The fearless "Lalau" and his master, Givanildo Santana / Photo: personal archive

A black belt always at the top of the heap at IBJJF tournaments and owner of a tricky guard to pass, Laércio Fernandes is another top-tier competitor joining the fray at the European Championship this January 26 to 29 in Lisbon, Portugal.

“I am looking to be there!” he forewarned GRACIEMAG.com.

The light featherweight who won this season’s Phoenix International Open wants to test the waters at roosterweight.

“I always fight well at light featherweight, but since the No-Gi Worlds, where I took runner-up, I felt great and decided I’d like to drop a bit of weight. I’ve never competed at this weight, and I want to see what it’s like. If I feel good, I’ll stay there; I won’t compete at light featherweight again,” he said, adding how he knows he’ll be up against some stiff competition, “As for my opponents, it’s a tough call to say who the main ones are, since you can never make mistakes at black belt. However, I feel Bruno Malfacine is a cut above the rest of the roosterweights, since he won the last few Worlds and has a really aggressive game,” said the GMA Givanildo Santana student.

Do as Láercio does, take part in IBJJF events.

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

O bravo "Lalau" e seu mestre, Givanildo Santana. Foto: Acervo Pessoal.

Faixa-preta que sempre está nas cabeças em competições da IBJJF e dono de uma guarda enjoada de passar, Laércio Fernandes é mais um que quer engrossar o caldo no Campeonato Europeu, que rola em Lisboa, Portugal, entre os dias 26 a 29 de janeiro

“Estou querendo ir pra lá sim! “, adiantou ao GRACIEMAG.com.

O peso-pluma que venceu o Phoenix International Open, nessa temporada, quer se testar na categoria dos galos.

“Eu sempre lutei de pluma, mas depois do mundial sem kimono, em que fui vice-campeão, me senti muito bem e gostaria de tentar baixar de peso um pouquinho. Eu nunca lutei nessa categoria e quero ver. Caso me sinta bem fico, não retorno a lutar de pluma novamente”, diz ele, que vai encarar uma rapaziada afiada. “Em relação aos adversários, é difícil dizer os principais, já que na faixa-preta não se pode cometer erros. Porém, acho que o Bruno Malfacine está acima da média dos outros lutadores do peso galo, já que ele venceu os últimos Mundiais e tem um Jiu-Jitsu bastante ofensivo”, encerra o pupilo o nosso GMA Givanildo Santana.

Faça como Laércio, participe dos eventos da IBJJF.

Para saber mais sobre o Europeu, clique aqui.

Felipe Pena, Brian Morizi, and Elias Ramirez with Fabricio Werdum / Photos: Deb Blyth

Players like Rômulo Barral, Kayron Gracie, Lucas Rocha, Otávio Sousa, Rodrigo Simões, Philipe Della Monica, and Bruno Antunes are well known on the brown and black belt circuit, but it’s the lower belts who are storming the scene. Guys like Brian Morizi, Elias Ramirez, Felipe Carsalade Pena and Aaron Miller are some of the names hoping to get on the podium at the Worlds this weekend at the pyramid in Long Beach.

Brian Morizi is a middleweight purple belt. This 21-year-old competes nonstop, traveling to different venues and tournaments around the state and nation. He came in first in his weight and in the absolute at the 2011 Abu Dhabi trials in San Diego and won the majority of his matches by submission.

At the Abu Dhabi he placed third in the gi in his weight. Although he didn’t come back with the gold, he was still happy with his performance and the trip overall. “They put mats down in the hotel so I got to train with a lot of different people,” he says, “I had a great time.”

At the Samurai Pro Morizi closed out his division with GB teammate Jeff Shulze and closed out the absolute final with his other GB teammate Felipe Carsalade Pena. Morizi won his divisional matches by submission. In the absolute he won his first match by advantages against an ultra heavy opponent and the second he won by submission. “My experience at the Samurai Pro was excellent,” he says, “It was a great warm-up for the Worlds. Competing at the same place as the Worlds gave me a feeling of comfort.”

