Champ Oliver Geddes

In 2014, in an interview with reporter Ivan Trindade, English champion Oliver Geddes published an article in GRACIEMAG about his achievements and his routine as a Jiu-Jitsu black belt.

Oliver, who passed away at the age of 40 this week after a brave battle with bowel cancer, listed the dreams he had achieved in the sport – such as visiting unimaginable corners of the planet or training with some of the most respected fighters in the history of the sport.

Check out and learn from the eternal teacher Oliver, one of the pioneers of the gentle art in England.

Living the Jiu-Jitsu road trip dream
Black belt Oliver Geddes shares his experiences and proves it is possible to be a globetrotter of the gentle art

By Oliver Geddes, with Ivan Trindade

“If you have told me in my first year of university that I would be spending the next ten years of my life traveling and making my living through martial arts, I would never have believed you. I doubt my parents would have been all that impressed either, after years invested in the education for a more conventional path.

Through Jiu-Jitsu, I have been able to visit dozens of countries around the world. I have shared the mats with some of the greatest practitioners of our era, and received my black belt from the greatest competitor in history, Roger Gracie.

I have met hundreds, even thousands of people united by their passion for a shared sport. These people have opened their homes and academies to me for no reason other than the art we all hold in common.

That said, it’s not always been easy.

In my first year of living the dream, I spent six months crashing in an apartment rented by some friends. I slept on the floor in the corridor just in front of the bathroom, and every couple of weeks I would get woken up when one of my flat mates would accidentally kick me in the head as he stepped over me.

In the years since, I have acquired at least one impressive cauliflower ear, fingers that look like gnarled twigs, and a whole list of other minor injuries that will likely stay with me for the rest of my life. In turn, I have also had experiences that will stay with me just as long.

I have stood by the mats in an open air arena in Abu Dhabi at night, and watched members of the Royal Family cheer on their favorite fighters as television crews broadcast the matches live across the country.

In that same stadium, I found myself warming up next to Marcelo Garcia and, still an impressionable purple belt, I asked him if I could shake his hand for luck. He looked at me slightly strangely, but obliged. It did not bring me enough, sadly.

I translated my way through ordering a pizza from room service for the Miyao brothers. I watched in disbelief as Rafael Mendes submitted me in under twenty seconds. I spent eleven weeks on a whirlwind tour of the USA and Canada, staying in nine different cities and competing in tournaments in each one of them.

Every week I would spend time with a new group of people, new training partners and a new environment before fighting, refereeing, and moving on to a new city to begin the cycle anew.

As for refereeing? Well, that could be a whole catalogue of experiences by itself. I have been threatened, insulted, and been told innumerable times that I am blind or do not know the rules. But there have been a share of good stories, too.

To pick just one from the Worlds Championships, I was refereeing in 2014 a match where Bernardo Faria faced off against an opponent who I did not recognized. After dominating him, he turned to me with a huge smile and told me that he would lost to him in the final of a competition years earlier, and had finally got his revenge. His opponent smiled too, I raised Bernardo’s hand, and they walked off the mat as friends, chatting and joking together.

So how to end this little piece of journalism? I do not know, simply because the lifestyle is something that does not have an ending.

Jiu-Jitsu has opened doors and pathways that I couldn’t even have imagined the first time I stepped onto the mat.

But the best thing about it is that the journey, amazing though it has been, is far from over. There is still so much left to do.”

And you did it, Oli. You did it.

Oliver, falecido aos 40 anos esta semana, após lutar bravamente contra um câncer de intestino, listou os sonhos que realizara no esporte – como, por exemplo, conhecer cantos impensáveis do planeta, ou treinar com alguns dos lutadores mais respeitados da história do esporte.

Confira e aprenda com o eterno professor Oliver, um dos pioneiros da arte suave na Inglaterra.

* Vivendo o sonho como um embaixador do Jiu-Jitsu

Por Oliver Geddes, com Ivan Trindade

“Se você tivesse me dito no meu primeiro ano de faculdade que eu passaria os próximos dez anos da minha vida viajando e ganhando a vida como um artista marcial, eu jamais teria acreditado. Duvido que meus pais também ficassem impressionados, depois de anos investindo em minha educação, com a ideia de que eu seguisse um caminho mais convencional.

Pois graças ao Jiu-Jitsu, pude visitar dezenas de países ao redor do mundo. Compartilhei o tatame com alguns dos maiores praticantes da nossa era e recebi minha faixa-preta do maior competidor da história, meu professor Roger Gracie.

Conheci centenas, talvez milhares de pessoas unidas por uma paixão em comum por esse esporte. Pessoas que me abriram suas casas e academias sem nenhum motivo – além da arte suave, nosso elo.

