Before the sold out class, he showed up for some no-gi classes.

In one of them, he rolled with Keenan Cornelius.

Take a look how things went down!

Black belt Ronda Andrews of GMA Gracie Humaita West Craig – NLV is hosting a women’s only open mat on Sunday, March 1.

The event is calling upon all ladies of all ages to join in on a day of rolling.

The event will begin at 11:30 a.m. and run until 1:30 p.m.

The academy is located at 4600 W. Craig Rd.  #601, North Las Vegas, NV 89032.

For any questions please contact Ronda at 702-509-1130 or email gabjj702@gmail.com

Women’s open mat. Photo: Erin Herle

Ladies, don’t miss the chance to gather with fellow females on the east coast to train and learn from one another. This Sunday, Nov. 23, GMA Renzo Gracie Academy will be open for an all-female open mat.

Training will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. The X, Y & Z open mat will feature snack bags available from chef Dana Minuta Palmer of Tembatoo Granola.

You can also donate while you’re there to Safe Horizons, an organization dedicated to helping victims of domestic abuse.

You can roll in both gi and no-gi and the event promises surprises during the event.

RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/events/781443081922739/

Renzo Gracie NYC is located at 224 W 30th St. NY, NY 10001.

James Foster (left) with Classy Grappler and student Tyy Withrow. Photo: Personal archive

One might have thought that video games and Jiu-Jitsu don’t mix well– that they would rival for one’s attention. But employees at Bungie, a video game developer, have found that Jiu-Jitsu can help them offset their time spent with working on video games.

On Sept. 8 James Foster of GMA Foster BJJ in Seattle, WA was invited to share his love of Jiu-Jitsu at the release party for the company’s newest product, Destiny.

We wondered about how this shared love of Jiu-Jitsu began at such a company and how the open mat was included at the party so we asked James:

GRACIEMAG: Can you describe the relationship between Bungie and Jiu-Jitsu?

JAMES FOSTER: Bungie provides many physical training options to help their employees escape the sedentary lifestyle of sitting in front of a computer countless hours a day. These activities include fencing, kickboxing, rock climbing on the in house rock wall, and Jiu-Jitsu among others. The president of the company, Harold Ryan, trained in grappling and pankration many years ago and is an avid mixed martial arts fan. The company hosts a different local BJJ black belt every couple of weeks to teach a class in their matted training room.

What event did you take part in and how did an open mat get scheduled?

Myself and my good friend Classy Grappler (famous for his online feud with Kit Dale) were invited to the Destiny launch party by our friend Luis Villegas who is a blue belt and an Engineering Lead at Bungie. We both had taught a mini seminar there around this time last year while the game was reaching the end stages of its five year creation process. Classy flew all the way from Texas to attend and Luis wanted to make sure we all got an opportunity to train, so an open mat was scheduled for the employees to take a break from all the excitement of the day.

Were you able to spread the art to more people in the process?

After we completed the open mat we were walking through the building in our gis while they were doing tours for all of the Bungie/Destiny fans (there were thousands of people lined up outside, many who camped out the night before). One gentleman looked at both of us with his eyes wide and said “Whoa, they even roll here too, that’s awesome!?!?!”, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu truly is everywhere We also ran into some employees who didn’t know the company offered a BJJ program and were very excited to start training there!

During the party I met several individuals who either trained in the past or were looking to start training. It was awesome to celebrate the launch of the game with the creators and share our mutual love of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with others at the same time. They spent the past 5 years of their lives creating a truly one of a kind experience, I’m just honored to have shared a small part of that!

Follow more of James Foster Jiu-Jitsu journeys at http://www.fbjjonline.com/

Sophia and the Australian Girls in Gis camp. Photo: Personal Archive

The weekend of Feb. 15-16 was a huge weekend for women in Jiu-Jitsu. Almost 95 women joined together to participate in one of the largest women’s BJJ event in the world! The event organized by purple belt Jess Fraser was a weekend camp that was open to all women of all ages and all levels from any academy.

It was a weekend where everyone could get together and learn and share experiences with no politics and no competition.  The head instructor, Australia’s first female black belt, Pan-Am and No-Gi World champion Sophia McDermott Drysdale, taught two sessions each day and gave advice about training during pregnancy. She also shared how to deal with the changes both physically and mentally of being a mother and an athlete.

Australian Girls in Gis is a huge community that provides support to all female Australian athletes and as a result, the overall standard of women in Jiu-Jitsu has increased dramatically.

“It is great to see the sport growing so rapidly where there are almost 100 women on the mat at one time,” says Sophia.

In July, Sophia is scheduled to teach a camp in Mexico alongside Mackenzie Dern.