Over the course of the last two years in his purple belt, Morizi has amassed over 50 medals. He trains three to four times a day. He says the jump in level of competition from blue belt to purple belt was big, but he feels he adjusted to it well. “I use a lot of technique and not much strength, so I’ve been able to adapt pretty easily,” he says. Morizi’s biggest accomplishments at purple belt include winning the 2011 Abu Dhabi Trials, the 2010 US Open, the 2009 No-Gi Worlds, and the 2009 No-Gi Nationals.

For the first time, he’s going to fight at the Worlds at middleweight instead of at light. “This is the first time in a long time I’m going into a tournament with no injuries,” he says, “The last few weeks I’ve focused only on training. I haven’t been teaching; just training for the Worlds.”

Morizi trains at GB America with the plethora of world class black belts there and for conditioning he trains at Juggernaut with a number of the other GB greats. “I’ve been gaining a lot of strength,” he says, “Chad (Smith, owner of Juggernaut) is really knowledgeable in power lifting and he’s been helping me get a lot stronger. I feel like I’m finally at the same strength as other middleweights. I feel really confident and relaxed. More than ever before.”

Elias Ramirez

Elias Ramirez is another GB purple belt who is training hard for the Worlds and hopes to have a good showing. He closed out his medium heavy division at the Samurai Pro with GB teammate Felipe Carsalade Pena. Pena gave Ramirez the gold. In the open, Ramirez won two fights, but because there were so many Gracie Barra guys competing and winning, Ramirez let Pena pass. Pena ended up closing out the finals with Brian Morizi. Gracie Barra closed out the entire open with Morizi taking first, Pena taking second and Ramirez taking third.

Ramirez is focused on growing Gracie Barra Anaheim Hills, so he doesn’t get to train and focus on competing as much as he would like, but he is training hard for the Worlds. “I want to get the gold, which is what I want every time I walk on the mats,” he says. Although Ramirez’s current dream is to open his own academy, he loves to compete. “I look forward to competing all this year and continuing to compete for as long as my body lets me,” he says, “I love competition and have a great desire to become the best I can be. I haven’t hit that point yet.”

Felipe Carsalade Pena recently moved to the Los Angeles area from Brazil to train with Rômulo Barral. At the Samurai Pro he had four fights in his medium heavy division and closed out the bracket with Ramirez. In the open he had two more fights and ended up closing out the bracket with Morizi. Pena felt really good about his performance. “I had hard fights,” he says, “It was a good warm-up for the Worlds.”

At the 2011 Pan, Pena had six fights and won the medium heavy division. He also won the medium heavyweight and open weight divisions at the Phoenix Open. It’s been a good year for Pena and he’s looking forward to showcasing his talent at the upcoming Worlds. “I’m training really hard,” he says, “I’m well prepared to fight for the gold at the Worlds.”

Pena began his training in Brazil with the help of his professors, Marcelo Uirapuru, Sergio Benini, and Augusto “Tio Chico”. “They’re always supporting me and encouraging me to train hard at Gracie Barra BH,” he says. In the last few months, Pena moved to California and has been training with his friend Rômulo Barral. “He’s helped me improve my Jiu-Jitsu a lot,” Pena says, “I am really thankful.”

Aaron Miller is a GB lightweight blue belt from GB Fullerton who recently won his division at the Samurai Pro. He won both his matches by submission. Miller is an MMA fighter who took a break from fighting to focus on training in Jiu-Jitsu. He was submitted in his last three MMA fights and it didn’t sit well with him. “I decided to take a year and focus on Jiu-Jitsu,” he says, “I’ve been working on defense from the back and attacks from the top.”

Miller has been working with Professor Maycon Carvalho and says he’s taught him patience. “I see things coming now instead of forcing them to happen,” he says. His Jiu-Jitsu training is paying off, as he recently also won his weight and the open class at the Phoenix Open.