Mas nem sempre foi fácil. No meu primeiro ano vivendo o sonho, passei seis meses hospedado num apartamento alugado por amigos. Dormia no chão do corredor, bem em frente ao banheiro, e a cada semana eu acordava quando um colega acidentalmente me chutava na cabeça ao passar por mim. Nos anos seguintes, adquiri pelo menos uma orelha de couve-flor impressionante, dedos que parecem galhos de árvore e uma lista completa de leves ferimentos que provavelmente ficarão comigo pelo resto da vida. Por outro lado, também tive experiências que ficarão comigo por anos.

Fiquei postado de noite numa arena ao ar livre em Abu Dhabi, e assisti a membros da Família Real torcendo por seus lutadores favoritos enquanto equipes de TV
transmitiam as lutas ao vivo para todo o país.

Naquele mesmo estádio, me vi aquecendo ao lado de Marcelo Garcia e, ainda um faixa-roxa emocionado, perguntei se ele poderia apertar minha mão para atrair mais sorte. Ele estranhou, mas atendeu. Uma pena que isso não trouxe sorte o suficiente.

Dei uma de tradutor e pedi uma pizza pelo telefone do quarto dos irmãos Miyao. Fiquei sem acreditar enquanto um certo Rafael Mendes me finalizava em 20 segundos. Passei 11 semanas em turnê pelo Canadá e EUA, em nove cidades diferentes, onde competia e e treinava. A cada semana, eu passava um tempo com novo grupo de pessoas, novos parceiros de treino e um novo ambiente antes de lutar, arbitrar e me mudar para uma nova cidade para começar o ciclo novamente.

E quanto a arbitragem? Bem, só isso renderia um livro inteiro de experiências. Já fui ameaçado, insultado e me chamaram de cego inúmeras vezes, quando não me acusavam de ignorar as regras do Jiu-Jitsu. Mas também houve boas histórias.

Para escolher apenas uma, do Campeonato Mundial de 2014, eu estava arbitrando uma partida em que Bernardo Faria enfrentou um oponente que eu não reconheci. Depois de dominá-lo, ele se virou para mim com um sorriso enorme e me disse que havia perdido para ele na final de uma competição anos antes e que finalmente havia se vingado. Seu oponente também sorriu, eu levantei a mão de Bernardo e eles saíram do tatame como amigos, conversando e brincando um com o outro.

E agora, como terminar este pequeno pedaço de artigo jornalístico? Não sei, simplesmente porque o estilo de vida do Jiu-Jitsu é algo que não tem fim.

O Jiu-Jitsu abriu portas e caminhos que sequer podia imaginar na primeira vez que pisei num tatame. Mas o melhor de tudo é que a jornada, por mais incrível que tenha sido, está longe de terminar. Ainda há muito a ser feito.”

E você fez, Oli. Você fez.

O campeão inglês Oli Geddes com seu professor, Roger Gracie. Foto: Reprodução / BJJ Heroes

Nascido em 1984, Oliver Geddes curtia artes marciais, e num dia de 2005 resolveu se testar no Jiu-Jitsu. O jovem inglês logo viu que a arte mudaria sua vida. Largou não apenas as diversas modalidades que gostava de praticar, como também seu emprego normal em Londres.

Oli se tornaria um dos principais instrutores da academia de Roger Gracie, onde dormiria por um tempo, e passou a ser um dos competidores mais respeitados no cenário do Jiu-Jitsu na Europa, no peso leve e outras categorias.

Venceu o Europeu como faixa-roxa, em 2009 e 2010, e colecionou medalhas nos Pans da IBJJF, com e sem kimono. Tornou-se faixa-preta no fim de 2011.

Este ano, o professor postou que lutava com um câncer de intestino, que avançava rápido e tomava seu fígado.

“Oli dedicou sua vida ao Jiu-Jitsu”, resumiu um arrasado Roger Gracie, numa postagem em tributo ao velho amigo. “Ele não apenas colecionou conquistas nos tatames, mas mudou o Jiu-Jitsu na Inglaterra por meio de seu treinamento, apoio a demais atletas e um compromisso incansável com o crescimento do esporte no Reino Unido e no mundo”.

Sua esposa, Nadine Laarvrouw, também faixa-preta de Jiu-Jitsu, despediu-se do marido com graça e amor:

“Meu coração está estilhaçado, mas Oli prometeu olhar por mim de lá, com seu sorriso capaz de iluminar milhas à distância. Seu senso de humor move montanhas, e ele enfrentou tudo com coragem e graça. Tenho orgulho infinito do homem com quem vivi nesses oito anos”.

