Sign up by Jan. 16!

The IBJJF European Open has long been the center stage for those in or around Europe who have difficulties traveling to the United States for major tournaments. The prestigious tournaments held in southern California have long been known as the best to attend however it is the European Open that sets the standard for every athlete’s year.

The coverage that is accumulated within the competitor list is astounding this year. Romania, Italy, Britain, Ireland, Turkey, Switzerland, Japan, Sweden, Hungary, Denmark, United States, Brazil just to name a few of the places being represented.

Why should you attend? Why should you compete?

Here are five ways to describe why you should not miss this event:

1. Lagarto and other top black belts will be battling it out.

Lucio “Largarto” Rodrigues is the perfect example of a great athlete who has yet to make it to the World Championship since it moved from Brazil. Largarto has defeated some of the top names such as Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida and Leo Nogueira but has yet to be in the spotlight. The Europeans are nearby as he trains and teaches at his home in the UK. Don’t miss out on your chance to see an accomplished athlete in action. Other names to take note of are Romulo Barral, Osvaldo Augusto, Alexander Trans, Mackenzie Dern, Gianni Grippo, AJ Agazarm, Paulo Miyao, Janni Larsson and more to be announced.

2. Costs are low even at the last minute.

Flights departing from:

London from $189
Dublin from $219
Stockholm from $282
Zurich from $291
Budapest from $258
Athens from $319
Rome from $220
Barcelona from $131

You can pay for meals around 7 EUR in Lisbon and the average hotel stay is around 60 EUR. Many hotels are in walking distance to the venue and a cab ride from the airport to your hotel would be around 6 EUR.

3. Start the new year off right with the first major competition of the season.

Even if you’re not a competitor aiming to be the next Rodolfo Vieira or Roger Gracie, you can still participate to get your year set off right.  A gold medal on the mats in Lisbon would solidify your path of achieving goals all year round. If you are an avid competitor who is hungry for gold, the grand slam opportunity is yours. As the first of the four major tournaments including European Open, Pan American Championship, Brazilian Nationals and the World Championship, you can start now. Keenan Cornelius was the first ever to win double gold at every grand slam tournament making him a historical person in our sport. Think you can do better?

4. Enjoy historical Lisbon and send off your family members to be entertained.

The venue itself is located outside of the city although it is a spectacle to see in the morning light as the rays hit the competition mats. The metro station is in walking distance allowing free range whether you are competing in the tournament or not. Have relatives that would like to see you compete? On the days before and after, you can send them off to enjoy the shopping in Chiado and Bairro Alto, the aquarium, the zoo, the Belem Tower and St George’s Castle. Make your trip worthwhile by easily visiting the most historical and monumental aspects of Lisboa.

5. The deadline isn’t until Jan. 16 to sign up.

Right now you can sign up as a competitor at www.ibjjf.org leaving you enough time to gather funds, secure your proper identification and membership if needed and make the cut off. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to win gold and enjoy beautiful Lisbon weather, historical culture and vacation. You have one week until today so don’t hesitate!

We’ll see you in Lisbon. For more information please visit www.ibjjf.org!

Diego Herzog, o Nosferatu, em ação na 5ª American Cup. Foto: John Cooper.

O faixa-preta de Jiu-Jitsu Diego Herzog (Ralph Gracie) foi o grande nome da 5ª American Cup, realizada no último final de semana, em San José, na Califórnia. A fera levou a categoria pesado e o absoluto da competição organizada por Claudio França.

Na semifinal da divisão aberta, Herzog mostrou calma ao se livrar de uma chave omoplata aplicada por Osvaldo Augusto (Gracie Fighter), campeão do peso leve, para em seguida atacar as costas e finalizar com um estrangulamento de golas. Assista e aprenda com ele.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M5o-311wyU

Diego Herzog in action at 5th American Cup / Photo: John Cooper

Jiu-Jitsu black belt Diego Herzog of Ralph Gracie academy was the big name at the 5th American Cup, held last weekend in San Jose, California. The gi-clad beast swept the heavyweight and absolute divisions at the Claudio França-organized event.

In the open weight semifinal, Herzog didn’t let his nerves get rattled as he unraveled an omoplata lock applied by Gracie Fighter rep Osvaldo Augusto, the winner of the lightweight division, then taking his back and finishing with a collar choke. Watch and learn from absolute champ Herzog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M5o-311wyU