As for the Worlds, Miller is looking forward to getting there and hopes to compete against the guys who have beaten him in the past. “Training for the Worlds is like training for a title shot in MMA,” he says, “You train hours and hours, day after day, only making time to sleep and to eat. My mind is focused only on the Worlds.”

Miller says he does not train to lose and he hopes those he competes against feel the same way. “I watch my old matches over and over again so I can see what I can do better next time and how I can improve my game. When I train at Gracie Barra I go against the best and I imagine it is for first place at the Worlds.”

Miller says he only sees gold on the horizon at the Worlds. “My first match is always the hardest because you go in cold nervous and amped up all at the same time,” he says, “But when I find my center, there is no stopping me.”

Kristina (middle) at Dallas Open: sights set on Worlds / Photo: publicity

Last weekend two of Nova União’s greatest hopes for the 2011 Worlds shone at the Dallas Open.

Kaue Damasceno and Kristina Barlaan won their respective weight groups and absolutes as purple belts. Kristina managed the same feat one week prior, at the Phoenix Open.

“I’m getting Kristina ready to be world champion this year. We know it’s no easy task, she just missed in 2009 and 2010 with two bronzes, but she’s going to try and keep up the solid campaign from Phoenix and Dallas by competing at weight and open weight again. That’s a surefire way to make history,” remarked GMA and president of Nova União USA Gustavo Dantas.

“Kaue made some noise here by winning at weight and absolute at the Dallas Open, but we told him how the bar is much higher at the Worlds,” says Bruno Bastos, the team’s leader in Dallas. “The best will be there, but he for sure has what it takes to be with the best of them, he’s just never had the chance to compete here before. He won everything there was to win in Brazil as a purple belt, now it’s time for him to win here,” said Bastos in closing.

Kristina no topo, no Dallas Open: alvo agora é o Mundial. Foto: Divulgação.

No último fim de semana, duas apostas da Nova União para o Mundial 2011 brilharam no Dallas Open.

Kaue Damasceno e Kristina Barlaan levaram peso e absoluto na faixa-roxa masculino/feminino. Kristina havia feito o mesmo na semana anterior durante o Phoenix Open.

“Estou preparando a Kristina pra ser campeã mundial este ano. Sabemos que não é uma tarefa fácil, ela bateu na trave em 2009 e 2010 com dois bronzes, mas ela vai tentar manter a boa campanha de Phoenix e Dallas lutando peso e absoluto. Esse é o jeito certo de fazer história”, comentou o GMA e presidente da Nova União USA, Gustavo Dantas.

“O Kaue chegou fazendo barulho aqui faturando peso e absoluto no Dallas Open, porém conversei com ele que o Mundial é um outro nível”, lembra Bruno Bastos, líder da equipe em Dallas. “Os melhores vão estar lá, mas ele com certeza está entre os melhores, apenas nunca tinha tido a oportunidade de lutar aqui. Ele ganhou tudo no Brasil na faixa-roxa, agora é hora de ganhar aqui”, encerra Bastos.

E se você é fã dos atletas da Nova União, não deixe de conferir o Plano de Aula com Vítor Shaolin, na nova GRACIEMAG, nas bancas!

What’s not so simple is how they plan to get there. Without the aid of many of their top counterparts in Brazil, the team has to rely on its growing stable of US talent. Talent that has helped capture two IBJJF International Open titles for Nova União in just two weeks. Having played an integral part by leading the charge to victory in both Phoenix and Dallas, Gustavo Dantas black belt Steve Rosenberg is a shining example of how deep the talent pool is at Nova União’s stateside branch.

Steve Rosenbergb in action

Having shown his mettle at earlier belts, through such achievements as winning the lightweight class in the 2009 Pan adult division as a brown belt, Steve is no stranger to competition. Belonging to what is considered one of the toughest weight brackets, he has been working hard to stand his ground as a black belt, a division predominantly won by Brazilians.

