyone’s side. Yuri Simões was next on the list. An ADCC world champion in the 88kg and 99kg divisions and no-gi world champion, Yuri has in his sharp takedown game a powerful weapon.

Leandro Lo was confirmed after that. Having triumphed in the biggest gi tournaments in the world, Lo counts two no-gi Brazilian titles among his accolades, and his unpredictable game means he can always spring a decisive surprise. Mahamed Aly was confirmed after that. An absolute European no-gi champion, Mahamed possesses classic judo takedowns in his arsenal, as well as a lot of precision in leg entries and a phenomenally strong guard-passing game.

Representing GFTeam, Patrick Gáudio was the seventh fighter summoned. Coming off a great showing at the IBJJF’s No-Gi Pan, Patrick is known for giving all he’s got until the last second. And finally, we have João Gabriel Rocha. The silver medalist of ADCC 2015’s absolute division is coming off the feat of beating Marcus Buchecha in a BJJ Stars superfight, and has been showing that his no-gi game is up to snuff in Kasai and other no-gi events.

IBJJF Heavyweight No-Gi GP
Las Vegas, Nevada
Aug. 24, 2019

Marcus Buchecha
Gordon Ryan
Lucas Hulk
Leandro Lo
Mahamed Aly
Yuri Simões
Patrick Gáudio
João Gabriel Rocha