Nadine concluiu: “Oli viveu de verdade. Ele encarou riscos para seguir sua paixão, doou e recebeu amor profundo, e impactou inúmeras pessoas, como pudemos sentir nessas últimas semanas, em todas as mensagens, lembranças, lágrimas e sorrisos.”

Paz e força para todos os amigos e familiares da fera. Oss.

While packing and planning for any trip can be a feat, accurately preparing for a trip that involves training or competing may differ your plans.

For those who are embarking on journeys, make sure you follow all of these tips from Oliver Geddes, a black belt under Roger Gracie and traveling connoisseur.

No stranger to traveling for Jiu-Jitsu related endeavors, Oliver rounded out a 60 day trip in the summer of 2012 where he went from his hometown of London, England to Toronto, Las Vegas, Chicago, Boston, Montreal, Los Angeles, Atlanta and finally, New York. He trained at academies, competed at competitions and garnered good ol’ Jiu-Jitsu hospitality allowing him to better budget his adventure.

Whether you are competing, visiting many academies or just managing a get-away from the family to train once during your vacation, you can learn from these tips and perhaps they will inspire you to plan a thorough training tour of your own:

Packing. You don’t need to bring as many clothes as you think you do. Since you’re going to be washing gis everywhere you go, don’t pack heavy. Your back will thank you for it.

Both are black belts under the ten-time world champion Roger Gracie and Oliver is one of the most active competitors today.

Here’s a sample of what they are offering.

Click here to know more.

João Miyao and Wellington Megaton fought for the gold medal in the Featherweight division of the 2015 Chicago Spring Open, this weekend.

Watch how the match played out.

The weekend of Jiu-Jitsu in Chicago wrapped up with the No-Gi divisions being played out.

In the teams competitions, Brasa finished first with 162pts, followed by Gracie Barra (84pts) and Valko BJJ (83pts).

The black belt division was the high point of the day with Rodrigo Reis winning the open class divisions.

Here are the other black belt results:

BLACK / Adult / Male / Light

First – Diego Bispo Conceição – Carlson Gracie Team

Second – Eduardo Antonio Perez Mulki – Alliance

Third – Joshua T Rose – Brasa

Third – Bricklin J. Welch – Redzovic International

BLACK / Adult / Male / Middle

First – Sean Patrick Fisher – Precision Jiu-Jitsu

Second – Kyle Lane Watson – McVicker’s BJJ

BLACK / Adult / Male / Medium Heavy

First – Steven J. Patterson – Brasa

Second – Cameron Andrew Knight – SAS Team USA

BLACK / Adult / Male / Heavy

First – Todd Brandon Mueckenheim – Soca Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Second – Lincoln Jeferson Pereira – Gracie Elite Team America

Third – Gerrad F. Zec – Gracie Barra

BLACK / Adult / Male / Super Heavy

First – Rodrigo Ferreira Reis – Tanque Jiu-Jitsu

Second – Israel Reyes – Brasa

BLACK / Adult / Male / Ultra Heavy

First – Rodrigo Leite de Medeiros – Brasa

Second – Allen A. Causevic – Valko BJJ

BLACK / Adult / Male / Open Class

First – Rodrigo Ferreira Reis – Tanque Jiu-Jitsu

Second – Allen A. Causevic – Valko BJJ

Click here for the complete results.

João Miyao and Paulo Miyao. Photo by Ivan Trindade/GRACIEMAG

The first day of the 2015 Chicago Spring International Open took place this Saturday with the most important gi divisions.

Day 2 is this Sunday, March 29, with the no-gi divisions and the purple belt and the white belt gi divisions.

In the black belt competition this Saturday, once again the Miyao Bros had the spotlight and confirmed their favoritism both in the feather and the lightweight divisions.

João Miyao defeated Wellington Megaton in the the featherweight and Paulo Miyao defeated Rafael Pereira in the lightweight.

In the male adult open class division, three athletes from GF Team reached the semifinals alongside Rodrigo Reis (Tanque JJ).

The final was a close out between Marcus Vinicius dos Santos (gold) and Vinicius Marinho (silver), with Vitor Oliveira finishing third.

In the female black belt open class division, Jena Bishop defeated Misty Shearer for the gold medal.

Click here for the complete results of day 1 in Chicago.

Click here for more info on day 2.

João Miyao in action this weekend at the 2015 Chicago Open. Photo: Ivan Trindade/GRACIEMAG

After reaching full capacity, the 2015 Chicago Spring Open goes down this weekend, with Gi and Nogi divisions.

Among more than 800 athletes, João and Paulo Miyao, Vitor Oliveira, Wellington Megaton, Oliver Geddes and others are the most recognizable names in the roster of competitors.