With the momentum from his back-to-back wins at the Phoenix and Dallas Opens, Steve isn’t planning on slowing down as he heads into the 2011 World Championship. Being only one in a handful of American black belts representing Nova União at the 2011 Worlds, Steve represents the caliber of the team’s US-bred competitors. Characterized by fierce loyalty, hunger to succeed, abilty to rise to challenges, and willingness to defend the team’s flag to the death, Steve has become the beacon of hope Nova União has been waiting for.

It’s the beginning of a new age for Nova União. With team unity playing a pivotal part in achieving its goals, Nova União is set to create a new squad of elite competitors to lead the team. Just as Robson Moura and Vitor Shaolin were part of Nova União’s elite during the team’s golden age, in the late nineties in Brazil, the team is ready to recreate its frontline with the American talents under Nova União’s main leaders in the US. Consider Steve Rosenberg ready for battle.

Watch the Dallas Open semifinal between Steve Rosenberg and Tony Tipton:

The venue for the Dallas Open prior to the action / Ph: publicity/IBJJF

Two weeks after its conquest of the IBJJF’s Phoenix International Open, Nova União repeated the feat in Dallas. Led by Professor Bruno Bastos and before the eyes of team president in America Gustavo Dantas, the team went all the way, notching over a hundred points ahead of second-placed team Alliance.

Chased down by GRACIEMAG.com, Bruno commented on the achievement:

“I was expecting us to win, as we went in with a really big and strong team here in Dallas. I signed a lot of students up and had the help of my affiliates as well, beside some reinforcements from Robson Moura and Gustavo, who only brought three athletes from Arizona, but even so they made a difference,” said a jubilant Bastos.

“The gang fought really well, with kudos to Steve Rosenberg, runner-up in the absolute and winner of the lightweight division. Kaue Damasceno won at weight and open weight as a purple belt and Kristina Barlaan took weight and open weight in the purple belt female division. Better still, both finals were wars against another Nova União representative, Sue Ausman. Kelly Faszholz took her weight division and the absolute in the blue belt female category, while Arnold Monterroso came over from Arizona and won the blue belt light featherweight division. And there were plenty of others, in the master contest,” he recounted.

“Gustavo held a seminar on the day before where he gave a speech about the importance of being a part of a team and how we want to put in a lot of work to be sure we’ll always be fighting for the top spots, to win a World Championship again. That was great for the athletes,” he said in finishing.

O palco do Dallas Open antes das disputas. Foto: Divulgação/IBJJF.

Após conquistar o Phoenix International Open da IBJJF, a Nova União repetiu o feito uma semana depois em Dallas. Liderada pelo professor Bruno Bastos e sob os olhares do presidente da equipe na América, nosso GMA Gustavo Dantas, a equipe sobrou, com mais de cem pontos de vantagem sobre a vice-colocada, a Alliance.

Procurado pelo GRACIEMAG.com, Bruno comentou o feito:

“Eu esperava que fôssemos ganhar, pois realmente entramos com um time grande e forte aqui em Dallas. Coloquei muitos alunos e tivemos a ajuda das minhas filiais também, além de algumas do Robinho Moura e do Gustavo, que trouxe apenas três atletas do Arizona, mas que mesmo assim fizeram diferença”, celebrou Bastos.

“A galera lutou muito bem, com destaque para Steve Rosemberg, vice no absoluto preta e campeão leve. Kaue Damasceno faturou peso e absoluto na roxa e Kristina Barlaan faturou peso e absoluto na roxa feminino, e o melhor, em duas guerras na final contra a também Nova União Sue Ausman. Kelly Faszholz faturou peso e absoluto no azul feminino, enquanto Arnold Monterroso veio do Arizona para faturar o pluma azul. E muitos outros, no master”, enumerou.

“O Gustavo deu um seminário no dia anterior onde fez um discurso sobre a importância do sentido de equipe e de como nós queremos trabalhar muito e estar sempre brigando no topo, para poder ganhar um Mundial novamente. Isso foi ótimo para os atletas”, encerrou.