For more information about Sophi McDermott Drysdale and her home of GMA Drysdale Jiu-Jitsu in Las Vegas, visit www.drysdalebjj.com

GMA Cassio Werneck fills its mats for a charity event for a teammate’s son. Photo: Personal Archive

Even people with disabilities find training fulfilling like Alex Madrid of San Francisco, CA. Alex has a condition called cerebral palsy that causes impairment in motor skills. At a recent open mat session black belt Bill Hotter was able to roll with the white belt, which was posted on YouTube.

The roll between the two shows that even at black belt, you can still gain experience from training with white belts. It also represents the numerous qualities that Jiu-Jitsu offers for people of any background. And it shows the bond that is created between people who train together.

Watch the roll and next time you put off training, question your excuse.

The family of Joe Camacho is now accepting donations for his memorial fund. Both MMA fighter and Jiu-Jitsu second degree black belt, Joe passed away Monday of an apparent heart attack.

He leaves behind a legacy in the cage and on the mats at his academy in California.

On Sunday, Dec. 22 New Breed Academy will open its doors for an open mat to gain donations. It starts at 12 p.m. and ends at 4 p.m. and suggests a donation of $5.

New Breed Academy is located at: 9848 Jersey Ave. Sante Fe Springs, CA 90670

Even if you cannot make the event you can still contribute by donating money at: www.gofundme.com/5t5ss0

Last week the Jiu-Jitsu community in Philadelphia attended a seminar for a student of Jared Weiner at BJJ United who is currently undergoing treatment for leukemia. They raised over $10,000.

Because of the disastrous Supertyphoon Haiyan in the Philippines that hit last week, many are in need and  we can help to fund relief efforts. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, there are currently 3,621 deaths, 12,165 injured, 1,140 missing and many homeless.

Check out these events coming up that will give you the opportunity to donate to various outlets. If you are not local or cannot make the events, there are other opportunities to support:

Rolling for Philippines – Sunday, Nov. 17 San Jose, CA

At Heroes Martial Arts is holding an open mat on Sunday, Nov. 17 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 460 S Market St. San Jose, CA. They are asking for a minimum $20 donation and black belts like Samir Chantre, Osvaldo Queixinho, Bryant Pangelinan, Alan “Gumby” Marques, Matt Darcy, Jeremy Adkins, Sergio Silva, Julio Echeverria to name a few will be present also. Instead of conducting a massive seminar however, they will be available for “privates” at the rate of $2 per minute. Call 408-288-8857 for more information. If you can’t make it you can donate online at: http://www.crowdrise.com/rollforthephilippines/ which goes to the American Red Cross.

Roll for the Philippines – Saturday, Nov. 23 Peoria, AZ

There will be an open mat at Siege MMA on Saturday, Nov. 23 with all proceeds donated to the relief. It will run from 1 – 3 p.m. at 14131 W. Rio Vista Blvd. #9 Peoria, AZ. They are asking for $20 or more if possible. Call 602-680-3467 for more information.

Seattle Martial Arts Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fundraiser and Auction  – Sunday, Nov. 24 Seattle, WA

Seattle martial arts and crossfit schools will come together on Sunday, Nov. 24 for a fundraising event with lunch and a silent auction. It will run from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at MKG Seattle: 10714 5th Ave NE, Seattle, WA. Workshops will run from 10 a.m. on with a Filipino lunch available for $10 donation per plate from 2 – 3:30 p.m. For more information visit http://www.mkgseattle.com/fundraiser/

Roll4Relief – Sunday, Dec. 1 San Diego, CA

Michael Liera Jr. and his family have set up open mat fundraiser for the BJJ community in San Diego, CA. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Arena MMA: 3350 Sports Arena Blvd. San Diego, CA. It will be a day of music, Jiu-Jitsu, food, prizes for family and friends. They are asking for a $25 mat fee for donation. More information can be found at their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Roll4reliefhaiyan

Northwest GrappleThon for Philippine Disaster Aid – Friday, Dec. 6 to Saturday, Dec. 7 Edmonds, WA

There will be a 24-hour grapplethon to raise money at Gracie Barra Edmonds which is twenty minutes south of downtown Seattle. It will run from 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 9681 Firdale Ave, Edmonds, Washington 98020.

“We wIll charge a fixed amount to participate, in this case, $30, and then people are welcome to solicit pledges from co-workers, family, and friends based on how many rolls you get, or how long you can go, etc. I’m feeling that “a dollar a roll” is a reasonable ask. If you aren’t a Jiu-Jitsu person, a “roll” is a 5-10 minute “live” sparring session with another person. How tough it is really depends on the participants, but it can be extremely draining and painful when your opponent is way better than you are. So, if you think it sounds like an awfully hard dollar, you are probably correct. If you’d rather do it based on time spent, $6-$10 is probably fair for an hour. We will also be doing T-shirts for the participants, and you will receive one with your donation of $50 or more. There will also be prizes available for the participants, and if you are interested in a sponsorship opportunity, please reach out to griff@edmondsbjj.com and we can discuss it directly.”