The IBJJF has released both the schedule and the brackets for the action this weekend.

Click here to see the schedule and the brackets.

Here are some of the best images of the black belt division at the 2015 European championship, from last Sunday, Jan. 25. Andre Galvão, Gabi Garcia, Mackenzie Dern, the Miyao Bros, Caio Terra and many others in awesome moments that were born classics.

They took home the gold of the adult black belt open class divisions.

Gabi confirmed her favoritism and was able to submit all her opponents.

In the final, she had to recover from a near sweep and also an attack to her neck by Mackenzie Dern, the most thrilling moment of the event.

After putting things back to normal, Gabi passed guard and got the win with a choke from side control, like she usually does.

The same crowd that seemed to be rooting for Dern, cheered Garcia in the end, recognizing her talent and supremacy in the female black belt division.

In the male open class final, Andre Galvão also had to recover to confirm his position as favorite.

Igor Silva, who had an amazing weekend, started out hot with an attack to Galvão’s foot and a sweep that put him 2-0 ahead with one advantage.

After that, Galvão worked his game plan and was able to comeback in the match.

He had the not predicted help of a rib injury suffered by Silva in a prior match, which slowed him down.

Galvão was able to sweep back, pass guard and put the knee on the belly twice to get to a 9-2 score at the moment Silva called it quits due to the pain.

Go to our instagram page to know how the other black belt divisions played out.

For the full results, click here.

In the teams competition, the results were:

Adult Male

1 – Alliance – 78

2 – PSLPB Cicero Costha – 44

3 – Atos Jiu-Jitsu – 41

4 – Gracie Barra – 37

5 – Team Lloyd Irvin – 29

6 – Brasa CTA – 26

7 – GF Team – 25

8 – Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu – 21

9 – Gracie Barra JJ – 19

10 – Game Fight BJJ/Manimal – 18

Adult Female

1 – CheckMat – 45

2 – Alliance – 38

3 – Gracie Barra – 36

4 – Roger Gracie – 26

5 – Frontline Academy – 21

6 – Carlson Gracie Team – 14

7 – GF Team – 14

8 – BJJ Globetrotters – 13

9 – Bruno Bastos Association – 12

10 – Gracie Barra JJ – 12

Juvenile

1 – Gracie Barra – 39

2 – UAE Jiu-jitsu Team – 24

3 – Hangon Hyrskyt – 20

4 – Rio Grappling Club Europe – 18

5 – SNAP A.S.D. – 18

6 – Art of Roll – 18

7 – UAEJJ – 17

8 – BJJ Globetrotters – 15

9 – Amazon Fight Team – 12

Masters

1 – Gracie Barra – 213

2 – Alliance – 173

3 – Roger Gracie – 142

4 – CheckMat – 136

5 – Icon Jiu-Jitsu Team – 109

6 – Brasa CTA – 77

7 – Carlson Gracie Team – 67

8 – WING BJJ – 47

9 – Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu – 41

10 – GF Team – 35

Novice

1 – CheckMat – 60

2 – Carlson Gracie Team – 50

3 – Alliance – 46

4 – Icon Jiu-Jitsu Team – 34

5 – Gracie Barra – 32

6 – Brasa CTA – 20

7 – Jackson Paulo Team – 20

8 – Nova União International – 20

9 – Frota Team – 19

10 – Association Aranha France – 18

Galvão got there with an all-submission campaign of four matches this Saturday.

First Galvão caught .Gabriel Rosberg’s neck, then he faced Thomas Johanessen and won with another choke from the back.

The quarterfinal was against Eberth Santos, newly arrived to the black belt division.

Galvão gave Santos a not very warm welcome with a choke from north south.

The semifinal put Galvão face to face with Checkmat’s Tarcisio Jardim and once again the Atos leader imposed his game to win by armbar submission.

On the other side of the bracket, Igor Silva worked in silence to advance each step until the final.

First he beat Alexandre Vieira, then he defeated Maksymilian Wisniewski.

The opponent in the quarterfinals was Jurandir Conceição, submitted with a foot lock.

The semifinal was a fast match against Lucio Lagarto.

A choke from the back granted Silva his place in the final.

In the female division, Gabrielle Garcia and Mackenzie Dern will clash for the gold medal just like they did at last year’s Worlds No-Gi

Both Gabi and Mackenzie fought twice to get to the final.

Gabi first beat Anna Mayne with and armbar and then choked Shanti Abelha from side control.

Mackenzie also fought twice, first choking Laurence Cousin with an ezekiel from the mount and then getting a referee decision win over Dominika Obelenyte.

Here are the best images of the day.