Laércio against Gustavo Carpio in Phoenix / Photo: IBJJF

A representative of Lotus academy and student of our GMA Giva Santana, Laércio Fernandes was the big standout at the Phoenix International Open, winning his weight group and the absolute division, which regular GRACIEMAG.com readers already knew.

Besides winning the open weight division, the black belt also wreaked havoc at featherweight, although Laércio generally appears as a light featherweight.

Check out the decider, where he faced Gustavo Carpio:

Laércio contra Carpio em Phoenix. Foto: IBJJF.

Representante da Lotus e pupilo do nosso GMA Giva Santana, Laércio Fernandes foi o grande destaque no Phoenix International Open, vencedor no peso e absoluto, o que o leitor assíduo do GRACIEMAG.com já sabia.

Além da categoria aberta, o faixa-preta lutou no evento entre os penas. No entanto, Laércio costuma aparecer na categoria pluma.

Confira como foi a final da fera contra Gustavo Carpio:

… However, he’ll likely stop at two monsters a cut above the rest. That’s the breakdown provided by a light featherweight who’s been causing a stir in the Gi scene lately.

Laercio Fernandes (Lotus Club) won the absolute division at last weekend’s Phoenix Open, and now he’s breaking down the recent winning spree little guys have had in Jiu-Jitsu’s thorniest division.

Essence of the art:

“I feel it’s sensationalism when everyone makes a big deal out of a little guy beating big opponents in the absolute; the ‘weak’ overcoming the strong has always been the essence of Jiu-Jitsu. Grandmaster Helio Gracie always emphasized that. The fact that little guys have been beating big guys happens for two main reasons: 1) the efficiency of the gentle art, and 2) little guys being used to getting squashed by and training with much bigger guys ever since white belt. That means the big guys’ strength is nothing new to us in championships.”

Worlds 2011:

“I’ll compete at light feather at the Worlds; I don’t know if I’ll do the absolute, but I think in June in California a light fighter may very well surprise everybody. If Cobrinha enters the absolute I’d bet on him to beat a lot of big and good guys. The problem – no offense to other athletes – is that there will be two guys from another planet at the Worlds: Roger Gracie and Rodolfo Vieira. Those two are a cut above the rest.”

Next challenges:

“Before the Worlds I’m going to do the Samurai Pro in California, Werdum’s event. I’ll be in the under-165-lb division.”

… Porém, deve parar em dois monstros bem acima dos demais. Tal análise é de um peso-pluma que vem embalado nos torneios de kimono.

Laercio Fernandes (Lotus Club) venceu no último sábado o absoluto no torneio aberto de Phoenix, da IBJJF, e analisou as recentes vitórias dos levinhos na categoria mais complicada do Jiu-Jitsu.

Essência da arte:
“Acho sensacional quando um levinho vence um absoluto com oponentes pesados, porque isso sempre foi e será a essência do Jiu-Jitsu, o mais “fraco” vencer o mais forte. Grande mestre Helio Gracie sempre enfatizou isso. O fato de magrinhos estarem vencedo grandões ocorre devido a dois principais motivos: 1) a eficiência da arte suave, e 2) o costume que nós magrinhos temos, desde a faixa-branca, de tomar amasso e treinar com caras mais pesados. Isso nos leva a não sermos surpreendidos com a força dos pesadões nos campeonatos.

Mundial 2011:
“No Mundial vou de pluma, não sei se vou no absoluto, mas acredito que na Califórnia, em junho, um levinho pode surpreender sim. Se o Cobrinha entrar no absoluto, aposto que ele vai ganhar de muito cara grande e bom. O problema, sem desmerecer outros atletas, é que no absoluto do Mundial vão existir dois caras de outro planeta. Roger Gracie e Rodolfo Vieira, acredito que esses dois estão acima da média.

Próximos desafios:
“Antes do Mundial, vou lutar o Samurai Pro na Califa, evento organizado por Werdum, na divisão atee 165 libras (75 kg).”