“Braver & Stronger” Fundraiser T-Shirt by Gawakoto, Meerkatsu and Scramble – Pre-order ends Monday, Nov. 18 Online

To raise money for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Phillipines, Gawakoto has teamed up with Meerkatsu & Scramble to produce this one of a kind shirt featuring all three artists’ work. Pre-orders for the first batch will be taken between Thursday 14th until Monday 18th. Tees will begin shipping roughly two weeks after. This way the money from the shirt can be donated quicker. Donations will go to Disasters Emergency Committee.

To order go to: http://store.gawakotoclothing.co.uk/Pre-Order-Fundraising-Shirt-Stronger-Braver_p_45.html 

Any other events or fundraising opportunities? Let us know!

GMA member Joao Faria of Gracie Del Mar invites everyone to come to the Gracie Humaita Headquarters in San Diego, CA to celebrate the life of Grand  Master Helio Gracie. If he were alive today, Helio would be 100 years old.

A gathering at the academy will pay tribute to the pioneer of Jiu-Jitsu with an open mat and an opportunity to watch Royler Gracie’s home movies.

The time is set for 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 1 and is open for any person regardless of affiliation.

Please wear only white gis.

For more information go to http://www.thegraciesandiego.com/

JT Torres. Foto: Mike Calimbas

A Seletiva de Montreal para Abu Dhabi ocorreu no último fim de semana, no Canadá. Por lá, o grande destaque foi “JT” Torres, que venceu a categoria leve. Abaixo, você confere a lista dos campeões que também vão lutar em Abu Dhabi em abril com tudo pago.

Antes, veja o confere que carimbou o passaporte de JT para os Emirados Árabes.

Absoluto – Branca
1. Brody Rawding (Brazilian Top Team)

Absoluto Leve – Azul
1. Hassan Salifu (Toronto BJJ)

Absoluto Pesado – Azul
1. Patrick Walsh (Wai Kru)

Absoluto Leve – Roxa
1. Mansher Khera (Marcelo Garcia Academy)

Absoluto Pesado – Roxa
1. Jonathan Satava (Marcelo Garcia Academy)

Absoluto Branca/Azul – Feminino
1. Yacinta Nguyen-Huu (Scott Schilling BJJ)

Absoluto Roxa/Marrom/Preta Leve- Feminino
1. Tammi Musumeci (Alliance)

Absoluto Roxa/Marrom/Preta Pesado – Feminino
1. Dominyka Obelenyte (Marcelo Garcia Academy)

Marrom/Preta – Pena
1. Darson Hemmings (Open Mat)

Marrom/Preta – Leve
1. Jt Torres (Lloyd Irvin)

Marrom/Preta – Médio
1. Paulo Azambuja (Avengers)

Marrom/Preta – Pesado
1. Lee Villeneauve (Brazilian Top Team)

Marrom/Preta – Super-Pesado
1. Dan Simmler (Renzo Gracie)

JT Torres (photo by Mike Calimbas)

The Montreal, Canada, leg of the Abu Dhabi WPJJC Trials were held last weekend. The big standout on the occasion was “JT” Torres, who won the lightweight division. Below, check out the list of the others winners who will travel to Abu Dhabi with all expenses paid.

But first, watch the match that put JT through to the Emirates.

Absolute white belt
1. Brody Rawding (Brazilian Top Team)

Absolute blue belt lightweight
1. Hassan Salifu (Toronto BJJ)

Absolute blue belt heavyweight
1. Patrick Walsh (Wai Kru)

Absolute purple belt lightweight
1. Mansher Khera (Marcelo Garcia Academy)

Absolute purple belt heavyweight
1. Jonathan Satava (Marcelo Garcia Academy)

Absolute white/blue female
1. Yacinta Nguyen-Huu (Scott Schilling BJJ)

Absolute purple/brown/black lightweight female
1. Tammi Musumeci (Alliance)

Absoluto Roxa/Marrom/Preta Pesado – Feminino
1. Dominyka Obelenyte (Marcelo Garcia Academy)

Brown/black – Featherweight
1. Darson Hemmings (Open Mat)

Brown/black – Lightweight
1. Jt Torres (Lloyd Irvin)

Brown/black – Middleweight
1. Paulo Azambuja (Avengers)

Brown/black – heavyweight
1. Lee Villeneauve (Brazilian Top Team)

Brown/black – Superheavyweight
1. Dan Simmler (Renzo Gracie)